Reviewed by Hilarye on
The short of it: Divine rivals is one of the most beautifully written books I have ever read. It was sublime. Transcendent. Positively divine. (IYKYK)
I held off on reading Divine Rivals until the duology was complete. On the one hand, I'm very glad I did. Being able to tuck into Ruthless Vows immediately after was (no doubt) imperative to my sanity & mental health. On the other, OH MY GOD, I should have read this book the day it came out. I feel like I let precious seconds slip away that I could have been ruminating on the prose. There is simply no other way to put it. Rebecca Ross wrote a masterpiece.
Roman & Iris (Kitt & Winnow) were so sweet, so perfect, so innocent. Their dynamic was electric. Their banter top notch. The letters, the tension, their reunion; Chef's kiss. Their love was pure & their wedding had me crying tears of joy. The ending broke my heart & left me reeling. When Iris finally read the letter she left on the floor when she went to war, I sat straight up and gasped. Rocked straight to my core. Literal pearl clutch. Immediately followed by tears streaming down my face. All pain & heartache they could have avoided had she read that letter when it came through her wardrobe.
My favorite part of reading is getting to know, and then falling in love with the characters. I fell hard for Kitt & Winnow. I felt like I was walking in a dream while I read. Wrapped up in a cozy blanket & comforted even though tragedy was inevitable. This book was absolutely magical & it's 100% made it to my all-time favorite list.
Reading updates
- Started reading
- 4 January, 2024: Finished reading
- 4 January, 2024: Reviewed