Divine Rivals
Author: Rebecca Ross
Genre: YA historical fantasy
Published: April 4, 2023
Available on: Kindle UL (For only book one), Audible, Libby, paperback

Trigger Warnings: War, alcoholism. 

Iris Winnow made Forest two promises before he left to fight the war between the two gods. Her brother off to war; called by the goddess Enva to fight for her in the war against Dacre. Take care of their mother, and stay in school. Forest asks her again to keep the promises again as he steps onto the train that is holding all the soldiers ready to fight. Five months later, their mother, Aster Winnow, who had fallen into the clutches of alcoholism and depression; fired from her job at the Revel Diner. Leaving Winnow little choice but to break one promise and drop out of school.

She begins working at the Oath Tribune to support her mothers habit, pay bills and care for the home. Her new career begins a rivalry between her and the handsome Roman C Kitt. Kitt and Winnow began competing with her arrival, both in a competition to be promoted. Though as time progresses she gets overwhelmed with worry and a new curiosity enters her life. Despite the promise Forest makes to write to her, he never writes her back. This fills her with an ache she cannot bear to think; her brother may be dead and with the competition between her and Kitt becoming too much she writes to her brother in frustration. Winnow typically writes to her brother but with no address she puts the letter under her wardrobe instead, a tradition that her Nan began when she was a young girl; hiding notes in Winnow’s room for her to find. 

Not expecting a reply she slides the folded paper under, not expecting a reply. She hears the shuffle of paper and tentatively reads three words that shake her. “This isn’t Forest.” 

Kitt didn’t plan to reply to Winnow, but that night he decided he would. Somehow the typewriters, (called Alouettes) left to them from their grandmothers allow them to connect magically and to have the ability to send letters through. After the pile of letters he has collected over the months, he wrote those three words. This begins their writing back and forth. He knows who is writing to him, he figured it out after several letters. The information begins to add up as he received them and he was able to formulate that the letters were from her.  She doesn’t know that she is writing to her competitor. He keeps his identity a secret, while trying not to get close to her in real life; but he can’t help getting to know this woman who frustrates and fascinates him. 

Life changes when Winnow is writing the obituaries and she receives one that perfectly describes her mother. In her grief, she leaves work; her head in a tailspin. Unable to process that her mother is gone, she decides to give her resignation for the Oath Gazette. With nothing left she decides to go to the Inkridden Tribune; to travel to the frontlines and report what is really happening in the war between the gods Dacre and Enva. 

Winnow, with nothing left, quits at the Tribune and takes the offer to go to the front lines and report what is really going on for the Oath Gazette. Hoping that she can find out what has happened to her older brother. Kitt realizes he has feelings for Winnow as she writes to him (unbeknownst to her) as she goes through the daily life of living near the front lines. Against his fathers wishes Kitt leaves Oath to follow Winnow, hoping to protect her. Instead she protects him from the Dacre’s Wyverns, called eithrals. As he arrives to avalon bluff and is walking to where they are staying, sirens are wailing.

The warning before the wyverns arrive with the powerful bombs carried by their talons. She runs as fast as she can across the field, tackling him, just as they arrive. They lay there for what seems hours. Together they embark on the harrowing adventures the frontlines bring, including how Winnow finally figures out that Kitt is on the one she has been writing to and accidentally falling in love. Soon though, they are torn away from each other as Dacres forces come to Avalon Bluff. Taking Kitt as a prisoner and an unexpected person comes to Winnows rescue. This beautiful story has banter that will fill the reader with belly laughter. The book itself though has elements such as Hades and Persphone undertones, it has new ideas that keeps a reader unable to put the book down.

This was a refreshing read with its unique plot and great storytelling. This story continues with Ruthless Vows, look for the upcoming review for this duology.