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Floodwaters
Theology and science mix like oil and water. Never in his life would Eris Vandermere have thought The Effect of Divine Presence on Human Behavior would be the topic of his final research paper of the year—yet he finds himself combing the city streets with sophomore Miri Chase, tracking the footsteps of a real-life god who walks the mortal realm.
When the god of the sea rescues a child from certain death, his divine blood heals the child’s wounds, and the mortal world hails him as a hero. An undercurrent of intrigue among the mortal population grows and slowly festers, which leads Eris and Miri to stumble across a horrifying mortals will do anything to get their hands on God's Blood.
What starts as a simple school project morphs into a frantic scramble for human survival. What must one do to appease an angered god? And how far is a god willing to go in the name of justice?
After all, nothing is more devastating than divine rage.
Floodwaters is the thrilling, tragic prequel to The Divine Archive series!
When the god of the sea rescues a child from certain death, his divine blood heals the child’s wounds, and the mortal world hails him as a hero. An undercurrent of intrigue among the mortal population grows and slowly festers, which leads Eris and Miri to stumble across a horrifying mortals will do anything to get their hands on God's Blood.
What starts as a simple school project morphs into a frantic scramble for human survival. What must one do to appease an angered god? And how far is a god willing to go in the name of justice?
After all, nothing is more devastating than divine rage.
Floodwaters is the thrilling, tragic prequel to The Divine Archive series!
94 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 3, 2025
1 person is currently reading
9 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
October 20, 2025
I received an ARC of this novella in exchange for an honest review.
This review may contain minor spoilers.
Worldbuilding: Floodwaters is set in a second world (Midir) that seems to have a similar technology level to our own but there is polytheistic pantheon consisting of gods that command specific elements. We get some hints at who the various gods of this world are, though the focus is primarily on 'The God King' Einari. I would have loved to learn more about this world, but I think Rivers does a good job at giving us just a taste of what's to come.
Emotions: I have a lot of conflicted feelings about this story. At times I was disgusted by the actions and thoughts of some of the characters, but the more I sat with it, the more I realized just how true to life their actions were. These characters are put through hell, and through that Rivers doesn't shy away from the acts of cruelty (sometimes viewed as a kindness) that humans will engage in when their world is utterly changed and they don't know if it will ever be normal again. But there are also profound moments of kindness and closeness that the characters experience. It's a delicate balance that left me feeling heartbroken at the end.
Intrigue: I'm always a fan of stories that involve a yet unseen deity/entity making themselves known and how their followers react to their presence. I think Rivers does a really wonderful job at tapping into the human psyche with this kind of situation.
Relationships: Eris is, at times, a somewhat unlikeable main character, but we have to remember that he's a teenager with all of the complicated feelings about his family and others in his life to match. Rivers shows us all sides of Eris, good and bad, but at the end of the day I still found myself rooting for him, and I think that takes a lot of skill. There is a sort of budding romance between Eris and Miri (which unfortunately gets overshadowed by other events) that I thought was cute and was very awkward in the classic teenage fashion of not really knowing how to flirt.
Descriptions: The prose is fairly simple (not at all a bad thing, I love simple prose) but Rivers does a good job at setting the stage for the story. I think they do a particularly good job at describing Eris' inner thoughts and exploring how his mental health declines throughout certain events.
Engagement: The first half of this story was a little slow for me (to be honest I'm just not that into reading stories where teenagers are the main characters) but things certainly pick up at the halfway mark and I was on the edge of my seat as the characters deal with the ensuing certain events they've been thrust into. I never quite knew what Eris or Miri were going to do next or what they were going to encounter.
Final thoughts: This is a capital T tragedy and an in depth exploration at the worst parts of people during the worst parts of their lives. I think Floodwaters is a shocking setup for River's upcoming novel Blood of the Gods, and I think it's a must read if you're interested in that story.
This review may contain minor spoilers.
Worldbuilding: Floodwaters is set in a second world (Midir) that seems to have a similar technology level to our own but there is polytheistic pantheon consisting of gods that command specific elements. We get some hints at who the various gods of this world are, though the focus is primarily on 'The God King' Einari. I would have loved to learn more about this world, but I think Rivers does a good job at giving us just a taste of what's to come.
Emotions: I have a lot of conflicted feelings about this story. At times I was disgusted by the actions and thoughts of some of the characters, but the more I sat with it, the more I realized just how true to life their actions were. These characters are put through hell, and through that Rivers doesn't shy away from the acts of cruelty (sometimes viewed as a kindness) that humans will engage in when their world is utterly changed and they don't know if it will ever be normal again. But there are also profound moments of kindness and closeness that the characters experience. It's a delicate balance that left me feeling heartbroken at the end.
Intrigue: I'm always a fan of stories that involve a yet unseen deity/entity making themselves known and how their followers react to their presence. I think Rivers does a really wonderful job at tapping into the human psyche with this kind of situation.
Relationships: Eris is, at times, a somewhat unlikeable main character, but we have to remember that he's a teenager with all of the complicated feelings about his family and others in his life to match. Rivers shows us all sides of Eris, good and bad, but at the end of the day I still found myself rooting for him, and I think that takes a lot of skill. There is a sort of budding romance between Eris and Miri (which unfortunately gets overshadowed by other events) that I thought was cute and was very awkward in the classic teenage fashion of not really knowing how to flirt.
Descriptions: The prose is fairly simple (not at all a bad thing, I love simple prose) but Rivers does a good job at setting the stage for the story. I think they do a particularly good job at describing Eris' inner thoughts and exploring how his mental health declines throughout certain events.
Engagement: The first half of this story was a little slow for me (to be honest I'm just not that into reading stories where teenagers are the main characters) but things certainly pick up at the halfway mark and I was on the edge of my seat as the characters deal with the ensuing certain events they've been thrust into. I never quite knew what Eris or Miri were going to do next or what they were going to encounter.
Final thoughts: This is a capital T tragedy and an in depth exploration at the worst parts of people during the worst parts of their lives. I think Floodwaters is a shocking setup for River's upcoming novel Blood of the Gods, and I think it's a must read if you're interested in that story.
November 3, 2025
Where do I begin?
I was one of the lucky few to recieve an Early Access copy of Floodwaters before it's official release. Floodwaters has flawlessly merged the gods and the modern world, and quickly has you invested in Eris and Miri's chase through the mortal world to learn about the godly.
The characters felt real, and they all have their own flaws, and the pacing allows the reader to learn alongside our protagonists, and helps them realise just how dangerous divine justice can be. It perfectly sets up this new blend of the immortal and the ordinary, and I cannot wait to visit it again with the rest of the Divine Archive.
Whilst the premise sounds simple, I would not reccomend for those who are easily unnerved by the Trigger Warnings, this book pulls no punches.
In conclusion, I have eagerly followed the release of this prequel before it's release, and it has claimed a special place on my shelf. Floodwaters is fun, emotional, and above all, compelling.
I was one of the lucky few to recieve an Early Access copy of Floodwaters before it's official release. Floodwaters has flawlessly merged the gods and the modern world, and quickly has you invested in Eris and Miri's chase through the mortal world to learn about the godly.
The characters felt real, and they all have their own flaws, and the pacing allows the reader to learn alongside our protagonists, and helps them realise just how dangerous divine justice can be. It perfectly sets up this new blend of the immortal and the ordinary, and I cannot wait to visit it again with the rest of the Divine Archive.
Whilst the premise sounds simple, I would not reccomend for those who are easily unnerved by the Trigger Warnings, this book pulls no punches.
In conclusion, I have eagerly followed the release of this prequel before it's release, and it has claimed a special place on my shelf. Floodwaters is fun, emotional, and above all, compelling.
November 3, 2025
(Please note I received my copy of this book for free as an advance review copy and that this review may contain plot spoilers.)
Wren Rivers' "Floodwaters" is exactly what a good prequel novel should be. Sets the tone for the upcoming series, with details of the worldbuilding sprinkled in for good measure, with some great characters to experience the said world through. Wren's writing style captures your attention and builds suspense as the events get darker and darker, building up to an ending that you know is going to rip your heart out and beat it half to death. The way their writing style is done paints very detailed visuals that place you right in the scene, which considering the capital "T" tragedy this story is only goes further to tug at those heartstrings.
I found the characters very relatable, Eris and Miri are exactly what you would expect young teens to act like in a situation like this, where a god is killed right in front of them and they watch their world collapse in a matter of days. The commentary on what would happen in a situation like this (what if people found out a god's blood could heal their woes and got greedy) is handled extremely well, and shows just how dark things can get, as well as how evil your fellow woman/man could get in a crisis such as this. My only complaint is I liked them so much, I'm upset we likely will never see them again (sad face).
If I had any warnings is that if you aren't comfortable with major character deaths (and among others, deaths of very young children) I would exercise caution. The story doesn't hold back, to the benefit of the tragedy, but you should be prepared that this particular tome is not for the faint of heart.
However, if you want an excellent story that will grip your emotions, put them on a roller coaster that leaves you in tears, and leave you wanting more, "Floodwaters" is an excellent pick.
Wren Rivers' "Floodwaters" is exactly what a good prequel novel should be. Sets the tone for the upcoming series, with details of the worldbuilding sprinkled in for good measure, with some great characters to experience the said world through. Wren's writing style captures your attention and builds suspense as the events get darker and darker, building up to an ending that you know is going to rip your heart out and beat it half to death. The way their writing style is done paints very detailed visuals that place you right in the scene, which considering the capital "T" tragedy this story is only goes further to tug at those heartstrings.
I found the characters very relatable, Eris and Miri are exactly what you would expect young teens to act like in a situation like this, where a god is killed right in front of them and they watch their world collapse in a matter of days. The commentary on what would happen in a situation like this (what if people found out a god's blood could heal their woes and got greedy) is handled extremely well, and shows just how dark things can get, as well as how evil your fellow woman/man could get in a crisis such as this. My only complaint is I liked them so much, I'm upset we likely will never see them again (sad face).
If I had any warnings is that if you aren't comfortable with major character deaths (and among others, deaths of very young children) I would exercise caution. The story doesn't hold back, to the benefit of the tragedy, but you should be prepared that this particular tome is not for the faint of heart.
However, if you want an excellent story that will grip your emotions, put them on a roller coaster that leaves you in tears, and leave you wanting more, "Floodwaters" is an excellent pick.
October 30, 2025
I had the fortune to receive an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of Floodwaters in exchange for an honest review.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story. I went into it with no knowledge of the world or where it might go and after the first reveal in the first chapter I was hooked. I honestly finished the whole thing in a few hours because I could not put it down.
This is a capital T tragedy with a very interesting premise. The characters are raw with human flaws that felt so real at times that I had to take a beat to let it all sink in. The plot kept me guessing at every turn, and the ending sat with me for several days once I finished.
If you enjoy true tragedies with life-like characters that might make you uncomfortable at times, then this book is for you. Reading it was a blast, and I think others will truly enjoy Floodwaters too.
I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story. I went into it with no knowledge of the world or where it might go and after the first reveal in the first chapter I was hooked. I honestly finished the whole thing in a few hours because I could not put it down.
This is a capital T tragedy with a very interesting premise. The characters are raw with human flaws that felt so real at times that I had to take a beat to let it all sink in. The plot kept me guessing at every turn, and the ending sat with me for several days once I finished.
If you enjoy true tragedies with life-like characters that might make you uncomfortable at times, then this book is for you. Reading it was a blast, and I think others will truly enjoy Floodwaters too.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews