Quick Synopsis – 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.

Song This Reminds Me Of – Wherever is Your Heart by Brandi Carlile

Publication Date – Sept. 2, 2025

Bookshop Link – Wild Reverence by Rebecca Ross (I received a small commission if you use my link)

Content Warnings – There is some very mild sexual content. There is death of a parent, blood, gore, violence, violence against women, sexism, mention of sacrificing children, and violence against mythical animals.

Spicy Rating – 🌶️.5

Overall Rating – ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5 out of 5

Review – This book is set in the same world as Divine Rivals and serves as sort of a prequel. You do not have to read the duology before reading this book (I didn’t, though I probably will now). Also, there is like twoish sex scenes in this book that aren’t quite close door but are very tame. This isn’t something I would classify as a spicy book.

This book made me feel things in the best way. I liked the slow burn nature of the relationship of Matilda and Vincent. I also loved the way this book weaved parts of familiar Greek myths into the stories of the Gods and Goddesses. There are the Underlings with their matriarch Death and the Skywards with their matriarch Fate. I also loved that when the Gods are born their horoscope and corresponding constellation determines their magic and power. Stealing or gaining stars also earns them more power. I loved learning about the magic system and the Parthenon of deities.

This book is a dual POV book between Matildia and Vincent. Matilda is born as the daughter of an Underling and Skyward, a forbidden union. A she grows and learns more about her powers, she also learns of a mortal boy who dreams of her. Vincent is the third son of a Lord in the mortal realm who starts dreaming of Matilda when they’re both about 9 years old. Their story spans a moral lifetime, and I honestly had a hard time putting this book down. My one complaint is I felt like the ending was rushed. Several storylines all wrap up together at the same time and it felt too much like someone snapped their fingers and fixed everything. Otherwise, this was a pretty perfect read for me.

The overall plot is about learning to trust and love after spending your whole life thinking love is a weakness. Matilda and Vincent both have to shed prejudices and alter their worldviews in order to make their partnership work. The growth of the characters felt real, like you were reading about real people and how they change. I liked that their relationship wasn’t perfect and though Matilda was powerful, so wasn’t like the chosen one who can end all tyranny. I actually wish a little more time was spent on Matilda exploring herself and her power. We see her really come into her own and she is very young compared to the other deities, but I would have liked a little more of her learning her power and what it could do.

Wild Reverence has inspired me to pick up Divine Rivals and honestly Rebecca Ross might become an auto buy author.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press Saturday Books for the advanced copy. All opinions are my own.