Rebecca Ross, like a character in her novels, has been keeping a secret. 

At every stop of her last book tour, the bestselling author of the young adult romantasy novel “Divine Rivals” says she was asked if she’d ever thought about writing a spin-off that delves deeper into the characters of the gods.

Little did fans know how much that had been on her mind – and in her notebook. As many fantasy writers do, she’d “left a few doors and windows cracked open,” she tells USA TODAY.

Now, Ross is announcing “Wild Reverence,” a spin-off set in the same world as “Divine Rivals” and its sequel “Ruthless Vows.” And while those were young adult titles, “Wild Reverence,” which is set to be published on Sept. 2, will be adult fiction.

Bestselling author of ‘Divine Rivals’ to publish spin-off ‘Wild Reverence’

Ross’ team describes “Wild Reverence” as “‘Circe’ meets ‘Kushiel’s Dart’ by way of ‘Divine Rivals.’” The book has an “epic, but intimate feel,” Ross tells USA TODAY. 

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“Wild Reverence” is about Matilda, the divine messenger of the gods who delivers letters through realms. When she accepts an assignment from Death to deliver a letter to a mortal lord doomed to die, she discovers that the man is her long-lost childhood friend, Vincent. Instead of carrying out her mission, she decides to stay and help him survive, all while falling headfirst into a star-crossed love and deciding whether to embrace a darker side of her magic. To save him, she risks both her immortality and her heart.

This story occurs 600 years before the events of “Divine Rivals,” in a medieval setting, Ross says. It tackles the politics of the skyward and underling gods, as well as their relationship with humankind in the mortal realm.

“I wouldn’t know if I necessarily call it a prequel because it’s really its own thing, but if you have read ‘Divine Rivals’ you’re definitely going to recognize a few characters,” Ross says. “I also wanted to write it even for readers who might not have read ‘Divine Rivals,’ or ‘Ruthless Vows.’”

Ross’ inspiration for “Wild Reverence” comes from the enchanted, connected typewriters from “Divine Rivals,” which is how the protagonists connected and fell in love. 

“I remember being like, ‘This is such a fun element to play with in these novels, can I go further back and trace that enchantment to the goddess that inspired it from the very beginning?’ ” Ross says. “That’s how I found Matilda.”

Readers can expect to see a treasure trove of favorite romance tropes, including childhood-friends-to-lovers, slow-burn romance and even a fake marriage. Matilda and Vincent’s relationship is a star-crossed one – her immortal, him mortal. 

And prepare to fall in love with them too. Matilda is the child of an underling goddess and a skyward god she doesn’t know, split between two enemy realms and raised by a war-hardened surrogate father. Vincent, on the other hand, grew up in a mortal family that did not worship the gods but found a friendship in Matilda, who appears to him in dreams. When they reconnect over a decade later, he’s a grumpier, irreverent lord who needs her help but is desperately unwilling to admit it.

The hardcover version will feature a jacket with gold foil and an inside illustration of Vincent and Matilda on the cover with flowers as an homage to the covers of “Divine Rivals” and “Ruthless Vows.” Ross said she’s also excited for fans to see the “really beautiful, illustrated” endpapers.

How Rebecca Ross wrote ‘Wild Reverence’: ‘Yearning’ music and therapy chickens

“Wild Reverence” is the first time Ross has ever written two romance leads who knew each other as children. It was an interesting challenge to explore “how time and really difficult circumstances can really change you,” especially after having spent the last few years writing Iris and Roman, the “Divine Rivals” and “Ruthless Vows” leads.

So how did she find inspiration to write “Wild Reverence”? In part, her method involves heading outside to watch her six chickens peck around, working through scene and character development as she talks into a recording on her phone.

“They’re like little therapy chickens,” she says, laughing.

She’s also known to go on long walks to gather inspiration, listening to playlists she creates for each of her novels. The “Wild Reverence” playlist is chock-full of “wistful, yearning” songs like “Roslyn” by Bon Iver, “A Moment Apart” by ODESZA and an instrumental cover of “Matilda” by Harry Styles.

Looking for the right book? USA TODAY Books has you covered.

Taste is subjective, and USA TODAY Books has plenty of genres to recommend. If romantasy is your thing, check out books we suggest reading after “Fourth Wing” by Rebecca Yarros. If you want something with lower stakes and loveable characters, see if a “cozy mystery” or “cozy fantasy” book is for you. Or, take a look at our most anticipated 2025 reads. If you want the most popular titles, check out USA TODAY’s Best-selling Booklist. 

Clare Mulroy is USA TODAY’s Books Reporter, where she covers buzzy releases, chats with authors and dives into the culture of reading. Find her on Instagram, check out her recent articles, or tell her what you’re reading at [email protected].