Reviews with content warning for War - Ruthless Vows

The ending is lovely. The middle really dragged for me. There were brief moments of poetic writing and emotional heft. But so much of this wasn’t engaging me. I made myself finish it because so many fans speak so warmly and highly of this book and the two books of this series. But I still don’t think it’s one I’ll recommend.

Vibes: Ww2 and blitz. The vendetta aftermath again Dacre’s army really reminds me of the horrors of war (eg soviet solidera brutal treatment of German speaking civilians in late stages of ww2)

The gods and magic didn’t really make sense to me. The cosy Miyazaki vibes of the magic in ordinary houses and objects was appealing but doesn’t really manifest or follow through. The gods got a bit derivative of the Greek pantheon for me (ichor). Perhaps there is a prequel or series of short stories that Ross had in mind.

The Alouette and Lt Shane. Missing opportunity of adversity if the unused typewriter wasn’t destroyed.

Content Warnings

lanza909's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Content Warnings

mari_______kql's review against another edition

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adventurous hopeful fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

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whittiebee's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

4.25 stars!!

I put off reading ruthless vows for a few months in fear it wouldn’t live up to divine rivals for me and I’m so glad I finally finished this duology. The writing was just as beautiful in RV as DR. The pace was a smidge slow in some spots but was overall a breathtaking story. I love the choice of a duology because it truly feels as though there is no filler and is just a perfectly written story from start to finish. I cried many times. 🥲 Calling the epilogue “coda” was a cool nod to music, as well. This duology felt like romance + historical fiction + fantasy which is perfect for me since those are my three fave genres.

i loved the mirror that Iris & Roman’s marriage and vows held up to Enva & Dacre. This story was about two people and their love for each other and how that can impact everything vs. two people who also shared vows but were at odds. I appreciated the fact that Iris and Roman were just two normal people. I love books that have strong, powerful main characters that often have magic and change the world, but there was something so refreshing and endearing that Roman and Iris were just two journalists, in love, against impossible odds that still changed the world without all that.

I love Iris & Roman and I’m so happy their story ended with them happy in a townhouse gardening & writing & loving each other. I + R foreva 🫶🏼

Content Warnings

bunte_socke's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional sad tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

Content Warnings

rjohnson0583's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A

5.0

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