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frawst_disasta_reads's review against another edition
- 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? It's complicated
5.0
Moved those to act?
To remember?
To love?
Because that's what Ruthless Vows did. These words filled my soul and reminded me that the written word can be used for good, beauty, wonder.
This might be one of the most beautiful books I've ever read, even while it involved the ugly aspect of war.
Yes if you loved Divine Rivals, newspapers, words, and never giving up.
No if wars and death aren't for you.
Graphic: Death, War, Blood, Emotional abuse, and Violence
Minor: Stalking
aksmith92's review
- 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
4.0
The story opens with Iris back in Oath, reeling from recent battles and trying to save her brother, Forest. Meanwhile, Roman, now under the influence of the god Dacre, has lost his memories and unknowingly becomes a pawn in Dacre's plans.
Ross masterfully intertwines Iris's and Roman's journeys with a rich tapestry of dreams, enchanted typewriters, and clandestine letters, creating the same type of atmospheric novel as Divine Rivals. We watch as the divine war continues and how Roman and Iris's love evolves in unique and profound ways.
What I Liked: You are a lovely writer, Rebecca Ross. Ross's writing was beautifully atmospheric in this novel and made for such a pleasant experience. The poetic prose brought an added layer of beauty to the narrative. Additionally, my character development itch was scratched in this novel. I loved reading about Iris and Roman and plenty of the other characters, too. Their stories were beautiful, and I loved getting to know them even more. Lastly, love, memory, and resistance themes were skillfully woven throughout the book. Ross questions the nature of heroism and the cost of war, providing readers with more than just a fantasy adventure but a commentary on the human condition. This novel had a dark undertone but somehow intertwined hope and intimacy, making for a well-rounded emotional experience.
I also simply loved when Iris and Roman were intimate - Ross had a very subtle way of talking about them being together, but it was touching and beautiful nonetheless.
Why Not 5 Stars? This was a long book. While I loved Ross's prose, I must admit that the pacing was occasionally slow. Some parts dragged on a bit too long, and honestly, the typewriter scenes didn't hit as hard as the first book, although I still thoroughly enjoyed them. My biggest reasoning for not giving this five stars, though, was because the fantasy element of this novel - the divine war - just didn't make sense to me. Maybe we're not supposed to understand it, because Ross wanted to talk about the impacts of war, but the divine war truly felt like a throw-in to accompany the magical typewriters more than anything else.
Lastly, this novel was a bit YA, and the characters were actually very young, which sometimes cheapened the romance. That is more of me thing than anything else, so I didn't let it sway my rating or review too much.
Overall, Ross knows how to write a book!
Graphic: Murder, Violence, Gaslighting, Abandonment, War, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Classism, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Child death, Grief, and Death
Moderate: Medical content, Sexual content, and Emotional abuse
gpfot's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Graphic: Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Vomit, Medical trauma, Murder, Slavery, Alcohol, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Blood, Emotional abuse, War, and Violence
abicaro17's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Vomit, Gore, Body horror, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Genocide, Grief, Blood, Classism, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual content, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Violence, Cursing, Physical abuse, Stalking, Kidnapping, War, Confinement, Death, Medical content, Toxic friendship, and Murder
creolelitbelle's review
- 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
3.75
Graphic: War and Violence
Moderate: Emotional abuse
witcheep's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Let's begin my review with the things that made me hesitant, though: the main characters being separated and the plot taking steps backwards regarding the relationships built in the first part. Ruthless Vows continues the plot from where the Divine Rivals left off, but because of Roman's amnesia, it feels like the main couple has taken multiple steps backwards to the starting point when they didn't know each other yet. Moreover, the war keeps them apart and constantly in danger: Roman being held at Dacre's side of war and Iris staying at Enva's, it seems like their setting has expanded into an even bigger rivalry than at the beginning of the duology, when it was just professional rivalry between the two. This is a kind of setback that I usually do not like as a plot device, but Ross manages to write this kind of plot better than many other authors I've read a sequel including a similar premise from.
I tend not to like the main characters of a book being separated in a book, even if they had a means to communicate with each other. It's just too heartbreaking, especially when the separated people belong to each other's side as clearly as Iris and Roman are meant to be together. I would love to see more happy things going on for these two sweethearts already, or at the very least them allowed to get back together to each other
A great strengts of Ross's is making her characters form meaningful relationships that make each individual a stronger person. This is shown in Ruthless Vows, especially through Iris. Iris remembering everything of the events from the Divine Rivals makes her determided to get Roman back. She doesn't shy away from any means necessary to do so, and proves it time and time again by facing dangers, such as
Dacre believed he had the upper hand, grooming Roman to be his dutiful correspondent. But little did he know that he was not the only source of magic.
"You will regret ever taking him from me," she whispered through her teeth, feeding paper into her typewriter.
I'm in love with the beauty of Ross's writing! It's very descriptive with the use of imaginative metaphors, while the story advances in a great pace, and the overall feel of the text is captivating.
How could he mourn something that he couldn't remember? Roman wondered if there was a word to describe such a feeling, for the way it gathered on his shoulders like snow. Cold and soft and infinite, melting as soon as he touched it.
Even shower thoughts in this book are very eloquent and metaphorical. Or perhaps it's just Roman's character
After reading the book, I needed a couple of days to contemplate the contents of it and my thoughts about it before I could even begin writing my review. This usually is an indicator of a great book: it leaves a lasting imprint and isn't easy to separate from your mind. So, if you hesitate picking up this sequel, I urge you to hesitate no longer. You'll be heartbroken through reading the book, but it's very much worth it in the end.
Review written 17.3.2024
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Classism, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Confinement and Violence
auga's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Violence, Grief, Death, Gaslighting, War, Emotional abuse, Blood, Medical trauma, Murder, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
2blueshoes's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
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
- 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
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.
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
laur_astor's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
My only small criticisms are that the plot is very heavily focused on the gods, whereas Divine Rivals was more focused on Iris and Roman’s romance. And the conflict was resolved a little too easily at the end.
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, and Grief
Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Chronic illness, and Blood