The recently published Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross has captured attention for its beautifully written tale of war, journalism, and romance, in a fantasy that could be described as magical realism. The sequel, Ruthless Vows, was just released, so the Letters of Enchantment duology is complete! No waiting for cliffhangers here.
Now for a brief summary of the premise of Divine Rivals: Iris Winnow and Roman Kitt are rival journalists who can’t stand each other, competing for a promotion while struggling in their private lives. Iris’ brother Forest has gone to war, and gone missing. To comfort herself, Iris writes letters to him, putting them under a wardrobe door since she has no address for him. When the letters magically vanish, Iris begins corresponding with the anonymous person who has been receiving them — Roman Kitt. This divine link continues all the way to the front lines, and their connection grows.
We have tried to exclude major spoilers from both the summary and our quote explanations, but we do not make any promises! Some plot points are present in the quotes, so proceed at your own risk. There are a lot of quotes in this post, since there are so many great lines in the book. We hope you enjoy it!
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The best quotes from Divine Rivals, explained
“You look well today, Winnow.” “Are you implying I looked ill before, Kitt?”
Starting on a light note, here is a sample of the banter between Iris and Roman at the newspaper office.
To her amazement, the letter had been gone the next day, as if the shadows had eaten it.
Iris writes letters to her brother Forest and puts them under their wardrobe since she doesn’t know where to send them. She hopes that they will somehow get to him, and is surprised when the letters disappear.
It takes courage to let down your armor, to welcome people to see you as you are. Sometimes I feel the same as you: I can’t risk having people behold me as I truly am. But there’s also a small voice in the back of my mind, a voice that tells me, “You will miss so much by being so guarded.”
After realizing that her letters aren’t going to Forest, Iris strikes up a correspondence with the anonymous recipient. Sometimes it’s easier to talk to a stranger, and the two share vulnerable parts of themselves. The figurative language of armor is a motif that reoccurs throughout the book.
Keep writing. You will find the words you need to share. They are already within you, even in the shadows, hiding like jewels.
Divine Rivals is a great read for journalists and all other writers. Encouraging messages such as this can be found throughout.
Sometimes I’m afraid to love other people. Everyone I care about eventually leaves me, whether it’s death, or war or simply because they don’t want me. They go places I can’t find, places I can’t reach. And I’m not afraid to be alone, but I’m tired of being the one left behind. I’m tired of having to rearrange my life after the people within it depart, as if I’m a puzzle and I’m now missing pieces and I will never feel that pure sense of completion again.
Iris shares this fear with her pen pal.
But time will slowly heal you, as it is doing for me. There are good days and there are difficult days. Your grief will never fully fade; it will always be with you—a shadow you carry in your soul—but it will become fainter as your life becomes brighter. You will learn to live outside of it again, as impossible as that may sound. Others who share your pain will also help you heal. Because you are not alone. Not in your fear or your grief or your hopes or your dreams. You are not alone.
In his anonymous response to her letter, Roman encourages Iris with these words.
Do you think we could live in a world made only of those things? Death and pain and horror? Loss and agony? It’s not a crime to feel joy, even when things seem hopeless.
We won’t say too much about this quote (spoilers!), but it’s a reassurance after a character expresses guilt at being happy.
You mentioned the other day that you think I’m only here to ‘outshine’ you. But that’s the furthest thing from the truth. I broke my engagement, quit my job, and traveled six hundred kilometers into war-torn land to be with you.
Again, we won’t say too much about this, but it’s a great scene!
I don’t think you realize how strong you are, because sometimes strength isn’t swords or steel and fire, as we are so often made to believe. Sometimes it’s found in quiet, gentle places. The way you hold someone’s hand as they grieve. The way you listen to others. The way you show up, day after day, even when you are weary or afraid or simply uncertain. That is strength, and I see it in you.
Roman praises Iris without her knowing his identity in one of his letters.
Be safe. Be well. I’ll write soon.
A sign-off from one of the letters, that we also echo from us to you!
Who should read Divine Rivals?
Though it’s described as a fantasy and science fiction young adult novel, this shouldn’t narrow the pool of prospective readers. Non-fantasy enthusiasts can also enjoy the book, as the few magical elements tend to be distant or more of a plot device. Fantasy fans will have fun as well, but shouldn’t expect major amounts of magical worldbuilding.
The romantic slow-burn between Iris and Roman can be compared to dynamics like the academic rivalry of Anne and Gilbert from Anne of Green Gables, and Juliette and Roma from These Violent Delights (without trying to kill each other). Other tropes that we loved in this book are found family, and he falls first and harder. (As one Goodreads reviewer said: “roman kitt is the definition of: if he wanted to, he would”).
If you haven’t already, check Divine Rivals and Ruthless Vows out now!
Liked this post? Check out The Best Quotes From A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, Why Do Books Go Out of Print?, How to Make Reading More Fun: 5 Tips and Tricks, and more on our website!
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