Gorgeous photo by @a.court.of.fantasies!
Hey fairy friends!
It’s the final section, are you ready to find out how Divine Rivals ends? I am not ready at all and would just quite like to read about Iris and Roman forever please and thank you.
Today we’re reading from Chapter 38 to the end of the book.
Grab a snack, grab some tissues, get comfy and let’s read!
Please be warned, the following section will include spoilers for Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross, from chapter 38 to the end of the book. Please only read on if you’ve finished Divine Rivals!
-!SPOILERS!-
Iris tells Marisol she thinks two of the backs were stolen and tells her someone came through here.
Ok, I’m about ready to sob. It seems everyone planned a surprise wedding for Roman and Iris.
Their wedding goes off without a hitch, they even ‘prepared’ Roman’s room for them both. Candles and stray flowers are laid out for them to spend their first and maybe only night as a married couple together.
As soon as Iris wakes up, she knows something is wrong. Eithrals have been spotted over the town, they’re dropping bombs. Dacre is here.
Roman and Iris head out into the town to help the wounded and more just to help in any way they can… and then a bomb drops right in between where they stand.
It takes a while for her to come to and when she sees Attie and Marisol preparing to leave in the lorry, she makes the decision to stay and find Roman.
He finds her, and tells her to don a mask, presumably so she can breathe better. Something’s off though, he pulls her telling him he’ll lead. He goes in a different direction to Marisol and Attie. He’s jogging now… but his leg was still bothering him earlier?
He keeps telling her not to look behind… when she does, Roman is following her. So who on earth is this???? Is it… Forest?
She tells Roman to run and fights against her captor. That is until he says the words Little Flower. It IS Forest. Why wouldn’t he just tell her though? Was it him that took the dash packs and Roman’s jumpsuit? Why wouldn’t he have made himself known then? Something fishy is going on.
Then, the green cloud from the bomb swallows Roman, she can’t see him anymore.
Forest lets her go back to the field to look, but no further. He doesn’t want them to go into town, or try to catch a ride. He says if they’re found, Dacre will take them prisoner.
He knows all of this, because he was fighting for Dacre.
He tells her everything, how he was injured and only lived because Dacre healed him and forced him into joining his efforts. How when he found the locket he knew Iris was here, and how hard it was to make her leave Roman behind after seeing how she looked at him.
They’re home, but Iris has no typewriter, she’s lost her mother, she doesn’t know where her friends are, and she had to leave her husband behind. All she has now is the letter that arrived from Carver as she was leaving, where all that time ago he told her who she was, and it had been sitting there waiting.
Iris may not find out what happened to Roman… but we do. Dacre found him, and took him below.
WHAT AN ENDING!
Did you guess it was Forest?
What of his wounds? Do you think now he’s deserted the magic Dacre used to revive him will fall away?
Any book two theories?
What would you rate Divine Rivals?
I need ALL of your thoughts. As always, thank you so much for joining us for another FairyLoot readalong. We have so much fun reading with you all! See you very soon for the next one!
Love,
Shannon
I just knew this book would end with a big heartbreaking cliffhanger (because A River Enchanted…)
Forest is kind of scary.
I realised pretty quickly that it was Forest not Roman.
I am scared for Roman and I need book two immediately.
I can’t stop thinking about Roman being taken, and the two lost typewriters. I need book two as soon as possible.
It was obvious to me that the masked person was not Roman the moment he grabbed her, but for some reason I did not expect it to be Forest either. He felt so different from the prologue. I’m really curious how Dacre’s powers work, was not expecting him to have healing powers.
Did you guess it was Forest?
No I had no idea! I love that it was and that they’re reunited but I do feel so bad for Iris losing Roman! Especially with the epilogue knowing that he’s been captured by Dacre!
What of his wounds? Do you think now he’s deserted the magic Dacre used to revive him will fall away?
Yes I think that’s why his old wounds are opening! I think when Dacre told him that he would have to serve him he was bound by magic and now he will slowly die of his old wounds unless he rejoins Dacre’s army, and that will be worse for Iris than if he’d died in battle!
Any book two theories?
It’s probably going to be Iris’s quest to reunite with Roman and her friends. I think perhaps she will realise how Dacre’s healing magic has worked on Forest first though and she’ll be conflicted about whether Roman should stay and fight for Dacre or not. I’m devastated for the both of them, I love their relationship.
What would you rate Divine Rivals?
FIVE STARS. One of my top reads so far this year! And I’m so excited because when I finished this book I also completed my 2023 Goodreads challenge, and what a way to end it!!
I loved this so much more than I thought I was going to. As soon as Iris noticed he was walking normally I knew it was Forest. I think his wounds are going to get worse as he gets further from Dacre. I hate when the couple gets pulled apart! It makes me so sad! It feels like they are separated for the entire time we are waiting for the next book instead of however long it really is in that world.
As for book two, I think we are going to see a lot more of the world, specifically Dacre’s underground section. I think Iris is going to need to find Enva so she can help find Roman in the maze that is underground.
5 stars!
I didn’t even consistent we might see Darce’s underground. I hope you’re right, that would be fantastic!
I skipped yesterday as I finished the book early, and I loved it. This world was so lovely, I loved the time immersed in it. I am so excited for book 2, I want to be reimbursed in that world!
As soon as we heard someone had been in the B and B, I was stressed, and I was more stressed that they were not as stressed about it! Then when Roman said his jumpsuit was missing, I have no idea what slip of logic (maybe being in an active war zone lol) made them ignore that, because I was sitting stressing on it. When they were under attack and ‘Roman” showed up to save Iris in his just right jumpsuit and magically obtained gas mask, I knew it wasn’t him. It doesn’t make sense for him to have accomplished all that with a clean jumpsuit and having obtained a gas mask it was just all to opportune.
I am so glad they got married and had their slice of joy in the middle of that messy and sad ending. The reveal of the true nature of Dacre is interesting, it means he has a potentially unending army at his fingertips, and all the casualties from the war are just making him stronger. I can’t believe they left the typewriters, I hope they get those back in the second book! I bet they will, we need our lovers to be connected! It will be interesting to hear more from Dacres side of view in the second book now that he has a correspondent, I wonder if we will meet Enva and if she will chime in with her own correspondents.
Meeting Enva would be so interesting! We still don’t know a lot of the lore so I really wouldn’t know what to expect from her
Now the Western Wind stops? I hope “getting married” is on her To-Do list along with spreading her mother’s ashes. Stolen dash-pack. Stolen War Correspondent jumpsuit – male/large. Definitely thinking Forest somehow. Yay: wedding! Gas in the canisters the Littles made, not bombs, just as Elinore said. The soldier (Forest?) who stole the dash packs & Roman’s uniform arrives, & of course, she assumes he’s Roman in a gas mask. No limp didn’t raise red flags? Goddammit, Forest! What happened to you to turn you this way? DACRE?! Kitt confessed before she even left, & he’s possibly suffering the same fate Forest did to be under Dacre (though a little different as a War Correspondent), & I’m crying. At least he’s not dead, & Dacre decided to let the escaped lorries go which should mean Attie & Marisol, at least, have a chance to get to safety, if not Keegan. I knew it would end on some devastating cliffhanger!!
Daily Q&A:
Q:
1.) Did you guess it was Forest? What of his wounds? Do you think now he’s deserted the magic Dacre used to revive him will fall away?
2.) Any book two theories?
3.) What would you rate Divine Rivals?
A:
1.) I had an inkling since the soldier’s boot print. If he knew the bleeding would stop again, I’m wondering if this has happened before. While we know very little about Dacre’s magic/deals, I can’t imagine a god would take kindly to being betrayed, especially 1 scorned into declaring war.
2.) I’m hoping we’ll learn more about the gods/meet Enva (Dacre’s POV at the end seems to point towards that). Without knowing if this is a duology, trilogy, or longer series, I’m going to hope she can find Roman in the next book (after somehow meeting up with Attie & Marisol) & break Dacre’s hold over him.
3.) I really enjoyed it! 4.5 stars (might even be 5 stars, but it also depends, to me, on how it fits into the series as a whole).
1) The fact that he didn’t have a limp and knew who she was… I very much thought it was Forest. Did I think that he was now on Dacre’s side? NO I was so worried for Iris for a moment when he was just being unreasonable dragging her around and not listening.
2) The fact that he already started acting more injured and was bleeding from old wounds already feels like the magic might be dissipating.
3) Going off of my theory in regards to the second question; I feel like Forest will probably die in book two but not until after we are made to really like him. Maybe someone will find the typewriters O.O I also think that Roman under the control of Dacre will start publishing news stories that directly contradict what Iris and Attie are publishing. Although I hope he can find Iris and they can have a happy-ish ending please and thank you.
4) I’m bad at rating books but probably 4.5 stars I will definitely be recommending this book to friends and desperately waiting for the sequel.
I hate that this book ended on a cliffhanger!! I need the next one! This was my first Rebecca ross novel and it did not disappoint!
I did not guess it was Forest! Honestly, I thought he passed. But, I’m super sad Forest went through what he did. He just seems to be doing whatever it takes to survive. I do not think the magic used to heal him will far away, but I think it will manipulate him if Dacre wants it to. I also know that Forest is a survivor of war, and he will not be the same person Iris used to know.
I’m SO EXCITED for book 2. And I hope Fairyloot does a special edition. =) I think book 2 will center on Iris trying to find Roman. And Roman will be fighting off Dacre’s magic. Something kind of similar to Peeta in the Hunger Games towards the end of the series.
This book is 5/5 for me.
This was a definite 5 stars for me I loved this book and I really wasn’t expecting too like it as much as I did as this is the first book ive ever read like this and I loved it and can’t wait for book 2 I guessed it was the brother forget who stole the suit and packs but him changing sides for Dacre and obviously he fixed his wounds so forest would be his slave and now he’s ran away I’m worried that’s wh6 forest is bleeding again it’s so sad he took her away from roman it’s so sad I’m team roman/ Carter need book 2 instantly please
Did you guess it was Forest?
Yes I did, it kind of just made sense to me that Forest would be the one find Iris, not the other way around. Once the person wearing the gas mask and suit appeared and it was obvious he was focused on Iris, all my suspicions were confirmed. The strength of their relationship was clear from their parting scene at the beginning, so it makes sense that he would do his best to find and protect her if he knew she was caught in the war too.
What of his wounds? Do you think now he’s deserted the magic Dacre used to revive him will fall away?
Yes I think it’s already started to fade which is super concerning not only for Forest but for Roman now too. Does this mean they will only survive if Darce does? Or that they have to serve Darce in order to stay alive? What does this mean for their loyalties? Hopefully Enva can permanently save them and free them both from Darce’s grip.
Any book two theories?
I think we will get to see a lot more action from the gods directly, as until this last section they seemed to be more in the background. Iris and Roman might stay separated for a while but I hope this gives Iris and Forest a chance to mend their relationship. And I can’t wait to read about all the angst and pining from both Iris and Roman while they’re apart, and their reunion whenever that happens. I have a bad feeling about Forest dying in the next book though.
I think Darce will be put to sleep again by someone playing Enva’s harp, although it may not be Enva who plays it. Maybe once he’s asleep he can be killed. I think Enva will be killed by Darce before this, and that neither god will survive.
I would like to see more from Roman’s POV as at times, his POV felt like an afterthought. I would also like to find out more about the gods and mythology and general lore, as at the end of the story I’m still very confused by it.
What would you rate Divine Rivals?
4.5-5 stars! ?
Divine Rivals is my favourite read of the year so far, it’s a book I couldn’t wait to continue reading! Ross’ writing was easy to read and enjoyable and the characters were lovable and the relationships intriguing. She created an atmospheric world full of magical realism, myth, and mystery. I can’t wait to continue the series and hope the next instalment will get the same level of love from Fairyloot and their readers!
Throughout the wedding night, I had such anxiety and dread that something bad was going to happen to Iris and Roman.
I thought it could be Forest when they noticed the boot print and missing items. The moment Iris realized the masked man was not Roman, then saw him screaming and running after her, was terrifying ?
Forest is scary AF.
Theories: Iris needs to find Enva and the missing typewriters to help Roman. Maybe she can grab the one in the museum! Even while he is under Dacre’s control, I think Iris and Roman can still get messages to one another through their writings ?
I gave Divine Rivals 5 out of 5 stars. It is one of my favorite reads of 2023, and I may not know peace until the next book is in my hands.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I cannot answer any of these questions because my brain is now mush and still reeling.
But I’ll try anyway.
1. You know, my initial guess had been Forest, but that red herring of a letter that Keegan gave to Iris threw me off his scent. It makes absolute sense though, even though I’m not happy about it.
2. I felt like Forest’s situation will mirror Roman’s. I’m wondering if all his wounds will start reopening because he’s removed himself from Dacre altogether.
3. I have no theories. My emotions are still running haywire, and I just want Iris and Roman to be happy, the poor babies have seen and experienced enough!!! My hope is they both come out of the war, if not unscathed, at least together.
4. I gave it 4.5 / 5 stars. I know this was just the beginning of hopefully a duology, so the war experience itself was just a glimpse, but I wished more of Iris’ and even Roman’s written accounts of it showed up a bit more often. The glimpses we had of Iris’ article were great. Also, that cliffhanger ending destroyed me and I am not okay.
I did think it was Forest as soon as they mentioned the boots and the missing jacket. It was either him or an enemy soldier waiting to ambush them. I didn’t expect him to have died and been resurrected by Dacre. I’m so intrigued by Dacre’s forces because it almost sounds like they’re a bit of a hive mind or are being controlled by some very strong compulsion.
There’s no way Forest is safe just because he got away. I expect Dacre’s magic to cause problems with Forest in book two… which has me TERRIFIED for Roman.
My final rating was around 4.5-5 stars (I’m still thinking about it haha). It was so good! I have SO MANY QUESTIONS I need answered, especially about the mysterious gods.
I cannot wait for Ruthless Rivals!
I was expecting Forest to make an appearance but not like that. I knew it wasn’t Roman immidiatly. I was so creeped about the stolen packs and jumpsuit. I was creeped out about Forest’s behaviour too, (which probably is because of Dacre’s infuence). I think it likely that the wounds will reamarge now that he deserted and he will probably die. If I theorize more maybe Iris will wright her articles about war and get the population to take the threat seriously and take arms. I don’t think she would just blindly rush to find Roman.
I gave it 5stars but maybe more like 4,75.
Did you guess it was Forest?
—i did not, but i’m glad we got him back this book and not the next! it’s already going to be hard enough waiting!!
What of his wounds? Do you think now he’s deserted the magic Dacre used to revive him will fall away?
—i really hope so!
Any book two theories?
—i feel like maybe it wasn’t actually kitt at the end? maybe it’s a trap?
What would you rate Divine Rivals?
—i gave it 5/5!
What an ending! I need Ruthless Vows like right now, I can’t cope with cliffhangers. I honestly love the way the ending tied in nicely, laying out the paths for the sequel. Forest’s apprearance was half-surprising, I expected him to be a big plot point in the second book, didn’t expect him to show up at the end tho.
I want so many things from book 2. I want Iris and Roman to reunite (will she steal the First Allouette from the museum to talk to him?), I want to know more about Forest’s time in war, I want more of Dacre and Enva’s story, and more chapters in their POV. I wanna know if Marisol and Attie are safe and most importantly, what happened with Lilac the cat!
This was a solid 4.5 stars for me, as it had a few tropes I didn’t really enjoy, but I loved all the characters.
Did you guess it was Forest?
What of his wounds? Do you think now he’s deserted the magic Dacre used to revive him will fall away?
Any book two theories?
What would you rate Divine Rivals?
1. Not at all!
2. I think it will start to fail unless he can get Dacre to sustain the magic or maybe he can get Enva to save him? She is the reason that he went to war in the first place.
3. I need, need, need Iris and Roman to be reunited as soon as possible! And I think they and Forest will have an encounter with Enva at some point to fully heal Forest. I really hope Iris and Roman will be able to go back and get their typewriters someday. They’re so special and it would be a tragedy to lose heirlooms like that.
Absolutely a five star book. Rebecca Ross is a phenomenal, powerhouse of a writer and she’s never failed to disappoint me. I can’t wait for book two!
I was so mad at the end of this book and the fact that it has a second book didn’t help! I can’t believe her husband is now dead and at his mercy. Sure he will be healed but what is going to happen to iris whenever he sees her again? I think forest should have just been dead honestly because now he’s made a mess out of everything!
Wow. Kitt’s last letter to Iris killed me? For a moment I thought that Roman had somehow found his way back to his typewriter and had written Iris another letter. Sad.
And what is going on with Dacre? I swear, if we next meet Roman as part of Dacre’s forces… I am so confused by Dacre and what he represents. I keep getting stuck on the fact that he is a god of healing, yet he is causing all this death and destruction, and doesn’t feel anything about it.
I do have to say: thank goodness for the Fairyloot bonus content at the end, which healed me a little bit from the trauma that was the ending of the book ?our couple just keeps getting separated ?
Ok yes, I did guess that it was Forest as soon as Iris mentioned seeing his jumpsuit and assuming it was Roman. The realization slammed into me then.
Hmm that’s a very interesting thought because I didn’t think that once Forest left Dacre, his healed wounds would open again, but that makes complete sense, especially seeing as how they are already starting to bleed.
Book 2 is gonna be how Roman turns into Dacre’s man down under. But he has to fight the compulsion, all while he and Iris fight to get back to each other. I think this’ll be a duology so Enva and Dacre’s war has to end. It would be interesting if Enva chooses Iris; then it will truly be like an enemies to lovers situation, with our couple being on opposite sides.
I would rate this book a solid 4 stars, maybe a little higher, so 4.25? I thoroughly enjoyed the beginning and middle, yet felt a bit disconnected in the later half of the story. However, I loved reading this story and I’m very curious about the rest of Iris and Roman’s tale! The vibes and aura from this book was top notch!
Omg i just finished this and let me tell you i just need to find out what happens next ?. I loved the romance and did not at all expect the ending. I just hope roman can escape froms darces control like forest did. Hope iris and roman get the happy ending they deserve.
I did guess everything that happened but it still wrecked me ??
I do think Forest is dying again, which doesn’t bode well for Roman ?
Definitely a 5 star read and I don’t give those out easily. I especially don’t give 5 stars out for first books.
I can’t wait for book 2! I read the summary and wow such good tropes. Especially can’t wait to see what the Fairyloot will look like
Yes! I did guess it was Forest.
It seems like Forest’s wounds are getting worse since fleeing Dacre, which isn’t promising for Roman ? But maybe Enva will be able to help when she appears.
I think Roman will be forced to fight or trick Iris for Dacre. Forest will probably die ? And Enva won’t be as helpful to the mortals as we hope when she finally appears. I also hope the magical typewriters aren’t lost and come into play again.
I gave it a 4/5! Very good. It made me cry and I really fell in love with Iris and Roman. I’m definitely going to read the sequel when it comes out.
I am a little behind on posting comments but I realized right away that it wasn’t Roman, didn’t even imagine at first that it would be Forest. I think that, in book 2, she is going to realize that her brother has changed and that he isn’t who she always imagined him to be. This will put a strain on their relationship and she will leave to find Roman and that Forest will either help her to protect her and regain her trust, or she will do it alone and he will be lost to her forever.
I hope that she meets up with the other women from the house as well and that they go on this mission together. And/or that she finds the typewriters or he does and they can have at least a one sided writing again, where one of them doesn’t know the other’s plan but hopes they are okay, and the other knows the whole plan but can’t write back.