Wild Reverence

A goddess falls in love with a human in this muddled standalone romantasy from Ross, a prequel to her Letters of Enchantment series. When goddess Matilda’s mother, Zenia, is killed for illegally bartering scales from an eithral, a deadly creature capable of killing a god, on the black market, Matilda is forced to flee her heavenly home for the mortal realm. Vincent, Lord of Wyndrift, shared dreams with Matilda as a child, but has long since forgotten the goddess. As Matilda desperately seeks shelter among humans, these two come face-to-face for the first time. Vincent agrees to shelter Matilda if she will help him defeat a political rival, Grimald, via a strategic marriage of convenience. When Grimald joins forces with Warin, another powerful god, Matilda must draw on all her powers to protect her newfound home. Ross’s worldbuilding is frustratingly murky, with unclear relationship dynamics between the pantheon of gods and convenient magic that saps some of the stakes. Far more successful is the equally dreamy and steamy romance between the leads. Ross’s devoted fans and those primarily seeking a love story will find enough to enjoy, but others will be underwhelmed. (Sept.)