Reviews tagging 'Gaslighting'

Ruthless Vows by Rebecca Ross

19 reviews

erinkellyreads's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

 Heartbreaking and tense and lovely, this duology is easily in my top reads from the last few years. I saw a joke on Instagram that "Divine Rivals" is to Swift's Folklore as "Ruthless Vows" is to Swift's Evermore, and, yes, I feel this, haha.

In terms of differences between this and it's predecessor, the stakes are higher and so is the tension. I had to take a couple of breaks from it while reading it simply because I was nervous for the characters and was putting off any potential pain. However, the bonds between all of the character continue, and we add in a few more interesting connections between existing and new characters. The one thing that I didn't love was the final showdown feeling too quick (and not necessarily easy, but... I think you'll see what I mean when you get there). I've seen other people saying that they felt DR was slow, but I didn't feel that way. If you did feel that way, I think you won't for RV.

Overall, the beauty of the writing and the atmospheric nature of the world and the souls of our characters are stunning, and I would 100% recommend this duology to anybody. A fantasy book that feels like contemporary history, a war book that feels like poetry, and a love story that feels like releasing a breath on a sunny, windy day. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Death of parent, War, Gaslighting, Grief, Gun violence, Chronic illness, Medical content, Blood, Colonisation, Injury/Injury detail, and Kidnapping

Minor: Vomit

itsbrianascall's review against another edition

reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

I enjoyed the book in the same way I enjoyed the first one; it gives historical fiction vibes while still being a fantasy story, so it checks a lot of boxes for me. This one had the added dynamic of getting to know Roman a little more than we did in the previous book as he went through the process of relearning how he fit into the grand scheme of things. Unfortunately, I feel like his character was still way too defined by/contingent upon his relationship with Iris and not necessarily who <i>he</i> is on his own, so he doesn't really feel like a fully fleshed out character. I guess that's to be expected with romantasy, though.

I loved seeing the hints of Attie and Tobias early on, but I really do wish we'd gotten to see more of it if only because I have no idea when they would have had time with the events on the front to really flirt with each other. Then again I, too, would fall head over heels for Attie at the drop of a hat, so I can't blame Tobias for it.

The ending for this wasn't really satisfying to me and it's hard to really pinpoint why. I like 
a happy ending, but this one didn't really feel earned.

There was so much build up to the final confrontation between Iris, Attie, and Dacre that I expected more from it than what we got. It felt like it was over too quickly considering how dangerous and brutal we're told Dacre is supposed to be. It essentially was a quick chase and then Enva shows up and he gets put to sleep. I assumed he'd put up more of a fight. I also find it incredibly hard to believe Iris could easily wield a sword of all things when she has no experience with them (to our knowledge, anyway) and she had such a difficult time with the morning runs with Roman in Avalon Bluff, which we're told was only a few weeks before the events of this book. I guess technically Val ran into the sword and then she basically just dropped it onto Dacre's neck, it just felt like a weird choice of weapon for the final battle.

That being said, I enjoyed it overall. I would've loved some more worldbuilding to better understand the magic of Oath and the dynamics between the divines, but I'm also glad it's only a duology and wasn't dragged on further into a trilogy.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and Gaslighting

Moderate: Classism and War

cleot's review against another edition

adventurous tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: War, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Gaslighting

2blueshoes's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Not as good as the first book, but just as sweeping, gorgeous, heartbreaking, swoon-worthy, and brilliant. Definitely a little darker and more fantasy world focused. I laughed. I cried. I held my breath. Roman and Iris forever. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War and Death

Moderate: Blood, Violence, Trafficking, Torture, Medical content, Gun violence, Gaslighting, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, Confinement, Death of parent, Sexual content, Murder, and Alcoholism

meganfuhr's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring mysterious relaxing sad tense fast-paced

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

5.0

Going back into the world of Divine Rivals was fabulous!
With Roman forgetting everything we are thrown into a whole new ballgame of intrigue, getting to see what life is like from the view of Darce's Soldier's as opposed to the front lines for Enva.
I loved everything about this book, now, that being said, I did cry a lot during it, so be warned, being some tissues.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Medical content, Murder, Confinement, Gore, Body horror, Medical trauma, War, Gaslighting, Death, Forced institutionalization, Violence, Abandonment, Genocide, Kidnapping, Sexual content, Slavery, Stalking, and Vomit

Moderate: Abandonment, Grief, Medical content, Medical trauma, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Blood, Alcohol, Cursing, and Confinement

wrensreadingroom's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Vomit, War, Abandonment, Blood, Chronic illness, Classism, Self harm, Confinement, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Medical content, Murder, Gore, Alcohol, Car accident, Death, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Grief, Gun violence, Sexual content, and Stalking

nicole_thereader's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional inspiring mysterious 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Grief, Death, Gaslighting, Confinement, and War

booksalacarte's review against another edition

adventurous emotional reflective tense medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Vomit, Grief, Death, Blood, War, Mass/school shootings, Torture, Murder, Violence, Gun violence, Panic attacks/disorders, Classism, Slavery, Physical abuse, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Gaslighting, Fire/Fire injury, and Confinement

roget's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

 Many, many, many years ago, Longinus wrote about this sort of literary experience when he said, "For, as if instinctively, our soul is uplifted by the true sublime; it takes a proud flight, and is filled with joy and vaunting, as though it had itself produced what it has heard" ("On the Sublime").

He described the sublime as "the echo of greatness of spirit." To me, sublimity is, in essence, moving, wondrous, transcendent, lightning strikes of awe into our feeble, human hands. It is the rush of sensation that follows one's spirit rising and gasping in proof of a larger, greater song.

I wax poetic because this book much deserves it. It is the sublime.
I read 160 novels this year. This was the best one.

Thank you, Rebecca.

 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Death, Gun violence, and War

Moderate: Genocide, Blood, Mass/school shootings, Violence, Stalking, Chronic illness, Gaslighting, Medical content, Kidnapping, Vomit, and Medical trauma

Minor: Terminal illness and Alcoholism

There isn't a school shooting, but there is a

mass shooting that happens around the main characters, though neither of them die

. The content leading up to this point makes it clear what's going to happen, so there is plenty of warning.