2.5 / 5 stars

Divine Blessings is a sapphic fantasy adventure about two young women who unwittingly get dragged into some deities’ pesky shenanigans. Unfortunately, I didn’t really love it. It was fine and easy to read, but there’s definitely room for improvement, but as this is the author’s debut, it’s expected.

The thing I take the most issue with is probably the writing style, it feels quite clunky and unrefined. Interestingly, it felt like the writing improved as the book went along, making the end far more readable than the beginning. I’m guessing this is because the author gained writing experience during the book-writing process, so it might be an idea to try and rewrite the beginning at some point, to see if it can be made more fluent.

The plot is fine, and the mechanic of people gaining powers from a deity’s blessing is interesting. The world-building is also nice. The characters are okay, but often felt… flat, I guess? I really don’t know how to describe it, they just never managed to cross the line to feeling like real people.

In general, there was just nothing outstanding or really special about this book. It was a nice way to pass the time, and I will probably give the sequel a try once it comes out, because I’m hoping the writing continues to improve. But the story didn’t linger with me at all, and I don’t really care where the story goes from here.

3.75 stars
A quiet, magical journey with heartfelt moments

This novel is a comforting read that blends spiritual discovery with everyday magic. I enjoyed how the story wove in themes of gratitude, intuition, and healing without ever feeling heavy-handed. The storyline had a warm, almost meditative tone that made it easy to sink into, and the pacing, while a bit slow in parts, matched the reflective nature of the story.

The characters felt sincere, relatable, and rooted in emotion. There was a softness to the way they grew and learned. I especially appreciated how the blessings themselves were presented, not as grand miracles, but as quiet shifts that pulse outward. While I wished for a bit more tension or complexity in the plot, the message of finding light in small things was deeply appreciated.

It was a feel-good, soul-soothing read with a touch of whimsy and wonder.

Solid enjoyable fantasy. charming characters and breezy read. Not anything groundbreaking but good genre fiction.

Divine Blessings by K.R. Thompson is one of those books that I was completely hooked on the entire time I was reading it. The book is literally a page-turner with action moving at the speed of light and leaving you at the edge of your seat. What absolutely blew me away were the characters, most notably Nsiria and Elara. Their stories and personalities were so relatable that I found myself easily bonding with them throughout.

The climax did not quite come off so smoothly, however, and that did make me suspect. With so fine a build-up, the climax seemed to descend just as suddenly.

I would highly recommend Divine Blessings to those readers who like action-packed, people-oriented fiction. It is a quick read with warmth.

Divine Blessing is a great introspective fantasy about a woman mourning her mother's death while learning magic and forbidden love. The story was unique, characters intriguing, and I couldn't wait to find out what happened next.

Nsiria is overcome with anger and despair when tragedy befalls her and she thinks Elara is dead. She makes a promise to get revenge on the man who killed her. However, since she is the target of multiple deities, the path that leads to his demise can also lead to her death.

Nsiria and Elara are undesirables, living in poverty and separated from the other citizens of Eramir. They both have troubled pasts but have found happiness in each other, however their bond becomes strained as Nsiria is recruited to a mysterious organization. The head of this organization is the goddess of knowledge who grants Nsiria her blessing, bestowing her with powers. There she learns that the other gods are real as well and may bestow blessings to mortals but most haven't done so for a very long time. As events unfold Nsiria and Elara are forcibly separated and both encounter other blessed ones and even deities. It becomes apparent that the gods are meddling in mortal business again and our MCs are caught in the middle of this.

This book was very entertaining and easy to read, a solid YA fantasy. I think the characters were the strongest part, I really liked the MCs and their contrasting personalities. Elara was probably my favorite, shes just so whimsical and joyful. The world building was decent but could have been explored more. The only downside was that the dialogue could be clunky at times or that events would unfold in a clumsy way, but this did not take away my enjoyment. I look forward to the sequel.

I loved all the characters and I loved the development between them. However, the deities were my favourite! I loved how they all had their animal associations and their powers. I quite like the way the characters are going based on what deities they bonded with.

The talking hat is an incredible character, found myself laughing so many times!

Thank you to Relaxed Scribe LLC and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for a review.

Likes:
- Magic system and the seven gods were interesting
- Lots of world building
- sapphic representation!! much needed in younger audience books

Dislikes:
- Advertised as Adult on some websites, but YA on others. However, read more like a middle grade book
- Characters and their connections fell flat for me
- Thrown in at the beginning of the book and it was hard to understand what was happening
- Reminders throughout the book on the gods/magic would have been helpful as it was hard to remember details after a huge info dump
- Dialogue felt unnatural at certain points

Cute friends to lovers dynamic between our two main leads. Fast paced fantasy with good world building that doesn't feel overwhelming. Excited to explore more of the world and its deities in the next book with the potential setting change.

Nsira and Elara are undesirables, a caste of unhoused people unable to work and who must therefore resort to theft. Elara was born an undesirable; Nsira had the position forced on her by her father who abandoned her for being gay. If Elara hadn’t found Nsira and befriended her, who knows where she’d be now. While Elara can offer friendship and a ready smile, what Nsira most wants in the world is to learn to read and write. To that end, she steals a book from the library and hides outside the school windows while she tries to follow along with the teacher.

When the book gets rained on, Nsira goes to turn it back in to the librarians and to apologize. Instead of a librarian, she instead meets Mother Pallasia, the goddess of knowledge and wisdom who claims Nsira as one of her children and gives her the gift of a perfect memory and enhanced senses. While it’s a wonderful gift, because she’ll also be taught to read and write, it drives a wedge between Elara and Nsira, as Elara is jealous of the time Nsira spends away. But when the Mayor’s angry speech of hate and divisiveness has the city rising up against the undesirables, tragedy strikes and now all Nsira wants is vengeance.

This book seems to be marketed as an adult story, but it really isn’t. In my opinion, I’d put this at older middle grade or younger young adult based the writing, plotting, and emotional age of the characters. This is a world with violence, but chaste kisses, with an ethnic cleansing, but people using the word “freaking” when they swear. It’s also a book without any real world for its characters to live in, with so much modern slang it’s hard to get a feel for this world as a thing of its own.

Nsira was raised in a wealthy home, but her father didn’t believe in educating a daughter who was only destined to be someone else’s wife. After he discovered she felt romantic feelings for other girls, he abandoned her in a foreign city. It’s left her unwilling to get too close to people in case they leave her, as well as leaving her scared of what she feels for Elara. If Nsira told Elara, would the other girl feel the same way, or would she, too, turn on her?

Elara was raised to be a happy child. Her mother taught her to always smile, always be happy, and always bring happiness to other people, which leaves her with no preparation for sorrow or jealousy. When Nsira finds a calling a the library, Elara tries her best to be happy for her, but the loneliness eats at her and her jealousy has her clinging too tightly to Nsira, who doesn’t know how to respond other than fear. It’s their first fight, and one that leads to their separation.

While Nsira is losing herself to vengeance and rage and pain, Elara is blessed by another goddess, Sylphi, who encourages her to be a light in times of darkness. Elara has always given out love, expecting nothing in return, and she’ll do it again and again no matter how many times it takes to convince Nsira that there is more to the world than pain and suffering. It’s a sweet romance, with both girls realizing how much they need each other, and how much they love one another.

However, while the story was cute and the magic system and gods were fine, the casual misogyny was a little off putting, with comments about how women love to gossip, or how only women and a certain sort of men go to salons played for jokes that I wasn’t amused by. While I haven’t read many middle-grade books and can’t compare, I thought the writing was good, the messaging was solid, and the story was enjoyable — if simple.

Trigger warnings for this book include: mob violence, racism, ethic cleansing, death of a child, and murder.

I was hooked by this book from the first chapter - K.R. Thompson has a genius way of hinting at small pieces of information that the reader knows will be important, but not giving too much away. Throughout the book, these hints are revealed at varying paces. I loved this method because no matter what was confirmed while I read, there was always another snippet of information I was curious about, or a mystery I was waiting to solve. Thompson is exceptional at teasing enough to make the reader feel like we’re figuring things out, and twisting it up or confirming it in the best way possible.

The reader is rewarded for paying attention. Each description gives little clues to the future, and as I started to put the pieces together, it felt so satisfying to know I predicted something correctly, and even better when I realized how far off I was! The plotting was incredibly clever and I can tell a lot of planning went into every word. I especially loved that when it was time to repeat something from earlier in the book, the author trusts the reader to remember details. The feelings and actions help the reader understand what is being recounted.

The world that Thompson created was so vivid - I could picture every scene, and feel every emotion. Every character stood out, no matter how small, and the lore was so unique. Each new detail about the history of this world helped click the puzzle pieces of this story into place, until the end when I finally felt like I understood the full picture. There was a chapter in the early stages of the book that revealed a lot of information about the lore, but despite sharing so much all at once, the author still managed to make it engaging, avoiding too much exposition, and keeping enough secrets to make it intriguing. This thoughtful plotting is exactly why I found myself so addicted to the story. Thompson sprinkles in cliffhangers between chapters that are perfectly drawn out, so I couldn’t even stop reading when it was late and I was exhausted.

There were multiple chapters that had me in awe about how good the writing was. A quote from my notes: “This was a great chapter with a perfect balance of emotion, plot progression, and just plain funny.” Seriously, the book was FUNNY! I laughed so much, especially when Reginald was introduced (IYKYK). To have such a variety of characters - ones that make you laugh, cringe, sob and swoon - is such a strong ability. I literally loved every character. I found myself writing in all caps about how much I LOVED some characters, and angrily swearing at other characters (in a good way!).

My reading notes were filled with questions and conspiracies. It’s safe to say I was sucked into the world Thompson created, and there was no getting out of it. I am already eager to see what the next chapter of this journey holds. The first book of what will be a trilogy, I can’t wait to get my hands on book two and find out what happens next.

The book does an excellent job of both wrapping up the story, and laying the foundation for book two. In fact, that foundation is already being built much earlier in the book than simply a cliffhanger at the last chapter - this is something I really appreciated about the writing because nothing ever felt rushed. Each decision was made very clearly, and had significance - even down to the simplest dialogue of “don’t you think I’d look good in a big purple hat” was important.

4 stars
Divine Blessings is a sapphic fantasy about exile, self-discovery, and grief. The story follows Nsiria, a noble girl cast out by her family after a forbidden kiss, and Elara, a grieving daughter just trying to survive. Together, they find love and belonging in a city of outcasts — until tragedy strikes and the story takes a darker, more vengeful turn. It’s a quiet kind of fantasy — thoughtful, emotional, and character-driven. The romance is sweet, the worldbuilding intriguing, and the themes of chosen family and inner strength really stood out.
I think that story will go perfect for those who likes such topics as found family, exile noble, interesting lore, emotional storytelling and queer story.
Big thanks to NetGalley and K.R. Thompson for the ARC!

Divine Blessings by K.R. Thompson is a captivating fantasy novel that weaves together themes of forbidden love, divine intervention, and the pursuit of knowledge. The story follows Nsiria, a noblewoman who, after a forbidden kiss, is exiled to a foreign city. There, she meets Elara, and together they find solace in "the grove," a refuge for the city's outcasts. Nsiria's desire to learn to read catches the attention of the deity of wisdom, granting her powers to fulfill her dream. However, as her feelings for Elara deepen, tragedy strikes, leading Nsiria down a path of vengeance that could have dire consequences.
Barnes & Noble

Thompson's writing is immersive, drawing readers into a world where divine beings influence human destinies. The characters are well-developed, with Nsiria's internal struggles and growth being particularly compelling. The narrative explores the complexities of love and loss, and the consequences of seeking vengeance.

While the book is engaging, some readers may find the pacing slow at times, especially in the middle sections. However, the rich world-building and emotional depth make it a worthwhile read for fans of fantasy and character-driven stories.

Overall, Divine Blessings is a promising start to a series that delves into the interplay between divine forces and human desires. It's a tale of love, loss, and the pursuit of knowledge, set against a backdrop of divine intrigue.

This book was enjoyable to read. The world-building was immersive, and the characters were written in a way that pulled you into their story. I enjoyed the banter and the way the conflict unfolded, with the blessings and fragile truce unraveling. I laughed, I cried, I rolled my eyes, and I now lovingly call my boyfriend Strongarms because...yes.

This book is perfect for young readers, starting at around age 13, but can also be enjoyed by older age groups. I usually read with a notepad so that I can review in depth, but I was unable to do this with this book. I was so drawn in by the relationships unfolding on the pages that I forgot to take notes! I just wanted to get to the next page and find out what was happening next.

For a story to have the ability to pull you in like this is a good time; this is what every reader is looking for. I can't wait to read the next installment of this series. K.R. Thompson has taken a storyline that has been written about quite a bit lately and added a fresh spin on it, all in a debut novel! As a side note, I believe the book could benefit from a few trigger warnings at the beginning to alert readers to areas of intense subject matter.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Relaxed Scribe LLC, and K.R. Thompson for the ARC of Divine Blessings. Bring on book two!

I am voluntarily leaving my honest opinion

Such a good read! The slow burn build up of the sapphic romance was so wholesome, Nsaria and Elara deserve the world. I really enjoyed having duel POV from both of them.
They’re such complex, well thought out characters with heartbreaking backstories. The magic system and world building was detailed and I’m looking forward to reading more in this series!!

I found at some points the transition between intense heavy topics and the more lighthearted side of the plot wasn’t very smooth. However this did increase the shock element of the story.

Thank you NetGalley and Relaxed Scribe LLC for my digital arc copy.

The book follows Nsiria and Elara giving very much friends to lovers. One of my favorite things was reflecting on the past and self reflection. Getting a deeper sense of the characters. There was also some fun and entertaining parts of the book that helped with keeping a nice pace.

Other than that the sapphic rep, magical element and everything in between gave a good balance. I feel over time the author and the sitting will get tighter. I would recommend this to anyone getting into the genre. Munch success to the author.

thank you netgalley and the publisher for sending me an eARC :)

i was initially quite excited when reading the description, a fantasy book with a sapphic pairing is right up my alley.

i think that the target audience for this book is more middle school aged readers, so a lot of it didn’t have the depth i was expecting going in. i am sure if i did read this when i was that age i would’ve enjoyed this book a lot more.

with this being the first book in this series, the book was a bit slow as it built the world that we are being immersed into. the action scenes were pretty good and the plot is intriguing though and i enjoyed those aspects.

My first read from this author but definitely not my last. Full of intrigue, intensity and mystery, this was a truly fascinating read and has made me want to read more from this author.

This was a ride. I first requested this book because the synopsis sounded interesting - though when I read it to my fiancé, he felt that too much was revealed/discussed in it. I don't entirely agree, but I have had my own issue connected to the synopsis. However, first and foremost, I have to be very honest: I really enjoyed this book. I overall had a very good time, and I'm actually pretty interested in seeing how the next book goes!

The pros: The big strengths of this book are its plot and its characters (and to a certain extent the worldbuilding). I found Nsiria intriguing from the start, and while I at first thought Elara to be a bit overbearing, she seriously grew on me. Tin was also very interesting and fun, Torna is my beloved, and all the notable side characters (such as the Order and the Vanguard) also feel very interesting even if they're not as fleshed out as the main characters. I saw the worldbuilding is a strength to a certain extent because I think the gods are very fun, and while I think Makia sounds fascinating, I think the rest of the world needs a lot of fleshing out. I'll talk more about it in the cons. The biggest strength is the plot. The plot kept me going through thick and thin. It's what kicked this up to a four-star read; I am not kidding when I say I got so into it/excited that I had to get up and pace around my apartment for a little bit. That's a big compliment from me. It's predictable in some ways, but other times there are clever twists that genuinely caught me off-guard (in a good way - when I thought back, I noticed the foreshadowing, always a good sign).

The cons: The prose. Oh boy. I saw another review saying this reads like the younger end of YA, or even middle grade, and it's easy to see why. The writing at a line-level is very novice, things that are just worked out through writing more. I read Deerstalker earlier this year, and it had the same problem in the opposite direction; while Deerstalker is very under-written, Divine Blessings is very over-written, and not even in a purple prose kind of way. We often get repeated information only paragraphs apart (in that a character will think something in their head, and then another character will ask them about that same thing later that same page and so we just hear it again). There is a paragraph at the very beginning of an early chapter in which Nsiria's name is said about five times in like three sentences. Little things, but they're constant, and it got very grating. I had to coerce myself to keep reading many times, and like I said, the plot is what ultimately kept me going. I also have to mention the bit with the synopsis I alluded to - we don't get through everything in the synopsis until almost halfway through the book. By that point I was definitely hooked, but it should've happened much quicker, and it would've given us more time for what is the latter half of the book.

Overall, I had a great time reading this despite my issues with the prose. This is a clear example of someone with a good idea and a lot of passion for their work, and I hope to see the series continued and the improved writing skills of the author!