Even in a family of chaotic necromancers, Daria “Dasha” Avramov has always been an outlier. An event planner at the Arcane Emporium occult megastore, Dasha is also a devil eater: a rare necromantic witch with an affinity for banishing demons and traversing the veil, the boundary between this realm and the next. 

  Still grieving the loss of both beloved parents years ago, and plagued by a dangerous obsession with the world beyond the veil, Dasha is fiery yet guarded, an expert at dodging commitment. Her worst regret is a devastating breakup with the wise, empathetic, and sensual Ivy Thorn, her event-planning counterpart at Honeycake Orchards, and probably the love of Dasha’s life. Dasha has managed to break Ivy’s heart not once, but twice, so things are more than a little tense between them.

  When they’re thrown together to plan the Cavalcade—a month-long festival celebrating Thistle Grove’s ceremonial founding with dazzling spectacles held by the town’s witch families—Dasha hopes that the third time might be the charm, while Ivy refuses to let herself be hurt again. As they confront the pain and passion lingering between them, Dasha and Ivy must also stand against an otherworldly threat unlike anything Thistle Grove has faced before.

In the fifth and final book in the Thistle Grove series, Rise and Divine, Lana Harper continues her ability to create enthralling and complex romances that combine magic and romance. The story, much like the rest of the series, is immediately engaging and invests the reader into Dasha’s love life with Ivy, despite the mistakes she’s made in the past. 

One of the reasons the romance is so enjoyable is that it is complex, complicated and heartbreaking at moments as you get to see how and why Dasha struggles with the relationship. While Dasha wants to revive the relationship, it’s hard for Ivy to trust her, completely reasonable and authentic. But the narrative gives a reason for the pair to work together despite their past and the story is genuinely thrilling, continuing the threads of narratives from the previous books and bringing the series to a stunning conclusion.

If you like magical witch romances of a sapphic nature, this book is a lovely read with a genuine relationship, fun adventure, and an interesting solution to the threat that Thistle Grove faces. The characters are engaging and fun with an enthralling and complex romance that will make you fall in love with the world once again. I truly love the ending to the series but wish there was more so I could continue to visit Thistle Grove

Rating: 5 out of 5 spells