Notes from the Shelf

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The Letters of Enchantment series is a two-book series by Rebecca Ross (Divine Rivals and Ruthless Vows). I listened to these as audiobooks, which I highly recommend. I usually can’t pay attention with audiobooks, but this series kept my attention for both books with the dual narration and the British accents. It was a very fun way to read the book, and it showed me I can enjoy audiobooks.

Book 1: Divine Rivals

Divine Rivals is a 368-page fantasy/historical fiction novel. After centuries of sleep, the gods are warring again. 18-year-old Iris Winnow tries to keep her family together, but with her brother on the frontline of the gods’ war and her mother drowning her sorrows, she feels the only way to help lighten the load is if she could win the columnist promotion at the Oath Gazette. But when her letters to her brother fall into the wrong hands—that of the handsome but cold Roman Kitt, her rival at the paper—an unlikely magical connection forms. Forced into the middle of a mystical war, magical typewriters in tow, can their bond withstand the fight for the fate of mankind?

I went into reading this without knowing there was a second book, and I was so glad to find out there was a second book and it was already out when I finished the first one. The way the first one ended, I had to read the second right away to get all my answers.

Overall, it gives me Hades and Persephone vibes, but from like the humans’ perspective that’s caught between the gods. I will say, it was a little frustrating that you’re kind of just thrust into the story without much worldbuilding or explanation on the magic system. I thought there could be a bit more background as there were so many questions I was left with at the end. It didn’t even feel like there needed to be magic at all in the book except for the magic typewriters. I felt like the story would’ve worked just fine as a historical fiction on a war because the gods don’t really play a major role in this first book.

I did find the way Iris and Roman’s relationship developed was realistic and very cute. It is definitely rivals-to-lovers; I wouldn’t say enemies-to-lovers because they never seemed like true enemies in the first place. The vision Iris had of their life together was beautiful and sad in the setting it was presented in, it made me cry.

I give Divine Rivals 4 stars.

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Ruthless Vows is a 419-page novel and the sequel to Divine Rivals, where two weeks have passed and Iris Winnow is back in town without Roman Kitt, thinking him dead. Iris and Attie are given another chance to report on Dacre’s movements, so they head west once more despite the danger.

Meanwhile, since waking below in Dacre’s realm, Roman cannot remember anything about his past, and he begins writing propaganda for Dacre’s side. When a strange letter arrives by wardrobe door, he is at first suspicious, then intrigued. As Roman strikes up a correspondence with his mysterious pen pal, he soon has to make a decision: stand with Dacre or betray the god who healed him. As Roman and Iris are thrown closer together, the two of them will risk their hearts and futures to change the tides of war.

I loved this book so much. It answers all the questions I was left with after reading Divine Rivals. Ruthless Vows is much more interesting, making everything more intense with so much more at stake. It made the war seem real. It also brings in the gods that were left in the background in the first book. Ruthless Vows also brought in some of the fantasy elements that I thought were missing from the first book and explains a bit more on the magic system.

Also, with Roman losing his memories and being on Dacre’s side of the war, it definitely felt more of an enemies-to-lovers story than Divine Rivals did. He had to fall in love all over again with Iris, and it was so beautiful to see their relationship transform.

To me, Divine Rivals almost seems like a total prologue, setting up all the intensity for the Ruthless Vows. I almost wish it had been one book with a part one and part two. I definitely enjoyed Ruthless Vows more, which I think it’s rare for sequels to be better than the first book.

I give Ruthless Vows 5 stars.

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