Book Review: Rebecca Ross’ ‘Wild Reverence’ is an Achingly Beautiful Romantic Fantasy Novel That is Not to be Missed
“A god-child made of damselfly wings and spider silk and daydreams.”
How does one go about reviewing one of the most beautiful romantic fantasy reads of the year? As someone who would read a grocery list if Rebecca Ross wrote it, I may be a bit biased, but Wild Reverence was decadently delightful. Divine Rivals and Ruthless Vows became one of my favorite duologies of all time, and when I heard she was working on a prequel set 600 years prior to the Letters of Enchantment duology, I was slightly foaming at the mouth to get it in my hands. I was beyond lucky to receive an eARC to review, and I can confirm it’s another masterpiece of angst, achingly beautiful writing, and complex characters. This book reads like a tragic Greek myth. The gods have very little emotions or feelings for the mortals, and the mortals, well, they feel too much. The gods are brutal, especially to each other, and are constantly vying for more power. There are moments of absolute shock and horror, but there’s also an undeniable deep vein of love running through it, and what beings are willing to do for it—mortal or not.
If you’ve read her connected duology, do not go into this book expecting Enva and Dacre to take center stage. Yes, they’re present, and I loved the bits and pieces they played, but this story belongs to Matilda and Vincent. A young goddess with hidden stars and power, and a mortal third son of a Lord. And they have my whole heart. I hope they just might capture yours.
And before you ask, yes, you can absolutely read this first if you haven’t read the Letters of Enchantment duology.
You can find my full review of Divine Rivals here.
Psst, we’re buddy reading this book in the BAMTP Discord, come join and chat about it with us!
Things to Know:
Romantic Fantasy
Marriage of convenience
Low spice
gods and mortals
Multiple realms
Prequel to Divine Rivals + Ruthless Vows
Political Intrigue
Gorgeous writing
Trigger: War, Death, Torture
“We were doomed, she and I. One day, I would perish, and she would live on, endless as the stars. But if we were doomed, then let us fully embrace it.”
The story begins underground with a new goddess being born. The Underling Realm is brutal, and not a safe place for young Matilda. Her only true ally is Bade, the god of war, who swears a salt vow (basically an unbreakable vow) to teach her to defend herself, and protect her from any harm. When I tell you, I love Bade so much!
For those that felt the background and context of the gods was missing in the Letters of Enchantment duology, I fear you will love this book, because it goes deep. I loved learning about all of the different gods, their powers, their alliances, motivations, and enemies. They all possess stars, and the mortals know which constellations belong to which gods. The more stars one has, the more powerful.
A god can steal the stars and power of another by killing them, which is fairly hard, unless one possesses an Eithral scale (yes, one of Dacre’s dragon-like creatures). And someone has been dealing in Eithral scales, even selling them to the rival court of immortals, the Skyward Realm. And gods are dying.
We also learn Matilda’s father is a Skyward, and she is the first goddess ever able to travel to both. Her stars indicate she is a herald, a bringer of messages. And lucky for her, that’s not a very sought after power, so most of the gods discount her. Big mistake.
I loved that we spent so much time in the immortal realms. Rebecca writes these places and the gods within them in a way that truly feel “other.” At the same time, we also have young Vincent who keeps dreaming of Matilda. She is slipped those dreams to read on scrolls by another god, and their connection seems predestined.
When something tragic happens, Matilda is forced to flea Skyward to find her father. So much happens in this book, I could not begin to explain it all. It covers many, many years, which I also loved, as we get to see these characters grow up and come into their own. I was frankly shocked at a few of her decisions, but again, she’s not mortal, so of course, they didn’t make sense.
My girl Matilda could also be a tad faster at actually delivering her messages. LOL
There are villains to loathe (and I mean LOATHE), complex, meandering plotlines, and multiple love stories that had me swooning and occasionally in tears. Without giving any spoilers, there are definitely moments where I wanted to hurl the book across the room because I was so upset. But the journey is worth it.
This book does, at times, read a bit slower. Yes, there’s battles, and action, and high stress moments, but I did feel like I was reading this book for so long. For me, the payoff is totally worth it. Once again, the audiobook was everything! I cannot recommend it enough, especially as the pacing of this novel can feel a bit slower at times, the narrators brought this story and various characters to life is such a beautiful way. Reminder, you can absolutely read this book without reading Divine Rivals and Ruthless Vows,Iand in fact, I might even recommend it if you’re a person who likes to have a complete understanding of a world while reading. I may end up adding to this review in the future, because I feel like I still have so many more thoughts to get out—I can’t stop thinking about this book.
If you love character driven love stories that still have plot, beautiful writing, and don’t mind some tragedy, you will love this one.
You can find the audiobook on Audible or Libro.fm (protip, you can get two free audiobooks on Libro.fm with the code SWITCH right now).
Favorite Quotes:
“War only makes love flame brighter, defiant. It seems to bloom from the bloodshed you leave behind, unfurling from the most unlikely of places. From the broken seams of the world. From the graves and the anguish and the fear you inspire.”
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“For men are like Eithrals; they are drawn to shining, quicksilvered things, keen to tame them.”
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“This is the beginning of the end, I thought. If heartless gods can be made soft by such love, we are all doomed.”
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“I pray that my days will be long at your side. Let me fill and satisfy every longing in your soul. May your hand be in mine, by sun and by night. Let our breaths twine and our blood become one, until our bones return to dust. Even then, may I find your soul still sworn to mine.”
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“The air smelled of contradictions, a mix of mortal blood and magic.”
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“My home is your home. My arms are a haven for you to rest. My last name is yours if you desire it. I will love you to my grave, and even beyond it, when the mists welcome me, when I am hopefully very old and gray and grouchy and have spent the seasons beside you when you are here and dreaming of you when you are gone. I love you, dearly, Red. Come home to me. Return to me, when you can. I will be watching the skies and the river until then.”
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“What does a lord do when an impatient god unexpectedly arrives at his hall and hovers? You invite him for supper and hope he will decline.”
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“I would wait a thousand years for you. If you asked me, I would wait for you until only my bones remained upon an altar. But if you must leave again, then let me follow you…”
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