Divine Rivals was an engaging and beautifully written novel, but I had mixed feelings about how the story unfolded. The first two-thirds of the book were excellent—Rebecca Ross masterfully balanced romance, character development, world-building, and plot. However, as the novel progressed, the romance began to dominate the narrative in a way that felt somewhat unearned. While I enjoyed the relationship between the characters, I wish more time had been spent maintaining the balance that made the beginning so strong.  

The world-building was one of the novel’s greatest strengths. Instead of the typical medieval fantasy setting, Ross created a unique, wartime-inspired world that felt reminiscent of a World War II-era conflict. This fresh take on fantasy was fascinating, and I found myself wanting to learn more about the war and its impact. Unfortunately, the novel didn’t explore that aspect as much as I had hoped, though I’m optimistic that the sequel will correct this.  

One aspect that puzzled me was the decision to categorize this as a young adult novel. Given that Iris is focused on building her career as a journalist and later becomes a front-line war correspondent, the story would have felt more natural if she were in her mid-to-late 20s rather than a teenager. This aspect of the book didn’t quite align with the typical themes of YA fiction.  

Despite these issues, Divine Rivals had a strong ending that left me eager to dive into the sequel. While I wish the romance had been more evenly woven into the plot, I still enjoyed the novel and look forward to seeing how the story continues.