In late 2023, I finally read one of the most hyped books of that year, Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross. I enjoyed this book, but I wasn’t really jumping on the hype train. Its sequel Ruthless Vows got published right after Christmas and not long after I finished the first book in this “Letters of Enchantment” duology. I didn’t feel the urge to listen to the audiobook right away, but I did so now. Did I finally understand the hype? This review contains spoilers for Divine Rivals.

About the book

Ruthless Vows by Rebecca Ross
Series: Letters of Enchantment #2
Published by Wednesday Books on December 26, 2023
Pages: 432
ISBN: 9781250857453
Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Young adult

The epic conclusion to the intensely romantic and beautifully written story that started in Divine Rivals.

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.

My review

As I wasn’t fully convinced by Divine Rivals, I wasn’t expecting much of Ruthless Vows. Even though the previous book ends on a cliffhanger, I wasn’t that eager to find out what would happen next. Furthermore, this book got slightly more negative reviews and since I’m quite sensitive to this, I decide to wait a bit. The hype died down now so it was safe for me to pick it up. In fact, this book seems to gain less attention than Divine Rivals altogether.

Just like in the first book, Ross uses multiple POVs to tell this story. Iris and Roman both get their own voice, which is necessary since they are separated due to what happened in the final chapters of said book. Tis way, we get to know more about their whereabouts and whether they manage to get back together. Iris feels more confident to me now, compared to the first book. She has a clever mind which is shown by her actions. She is still one for breaking the rules in order to get what she wants and therefore she’s pretty fierce. Roman on the other hand has a rough start. He is captured by Dacre and can’t remember anything. He’s forced to do what he’s told and can barely think for himself anymore. Once the story progresses, he grows into his old self again, which makes him fierce as well. They still love writing and they both find comfort in it. However, I still find them quite forgettable compared to other characters in books I’ve read.

The plot of this book is much darker than Divine Rivals and I honestly did not expect that. Even though it’s pretty logic as the war progresses and Dacre is gaining more and more power over the people. A lot is happening and therefore this book is quite a whirlwind. Apparently, I was not extremely invested and that’s because I’m not a huge fan of Iris and Roman. However, I find this world and the concept of this duology interesting. The Gods are unpredictable and so is magic. Sometimes I was a bit confused by some plotpoints, but that was short lived. I got more intrigued when I reached the halfway mark of this book, a lot is going down there and Ross clearly works towards a climax. Even though it’s a bit predictable what this climax will be, I still enjoyed the road to it.

I’m not quite familiar with this author’s writing style since I’ve only read 3 books by her. However, I already noticed a difference in Divine Rivals compared to The Queen’s Rising, which I read many years ago. I got through this duology faster. Moreover, the writing seems more accessible to me. I noticed yet another difference between Divine Rivals and Ruthless Vows however and that’s all because of the darker plot. The letters still play a role, but less than in the previous book. I listened to the audiobook and that really helped me getting a grib on this story. The narrators switched when POV switched, also when it comes to the letters between iris and Roman. Because of the darker and more tense plot however, the writing is less lyrical and whimsical. It’s a bit more straight forward. Nevertheless, it’s still beautiful.

Overall, I enjoyed Ruthless Vows by Rebecca Ross. Personally, I prefer a darkr plot that is working towards a goal in fantasy and this book obviously delivered in that. However, the characters play a crucial role in the story and I’m still not a fan of both Iris and Roman. They are likeable, but forgettable too. The writing is a bit different, less lyrical and whimsical, but more straight forward compared to Divine Rivals. If you like war stories with Gods and magic, this duology should definitely be on your TBR.