Ruthless Vows by Rebecca Ross is the second book in the Letters of Enchantment duology. I wanted to read this immediately after finishing Divine Rivals due to the cliffhanger that book left things off with. If you have not read Divine Rivals, I would recommend you check that book out first as there will be spoilers for the ending of that book during my review as I discuss the beginning of Ruthless Vows. I won’t be sharing too many spoils beyond the beginning of the book, and even then I’m going to try to keep any major spoilers beyond the beginning hidden or vague while giving my thoughts.
When I started this book, it was not available on Kindle Unlimited, but it looks like recently that changed. So, if you had started Divine Rivals through that subscription, you should be able to read the rest now without having to fully buy the second book and then having an incomplete series in your Kindle library. I’m not sure if this book will always be available on Kindle Unlimited, so if you want to check it out but don’t have the money to buy it, that is an an option for the moment.
Synopsis
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.
Book Details
- Published: December 26, 2023
- Page Count: 419 pages
- Genre: YA Fantasy Romance
Thoughts on Ruthless Vows
This book takes place not long after the events of Divine Rivals. Roman has lost his memories and is forced to write news articles for Dacre. Iris upon learning that he is alive and writing, decides to send him a letter and tests to see how much he remembers. Which is nothing but some level of him recalls the act of sending the letters back and forth with Iris so he responds and keeps the letters a secret. Similar to how Roman used to go by his middle name Carver or C, Iris decides to say her name is Elizabeth or E in an attempt not to reveal her identity but still hint at it. During this time the two are moving towards each other writing articles for opposite sides in the war and for different newspapers.
Eventually, Roman tells Iris that Dacre plans to invade the Hawk Spire where the last of Enva’s soldiers are located. He tells her to destroy the letter, but she decides to save those individuals since it’s mostly just wounded individuals. While Iris is trying to leave with Attie and their driver, they encounter a flat tire which leads her to crossing paths with Roman. As he’s been starting to have dreams about Iris after they started exchanging letters, he finally remembers who she is and helps her escape. But he decides to say behind so he can leak Dacre’s plans to her so they can help limit the casualties in the war, or at least change the outcome. This decision results in Roman experiencing pain from the wounds that nearly killed him before Dacre healed him. Similar to how Forest, Iris’ brother, experienced similar issues after he left Dacre’s army to find his sister. Because Dacre never fully healed them, he only healed them enough to be of use but left the injuries so they would be dependent on him.
This book was more focused on the war than the relationship between Roman and Iris, mainly as the relationship is already established. That’s not to say there isn’t character growth, as Iris strikes out to do what’s right and Roman helps her while being on the wrong side of the war in order to help her. Of course, no one but Iris and Attie truly know this. And even then, no one can communicate with Roman as Dacre has more or less taken over the typewriter. So, there’s a lot less letters being passed between the two as compared to the first book.
It was interesting to see all of the elements come together, including the other missing gods, Enva, myths we had heard about, Attie’s volin, and more. Of course, there were heart-wrenching moments and a lot of leaning toward the edge of my seat to figure out what would happen next. This one had a greater fantasy element because magic and gods played a larger role, whereas the previous read as historical fiction (like reading a World War I novel). Not that it feels like an entirely different series, but it does have a different vibe. Especially considering Iris and Roman spend the most of the book apart, despite working together. So don’t go into this book expecting more cute, angsty scenes between Roman and Iris. The romance is still present, but it is in the background as the worldbuilding, gods, magic, and the end of the war take center stage. Which, to me, makes sense because that needs to be settled before Roman and Iris can have their happily ever after. But I can understand why many people might not like that after reading a whole book that focused on the romance elements.
Overall, I would highly recommend this duology. I enjoyed every minute of it, even if the two main characters had little time together and couldn’t really speak through letters since if they were discovered by Dacre, Roman could have been killed. And I plan to read more from Rebecca Ross in the future as I have another duology sitting in my TBR that I noticed happens to be currently available on Kindle Unlimited. So, I might check that one out next.
Love ya,
Mae Polzine
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