Divine Blessings

by K.R. Thompson

Forbidden love. Divine powers. A vengeance that could tear the world apart.

Nsiria had always felt different—wishing she could learn to read instead of becoming her father’s perfect little noblewoman. After a forbidden kiss, Nsiria finds herself alone—exiled by her father to a foreign city.

Elara knows what it’s like to be alone. While mourning her mother’s death, she stumbles upon Nsiria. They find a home together in “the grove,” a refuge for the city’s outcasts. Soon, Nsiria’s renewed attempts at teaching herself to read catch the eye of the deity of wisdom, and she is granted powers that can finally make her dream of learning a reality. But her growing feelings for Elara could distract her from the path of knowledge.

When tragedy strikes and Nsiria believes Elara is dead, rage and grief consume her. She vows to exact revenge on the man responsible for her loss. But the path toward his destruction may be the path toward her own, for more than one of the seven deities have set their sights on her.

Genres: Fantasy, LGBT, Lesbian, Queer

338 pages, Paperback

Published May 26, 2025

About the author

K.R. Thompson is an engineer, planner, and author with a master’s degree in Civil Engineering from Iowa State University. While writing, he likes to blend lighthearted humor with the deep complexities and challenges that people often face in their lives.

He currently lives in Iowa with his amazing wife and daughter. He can often be found eating food in quantities greater than typically recommended. In his defense, food can be quite delicious. His hobbies include watching movies, reading, playing video games, and running (have to burn off all those calories somehow).

Reviews

[Kate Dash · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4 stars)
Thank you to the author and NetGalley for this beautiful ARC opportunity!
At the beginning I was "mmm yeah, maybe" at the end I was "yes, I need my tea and minute to process". Then I understood that I took too long to write review cause I was organising my own thoughts
TROPES YOU’LL FIND HERE:
- slow-burn romance
- Mortal blessed by a deity
- Exiled noble girl
- Grief-fueled vengeance
- Found family
- Sweet first love

I really wnjoyed worldbuilding— seven gods, magical gifts, and a city filled with outcasts that still feels like home. Same as magic. It's gentle, symbolic and mysterious.
Also main couple (Elara and Nsiria) isn't insta-love and also it isn't boring, I understand them. It's that sweet first love that has those awkwad moments and still gives warm blanket feeling. And except that we have found family, that's also great plus fot me.
But I got my personal 'no' what wasn't working for me. The pacing in the beginning is very slow — I wasn’t hooked right away, and the tone felt a bit too young at first. I wanted more time with the divine beings themselves — they’re so intriguing, but we don’t stay with them long enough to really feel the danger or complexity of their world.
But honestly? By the end, I didn’t care about the rough edges. I felt Nsiria’s grief. Her rage. Her confusion. Her hunger to be more than what her birth gave her. There’s something deeply human in this story, and I’m glad I saw it through.
So yes, I gonna read next book from trilogy

[Jaime · Rating 3 out of 5]

A big thank you to NetGalley and the author, K R Thompson for this EARC!

2.5 stars rounded up.

Upon reading the blurb I was super excited for Divine Blessings - it promised fantasy, romance, magic and a sapphic pairing!
Unfortunately this was not the book for me, I found it super hard to get into at first, and when it did get going I found myself irritated by the characters and sometimes confused by the deities and who belonged to who/what they believed in etc. Reginald the talking hat just annoyed me no end too, sadly.

There was a lot of world building which is expected for the first book of a trilogy but it felt like I was being told rather than shown for the most part.

The foundation for something great is there, but it just needs some reining in!

[Nicole · Rating 3 out of 5]

Divine Blessings is Book 1 in The Divine Trilogy by K.R. Thompson. It is tagged as an adult novel; however, I feel it is more suited for middle school readers. It does contain a few death scenes of a slightly graphic nature, but I don't believe they are too much for the average young reader. The fantastical world consists of an upper-class ruling society, a lower-class undesirable population, benevolent deities, selfish and cruel deities, and the humans who are "blessed" by these entities. There is a clear battle between good and evil, and our main characters are placed in the middle. I like the main characters' distinct personalities. The gods and the magic system are interesting. The relationship between the two main love interests is sweet but not defined on the page as much as I would like. There is a bit more telling than showing in this story, and the pacing is slow for most of it. There are a few twists and action scenes that help keep it moving along. The writing style is easy to follow, and the dialogue is clear.
I was glad I gave it a go. The ending was satisfactory, as it wraps up the story but leaves it open to further the trilogy. A battle is coming.
Divine Blessings was just okay for me, and I haven't decided if I want to continue the series.
#YA #MiddleSchool #Fantasy #Sapphic #NoSpice #Deities #Magic #GoodVersusEvil #HFN #RichPoor
I received a free ARC from the author. This is my honest opinion.

[Torrey Kindall · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would like to thank K.R. Thompson for having me be an ARC Reader for this wonderful book! This review may be long, but I wanted to really dive deep into this because of the opportunity I had to even read this book early and enjoy it as much as I did. I give it ultimately 4 Shining Stars

I must say that in the first quarter of the book, I wasn't sure when it was going to pick up and I wasn't sure if I was going to keep reading it, but I kept going. When I tell you that the last 150 pages made me CRY!! It did made me feel like a Middle School YA, so there were some moments where I was like... hmmmm I don't know if I'll like it as much as I would have back then... but then there were like two scenes that reminded me of Percy Jackson (when Elara got blessed with the hat thinking it was just a hat = Percy getting his sword Riptide but it looks like a pen) so I knew I was probably going to like it more.

Now onto the characters as a whole - read if you dare...:

Strongarms (Torna) DYING was NOT on my 2025 Reading Bucket List!
Reginald is a great character and I love his witty banter.
When I first read Elara's character, it took a second for me to see how she would flesh out as a character and I'm glad to see that.
Nsiria's character interaction with everyone was spot on and I loved how you could see the progression of her character changed (obviously, but I mean with the blessings she received and everything else)
The introductions of the Deities were pretty much well planned out (and I should've expected the twist with Vartinnma) though I was thrown off with everything at first because when Pallisia just SHOWED herself... I will say I was not expecting it to happen so early on in the story.

And I'm ending this review here with a few nitpicks that I have, though they may not matter, it was just bothering me a bit whenever I did read these scenes.

1) In the first quarter and right before we get to to the middle of the book, Elara and Nsiria had scenes where in an emergency or when they were in a sense of urgency, they would have a thought of (also I'm paraphrasing here): Elara - I need to check this out... I see red flickering lights from my tent. This was when the grove was being attacked though she was hearing SCREAMS and a lot of CONCERNING noises.
There were plenty of moments like that in the beginning and I should've highlighted more, but I didn't think there would be.

2) The "undesiriables" living in the grove (I feel like the group name and place where they live should be capitalized, but again, nitpicks) I believe should've been more fleshed out - not by a lot though. I think that the setting of the grove and having a little but more understanding why they were casted out and deemed "undesiriable" would've made the scene where they were attacked more impactful, at least for me. Many people that interacted with the characters, give or take a few, didn't scrutinize Elara much because she didn't look like an undesirable. And with Nsiria, I can't recall a time where she was really rejected and mistreated.

3) Lastly, though it's not really a nitpick, it just took me out of the story a few times - the dialogue and setting felt very modern. Which is a good thing for me partly because most Fantasy settings and conversations can go over my head and I don't understand what they are talking about, but the story made it really easy to ease into their world and understand it a bit better. However, there would be moments where I felt like the Deities and other characters wouldn't speak so informally with one another unless they are of the same status. Though this is more of a personal take because the story really does seem to be digestable for a younger audience.

If you read this review, I'm surprised because it's long as heck BUT! I do appreciate you taking the time to reading it and again I am so happy that I was able to get a copy of this book!

Thank you again K. R. Thompson, you are going to go far!

[Sally · Rating 3 out of 5]

Received as an ARC from the author. Thank you for the opportunity!

Nsira and Elara have found each other in the city they are both regarded as undesirables in. Nsira has been exiled from her merchant family and abandoned in a city where she knows no-one and Elara has been left alone after her mother's death. Following Nsira's induction into a mysterious group, the girls are left to struggle with their diverging paths and feelings towards each other, when something happens that could tear them both apart permanently.

Expected: an adult fantasy book with gifted humans acting as champions for the divine and one blessed woman's path to revenge after her love is murdered.

Received: a very young adult fantasy with a stop-start pacing and a rather sweet verging on saccrine burgeoning queer relationship

The age of the book is possibly my own error as I started this thinking it would be an adult book. The first inclusion of 'freaking' nearly took me out at the knees and 'super-mega-elbow-bump-promise' would have finished the job. This book reads very very young. On the scale of young adult, it's closer to the early teens, think 12/13 year olds than any older. The themes of loss and betrayal are portrayed rather simplistically and are spoonfed to the reader so nothing could be misinterpreted. There were also instances of high peril when the characters spent so long thinking about what they should do or recounting their surroundings that any tension is lost. This was a serious drawback as I was reading that took me out of the experience.

I enjoyed the characters, however the main pair and 'Strongarms' were the focus of detail and attention while everyone else felt slightly tacked on in order to move the plot line along. Also, the divines were interesting and having them feature more would have been interesting. Hopefully, this is explored more in the rest of the series, given the events of this one. The final third inclusion of a blessed-child who could level a building with lightning sounded so cool and was mentioned and moved on from quite quickly.

The romance was sweet, very much a fumbling first love from friendship set-up but it failed to grab me. The forbidden romance aspect was entirely from the culture that Nsira had been exiled from instead of something carried through to the more progressive yet somehow outcast having society that she wound up in. There's limited build-up through Elara's perspective and Nsira has too much on her plate for her feelings to get much of a look-in through the course of the story. For the romance to be noteable, the plot needed to be streamlined.

All in all, the story had good bones but it didn't strike any particular chord with me. It relied too heavily on telling instead of showing and the reader was taken by the hand and walked down the path rather than being able to pick up the nuance or subtleties themselves.

[Max · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

I thought this was a really good debut book. I found it really easy to read, the plot was paced really well and I found myself not wanting to put it down, especially near the end. It was really interesting and easy to follow but kept me intrigued and kept me asking questions. It took me a little while to get into the book but once I was in, it was great. I didn’t expect to care about the characters so much and remember each one so clearly (I typically struggle remembering all the characters in fantasy books), and there were multiple parts which made me cry. Also, considering it’s YA, I didn’t expect there to be so much death, and it wasn’t shied away from, i’m interested to know how that translates to a younger audience. My only negative, if it can be seen as one, is that from the cover I assumed there would be more of the two of them fighting together, I hate that they were separated for a large part of the story, I wanted more interactions between them, but I know for the plot it made sense. And I’m looking forward to see what’s to come in the next book - which I feel like this book set up for well while still tying off enough of this story to have a satisfying ending.

Thank you for the ARC!

[Maddi Kapper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you so much for the arc!

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. What a great debut novel! The world was so unique, and you couldn’t help but fall in love with the characters, especially Strongarms. I can’t wait to read the next book and see where the story ends up 😍

[Jenni Killin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Divine Blessings is a duo-pov lesbian fantasy/romance, following the stories of Elara and Nsiria. There are seven deities that can bestow their "blessings" upon mortals, and Nsiria becomes of of those blessed individuals. However, after a tragic ravaging of the place these two called home, Nsiria believes she finds Elara's body, and she will do anything to avenge the girl she loved - but it won't be simple for her. The romance in this one is so beautiful, and the yearning is to die for. There is such a comforting aspect of found family for both of our FMCs, and the way that character relationships are explored in this were lovely. The magical aspects of the Divine characters is captivating, and super interesting - it's worth diving into.

I am so happy that I was able to get an ARC of this one, it was great. I'm genuinely excited to see where this trilogy leads once they're all out :)

[rachel ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

DISCLAIMER — I received an ARC from the author, but my opinions are my own and am not being paid.

General (Spoiler-Free) Review of Divine Blessings

Divine Blessings introduces readers to a harsh and layered world rooted in faith, power, and hidden identities. The story follows two teenagers, Nsiria and Elara, as they navigate life on the fringes of Eramir, a grand city brimming with religious tradition and ruthless hierarchy. From the first page, the book sets the tone with its simple yet vivid writing style and characters who, refreshingly, actually act their age.

The early chapters take their time setting the scene—perhaps a bit too much time—but the payoff kicks in around the halfway mark, when the story accelerates with twists, divine revelations, and an increasingly compelling dynamic between the leads. One of the earliest emotional punches comes from a falling-out between the girls the night before a devastating event: the mayor orders the burning of the Grove, where most of the city’s undesirables live. Nsiria, having argued with Elara over her time spent with the Order, goes to the library to cool off—unwittingly avoiding the attack. The fallout of that misunderstanding shapes much of the book’s emotional core.

The religious system of seven deities and their chosen “Blessed Ones” adds a solid mythological structure that feels consistent and purposeful. Each deity bestows powers aligned with their nature—like healing, truth-sensing, memory enhancement, or even poison. Pallasia, the Divine Owl, is the most active in this story, while figures like Maligraith, the Divine Serpent, loom with ominous weight.

Though some worldbuilding elements feel like they could use more clarity—especially the nature of the “undesirables” and certain character backstories—the characters carry the emotional weight well. And yes, the hat familiar, Reginald, is an unexpected delight. The book closes on a strong note, wrapping up enough to feel satisfying while still leaving room for more in future installments.
While the author does a phenomenal job at portraying teenagers as teenagers, the writing style can seem quite simplistic at times, but the richly descriptive imagery makes up for it, and is appropriate for a YA novel.

A good fit for fans of morally grey magic systems, layered character arcs, and stories that don’t shy away from questioning religious and political authority—once you push past the slow start, it’s worth the read.

Full (Spoiler-Filled) Review of Divine Blessings

At its core, Divine Blessings is a dual POV coming-of-age fantasy centred around 16–year–old Nsiria, a former-palace-girl-from-Makia-turned- “undesirable” with a tragic backstory, and 15–year–old Elara, a resourceful “undesirable” living in the shadows of Eramir. Their bond is tested and transformed over the course of a city-wide reckoning driven by divine manipulation, class warfare, and twisted loyalties.
The story begins slowly, with Nsiria stealing a book from the library to listen in on a lesson—seemingly a quiet, even innocent scene—but things escalate quickly. When Nsiria goes to return the book to the library the next day, an elderly librarian, revealed to be Pallasia, the Divine Owl of wisdom and order, invites Nsiria to join the Order of the Owl, a group of her Blessed Ones who gain mystical powers such as heightened senses and expanded minds.

Nsiria and Elara live in “The Grove”, an orchard-turned-sanctuary for the city’s undesirables, sharing their tent with fellow teenaged undesirable, Tin, a thief with a knack in getting sought-after goods from the mayor’s palace. Shortly after Nsiria joins the Order (which she immediately tells Elara about, despite being sworn to secrecy), the two overhear the mayor in the Town Square encouraging the citizens of Eramir to take action against the undesirables’ blighting of the city—a message that strangely draws in our two protagonists, despite being undesirables themselves.
The novel truly starts to kicks off with one of its most emotionally impactful moments: the burning of the Grove, seemingly ordered by none other than the mayor. The night before the Grove’s burning, the two girls argue—Elara upset that Nsiria has been spending more time with the Order of the Owl—and Nsiria leaves to stay overnight at the library. The next morning, the mayor orders the Grove burned. Nsiria, still with the Order, escapes unharmed. Elara, however, is caught in the chaos and chased while fleeing; she’s badly injured but rescued by Strongarms, the security guard at the pastry shop Elara frequently steals from, and a Blessed One of Aegure, who nurses her back to health.

Meanwhile, Nsiria returns to the Grove’s ashes and finds what she believes is Elara’s body. The grief, guilt, and sense of loss that follows pushes her toward the Vanguard—and the manipulative influence of Maligraith and Vartinma. It’s later revealed that the body wasn’t Elara at all, but another Grove member magically disguised by Maligraith (posing as Captain Boldem) and Vartinma (disguised as both Tin and the mayor) to convince Nsiria that Elara is dead. It’s a twisted but effective manipulation that shapes the novel’s core arc.
The world’s religious structure plays a major role in both plot and character development. The seven deities and their unique Blessings are well thought out and deeply tied to the themes of the book:

- Pallasia, the Divine Owl, embodies wisdom and order. Her Blessed Ones have heightened senses, eidetic memories, and expanded minds.
- Maligraith, the Divine Serpent, is all poison, rage, and revenge. His Blessed Ones can kill with a touch—but none have existed since Alaric—until now.
- Aegure, the Divine Fawn, grants healing and empathy. Strongarms represents his warmth and is one of the few consistent adult figures in the story.
- Vartinma, the Divine Monkey, thrives on trickery and greed. His powers remain shadowy and underexplored—fitting for someone who’s been deceiving the city as its mayor.
- Aurion, the Divine Eagle, gives the power to detect lies and wield lightning, while Sylphi, the Divine Butterfly, grants her few Blessed Ones magical familiars and exceptional combat skills. Elara’s familiar—a snarky enchanted hat named Reginald—is hands-down a fan favorite.
- Braidur, the Divine Bear, offers strength and courage, traits that appear mostly through secondary characters.

The character work is strong. Nsiria’s backstory—being exiled after her father discovered she kissed her servant, who was then tortured—is haunting and gives weight to her guardedness and reluctance to trust. Elara is a scrappy survivor, whose arc from quiet desperation to empowered warrior blessed by a near-forgotten goddess is satisfying and well-earned.

The plot twists hit hard: Vartinma being none other than Tin and the mayor in disguise, Maligraith posing as Captain Boldem, and the manipulation behind Elara’s “death” all land effectively. The anagram-style reveal of Vartinma’s name is a fun touch, though a few moments, like the chapter 18 line hinting too early that Boldem may be a deity, undermine the tension slightly.

While the author does a phenomenal job at portraying teenagers as teenagers, the writing style can seem quite simplistic at times, but the richly descriptive imagery makes up for it, and is appropriate for a YA novel.

Some aspects could use more development—like the nature of the Grove’s residents (are they just poor or also afflicted in some way?) or the foreshadowing (or lack thereof) around the magical owl librarian. Pallasia’s appearance and blessing of Nsiria comes suddenly, and a subplot of Nsiria hiding her Order membership from Elara would’ve enhanced the emotional stakes further, especially given their complex relationship.

Torna’s (Strongarms) death is another emotional high point, though it is brushed over quickly by Elara, and his parents’ reaction to the news is strangely muted. Still, his bond with Elara adds much-needed warmth and depth, making his loss resonate deeply.
The ending wraps up major arcs while setting the stage for the next book, with Nsiria and Elara choosing to travel to Makvia together. The spiritual and political fallout of the gods’ involvement still lingers—and promises more to come.

Overall, Divine Blessings may stumble early but finishes strong, balancing personal stakes with divine-scale consequences. Once the divine chessboard is revealed, everything falls into place. Fans of YA fantasy with deep worldbuilding, queer themes, slow-burn twists, and a strong emotional core will find plenty to love—and reason to look forward to what comes next.

[Read With Grace White · Rating 5 out of 5]

Divine Blessings By K.R Thompson
——-
Forbidden love. Divine powers. A vengeance that could tear the world apart. Nsiria had always felt different-wishing she could learn to read instead of becoming her father’s perfect little noblewoman. After a forbidden kiss, Nsiria finds herself alone-exiled by her father to a foreign city.
Elara knows what it’s like to be alone. While mourning her mother’s death, she stumbles upon Nsiria. They find a home together in “the grove,” a refuge for the city’s outcasts. Soon, Nsiria’s renewed attempts at teaching herself to read catch the eye of the deity of wisdom, and she is granted powers that can finally make her dream of learning a reality. But her growing feelings for Elara could distract her from the path of knowledge. When tragedy strikes and Nsiria believes Elara is dead, rage and grief consume her. She vows to exact revenge on the man responsible for her loss. But the path toward his destruction may be the path toward her own, for more than one of the seven deities have set their sights on her.
——
First of all thank you so much to KR for giving me the arc copy to read Divine Blessings. I was legit so excited to read this book and couldn’t put it now so because of that I give this book five out five stars. The magic, the romance, Gods, the storyline, etc was all on the table and it was one of the best books that I have legit ever read. I was definitely on a roller coaster of emotions and I’m not mad about it! Also I thought it was amazing representation of the LBGTQ+ and I loved getting to know each characters especially the main female characters Nsiria and Elara. I would love to learn more background information about them like their upbringing before the death of Elara‘a mother and Nsira getting kicked out by her father because of a forbidden kiss. I look forward to reading the second book and whatever books comes next for you within the series and excluding the series! Thanks again and I really appreciate and enjoyed reading!

[Avorie & Xavier Harleston · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review is being completed by Avorie (mom) and Mariposa (7th grade daughter). We received a free digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.

As a family of avid readers, we believe all books deserve a chance to find their five-star reader. Our reviews are intended to help you decide if this will be a five-star read for you, whether or not it’s a five-star read for us.

A more detailed infographic review is available on our social media profile.

Spoiler-Free Summary
Nsiria and Elara are best friends with difficult backgrounds who have found a family in each other. Romantic feelings simmer just below the surface of their friendship when the girls are torn apart by tragedy and interfering deities intent on using the girls for their own ends. Despite the societal hardships of being “undesirables,” the girls forge alliances and use their wits to find their way back to each other and fight the evil brewing in their city.

Tropes
Found family, Friends to lovers, Chosen one, Dual POV

Avorie's Take
I contacted the author as I feel the book could benefit from content warnings and was assured they will be included in the front matter of all editions, as well as listed on the author’s website. I suggest all parents/readers review the content warnings before deciding if the book is for you.

The main characters are 16 and 15 years old but come across as very young - I imagined them as 12 or 13 years old. The romance is very angsty and “first crush-ish”, with the book concluding with a single kiss. The themes of the story are blunt and at times even heavy-handed. There’s not much room for misinterpretation of the author’s intentions.

This book will resonate most with younger YA readers; my 10-year-old could easily read and understand this book, and I suspect it will appeal most to middle school age readers. However, if my 5th grader read this book, I would want to discuss it with her due to the way some topics are handled.

Mariposa's Take
The book has significant worldbuilding without lore-dumping - you get to learn alongside the characters. The main characters are well developed with distinct personalities but seemed much younger (12-14 years old instead of 15-16.)

The plot was well done and the mythology had interesting and original elements. I think the social issues could have been better addressed. I would read the next book in the series.

If you are a fan of the relationships from “One Last Stop” (McQuiston) and The Sun and The Star (Riordan) but for a middle school crew, you will like Nsiria and Elara.

[sierra ꪆ𓏲 · Rating 3 out of 5]

thank you netgalley and the publisher for sending me an eARC :)

i was initially quite excited when reading the description, a fantasy book with a sapphic pairing is right up my alley.

i think that the target audience for this book is more middle school aged readers, so a lot of it didn’t have the depth i was expecting going in. i am sure if i did read this when i was that age i would’ve enjoyed this book a lot more.

with this being the first book in this series, the book was a bit slow as it built the world that we are being immersed into. the action scenes were pretty good and the plot is intriguing though and i enjoyed those aspects.

[Autummskies · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to Relaxed Scribe LLC and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for a review.

Likes:
- Magic system and the seven gods were interesting
- Lots of world building
- sapphic representation!! much needed in younger audience books

Dislikes:
- Advertised as Adult on some websites, but YA on others. However, read more like a middle grade book
- Characters and their connections fell flat for me
- Thrown in at the beginning of the book and it was hard to understand what was happening
- Reminders throughout the book on the gods/magic would have been helpful as it was hard to remember details after a huge info dump
- Dialogue felt unnatural at certain points

[Ebony Essence · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you NetGalley and Relaxed Scribe LLC for my digital arc copy.

The book follows Nsiria and Elara giving very much friends to lovers. One of my favorite things was reflecting on the past and self reflection. Getting a deeper sense of the characters. There was also some fun and entertaining parts of the book that helped with keeping a nice pace.

Other than that the sapphic rep, magical element and everything in between gave a good balance. I feel over time the author and the sitting will get tighter. I would recommend this to anyone getting into the genre. Munch success to the author.

[Facts & Fables Podcast · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got a chance to read the arc and LOVED it! I cried, I gasped, I laughed- truly such a fun new world to explore with quirky characters. It was charming, witty, and I already cant wait for the next installment!

[Cristin Vollrath · Rating 5 out of 5]

Received as an ARC and immediately dived right in.
LGBTQ+
Friends to lovers.
Deeply complex relationships intricately woven together. Diversity cohabitating alongside intolerance, often from those you would assume you should be able to trust yet betrayal came dressed as a friendly face.

Trust no one and question everything.

[Berbs · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you K.R. Thompson for a digital arc of this book!

This was alright. The biggest issue I had was that I felt it needed another edit. Some of the scene didn't flow together, and a lot of the dialogue was awkward.

[Nikolai Kreiling · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was absolutely brilliant!!! I just got the ARC today but I already finished because I just couldn’t put it down. The characters are so personable, the world building was fascinating, and the plot has me dying for book two and this one isn’t even released yet!

I loved it, suffice to say lol

[Xan · Rating 2 out of 5]

‎‧₊˚✧2.5 ✧˚₊‧
Somehow, I had high expectations for this book, and, sadly, they weren't met. But before I jump into that, I'll give you a short description of the story itself.

Nsiria gets thrown in a hard life away from her home after a forbidden kiss. There, she finds the alluring and upbeat Elara, who she befriends and starts living together with. The story picks up when Nsiria gets blessed, but the blessing gets quickly overshadowed by despair.

What did I like? Because it wasn't all bad ofcourse.
- I love the the unique names that get used in this book.
- Some characters, like Neymar, did grab my attention.
- The deities are original and refreshing.
- I definitely didn't see the villain coming, not going to lie.
- I do love how Nsiria in the beginning just wants to learn how to read and write.

What caused my rating to be what it is now?
- You kinda get thrown into the story, and this made me a little confused. I needed a bit more guidance in the beginning, as there were a lot of terms that didn't totally and immediately made sense and weren't really explained soon enough. I guess this also a personal preference, though.
- The fact that Nsiria was told to keep a secret, but decided to immediately yap to Elara.
- We, the readers, don’t have photographic memories, so a little guide with the gods would be welcome.
- I really wanted to love this story more, but I just couldn't get into it. I can't put my finger on what irks me exactly, but it made reading this harder for me.
- The deaths don’t feel impactful as a result of not being able to get into it, but I also feel like the author moved over the deaths quite quickly. So that made it that I didn't really feel deep feelings of loss when a character died.

All in all I do think this story has a lot of potential. It might have been the wrong book at the wrong time for me personally, but that doesn't mean it's not enjoyable at all. I hope this book will find the readers that do get hooked on the story and the characters.

Of course I cannot forget to thank Netgalley, Relaxed Scribe LLC and K. R. Thompson for the ARC of this book. Even though I might not have enjoyed the book as intended, I am curious for the next part, as that might grip me more in the future.

[Alexis Bernice Martinez · Rating 5 out of 5]

What else can I say about this book except that it's very immersive. The world building is fantastic that ties into the characters history and lore, which they are also a joy to read their banter. I was on the edge of my seat reading moments that made me pause before continuing. I didn't mind the pacing of the story but I enjoyed seeing how everything unfolded. I could go on, but I would be a longer post as I wanted to highlight some of my favorite things about the book. It captures the title of Divine Blessings wholeheartedly, as it was a blessing to read the ARC about all the different types of Divine entities. I can't wait to continue on this journey into the other books in this trilogy.

[Lucy Larsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This ARC was provided for me by the author in conjunction with BookFunnel in exchange for an honest review and I’m very excited to review this book!

I saw this book on my social media a while ago when another author that I follow began promoting K.R. Thompson’s book on their stories. I became even more interested when I learned more about the plot and what the story would be about. This story is a beautiful sapphic fantasy. Nsiria and Elara become friends and live together as outcasts in the city after Nsiria is abandoned by her father and Elara’s mother dies. They seem to develop a strong connection, leaning towards becoming more romantic when disaster strikes. Nsiria gets blessed by a God and slowly begins to pull away from Elara and then violence occurs and Nsiria assumes Elara is dead. This drops both girls into a crazy series of events mixing them up with others blessed by the Gods, a rebel organization, and the conniving plans of those same Gods.

I seriously can not say how much I enjoyed this book. I waited eagerly for my lunch break everyday at work so I could take some time to read even just one chapter of this book. One of the things that I really loved was the concept of the magic system. I liked the idea that magic came from the Gods and was inherently connected to specific human emotions or desires such as loyalty, ambition, greed, etc. It makes you wonder about how those things could work together in different ways and also how they might conflict with each other.

I also found the characters to be super interesting. I really appreciated that each of the characters really was their own person. Even the side characters were their own distinct people with distinct personalities, appearances, characteristics, and quirks. It made the whole cast of characters just come to life and pop. One thing I appreciated is that all of the characters interesting quirks stuck around even as the character started to change – they just evolved to show that character’s change. I also appreciated that the narration in each chapter when the perspective changed really showed the character’s personality through the writing style. When the story was in Elara’s perspective the narration focused more on emotions and jumped around from thought to thought really quickly. When in Nsiria’s perspective we got more details on the scene setting and observation of other characters. This created more of a relationship and understanding between the reader and each of the characters individually.

One problem that I did have with the story was that sometimes the dialogue felt a little strange. The story would be super fascinating and drawing me in and I would be reading along at a decent clip and then suddenly there would be a strange bit of dialogue that felt forced – usually to try and create some sort of levity – and I would be yanked out of immersion for a moment trying to figure out why that character would say that. This typically happened with Tin the most often but occasionally with several of the other librarians as well.

One thing I’m not so sure about is the intended audience. What I was told was that this was a novel that was written for an adult audience or at least a New Adult audience, and while there were a couple more violent scenes that could possibly be seen as New Adult the rest of the story felt more like a YA Fantasy than an Adult or New Adult fantasy. I will admit that part of this is because I do give this book a level one spicy rating. That doesn’t necessarily mean that there won’t be more spicy scenes in the future books but based on this book alone it feels more like a YA story. So, if I had been marketing this book, I might have marketed it as a YA Fantasy with a couple content warnings than an Adult novel.

Overall, I actually really enjoyed this book and would give it a 4 out of 5 star review. It was very good. There are still a few things just stylistically and writing style wise that could be worked on a little bit but overall, the story was very compelling, the characters were very dynamic, and I really want to read the next book. I want to see Nsiria and Elara in Makia!

A big thank you to K.R. Thompson and BookFunnel for providing me with this ARC read. I thoroughly enjoyed the journey.

[Em · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was hooked by this book from the first chapter - K.R. Thompson has a genius way of hinting at small pieces of information that the reader knows will be important, but not giving too much away. Throughout the book, these hints are revealed at varying paces. I loved this method because no matter what was confirmed while I read, there was always another snippet of information I was curious about, or a mystery I was waiting to solve. Thompson is exceptional at teasing enough to make the reader feel like we’re figuring things out, and twisting it up or confirming it in the best way possible.

The reader is rewarded for paying attention. Each description gives little clues to the future, and as I started to put the pieces together, it felt so satisfying to know I predicted something correctly, and even better when I realized how far off I was! The plotting was incredibly clever and I can tell a lot of planning went into every word. I especially loved that when it was time to repeat something from earlier in the book, the author trusts the reader to remember details. The feelings and actions help the reader understand what is being recounted.

The world that Thompson created was so vivid - I could picture every scene, and feel every emotion. Every character stood out, no matter how small, and the lore was so unique. Each new detail about the history of this world helped click the puzzle pieces of this story into place, until the end when I finally felt like I understood the full picture. There was a chapter in the early stages of the book that revealed a lot of information about the lore, but despite sharing so much all at once, the author still managed to make it engaging, avoiding too much exposition, and keeping enough secrets to make it intriguing. This thoughtful plotting is exactly why I found myself so addicted to the story. Thompson sprinkles in cliffhangers between chapters that are perfectly drawn out, so I couldn’t even stop reading when it was late and I was exhausted.


There were multiple chapters that had me in awe about how good the writing was. A quote from my notes: “This was a great chapter with a perfect balance of emotion, plot progression, and just plain funny.” Seriously, the book was FUNNY! I laughed so much, especially when Reginald was introduced (IYKYK). To have such a variety of characters - ones that make you laugh, cringe, sob and swoon - is such a strong ability. I literally loved every character. I found myself writing in all caps about how much I LOVED some characters, and angrily swearing at other characters 😂

My reading notes were filled with questions and conspiracies. It’s safe to say I was sucked into the world Thompson created, and there was no getting out of it. I am already eager to see what the next chapter of this journey holds. The first book of what will be a trilogy, I can’t wait to get my hands on book two and find out what happens next.

The book does an excellent job of both wrapping up the story, and laying the foundation for book two. In fact, that foundation is already being built much earlier in the book than simply a cliffhanger at the last chapter - this is something I really appreciated about the writing because nothing ever felt rushed. Each decision was made very clearly, and had significance - even down to the simplest dialogue of “don’t you think I’d look good in a big purple hat” was important.

[Madd · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for this free eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a ride. I first requested this book because the synopsis sounded interesting - though when I read it to my fiancé, he felt that too much was revealed/discussed in it. I don't entirely agree, but I have had my own issue connected to the synopsis. However, first and foremost, I have to be very honest: I really enjoyed this book. I overall had a very good time, and I'm actually pretty interested in seeing how the next book goes!

The pros: The big strengths of this book are its plot and its characters (and to a certain extent the worldbuilding). I found Nsiria intriguing from the start, and while I at first thought Elara to be a bit overbearing, she seriously grew on me. Tin was also very interesting and fun, Torna is my beloved, and all the notable side characters (such as the Order and the Vanguard) also feel very interesting even if they're not as fleshed out as the main characters. I saw the worldbuilding is a strength to a certain extent because I think the gods are very fun, and while I think Makia sounds fascinating, I think the rest of the world needs a lot of fleshing out. I'll talk more about it in the cons. The biggest strength is the plot. The plot kept me going through thick and thin. It's what kicked this up to a four-star read; I am not kidding when I say I got so into it/excited that I had to get up and pace around my apartment for a little bit. That's a big compliment from me. It's predictable in some ways, but other times there are clever twists that genuinely caught me off-guard (in a good way - when I thought back, I noticed the foreshadowing, always a good sign). Also I loved the queerness, of course. Let's fucking go.

The cons: The prose. Oh boy. I saw another review saying this reads like the younger end of YA, or even middle grade, and it's easy to see why. The writing at a line-level is very novice, things that are just worked out through writing more. I read Deerstalker earlier this year, and it had the same problem in the opposite direction; while Deerstalker is very under-written, Divine Blessings is very over-written, and not even in a purple prose kind of way. We often get repeated information only paragraphs apart (in that a character will think something in their head, and then another character will ask them about that same thing later that same page and so we just hear it again). There is a paragraph at the very beginning of an early chapter in which Nsiria's name is said about five times in like three sentences. Little things, but they're constant, and it got very grating. I had to coerce myself to keep reading many times, and like I said, the plot is what ultimately kept me going. I also have to mention the bit with the synopsis I alluded to - we don't get through everything in the synopsis until almost halfway through the book. By that point I was definitely hooked, but it should've happened much quicker, and it would've given us more time for what is the latter half of the book.

Overall, I had a great time reading this despite my issues with the prose. This is a clear example of someone with a good idea and a lot of passion for their work, and I hope to see the series continued and the improved writing skills of the author!

[Kerstin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I want to thank K. R. Thompson for giving me the opportunity to read this book before its release and provide an honest review.

“Devine Blessings” was a remarkably fun read. I was immediately drawn to the elements Thompson highlighted: YA fantasy, mythology, LGBTQ+ themes, and a friends-to-lovers trope. Also, would you look at that gorgeous cover! It seemed like a book that would be right up my alley, and it did not disappoint!

The story follows two main characters, Nsiria and Elara, through alternating points of view. They’ve been living together for nearly two years in a place called “The Grove,” a safe haven of sorts for the city’s so-called “undesirables.” During that time, they’ve become fast friends, and as the story unfolds, both begin to realize their feelings run a bit deeper.

Nsiria has a strong desire to learn how to read and write, but as an undesirable, she can’t pursue this openly. Her passion for knowledge catches the attention of the deity of wisdom, who grants her a blessing that enhances her ability to attain knowledge. When The Grove is attacked—and believing that Elara perished—Nsiria becomes vengeful, leading her down a darker, more destructive path that draws the attention of other deities.

While the story gives us more of Elara’s perspective as well, I want to avoid spoilers. So I will say that she’s determined to make her way back to Nsiria, facing many challenges and meeting some friends that help her along the way.

Thompson’s writing style is creative and engaging. I found it easy to follow the storyline and immerse myself into the world in which the story is based. The style is definitely geared toward a young adult audience, which I didn’t mind, but it might not appeal as much to readers who typically shy away from YA stories.

The story itself was captivating, with plenty of twists and turns (some of which genuinely surprised me)! Themes of divine powers, vengeance, and emotional stakes drive the narrative, with a strong emphasis on grief and revenge. This gave the story a sense of adventure and high-stakes tension. There was also a good mix of humor thrown in. I’m pretty sure I laughed out loud when I read the part below:

“Oh, please turn me into an enormous bird, Elara! I want to caw caw my way into the sky!” - Reginald

In conclusion, if you enjoy YA fantasy with mythological elements, themes of found family, forbidden love, and a sapphic romance subplot, then “Divine Blessings” definitely deserves a spot on your TBR!

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

Divine Blessings- K.R Thompson. (ARC)

Received this as a digital ARC, and it has been life changing.

Forbidden love. Divine powers. A vengeance that could tear the world apart. Nsiria had always felt different, wishing she could learn to read instead of becoming her father’s perfect little noblewoman. After a forbidden kiss, Nsiria finds herself alone exiled by her father to a foreign city.

Main characters: Nsiria, a brown eyed 16-year-old girl, who is TALL! (I absolutely hate the annoying short MFC archetype, so thanks so much for making a tall girl Thompson!

Elara, Nsiria’s friend. She's bright and warm hearted, but she stills mourns the loss of her mother. It’s just her and Nsiria, two best friends, but how she feels could ruin their friendship.

Setting: This enthralling tale begins in a huge and beautiful library, where Nsiria is locating a mysterious book, and she scandalously avoids checking it out, just tosses it out the bathroom window to Elara! Shame.

We are then taken to Nsiria’s home- a tent, with a ten-by-ten feet perimeter, which is ‘quite the upgrade from their old one’, according to my tall girl bestie.

Nsiria returns to the library, just to get away, but she is told, by Pallasia, that she is going to become a scholar, and to return to the library at eight chimes. When she returns to the tent, Elara is shocked by her friend becoming employed, she is also struck by surprise when she finds that Nsiria’s book is worth five silvers.

Conclusion~

A stunning LGBTQIA+ Ya fantasy with a romantic sublot, Divine Blessings by K R Thompson is truly a divine blessing!

~Really well paced.

~Smart plot.

~Flawless description.

~Likeable characters.

~Unforeseeable plot twists that left me reeling.

Quotes~~

“I’m sure in life, this was the bookiest book that ever did book.”

“You’d like her, Ma. She's really smart and so sweet. Normally she is pretty quiet and reserved, but there are these moments when she gets passionate about something and her dark brown eyes light up and she starts talking a mile a minute. I love it when she does that. Sometimes she laughs at my jokes too.”

“Mythical skin.”

[Kirsten Reedel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tropes:
👒 Coming of age
💐 Forbidden romance
🦉 Chosen one
🏳️‍🌈 LGBTQ+ rep
✨ Young teen

⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 stars


🥐 Received as an eArc in exchange for an honest review 🥐

Nsiria and Elara are seen as undesirables. They live together among their kind in a city that wants them gone. They’ve found each other after enduring tragedies in each of their lives: Elara was left behind by a loving mother, and Nsiria was abandoned by her family following a mistake she made in their eyes. Something happens that threatens to tear them apart but they find their way back together, dealing with feelings for each other on the way.

The plot is very unique and I was pulled into the story quite early. The world building did set this book up for more to come, and helped me understand the atmosphere better between different people of the city and the deities.

The main characters were well done, but the side characters could have used a bit more detail or storyline. Nsiria and Elara’s relationship together was very cute, and could’ve been a bit more tension filled but overall I loved their chemistry. Tin was introduced but didn’t stick around, I would’ve loved to see more of him so that the ending made a bit more sense (or even a preface/pov from his side). Strongarms was such a loving character and I’d love to know a bit more about his history with the deities (we get a bit of a look but it feels too brief).

I liked the idea of the divines, I wanted to know a bit more about them. I feel like we get a small introduction but not enough to really understand how they work.

This book should be aimed to more of a teen audience than a young adult one. Some of the language used feels very juvenile or maybe just not necessarily appropriate in context of the situation. That being said, it was a good book! It has a different plot and feel to other chosen one books I’ve read.

Overall I do recommend reading this one, but only if you’re ok with the younger language that’s been used! ✨🩷

[Pastel Demon · Rating 2 out of 5]

o2.5/5
I didn't hate this book but there were parts that made me knock down my rating.
Likes:
Magic System - Fairly simple, seven different deities, seven different powers you could receive from being blessed. The book frames blessings as this rare phenomenon but we meet several characters who have powers throughout the book. Even so, this magic system opens the way for some pretty interesting uses of magic, and even with how much magic talk was done and the amount of magic used, I still felt like the different possibilities could've been used more.
Characters - These characters became more endearing as the book went on. I actually felt sad about the death of one of the characters and I liked the backstories given to our main ones, even if they come off as a little cliche.
Dislikes:
Characters - That being said these characters overall read as flat. From memory, Elara should be between 19-21 but she read like a young teen. Even with the context of her backstory, she doesn't act like a grown adult and some of her dialogue and actions left me cringing. No one else was this bad and Nsiria actually felt more rounded out, even if she made some weird decisions (like blabbing to Nsiria as soon as she got blessed).
Prose and Dialogue - The writing of the prose felt clunky, but not terrible and definitely fine for a first novel. There was a lot of tell not show, and it made the world building and certain scenes hard to get through. The dialogue felt unnatural and there was literally a scene of the villains explaining their evil plan to the main characters.
Overall this book isn't terrible and decent for a first book. I actually ended up getting semi-invested and would pick up book two if the summary sounded interesting.
Thank you K.R. Thompson and Victory Editing for the eARC.

[garotaamante · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would like to start off this review by thanking the author K.R. Thompson for bestowing the blessing that is this book! Thanks for choosing me to be an ARC reader! Onto the review! I LOVE THIS BOOK! It brought me back to like seventh grade and you get home from school, and you get to read the book that you like. It just felt nostalgic. I love fantasy and this may be for young readers, but I loved it all the same (I’m 20 lol). I deemed it to be a party foul when Dee and Tress caught a stray. Nsiria’s father is a royal asshat. Wasn’t expecting Nsiria to accept the dagger I was hoping she’d maybe hold off on the offer to gain more knowledge than accept it. Absolutely LOVE the relationship between Torna aka Strongarms and Elara aka Pastry Girl. Shoutout to my favorite Rainbow cone of a man Gary! “I’ve got you, pastry girl. I’ve got you” literally broke my soul. I love that we also got to see Torna’s Pov. I loved his train of thought and when he said Elara's love for Nsiria is keeping him going. He also mentioned how he wants the world for Elara and that Nsiria is her world :’( DONT MIND ME I'LL JUST BE CRYING BECAUSE THEN MY BABY DIED. Don’t even get me started when Stella and Ralphus found Elara in the crowd and asked where their son was. Overall, ABSOLUTELY MAGNIFICENT READ. I was well immersed; I really resonate and already miss these characters! I CAN'T WAIT TO SEE WHAT COMES NEXT! Thank you once again K.R. Thompson I’m so glad I was able to be given the chance to read your precious work congrats on your debut! ❤️

I post my reviews on Fable, and I cross post amongst other platforms. Forgive me if my reviews aren't coherent, I'm just a delusional 20-year-old girl lmao (lots of love ;)

[bookwormtalks · Rating 3 out of 5]

Title: Divine blessings
Author: K. R. Thompson
Genre: Sci-fi, Fantasy, Teens, YA, LGBTQ+
Release Date: 27 of May of 2025
My Rating: 3.5 stars
Thank you to Relaxed Scribe LLC and NetGalley for the ARC.
Debut author K. R. Thompson delivers a powerful fantasy full of forbidden love, divine intervention, and the cost of vengeance in this new up and coming fantasy sci-fi book.
When noble-born Nsiria is exiled for a forbidden kiss, she finds unexpected solace with Elara in a sanctuary for the city’s outcasts. But as Nsiria gains magical powers from a god of wisdom, love, grief, and fury collide—threatening to unravel her destiny and shake the divine realm itself.
Divine blessings by K. R Thompson was a very unique book. From its articulate and clean writing helping us understand the world to its special and distinctive plot that grasped your attention right away. I loved how the author was able to cooperate themes of LGBTQ without straying too far from the main plot. This book gave a perfect introduction to what im sure would be an amazing start to a fantasy, sci-fi series.
Although this book was unique and alluring i did feel it fall short for me as i noticed myself getting a bit bored in some parts of the book. In addition, i wish that we got to see more of some characters and seen them develop throughout the book.
In conclusion, I truly believe this is for fans of fantasy who want a fresh look into a new world. With strong LGBTQ+ representation, a compelling main character, and rich worldbuilding, Divine Blessings brings something meaningful and magical to the genre. Will definitely keep an eye out for the next book in the series!

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'd like to thank the author for this ARC and for giving me the opportunity to leave this review!

I really enjoyed the book. It read well and kept me interested, especially when the plot took off the last third of the book. You could really tell when he got into the swing of writing it around the halfway mark. The words seemed to flow so much better and made me stick it out to the end. It read like a middle grade YA novel at the beginning, which was fine, but after K.R. got into the real meat of the book, the writing improved to a solid performance and kept me going the rest of tonight.

I loved Nsiria from the beginning, but until Elara and Strongarms became more prevalent characters, Elara seemed a bit childish. It was when Sylphi came in that she became a more fleshed out FMC, and I loved it. The time she spent at the beach was a huge cry moment for me, showing how important her mom was in her life. I'm glad Elara got her hair washed. It made her so confident! Also: REGINALD. Love that silly hat!

I kinda thought the repeated parts of Aurion having multiple blessings were foreshadowing, and I'm glad I was right! I'd love to actually see Rhalm's deity show up in the next book. She's so badass!!

All in all, I gave this book four stars because it's a debut novel and the need to be able to give the sequel five stars! K.R. is gonna go far, and I'm THRILLED to get the book before the general masses get to read about Nsiria, Elara, and that dastardly coward, Tin!