Book Review: Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross

Book One of the Letters of Enchantment

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Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross

ISBN 9780008600662

Published 18 August 2023 by Harper Collins Australia

Pages 368

Eighteen-year-old Iris dreams that one day her writing will make a difference. A war between gods is raging, and she’s landed a prestigious job at the Oath Gazette.

But at home, she’s barely holding it together. Her brother is missing on the frontline. Her mother is lost in a haze of addiction. And each night Iris pours her heart out in letters to her brother.

Letters that will never be answered. Or so she thinks…

They’ve made their way into the hands of the last person Iris trusts: Roman Kitt. Her cold, unforgiving rival at the paper.

Drawn together by fate and magic, they form an unlikely connection. They say love conquers all… but can it triumph in a war between gods?

What is Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross?

Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross is a Young Adult historical fantasy with romance.

Iris Winnow and Roman Kitt are both writers at the same magazine and vying for the same columnist position. While Iris’s brother is off at war, she continuously writes letters to him…letters that end up in her rival’s hands. What happens when Roman writes her back knowing it’s her, but she has no idea that it’s him. Iris becomes a correspondent and you must read the book to find out what happens.

My thoughts on Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross

Wow! I haven’t read many young adult reads this year but Divine Rivals is definitely going to be in my top 10 of the year.

The whole book was fantastically written with short chapters to start the book off and then getting longer as the plot progresses. Ross does such an amazing job getting you to love both Iris and Roman as well as invested in what they are trying to accomplish in their writing.

Iris is such a strong female main character (FMC) who would not let anyone define what she should be doing. She is such a relatable character! Roman is so determined to prove himself to Iris and I loved his story ARC.

My all-time favourite part of the book was their letters and their banter. This is definitely going on my reread list.