Disclaimer: Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for providing Wild Reverence by Rebecca Ross for review consideration. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Wild Reverence is the prequel to the Letters of Enchantment series by Rebecca Ross. The story follows Matilda, born to Underling and Skyward gods with humble messenger magic, and Vincent, the third-born mortal son of the Lord of the River. Matilda and Vincent meet during their childhood, then separate while they grow up. Matilda comes of age much sooner than she should, and life hardens Vincent. When reunited, Matilda has a chance to rewrite her and Vincent’s story while the two of them test the limits of the lines that separate mortals and the divine as they try to change fate.
There’s only one word I can use to describe this book: exquisite. I never read Divine Rivals, but I deeply regret not reading Rebecca Ross’s work sooner. The world she’s built is ruthless, magical, and immersive. I loved everything about Matilda and Vincent. I was so captivated by the story that I could not read anything else until I finished the last page. This poetic, mythology-woven story made me a lifelong Rebecca Ross reader from the very first page.
Wild Reverence is by far my favorite book of 2025.
Read my full ARC review of Wild Reverence in this post.
Looking for a plot summary? Check out a few days after the release!
Wild Reverence
Description
Born in the firelit domain of the under realm, Matilda is the youngest goddess of her clan, blessed with humble messenger magic. But in a land where gods often kill each other to steal power and alliances break as quickly as they are forged, Matilda must come of age sooner than most. She may be known to carry words and letters through the realms, but she holds a secret she must hide from even her dearest of allies to ensure her survival. And to complicate matters . . . there is a mortal boy who dreams of her, despite the fact they have never met in the waking world.
Ten years ago, Vincent of Beckett wrote to Matilda on the darkest night of his life―begging the goddess he befriended in dreams to help him. When his request went unanswered, Vincent moved on, becoming the hardened, irreverent lord of the river who has long forgotten Matilda. That is, until she comes tumbling into his bedroom window with a letter for him.
As Fate would have it, Matilda and Vincent were destined to find each other beyond dreams. There may be a chance for Matilda to rewrite the blood-soaked ways of the gods, but at immense sacrifice. She will have to face something she fears even more than losing her magic: to be vulnerable, and to allow herself to finally be loved.
Tropes
- Mythology meets magic
- Forbidden love
- Wartime stakes
- Forced Proximity
- Goddess x Mortal
Review
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Overall Impressions 😊
Wild Reverence had me in a chokehold from the very first page. From the moment we set foot in the firelit domain of the Underling realm, I was completely captivated.
I’ve been dying to read a young adult fantasy with a genuinely good plot, and this book finally delivered. Not only does it have an amazing story, it also has the magic system to back it up. The mythology feels reminiscent of Greek mythology, but it’s unique enough to stand on its own.
There are no filler chapters, and I devoured all nearly 600 pages of this. Every story arc served a purpose, and honestly? I would read 20 books about the blood-soaked ways of the gods.
I finished this and straight up cried while staring at a wall. It left me feeling emotionally bruised in the best way, like only a great book can.
Perfect For Fans Of… 🌟
Do you love Song of Achilles, Circe, or the movie Troy?
Were you a Percy Jackson girlie who grew up and started craving an epic love story with devastating stakes? Do you eat up stories with divine and mortal conflicts, star-crossed soulmates, and high fantasy wrapped in poetic prose? If so, this book is going to hit every single one of your soft spots.
Wild Reverence strikes that perfect balance between romance and fantasy, with a plot that’s just as compelling as the love story. While it’s rated Young Adult on Goodreads it should definitely be classified New Adult, there are a few explicit scenes that will definitely satisfy readers who love a little heat with their yearning.
Characters 👥
I’m in awe of these characters. It’s such a rich, well-developed cast. None of the characters are throwaways.
First we have Matilda, the youngest goddess of her clan. You think you know her secret, but really, you don’t. She is a survivor, figuring out the world as she goes. She cares. She cares for mortals, cares for the world, and she’s cunning.
I love me an FMC who isn’t afraid to love and protect those she loves while quietly enduring. Everything about her was perfection.
And then there’s Vincent of Beckett, the irreverent Lord of the River, the mortal boy with the dreams and the nightmares. Vincent is quiet, caring, strong, reserved, and just as protective. And the man knows how to pine.
And the side characters? I would read entire novels about each god, alive and dead. I would take anything Rebecca Ross gives us from this world.
Plot 🗺️
I have a weakness for epic stories, and Wild Reverence hit the spot like no other book.
First of all, despite the fact that there’s an enormous amount of worldbuilding and lore, there’s not a single filler moment. (Maybe you’ll feel differently if you’ve read Divine Rivals. I’m brand new to this world.)
The story is action-packed, introducing one ruthless god after another and weaving the plot forward from the very first page. The pace was very fast, and it almost felt like 600 pages weren’t enough. That’s how good it was.
If you’ve read my previous reviews, you’ll know that I’m starving for long fantasy books, and I was so glad we were graced with as many pages as we got.
And the ending… it left me thinking. Haunted. I loved it so much, I didn’t want to leave. It was perfect.
In a story about true love and the immense sacrifice it requires, every page led us toward the ending we received. I’ve stared at a wall for a significant amount of time just processing the feelings this book left me with.
Utterly satisfying and a remarkable read.
Writing Style and Narration ✍️
It was like reading an epic ballad unfold.
The writing is poetic and magical, but still approachable. It’s exactly how I want my fantasy books to be. Mythology can sometimes come off dry, but Rebecca Ross nailed it.
Seriously, I enjoyed her writing so much that I already purchased Divine Rivals and Ruthless Vows because I need more of this voice in my life.
I highlighted quite a bit of the dialogue and passages in my Kindle. So much of this book made me want to share its words. But since it’s an ARC, I’m leaving those sections out for now.
I hope you get lost in the magical beauty of this story as much as I did.
Is Wild Reverence Spicy?
How Spicy is Wild Reverence (Letters of Enchantment #0): 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Click to worship at the altar of Rebecca Ross ✨📖
So… I’m not sure if you can tell from the fangirling I’ve been doing for the past 1,000 words, but Wild Reverence is my favorite book of the year.
So should you read it? That’s an absolute, unequivocal, utter yes.
Every Rebecca Ross book is now an instant buy for me. It’s been hard to find a book that completely sweeps me away lately. I kept thinking maybe I’d read too many romantasies, but this one had me devouring every page until there were none left.
Check out our other posts if you’re curious about more ARC reviews from this year. And if you’ve read Wild Reverence, drop a comment and let me know what you think!
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