Ruthless Vows by Rebecca Ross
“Tuck my words into your pocket. Let them be your armor.”
Ruthless Vows (Wednesday Books) by Rebecca Ross has been on my list of highly anticipated reads from the moment I finished the first book, Divine Rivals, and I feel so privileged to have received an ARC. I had to pinch myself when it came in the mail! All that to say, I had very high hopes for this sequel, and I am happy to report it didn’t disappoint!
Scars, Broken Hearts, Reunions and War
We come back just two weeks after Iris Winnow returned from the war front with scars and a broken heart. She was forcibly dragged away from her new husband, Roman, while he choked on gas while crawling his way to her. Iris reunited with her long-lost brother, and now Roman is missing.
When an opportunity to report from the war front comes along, Iris can’t say no. She heads west, despite the danger, to give the city of Oath the truth — and to hopefully find her husband in the process.
Roman wakes up in a strange place with no memories of his past but is put to work doing what he does best — writing. Roman begins writing articles for Dacre, the dangerous God holding Roman in his realm. Still, Roman is not sure where he fits in the grand scheme of things in this war. When he finds letters from a mysterious pen pal, Roman is forced to choose between loyalty to his new friend or betraying the God that healed him. As the war rages on, Iris and Roman are drawn closer together and will have to risk everything to try and change the outcome of this war.
High Stakes Worldbuilding
Ruthless Vows is such a complimentary conclusion to this duology. We aren’t just dealing with Iris and Roman’s separation, but two sides of the war between Gods. We are seeing the bigger picture, which is full of fear, death, hopelessness and love. I found myself wanting to read this slowly to bask in Rebecca Ross’ enchanting words and comforting world, but I couldn’t help myself; I devoured this! What you loved about Divine Rivals you also find in Ruthless Vows, but with much higher stakes, deeper plot, and more intricate worldbuilding.
We focus more on the war than the love story, which I was honestly okay with! Learning more about the motivations of the warring Gods, Dacre and Enva, was very intriguing since we didn’t know much about why the war was even happening in the first book. While Ruthless Vows is more plot-heavy, we still get plenty of swoon-worthy and heart-melting moments. Roman is such a soft and hopelessly romantic man, which, in my opinion, we don’t get enough of in fantasy.
The Letters of Enchantment duology is soft and tender in the best way. Iris and Roman’s love story is full of courage and risk and their love for each other is unwavering in the face and war. These books could make any cynic believe in love! Once again, Rebecca Ross has shown that she weaves her stories with both comfort and magic.
About Rebecca Ross:
Rebecca Ross is the #1 New York Times and Sunday Times bestselling author of fantasy books for teens and adults. She has written multiple highly acclaimed duologies, including LETTERS OF ENCHANTMENT, ELEMENTS OF CADENCE, and THE QUEEN’S RISING as well as two standalone novels: DREAMS LIE BENEATH and SISTERS OF SWORD & SONG. When not writing, she can be found in her garden where she plants wildflowers and story ideas. She resides in Northeast Georgia with her husband and her dog.
