By: Lauren Harris
Are you in need of a fall read, or perhaps simply looking for a break from your coursework’s required readings? Well, I may be able to offer some assistance. As it just so happens there are a number of titles I could spend pages and pages recommending to you, but we have neither the time for that nor the paper. So, I will settle for recommending you two books for the price of one.
The “Letters of Enchantment” duology, written by New York Times bestseller Rebecca Ross, is one of my favorite reads of the year, and therefore, it is only fitting that it is my first recommendation to hit the press. Although I will make an effort not to spoil too much, if you want to know more, I suggest reading.
The first novel in the series, Divine Rivals, is told from alternating points of view, with the book’s protagonists, Iris Winnow and Roman Kitt, taking turns relaying the narrative.. The first installment of this tale follows these two journalists into a world ravaged by war. Iris, on a mission to find her missing brother, will journey to the war front as a journalist.
As her messages begin to reach those back in the city she once called home, Roman will soon join her at the front, the two of them working together to unravel the secrets of the war, and of each other. And then there are the enchanted typewriters owned by both of these journalists that allow them to communicate via letters passed through time and space. This is what made the books so fun to read for me personally. Yes, the scientific rules here become a bit of a gray area, but it all makes sense with the proper context.
Now, I know I said these books were one of my favorite reads of the year, and while this remains true, I should also admit that the ending of the first book left me with quite the roller coaster of emotions to consider, as it was a massive cliffhanger. Thus, it took me weeks to even touch the second book of the series, Ruthless Vows.
In the second book, the two journalists find themselves on opposite sides of the very same war. And as with most books that evolve into a series, the stakes are higher now. Both characters have more to lose, and the gods waging the war are even more merciless. Unfortunately, I can’t say as much about this book without spoiling a whole bunch about the first, so you’re just going to have to trust me when I say it’s a good read. If any of this sounds interesting (ie: wars waged by vengeful gods, magical typewriters, an amnesia trope, etc.) then I would highly recommend you give this fantasy-romance duology a try.
For my final, non-spoilery thoughts, I will say that these books have stuck with me despite the months that have passed since my reading them and the books that I’ve read since. I do think it has something for almost everyone, despite many books of the romantic fantasy sub-genre being dubbed as simply having nothing more to offer. So, if you’ve made it this far, consider checking out “The Letters of Enchantment” books by Rebecca Ross.
