Wild Reverence by Rebecca Ross – a Review

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Description:
Born ​in the firelit domain of the under realm, Matilda is the youngest goddess of her clan, blessed with humble messenger magic. But in a land where gods often kill each other to steal power and alliances break as quickly as they are forged, Matilda must come of age sooner than most. She may be known to carry words and letters through the realms, but she holds a secret she must hide from even her dearest of allies to ensure her survival. And to complicate matters . . . there is a mortal boy who dreams of her, despite the fact they have never met in the waking world.

Ten years ago, Vincent of Beckett wrote to Matilda on the darkest night of his life―begging the goddess he befriended in dreams to help him. When his request went unanswered, Vincent moved on, becoming the hardened, irreverent lord of the river who has long forgotten Matilda. That is, until she comes tumbling into his bedroom window with a letter for him.

As Fate would have it, Matilda and Vincent were destined to find each other beyond dreams. There may be a chance for Matilda to rewrite the blood-soaked ways of the gods, but at immense sacrifice. She will have to face something she fears even more than losing her magic: to be vulnerable, and to allow herself to finally be loved.

Review:

Wild Reverence by Rebecca Ross is a stand alone novel. We meet Matilda, is a herald goddess, who can travel between realms; at the age of 12, she is the youngest goddess, blessed with humble messenger magic, delivering letters and requests other realms (Underling, Mortal, and Skyward). Vincent is a mortal, who has dreams about Matilda, as they are teens, with brief interactions; with both lives having not seen each other in 13 years.

Matilda, after the death of her mother, spent her years living with her father, in the Sky realm. Vincent having lost his family, was now the lord of his village, with a threat from a distant relative who wants control.  Matilda has a chance to be there for Vincent once more, she learns more about Vincent, and his issues; she immediately travels to help Vincent, with her magical & immortality abilities, and together they pretend that they are married.

We learn more about the gods, powers, motivations and lifestyle, and how Matilda dealt with the gods who she became part of.  Bade, the god of war, was always there for Matilda, all through her life, even after her mother was killed by a jealous god. He trained her to be the warrior that she became. Bade was close to Adria, who was always willing to help Matilda. There were some evil gods, like Warant, and others, who were willing to destroy her.  

After a 7 year absent, Matilda discovered that Vincent stepped down as Lord, as he was happy being around his farm land.  I did love both Matilda and Vincent. They made a great couple. Gods are born with stars that dictate their power, and constellations mark their place in the hierarchy. This was a wonderful concept of an immortal falling in love with a mortal. Matilda over time learns to navigate the treacherous politics, as well as the love she had for Vincent. Vincent was special, sweet and caring.  

Wild Reverence was a beautiful, emotional story, filled with love, grief, heartbreak and happiness.  Wild Reverence was so very well written by Rebecca Ross.  I really enjoyed this book, and suggest you read Wild Reverence.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher