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A review by amateur_bookworm
Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
OG book review 10/31/23
My rating: 5
When her brother Forest enlists and goes off to fight in the war between gods, Iris Winnow must soon drop out of her senior year of school to get a job after her mother turns into a drunk. After winning as essay competition, Iris is rewarded with an opportunity to earn a columnist position at the newspaper but must compete against the insufferable Roman Kitt for it. Iris writes letters to her brother and places them in her wardrobe where they vanish. She soon receives a letter back, that is decidedly not from her brother. Unbeknownst to Iris, Roman is on the other side of her letters and is well aware the sender is Iris. When tragedy strikes, Iris decides to quit her job and go to the front lines as a war correspondent for a rival newspaper. Roman, desperate to flee an arranged marriage and to reveal his identity as the recipient of Iris’ letters as his feelings for her develop, goes after Iris after quitting his job and also becoming a correspondent. Amidst the chaos of war, is it possible to have a happily ever after?
••••••••••••
Incredible. I literally could not set this book down for the entire last half. It is moving, heart-wrenching, and I felt the full range of emotions from joy to sorrow as I read. I was initially turned off by the writing style. It felt forced and like the author had a thesaurus a little too close next to her while writing. After about 75 pages, I picked up the rhythm of the writing as the story unfolded. I had no idea that I was about to be so emotionally ravaged by this harmless-looking book with a delightful cover. The character development pulls you into their thrall and, even though I couldn’t shake the horrible sense of foreboding as I read, I savored it and clung to the bits of joy. I don’t know how I can possibly survive until December 26 for the next one!
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Audiobook review 2/21/24
Genre: Fantasy, romance, young adult, fiction
My rating: 4.5
My summary: Iris Winnow is devastated her brother Forest is going off to fight in the war between the gods Dacre and Enva. After he leaves, Iris soon has to drop out of her last year of school when her mother starts drinking too much and loses her job. The one bright spot in Iris’s life is her work at the Oath Gazette, competing for a columnist position against her rival, Roman Kitt. As Iris desperately wishes for news from Forest, but with no way to contact him, she writes letters to him and they magically disappear from her wardrobe. It doesn’t take long for Roman to realize the letters appearing on his floor are coming from Iris, and they begin exchanging letters, but Iris has no idea who is on the other end of her typewriter. When tragedy strikes Iris’s life, she quits her job and becomes a war correspondent in order to get closer to finding answers about Forest. As Roman realizes the feelings he now has for Iris, as well as his desire to escape his father’s oppressive expectations, he soon follows Iris to the front lines. But Iris becomes torn by her feelings for both Roman and her mystery pen pal, as well as the overwhelming experience of being on the front lines of the war.
My thoughts: I absolutely adored this book when I read it in October 2023. The audiobook was … fine. The narrators were fine. I thought the voices were a great fit for the characters. I was just honestly a little bored through it. Again, I really loved the book, so I think I just wasn’t in the mood for this one at this time. But my hold on Libby became available and I couldn’t extend it any longer, so I either had to listen now or wait quite a bit longer on a new hold. I do highly recommend this book or audiobook, whichever way you prefer to read or listen. Don’t let it being young adult turn you off, this book is sure not anything like the young adult that was available when I was younger.
My rating: 5
When her brother Forest enlists and goes off to fight in the war between gods, Iris Winnow must soon drop out of her senior year of school to get a job after her mother turns into a drunk. After winning as essay competition, Iris is rewarded with an opportunity to earn a columnist position at the newspaper but must compete against the insufferable Roman Kitt for it. Iris writes letters to her brother and places them in her wardrobe where they vanish. She soon receives a letter back, that is decidedly not from her brother. Unbeknownst to Iris, Roman is on the other side of her letters and is well aware the sender is Iris. When tragedy strikes, Iris decides to quit her job and go to the front lines as a war correspondent for a rival newspaper. Roman, desperate to flee an arranged marriage and to reveal his identity as the recipient of Iris’ letters as his feelings for her develop, goes after Iris after quitting his job and also becoming a correspondent. Amidst the chaos of war, is it possible to have a happily ever after?
••••••••••••
Incredible. I literally could not set this book down for the entire last half. It is moving, heart-wrenching, and I felt the full range of emotions from joy to sorrow as I read. I was initially turned off by the writing style. It felt forced and like the author had a thesaurus a little too close next to her while writing. After about 75 pages, I picked up the rhythm of the writing as the story unfolded. I had no idea that I was about to be so emotionally ravaged by this harmless-looking book with a delightful cover. The character development pulls you into their thrall and, even though I couldn’t shake the horrible sense of foreboding as I read, I savored it and clung to the bits of joy. I don’t know how I can possibly survive until December 26 for the next one!
###############
Audiobook review 2/21/24
Genre: Fantasy, romance, young adult, fiction
My rating: 4.5
My summary: Iris Winnow is devastated her brother Forest is going off to fight in the war between the gods Dacre and Enva. After he leaves, Iris soon has to drop out of her last year of school when her mother starts drinking too much and loses her job. The one bright spot in Iris’s life is her work at the Oath Gazette, competing for a columnist position against her rival, Roman Kitt. As Iris desperately wishes for news from Forest, but with no way to contact him, she writes letters to him and they magically disappear from her wardrobe. It doesn’t take long for Roman to realize the letters appearing on his floor are coming from Iris, and they begin exchanging letters, but Iris has no idea who is on the other end of her typewriter. When tragedy strikes Iris’s life, she quits her job and becomes a war correspondent in order to get closer to finding answers about Forest. As Roman realizes the feelings he now has for Iris, as well as his desire to escape his father’s oppressive expectations, he soon follows Iris to the front lines. But Iris becomes torn by her feelings for both Roman and her mystery pen pal, as well as the overwhelming experience of being on the front lines of the war.
My thoughts: I absolutely adored this book when I read it in October 2023. The audiobook was … fine. The narrators were fine. I thought the voices were a great fit for the characters. I was just honestly a little bored through it. Again, I really loved the book, so I think I just wasn’t in the mood for this one at this time. But my hold on Libby became available and I couldn’t extend it any longer, so I either had to listen now or wait quite a bit longer on a new hold. I do highly recommend this book or audiobook, whichever way you prefer to read or listen. Don’t let it being young adult turn you off, this book is sure not anything like the young adult that was available when I was younger.