Wild Reverence

Matilde is a young goddess, one of the divine, a child of both the Underling realm and the Skyward realm, not fully belonging to either. When the goddess of dreams allows young Matilde to read the dreams of others, Matilde finds herself appearing in those of a mortal named Vincent. Through Vincent’s dreams, a bond is forged between the two. When tragedy befalls Matilde forcing her to leave the Underling to take refuge with her previously unknown Skyward father, she no longer has access to Vincent’s dreams and must move on with her life. Until after 10 years, she is tasked with delivering a message to Vincent as part of her herald responsibilities. From this she learns of Vincent’s past struggles with a murderous family member who has shown up once again at his door with an army to try to take his throne. Matilde vows to help Vincent, as she wasn’t able to in the past.Some authors write with such lyrical mastery that I struggle to move through the book. I find myself read and rereading the same page to absorb the language and poetry of the story. Rebecca Ross’s books have this effect on me. I love the story but I struggle to leave it behind.Matilde and Vincent’s story is rife with yearning. They both resist being drawn together while also battling forces that try to separate them. We get to see Fate and Death at their looms, weaving and unraveling each other’s work and the impacts on both Matilde and Vincent. I enjoyed the unveiling of Matilde’s magic and how she had to come to understand the rules she had to abide by, some self-imposed.Both Underling and Skyward and the divine residing there was such an interesting part of the story. No one was infallible. All the gods and goddesses were conniving and manipulative and had to be to protect themselves from each other. If one killed another, they became the wielder of the power from the one they killed. It is a power struggle. This was a recurring theme that even the strongest had vulnerabilities if you paid attention. Despite this, Matilde has a fierce protector in Bade, god of war, who is a steady presence in her life Under, teaching her to fight and protect herself. Every time Bade was on the page, I wanted to cheer because I knew she had a steadfast ally at her back.Ultimately, the story was one of yearning and cunning and showing up for those you care about. Though not needed, having read the Letters of Enchantment duology prior to this book, made this one all the more magical for me.In addition to the eBook, I had the opportunity to listen to the first part of the book as a sneak peek of the audiobook. The narration was superb and seamlessly transported me into this magical land. I plan to listen to the entire book again from the start to finish to experience the full story again and again.Thank you to Rebecca Ross, NetGalley, St. Martin's Press | Saturday Books for an advanced copy of this eBook and Rebecca Ross, NetGalley, and Macmillan Audio for an advanced sneak peek of the audiobook.

I love a good fantasy novel that deals with a gods/goddesses structure and Wild Reverence will be happily added to the favorites list. This story was the perfect combination of star-crossed lovers meets old-world mechanics meets a touch of faerie folklore. Set in the same realm but a vastly different time period from her Divine Rivals duet, WR is the story of a goddess named Matilda. Not truly an Underling or Skyward as she is born of both, Matilda leads a life of delicate balance. This doesn’t only show I her struggles to acquiesce to both her parent’s courts but its shown in her reticence to even fully develop her powers. Known as The Herald, Matilda is the messenger of the gods but like with most powers, she cannot ferret her own words. Instead, each message she is invoked to carry comes with her own trial of playing court politics.Another lovely intertwined piece of the story is the Matriarchs; one sister in each realm to weave the fabric of fate. There are a lot of nods to Greek mythology here so you may see an echo of the Three Fates in their story. But I really enjoyed their “weaving” of the story as they each help Matilda move forward in her journey. As Matilda learns more of her powers, her fate, and of the consequences of her choices, she will unravel a strength she never knew she possessed. And in discovering that strength, she will be tested further than any goddess has before.But the culminating story is that of Matilda and Vincent. A mortal boy she often shared dreams with (courtesy of the goddess of dreams), Vincent becomes a safe haven in the corners of her mind. Until finally her heralding leads her straight to his doorstep. As they both struggle to battle their own futures, Matilda and Vincent form an unshakeable bond. While Vincent fights to defend his family’s stronghold against destruction in war, Matilda is battling to survive the whims of the gods and her inability to trust anyone.As the reader: Ross does a fanatic job of sprinkling in the dual POV. There is just the right amount of teasing or inner monologue to push the narrative along. I found myself unable to put this book down as each new revelation spurred a new challenge for our MCs. With a wondrous blend of mythology and romance, Ross’s Wild Reverence gives the feeling of ancient love with life or death consequences. As Matilda must learn to trust (not only others but her own self and her powers) and as Vincent must learn to accept the otherworldliness of loving a goddess, this fleeting romance packs the biggest punch. Prepare to feel fear, hope, loss, love and wonder as you read. And in the end, feel as if your heart is bursting from the fullness of this tale.

Love this book and author. Sad that the cover came ripped :( (darn you Amazon)

This is an ARC review. I want to thank Rebecca Ross and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me the chance to read this book ahead of release day!Matilda is a herald who shows to be quite more than that to the Gods. She is a formidable opponent thanks to Bade who was bound to teach her and protect her. Everyone needs a Bade in their life. he is loyal to a fault and although doesn’t say it in words to Matilda he says it louder with his actions.All the Gods seem to have some serious issues and made me dislike them at some point due to their actions. Besides Bade and Matilda. Matilda’s father and Warin are the absolute WORST! I wished for long drawn out deaths for both of them many times during this book.This book had my complete focus from beginning to end. It gave such great insight into love no matter God or mortal and that there’s no weakness to fall in love with who you love.

It’s a Rebecca Ross world and we are just lucky enough to live in it.Wild Reverence was all my heart’s dreams come to life. It made me feel more than I could ever think possible. It was Letters of Enchantment but more. It was a love letter to love from the Gods themselves. And I’m just grateful to be able to enjoy it so thoroughly as I did.10/10. No notes.