April Book Club Book Reviews

Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross

When two young rival journalists find love through a magical connection, they must face the depths of hell, in a war among gods, to seal their fate forever.

After centuries of sleep, the gods are warring again. But eighteen-year-old Iris Winnow just wants to hold her family together. Her mother is suffering from addiction and her brother is missing from the front lines. Her best bet is to win the columnist promotion at the Oath Gazette.

To combat her worries, Iris writes letters to her brother and slips them beneath her wardrobe door, where they vanish—into the hands of Roman Kitt, her cold and handsome rival at the paper. When he anonymously writes Iris back, the two of them forge a connection that will follow Iris all the way to the front lines of battle: for her brother, the fate of mankind, and love.

Divine Rivals was one of the best book club books I have ever read. Every piece of the writing was perfect down to the last minuscule detail. I've never read a fantasy book that tied in historical fiction themes, but I really enjoyed it. I actually don't think I've ever read anything like Divine Rivals. I was surprised that it held my interest since there were no intense battle scenes, dragons, or epic reveals about a character's powers, but it was amazing for a fantasy novel. Divine Rivals is a relatively short book, around 350 pages long, but I found it to be the perfect length. Often, in fantasy books, the author adds chapter upon chapter of filler scenes, but in Divine Rivals, each scene, whether a letter between Iris and Roman or a scene in the trenches, furthered the plot to keep me on my toes. 

I loved the plot, but don't even get me started on Iris and Roman's relationship! It was so wholesome and adorable that I was kicking my feet and giggling in several scenes, especially towards the end of the book. What makes the book even better is that there is no third act break up, which will automatically tear me away from the book. However, I'm not sure I would classify Iris and Roman's relationship as enemies to lovers rather than rivals to lovers, considering the title of the book Divine Rivals. 

Independently, I fell in love with both Iris and Roman's personalities. Iris is a strong, stubborn, and determined 19-year-old girl who knows what is best for herself and is not afraid to reach for her dreams. She goes through many trials throughout the book but manages to keep her head high, no matter the circumstances. 

Then there's Roman Kitt. I'm not sure how to describe him other than as a mix of hot and a gentleman. His actions bleed his love for Iris, and he is the absolute definition of "if he wanted to, he would." Like Iris, he has had a tough life that he struggles to live with, but he never takes out his anger on Iris, even when she presses about his past. I liked that he wasn't overly cocky or arrogant at the beginning of the book, but he was still able to grow a lot through the book going from an uptight rich boy to a man that is willing to throw away his entire life and reputation to be with the girl he loves. 

Of course, with Divine Rivals being a romantasy, there are many tropes that make the book ten times better. Her falls first and falls harder, poor girl and rich boy slow burn, and found family is only a few in this masterpiece of a romantasy. 

I have a lot of respect for Rebecca Ross after writing such a fantastic novel, especially after reading the cliffhanger. I didn't know if I wanted to cry, scream, or throw my book at the wall. So, in conclusion, the ending destroyed me, and I'm so happy that Ruthless Vows is out so I can start it immediately. 

All the Sinners Bleed by S.A. Cosby

Titus Crown is the first Black sheriff in the history of Charon County, Virginia. In recent decades, Charon has had only two murders. After years of working as an FBI agent, Titus knows better than anyone that while his hometown might seem like a land of moonshine, cornbread, and honeysuckle, secrets always fester under the surface.

Then a year to the day after Titus’s election, a school teacher is killed by a former student and the student is fatally shot by Titus’s deputies. Those festering secrets are now out in the open and ready to tear the town apart.

As Titus investigates the shootings, he unearths terrible crimes and a serial killer who has been hiding in plain sight, haunting the dirt lanes and woodland clearings of Charon. With the killer’s possible connections to a local church and the town’s harrowing history weighing on him, Titus projects confidence about closing the case while concealing a painful secret from his own past. At the same time, he also has to contend with a far-right group that wants to hold a parade in celebration of the town’s Confederate history.

All the Sinners Bleed was a lot to handle, and I'm not 100 percent sure how I feel about the book. It has a powerful and intriguing plot with several compelling and memorable characters. It's gritty, gorey, dark, and intense, but something about the story drew me in. 

Themes of trauma, racism, and social injustice are woven into the story's fibers, making it feel a bit too real. S.A. Cosby spends much of his time describing the dynamics of Charon County, with its racial divisiveness, historical legacy, and internal conflict within the community's walls. 

Titus Crowne was equally as complex as the rest of Charon Country. He is quite a memorable character, haunted by his own demons while walking a tightrope between evil and faith. Every one of his actions shows that he strives to make a difference but feels trapped in his duty to protect those who maintain their Confederate pride. He is flawed and tormented, but these traits make Titus Crowne realistic and relatable to many of S.A. Cosby's readers.

The book was fast-paced, with a whirlwind of action in every chapter and messages upon messages hidden in Cosby's words. However, I would have liked for Cosby to dive deeper into the mystery aspect of the story rather than go into so much detail about the history of the town. Despite the lack of mystery, the book is very graphic, which left me surprised. 

I don't think S.A. Cosby's All the Sinners Bleed is the type of book you can finish and then move on with your life; rather, it causes you to take a step back and reevaluate the book and life in general. 

 Written by Carlie Renee