Divine Rivals, Ruthless Vows

Letters of Enchantment #1-2

by Rebecca Ross

Letters of Enchantment Series 2 Books Collection Set By Rebecca Ross

Divine Rivals
Eighteen-year-old Iris dreams that one day her writing will make a difference. A war between gods is raging, and she’s landed a prestigious job at the Oath Gazette. But at home, she’s barely holding it together. Her brother is missing on the frontline. Her mother is lost in a haze of addiction. And each night Iris pours her heart out in letters to her brother. Letters that will never be answered. Or so she thinks.

Ruthless Vows
Two weeks have passed since Iris returned home bruised and heartbroken from the front, but the war is far from over. Roman is missing, lost behind enemy lines, with no memory of his past, or Iris. Hoping his memories return, he begins to write again – but this time for the enemy. When a strange letter arrives through his wardrobe door, he strikes up a correspondence with a penpal who seems at once mysterious… and strangely familiar. As their connection deepens, the two of them will risk their very hearts and futures to change the tides of the war.

Genres: Fantasy, Romantasy, Romance

800 pages, Paperback

Published January 18, 2024

About the author

Rebecca Ross is the #1 New York Times and Sunday Times bestselling author of fantasy books for teens and adults.

She has written multiple highly acclaimed duologies, including LETTERS OF ENCHANTMENT, ELEMENTS OF CADENCE, and THE QUEEN’S RISING as well as two standalone novels: DREAMS LIE BENEATH and SISTERS OF SWORD & SONG.

When not writing, she can be found in her garden where she plants wildflowers and story ideas. She resides in Northeast Georgia with her husband and her dog. Find her on Instagram @beccajross or online at www.rebeccarossauthor.com.

Rebecca is represented by Suzie Townsend of New Leaf Literary & Media.

Reviews

[Sonia · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars: I loved this duet

Yes. I cried. Many many times 😭. This duet will always hold a special place in my heart 🥹🫶

The struggle these two faced to be together 😭… gah! All in the midst of war ☹️😭

Here’s my review for book 1

And for book 2

[megan ⚡︎ · Rating 3 out of 5]

first book was AMAZING
second book let it down

[Molly Parsons · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow i couldn’t tell you the last time I finished a book in a day! This was such a fun duology and the mythology brought me back to Latin Class. I am sad I read this so fast and now it’s over!

[Eline · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dacre, the god of the underling is in war with his wife Enva. Oath, a city that is far away from the front where the danger is, is pretty quiet…
At the local paper “The gazette”, work a boy and a girl… Roman Kitt and Iris Winnow. They are Rivals and they are competing for the same work spot… Iris her brother, Forest, is at the front and she writes him letters with her typewriter that she slides under her wardrobe… Until…

“This isn’t Forest…”

(I think you can guess who it is🤭)
Iris wants to know who this is and what he wants… she has no idea who she is writing to… but Roman knows it is her…
Iris is trying to figure it out as she gets send to the front as war correspondent… WITH ROMAN… She thinks her only friend is the person she writes to with letters… “Who is this and Why does this person feel so safe…” she thinks…

“What are you reading?”
Kitt.
She hides the letter behind her back.
“Uhm, nothing. Mind your own business, Kitt.”

4,75 stars for me!
If you love:
- Historical Romance
- Teasing and flirting letters
- Found family
- Memory loss
- A cute guy who could NOT care less for her…
THIS ONE IS FOR YOU!

Tw’s (Because I love yall)
- War
- Losing of a loved one

[Birte · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wederom een prachtig boek! Dit keer ging het boek dieper in op de goden en stond de relatie tussen Iris en Roman een beetje op de achtergrond.

Ik had gehoopt dat er meer romantiek in voor zou komen, maar door dit op afstand te houden kwamen ze wel weer bij elkaar.

Wederom genoten van dit heerlijke herfstboek, al blijft Divine Rivals mijn nummer 1 ❤️

4,5⭐️

[Saranya ⋆☕︎ ˖ [hibernating] · Rating 4 out of 5]

The coves are divi-i-i-ine<<<3

[Maryam · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book was so well written! i loved the whole wartime romance theme, the pacing, the uniqueness of the plot. the connection and the chemistry between the main characters was so palpable and tangible to the readers, and you could clearly tell they liked each other for the right reasons. like not "oh he's fine shyt i want him" but more "i enjoy how he is emotionally intelligent and how he can beautifully arrange words to portray his thoughts and feelings in a manner that provokes my emotional response to him." you could practically feel the (covalent) bond holding them together even when they didn't know each other's names. and that's how a healthy stable relationship should work!!
you tell each other your deepest secrets, dreams and feelings!!!
you hold on to each other's pain!!!
you find peace in each other!!!!
you don't sit around and fuck all day. (okay, ana huang and colleen hoover and literally every romance author these days?)
especially their maturity (although perhaps precociously triggered by their traumatic circumstances) in dire situations and their ability to deal with unexpected circumstances was very refreshing to see, compared to... other books. their bravery, passion for helping other people and their insurmountable love for each other was such a wonderful thing to find in these pages.
the romance also was very palatable. most books have crazy kinky sex in every other page and i liked how this was not the case. rebecca decided to leave some things to the imagination instead of spelling out every. damn. action. without compromising on the cutesy scenes, and i applaud her on that. i see so many writers trying to make up for the overwhelming lack of chemistry between the readers with their nastiest fantasies (you know who i'm talking about) and i'm glad i did not have to read that in these books.
i loved so much of the story, and i was practically begging to give it a 5 star rating. however, what pisses me off is the shitty worldbuilding. okay, granted, it did not play an enormous part in the story but bro?? you have electricity but you have typewriters?? there is a war between two gods and only mortals fight in it?? the gods walk amongst the humans who are nonchalant asf?? am i missing something here??
i think this book would have fared just as well as a non fantasy historical romance. i know all the popular books nowadays are fantasy/dark romance, but you did not need to attempt to jump on that train, rebecca.

[Tara Macpherson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Letters of Enchantment duology by Rebecca Ross is a love letter to mythology, the human capacity for good and bad and the power of love in all it's forms.

In the Divine Rivals and Ruthless Vows we meet Iris and Roman, rival journalists with their own secret burdens to hide. It turns out that they may have more in common than they thought and might be more connected that they could have predicted.
The war, spurred on by the last remaining gods, forces them to journey out of their comfort zones and investigate what brought them all here.

There was a lot to love in this series. I think the handling of how ugly war can be, and how it affects even the mundane, was done quite delicately. There many instances that felt sadly very relevant. I loved the various characters who all were fleshed out and easy to love. Roman and Iris are two young people who have a lot of love in their hearts and weight on their shoulders and their story together pulled at my heart.

I also really the world building and mythos created for this world. The way the gods interact and compelled people to fight for them is super interesting.

If you are interested in a Young Adult duology filled with great characters, fantastic world building, heart pounding (and breaking) moments and a message of love and perseverance, then I definitely recommend you try this series.

[Alisha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an exceptional piece of literature that deserves to be read by everyone who loves their books with the perfect mix of angst, tears, romance, and heartbreak. I had this duology sitting on my shelf for a year, and this year, I finally came to my senses and read it.

You know how sometimes you buy a book and just know it's going to change your life? An instant five-star read before you even glance at the blurb? Well, this was one of those books for me.

Everything about this duology was phenomenal, and dear lord—just writing this review has me reliving the scene that completely shattered my heart. It was from book two, after everything that had happened. Gosh, Iris. The pain she endured in these books was unimaginable. This girl has courage in her very bones, and I am here for it.

I will always, always recommend these two books to anyone looking for their next five-star read. It’s packed with all the best tropes, and Rebecca has an utterly magical, truly enchanting way with words that makes you want to read without stopping. She has now earned a spot as my top favorite author. 🫂🫂

[Glenda Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ruthless Vows is everything I wanted and more—a breathtaking, emotionally devastating, and beautifully written conclusion that stayed with me long after the final page. Rebecca Ross masterfully weaves love, war, grief, and hope into a story that feels both epic and deeply intimate.

The romance is achingly tender and earned, shaped by sacrifice, distance, and unwavering devotion. Every interaction carries weight, and the letters—once again—are pure magic. Ross excels at quiet moments just as much as the sweeping ones, making the emotional stakes feel incredibly real.

What truly sets this book apart is its heart. Amid the brutality of war, Ruthless Vows never loses sight of compassion, humanity, and the power of choosing love even when it hurts. The character growth is stunning, the prose lyrical, and the ending both satisfying and soul-stirring.

This duology is a triumph, and Ruthless Vows cements Rebecca Ross as an author I will always trust with my heart. An unforgettable five-star read.

[igorama · Rating 3 out of 5]

Breathtaking levels of melodrama. Otherwise pretty decent.

In a very much like WWI era industrial setting two just out of school aspiring reporters compete for a columnist position at a prestigious newspaper. He is upper class, she is middle class. This is a romance, so obviously they go from rivals to lovers. In the bigger world a pair of remaining divinities, an underling husband and a skyward wife go to war. His forces are forging a trail of destruction toward the city where the young people live, she inspires citizens to join the army and defend the country.

I liked how the gods are magical yet limited by their domain. Similarly, there are no superhuman feats from very much not a soldier reporters. Everything is gritty and sober, even somewhat realistic, well, considering the presence of magic in the world.

It could be a bit shorter, there were a couple of absolutely gratuitous chapters. The execution scene was melodrama on steroids, I don't even know why writers do that. But on the whole it was well paced and occasionally quite touching.

[Alexaaa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you for writing this amazing duology, Becca! . Letter of Enchantment helps me cope with grieving. My dad just passed away last year, and I'm dying to find fantasy books just to escape from my work routine. My job requires me to write a lot and my brain freezes many times in front of my laptop. Divine Rivals & Ruthless Vows makes me feel not alone and keep going. Your characters are so relatable. Thank you for putting your soul into this series.
Divine Rivals is definitely 5 stars for me, however I found that Ruthless Vows is not as easy to read as the first book, since the conflict is thicker and keep going in a circle. Glad it finishes satisfyingly realistic.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like the more subtle magic in this series. Love how the first book ends. How is Iris going to get Roman back? Why the hell does her brother take her? I did feel like there were a few plot holes in the second book that bugged me. Why would Roman's father not tell Daika about Iris being his wife, so he could use it against him? He obviously knows she is. And what is so special about Iris that she has to be the one to kill Daika?

[Alison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, these two books are completely different to anything I have read before. So discriptive! The imaginative writing of this author allows you to step into the journey these young, strong characters take. There is so much love for the friendships they make with strong love ties and family bonds. Where and how Rebecca Ross finds the ability to write such clever story lines, well, it is truly incredible. A very passionate read.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a duology, I rate these two a solid four stars. It was refreshing that it was lighter on the magical monster side of fantasy. I would personally describe it as more of a historical romance with a sprinkle of magic in the best way. In honor of a friend of mine, it was between like and love.

[Anne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Was excited to pick this up after finishing Divine Rivals. Sadly it disappointing and barely finished. The main characters were mostly separated. The letters exchanged not as riveting or realistic. I had a hard time staying connected to them as characters and caring what happened in the end.

[Brooklyn Kyrouac · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had to start skimming.....just not great

[Peggy Kulczycki · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the sequel to Divine Rivals. It was hard to put down.

[Rachel Cutlan · Rating 1 out of 5]

I had to finish it but terrible book. Characters were dumb. Would not recommend.

[rosalia · Rating 5 out of 5]

amazing. roman, i love you. please marry me.

[Ariana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just the right amount of fantasy. Cute.

[Melissa Perez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Arte.

[Summer Kutney · Rating 5 out of 5]

First book I read in one day the second one was ok

[Angéla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely gutwrenching. Only recommend if you are in a good place mentally

[Dilprit Gill · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this series so much!! Im really excited to read more Rebecca Ross books

[CARLOS DAVILA · Rating 5 out of 5]

cutest and most genuine romance in a war-time era. Will never get over it

[Nicky]

A lovely ending to this 2-book series.

[Shagun Gupta · Rating 4 out of 5]

a little boring but I loved everything about it!!

[Gem · Rating 5 out of 5]

beautiful 💓

[Hannah Downes · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

Divine Rivals - 4 ⭐️
Ruthless Vows - 3 ⭐️