And I’m back at it again with a YA/NA fantasy book review.
Overview
Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross is a fantasy novel (the first of a duology) set in a 1920s-esque world that’s torn apart by war. The protagonist, Iris Winnow, is an aspiring journalist whose brother has recently left to join the fight. By day, she works in heated competition with a rival writer at a newspaper called the Gazette. By night, she attempts to hold life together for herself and her struggling mother.
From the beginning, the novel doesn’t pull any punches. Ross’s writing is truthful and doesn’t shy away from the realities of war and grief, but the descriptions refrain from being too graphic. I think there is a great balance between showing the heart-wrenching nature of war while avoiding stomach-churning descriptions. That’s one of the aspects of the novel that may lean it towards the YA category, though I think it could also be classified as New Adult, considering the protagonist and her friends are all over 18.
The war, while being fought by humans on earth, is actually being wrought by two divine beings who are at war with one another. Dacre, the god of the Underlings, is taking his frustrations out on humanity due to his hatred of Enva, the Goddess of the Skyward people. As Dacre savages the earth with his underworld creatures and human army, Enva uses her magical gift of music to call other humans to fight against him and defend their world.
Iris wishes to write about the war to bring attention to the people of her city, Oath, who are removed from the situation. This need boils up within her until she can no longer sit on the sidelines and decides to become a war correspondent on the frontlines. Her mission is to write about the war for the people back home while searching for her brother who has seemingly gone missing.
Characters
Iris is the main character of this novel, although we occasionally get her rival writer’s point of view as well. Roman Kitt is another writer at the Gazette who is initially competing with Iris for a columnist position. Their rivalry takes the forefront for the first third of the book, allowing the suspense of the war to build up in the background.
Both characters are well-fleshed out and have engaging storylines. Iris has grown up in relative poverty, which only worsens with her brother gone for war. Her main concerns are attending to her mother, writing her heart out, and attempting to make enough money to keep them fed and clothed. Conversely, Kitt has grown up quite wealthy, but this comes with its own problems.
After experiencing a family tragedy, Kitt is the sole heir to his family and has a strained relationship with both his mother and father. His father expects him to enter an arranged marriage for the benefit of the family, and Kitt feels obligated to comply with his father’s wishes for the sake of his mother.
Ross does a great job contrasting the characters, yet showing that they each have their own individual struggles. Their banter at the Gazette is a charming part of the book, and each of their point of views is equally enjoyable to read.
There are several side characters as well that create a nice ensemble for our main protagonists. There are other coworkers at the Gazette, though they fall to the background once Iris leaves for war. However, Attie and Marisol are introduced as a correspondent and hostess, respectively. They make a great addition to the going’s on of the story, and everything seems to flow quite naturally and sensibly.
Setting/Fantasy Aspects
The novel is set in a fantasy world, but this world seems to parallel 1920s America with its aesthetic. The correspondents use typewriters at their jobs, the clothing (skirts, trousers, blouses, and trench coats) are reminiscent of this time period, and the general atmosphere has this sort of old-timey industrial draw. For example, they have electricity and motor vehicles, but there’s very little true technology aside from fridge’s and radios.
As for the fantasy part of this world, the magic is described in very little detail. We mostly catch glimpses of it every now and then, with the focus being more on the characters and their story rather than the worldbuilding. We know that there are enchanted items, such as typewriters, and even enchanted buildings. At one point, Iris curses an enchanted store for only showing the few items she can purchase with her meager amount of coins. Small magical aspects such as these pop up, but there doesn’t seem to be a magic that humans can actually use or harness, and it’s unclear how these items became enchanted in the first place.
Because of the war, we know that there are at least two Gods, but very little time is spent on this part of the worldbuilding as well. As someone who appreciates a lot of lore in her fantasy, I have to admit I was a little disappointed by this. Through Iris and Roman, we learn the backstory of why Enva and Dacre are at war, but it’s given in brief snippets and told almost as a fairytale. We don’t learn much about Enva and Dacre themselves, or their people, or what it is to be a “God” in this world.
Part of this is explained away by the fact that many people considered the story of Enva and Dacre a myth until people began fighting in the war. In Iris’s city, many people still consider the stories of the war to be exaggerated or some sort of propaganda. This helps to explain why so little is known of the gods or the mythology, but I do hope we get more information about them in the second book.
There are some magical creatures that Dacre calls from the underworld, such as hounds and eithrals, but there is very little incorporation of the Underlings or the Skyward people. We don’t have much backstory about them, and they don’t seem to be very active in this war.
Overall Thoughts
While I thought the lore was a little sparse, I did really enjoy this novel. I understand creating an investment in the characters in the first novel (and maybe focusing on the fantasy elements more in the second, I hope) to get people invested in the story, and I think it certainly did. The character’s are very moving, and there is a lot of great representation when it comes to healthy friendships and relationships. I also think that focusing on the impacts the war has on people helps give the novel some added depth.
The plot of the novel felt unique and engaging, and I personally felt like the book went exactly where I wanted it to go. I don’t say this to mean that it was predictable, because there were definitely things I didn’t expect, but more so to mean that I wasn’t frustrated by any character’s actions or reasonings or seemingly random twists in the plot. The characters made decisions that made sense for their personalities, and nothing seemed to come out of left field or create unfounded shock and surprise. When something happened, I felt like the novel had been building to that moment, and the payoff was always satisfying.
I think this is a difficult thing for writers to accomplish, and it makes me extremely excited to read the second novel.
The Lit Wiz