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. 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. Shadow and Bone meets Lore in Rebecca Ross's Divine Rivals , an epic enemies-to-lovers fantasy novel filled with hope and heartbreak, and the unparalleled power of love. Gr 9 Up-Aspiring newspaper columnists at the Oath Gazette, Iris and Roman are competing for the same job. Circumstance has pushed Iris's family away, forcing her to stand alone on the edge of poverty, while Roman's wealthy father pulls the strings to every aspect of his life. When Iris tries to write a letter to her brother on the front lines, it gets magically redirected to Roman, who writes back anonymously. When the final threads tying her to the city of Oath are cut, Iris quits her job and heads to the war front to discover what's really happened to the soldiers who go missing there, including her brother. Ross paints a vivid historical picture with magic adding color to the worldbuilding without overtaking it. Iris is a heroine to root for as she braves the front lines, and Roman goes on his own journey towards independence; their characters are rich and well balanced in the first half of the novel, but once Iris goes to the front, Roman's perspective falls away. The budding romance feels lopsided as Roman holds all the power at the start of their relationship, as a well-educated man from a wealthy, influential family who knows who he's writing to. Reveals and secrets from Iris's investigation add more plotlines to set up the sequel, at the expense of a full arc. VERDICT More historical than fantasy, this is a rivals-to-lovers romance that requires a sequel to be satisfying. Consider purchasing for larger collections.-Emmy Nealα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted. "The war may be chaos, but the symmetries of these books are exquisite." - New York Times "Rich world-building and the poignancy of young love make the first in this fantasy romance duology a wistful and riveting read." - The Washington Post "An ardent romance and a harrowing exploration of war’s horrors and heartbreaks... with inventive worldbuilding, nuanced characterizations, and prose by turns dreamy and atmospherically tense." - Publishers Weekly " Divine Rivals is another absolute winner from author Rebecca Ross, who is rapidly proving there’s very little she can’t do in the realm of fantasy fiction." - Paste Magazine “Rich and romantic―if stories had scent, this one would smell like a mug of black tea, the ink ribbons of a typewriter, and that addictive spice called enemies to lovers.” ―Shelby Mahurin, New York Times bestselling author of Serpent & Dove "A sweeping start to a beautiful and romantic new series. Ross weaves her stories in such a vulnerable and delicate way, truly with a style all her own. I adored this book." - Adalyn Grace, New York Times bestselling author of Belladonna “Deeply romantic and beautifully written, Divine Rivals is a story that lingers long after the final page. Set in a world steeped in mythology, Iris’s journey to the front is both fascinating and moving, with an ending that will leave readers aching for the next book. I absolutely loved it.” ―Rachel Griffin, New York Times bestselling author of The Nature of Witches "Ross enchants with a clever and sweeping love story set against an imaginative, dangerous world. Her writing sparkles, brimming with wit and magic from the first page to the last." ―Isabel Ibañez, finalist for the William C. Morrow award "Ross has crafted a tale that hooks its readers with whip-smart intrigue, and holds them fast with dazzling prose, a charming cast, and a world where mystique shimmers just beneath the surface. Hers is a brilliant blend of whimsy and heart.” ―Ayana Gray, New York Times bestselling author of Beasts of Prey “Beautifully written and deeply emotional, Divine Rivals is a story of resilience and love, crafted with Ross’s bewitching storytelling. Real characters, swept into a magical war, this is the kind of a tale that gets under your skin and straight to your heart. Truly romantic and atmospheric, this book will leave you hungry for the next installment.” - Valia Li