Divine Rivals
Ratings474
Average rating4.1
Idk I expected more I think. The ending wasn't surprising but ig it was a nice easy story
3.5
I genuinely liked the main concepts here- the magical typewriters felt unique and captured my attention. It's by no means perfect though. I think a significant amount of world building is missing here though. Like obviously not a historical time since there are Gods out and about and all, but truly what am I supposed to be imaging? Typewriters have been around for generations in the novel, there's modern showers and kitchens in every house, but then it's mixed in with aspects that seems incongruent with those technologies like the stark lack of phones or telegrams or any other way to communicate other than letters. It's odd. It's not explained enough.
It's otherwise a novel you can breeze through. The emphasis on a quick marriage was a bit odd to me, but you know, whatever works for you.
Ooh! I loved the way the gods were built into the war and the world. We get bits and pieces because that is all Iris and Roman know. The twist at the end was disheartening and changed my guess about what book 2 would be about. I think it made me less excited to read it. So maybe I will pick up book 2 in a few months instead of right away.
I don't know what I was expecting, but it wasn't this. The romance is sweet–but the rest of the story doesn't fit it.
I'm a bit conflicted, I went into this expecting one thing and got something else instead. I didn't know this was YA, so I was anticipating a complex romantic rivalry or morally grey situations brought on by the war between gods. That initial mismatch along with a foggy way of world building made the first half of the book hard to get through.
Once the plot picked up I found myself invested and enjoying the book. Truths are slowly revealed that make you realize things aren't what they appear to be.. And with an ending like that too, I need to read the second book.
A friend of mine initially recommended this book to me, saying I would love the setting and the fact that the protagonists are writers. I'm always skeptical of fantasy even though I did find the premise intriguing. When it was chosen as a group read with The Global Book Nook, I figured it was a sign that I needed to give it a go. I'm so glad I did! Iris is doing all she can do when war breaks out between the gods' — at home, at work, and personally. While writing to her brother who is off fighting, she winds up beginning correspondence with her work rival Roman, albeit, unknowingly. This friendship becomes her saving grace. I was glad that the fantastical element wasn't too overwhelming and was more of a backdrop than the main focus being someone who doesn't gravitate toward fantasy. I absolutely loved the aesthetic of it all as well as Iris and Roman's chemistry. All around this book was a lovely surprise for me and I look forward to reading the next book!
I love Roman and Iris. Enemies to lovers is still my favorite of all tropes. I loved the letters and the magical typewriters. I loved Attie and Marisol. I didn't care about the war until they were in the trenches, and I still don't really care about the mythology. I wish the caliber of writing in the letters and articles was higher or more flowery. There were a few lines that were pretty, but they were too few. I wanted to be moved by the words and be pulled into the narrative that she was an exceptional writer. I also wish that the dialogue had been aligned with the time period a little, again to pull me into believing the world they were in. That being said, I did really enjoy this book despite these things, and I will be reading the next one.
I love the banter and pining between the two! However I feel like I'm forced to accept the war that happens as a backdrop.
I really loved this story, and I'm really wish I could give it four stars. However, I am reducing one star because I did not like the beginning. I just wasn't engaged from the start. The story didn't make sense for a bit. But I'd recommend.
Full disclosure, I've always hated the enemies to lovers trope. Until today? This was heart wrenching, heartwarming, and (something I never expect from these books) I actually understood how someone could love each of the characters here... AND why these characters loved each other! In my experience, fantasy romance tends to swing from an inexplicable love-at-first-sight-approach to the psychotic rollercoaster of toxicity with a strong foundation of terrible communication skills. This book deftly avoids both pitfalls and tells what actually feels like a real, romantic, love story. It's beautifully told, well paced, and keeps the characters at the centre throughout. This took me a while to pick up, but I was genuinely shocked by how much I enjoyed this book, how hard it was to put down, and how much I felt while reading it.
I flew through the first half and then once the reveal happened, it just dragged for me and I couldn't get attached to the characters. All their actions and dialogues felt weird and unrealistic. I also didn't enjoy the fact that it's basically our world with fantasy names...
Such a beautiful story woven with imagery that will stick with me for a while.
It was fun and I enjoyed it!! Some parts bothered me a bit but I really liked the way this book is about letters.
this was incredible. great depiction of grief, war, found family, and, most importantly, one of my favorite romances of all time <3. literally, writer romances are my favorites. also: so many incredible quotes! I was crying and laughing and giggling the whole time.
4★ —
❝ I am coming to love him, in two different ways. Face to face, and word to word. ❞
i was so sure that this was going to be a five star read but somewhere around the halfway mark, i realised there was next to no world building whatsoever and what i had been envisioning, did not match the vibes or the era or the magic. other than that i loved the story and the romance aspects! i can't wait to get started on the sequel