Monday, July 31, 2023

Divine Rivals Review

Series: Iris at the Front #1
Genre: YA Fantasy/Historical
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Release Date: April 4, 2023
Order Link: Amazon

Special thanks to Wednesday Books for an arc.

When two young rival journalists find love through a magical connection, they must face the depths of hell, in a war among gods, to seal their fate forever. Shadow and Bone meets Lore in this epic enemies-to-lovers fantasy novel filled with hope and heartbreak, and the unparalleled power of love.

Review:
DIVINE RIVALS is the first book in Rebecca Ross's Front series.  It's an epic romance featuring two reporters vying for the same position at a newspaper.  The editor turns it into a competition by challenging them to come up with the best war story with the winner getting the job.  Iris and Roman come from two different worlds - one poor and one wealthy.  Their rivalry sets the stage for an intense enemies-to-lovers story set in a fantasy land.  War is brewing among the gods and people are choosing sides.  Unfortunately, Iris's brother who's fighting in the war has disappeared.  Iris eventually joins the war effort as a front-line reporter in order to search for her brother.  At the same time, a romance blossoms between her and Roman through letters passed magically through the slots of their wardrobe doors . . . only Iris has no idea who her secret "pen pal" is which allows her to let down her walls and reveal her vulnerability.  The story that unfolds is complex with a multi-layered plot line unfolding through unique characters.  

Once I settled into this world, I became entranced with the story of rival lovers unknowingly connecting in the middle of a war over power between divine beings.  The undertone is dark and bleak and yet these two characters provide a spark of hope in the midst of darkness.  Themes of love, loss, enemies-to-lovers and found family are at the core of the twisted plot line enhanced by other-worldly characters and the devastation of war.  The story is highly emotional and heartbreaking driving the intense plot forward at a pace that increases as one turns the pages heading to the shocking climax.  DIVINE RIVALS is a beautiful love story all wrapped up in magical paper and delivered via an ethereal experience.  Highly recommended to fans of romance and fantasy.

Synopsis:
After centuries of sleep, the gods are warring again. But eighteen-year-old Iris Winnow just wants to hold her family together. Her mother is suffering from addiction and her brother is missing from the front lines. Her best bet is to win the columnist promotion at the Oath Gazette.

To combat her worries, Iris writes letters to her brother and slips them beneath her wardrobe door, where they vanish―into the hands of Roman Kitt, her cold and handsome rival at the paper. When he anonymously writes Iris back, the two of them forge a connection that will follow Iris all the way to the front lines of battle: for her brother, the fate of mankind, and love.

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