Plenty of fantasy books have gone viral on TikTok, but there’s one 2023 release I’m surprised hasn’t been picked up for an adaptation after blowing up on BookTok. BookTok is a great community to find book recommendations and discuss new releases, and it often helps new novels get attention online. Some of these have even gone on to become bestsellers and get green-lit for movie or TV adaptations. Fourth Wing‘s popularity on the platform no doubt made it an obvious property for Amazon to snag the rights to, and other stories have followed similar trajectories.

Fourth Wing isn’t the only fantasy book to go viral on the platform, and many of the most popular books on BookTok fall into the fantasy and romance genres. Some of these BookTok books are more worthy of the hype than others, but thanks to their built-in fan bases, they’re all promising choices for studios to adapt. Oddly enough, one of 2023’s biggest BookTok hits hasn’t been picked up for an adaptation yet. Given its popularity and how well-suited it is for the screen, I assumed it would be turned into a movie or miniseries.

I’m Shocked Divine Rivals Isn’t Getting An Adaptation After Going Viral On BookTok

This Seemed Like An Obvious Next Step For Rebecca Ross’ Fantasy Romance

Divine Rivals blew up on BookTok around the same time as Fourth Wing, though the excitement surrounding the 2023 release died down faster than the hype for Rebecca Yarros’ book. But the fact that it rivaled Fourth Wing in terms of popularity at the beginning of 2023 — and remains fairly popular and well-received today — makes me think that studios should have taken notice. Divine Rivals clearly has a decent fan base, and its fantasy romance story has a broad appeal. I feel like it should be a shoo-in for a movie or TV adaptation, but I’ve yet to see an announcement for such a project.

Divine Rivals Is The Ideal Fantasy Book To Turn Into A TV Show Or Movie

The Story’s Fantasy Elements & Length Make It Ideal To Adapt

Divine Rivals’ popularity isn’t the only reason I’m shocked that studios haven’t swept up the rights to Ross’ story. The author’s duology is also the ideal fantasy narrative to adapt, as it has subtler magic than most books in this genre. Divine Rivals features a war between gods, but its fantasy elements aren’t that pronounced. Its world feels very similar to our own, and its main characters are ordinary people who work at a newspaper. This sort of story would be perfect for studios to pick up, as it wouldn’t require the massive budget associated with other fantasy projects.

Additionally, the fact that Divine Rivals’ story concludes in two books means that a movie or TV show wouldn’t need to commit to that many seasons or sequels. With renewals and follow-ups so uncertain these days, viewers are often fed up when their favorite series are canceled. Divine Rivals offers a shorter narrative that would be easier to see through to the end. It also would fit easily into a movie’s runtime, which isn’t true of most fantasy stories. Needless to say, I think Divine Rivals would make the perfect adaptation. Hopefully, studios will see its potential.