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Book: “Ruthless Vows” by Rebecca Ross
Publishing Info: Wednesday Books, December 2023
Where Did I Get this Book: own it!
Where Can You Get this Book: WorldCat.org | Amazon | IndieBound
Book Description: Two weeks have passed since Iris Winnow returned home bruised and heartbroken from the front, but the war is far from over. Roman is missing, and the city of Oath continues to dwell in a state of disbelief and ignorance. When Iris and Attie are given another chance to report on Dacre’s movements, they both take the opportunity and head westward once more despite the danger, knowing it’s only a matter of time before the conflict reaches a city that’s unprepared and fracturing beneath the chancellor’s reign.
Since waking below in Dacre’s realm, Roman cannot remember his past. But given the reassurance that his memories will return in time, Roman begins to write articles for Dacre, uncertain of his place in the greater scheme of the war. When a strange letter arrives by wardrobe door, Roman is first suspicious, then intrigued. As he strikes up a correspondence with his mysterious pen pal, Roman will soon have to make a decision: to stand with Dacre or betray the god who healed him. And as the days grow darker, inevitably drawing Roman and Iris closer together…the two of them will risk their very hearts and futures to change the tides of the war.
Previously Reviewed: “Divine Rivals”
Review: Sometimes I find it difficult striking a balance between keeping up with all of the new releases that I’m sure readers are looking for reviews for while also not slipping behind on books that are parts of a series and have sequels coming out during that same period of time. So, alas, here we are several months after the fact for a review for the second half of the wildly popular “Letters of Enchantment” duology. *les sigh*
I’ve been a big fan of Ross’s stories for a while now, so I have been incredibly pleased to see this duology so well received by many readers who are new to her work. That said, while I do like this book and its predecessor, I have to make a small plug for some of her earlier books, which I think are even stronger! But, of course, the focus of this review is this book. The last one ended on a huge cliffhanger, so I went into this one with a lot of pent up anxiety about where the story would go from here! The book picks up two weeks after the events of the previous book, with Iris back in the city and Roman behind enemy lines with his memories wiped.
I was a bit concerned about how this story would play out with our two main characters separated once again and with Roman’s lack of memories, but I was pleased with the way this was dealt with. The author doesn’t wipe the board completely clean, but instead neatly maneuvers the characters through a series of events that keeps the focus strong on their romance. While I still think the first book’s love story was the stronger of the two, I will always appreciate sequels that allow the love story to move further forward, instead of resetting it completely. Yes, we have to see these two rediscover each other to some extent, but we also get a fairly significant portion of the story that deals with them reconciled and moving through the next stages of their relationship.
I also really enjoyed the scenes we had from Roman’s perspective, the chance to see behind enemy lines and meet the big bad that was so often discussed in the first story. I particularly enjoyed the exploration of the soldiers who had been forcibly recruited, all struggling with memory loss and fighting for a cause they didn’t choose. In Iris’s chapter, we explored themes of loyalty, resistance, and the experiences of the civilians in a city under siege. Like the first book, these scenes of warfare were all incredibly powerful, presenting some of the many moral challenges faced by those in these situations.
I do think the book struggled a bit with how Dacre himself was dealt with. There were several points in the story where I struggled to understand some of his decision making. For such a powerful god, it didn’t make sense that he was relying on Roman and even Iris so much in the ways that he did. How these two weren’t outright murdered several times is frankly beyond me. But, believability aside, I still liked the overall themes of this book enough to not be too put off by that.
Overall, this was an excellent sequel to an excellent duology! Fans of the first book are sure to love it (who am I kidding though, all of the big fans have already read it by now!) and, with a conclusion as solid as this one, the entire duology is one I’d recommend to readers looking for a fresh take on a YA fantasy novel!
Rating 8: Love, war, and the impossible choices found therein, this duology is one of the best in YA fantasy out there!
Reader’s Advisory:
“Ruthless Vows” can be found on these Goodreads lists: Best YA Sequels and Romantasy.
The Library Ladies 