Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

Ruthless Vows by Rebecca Ross

45 reviews

alicia_rausch's review against another edition

adventurous emotional tense medium-paced

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

3.0

I mean… it was fine I guess.

I liked Divine Rivals but honestly didn't get the hype. It was a good book but the plot holes were numerous and the lore seemed half-baked. The love story was sweet but it seemed like it was trying to be enemies to lovers, when in reality it was insta love. That being said, Roman Kitt is lovely and I enjoyed Iris's intelligence and resourcefulness and the development of their relationships.

THIS, howver, was a slog. It finally started to get into my complaints about the first novel - the lack of explanation for the war, more of the background info, etc., but it did so at the cost of characters. Poor Forest got completely sidelined. It was finally trying to balance the relationship and the lore and failed on both fronts. 

I enjoyed Roman and Iris’s relationship in this one but ultimately I had so many questions about the lore (again) that I think this is better suited to someone who can just vibe and enjoy the romance? Maybe? I honestly ended up more interested in Dacre and Enva’s story, which also had so many plot holes??? And for what??  Also the ending seemed a bit too … easy to me. All this build up and it was so fast? Just like that? That's how we win the war?

Rebecca Ross's writing is beautiful, and the only reason I'm giving this as many stars as I am. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and War

Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, and Death of parent

blacksphinx's review against another edition

challenging emotional tense medium-paced

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

4.0

On some level it's really funny that this book had a chance to re-do the worst thing about the first book,

the instant love between our protagonists

, and then chose to do the same exact thing again but even faster. There's also some groan-worthy exposition where it really doesn't make sense that the party in question would stop and willingly monologue. Lastly, this book engages in one of my least favorite tropes,

pair the spades - NO ONE can end this book without a lover!!!111 ugh

 

But... I love historical fantasy and what kept me enthralled in the first book was the up-close depictions of warfare. And there's plenty of warfare, spying, and tense action scenes in this sequel to keep me turning the pages. I'm now left hankering for another book series that blends non-magical warfare with a fantasy setting. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, Grief, Confinement, Vomit, Chronic illness, Injury/Injury detail, and War

Moderate: Gun violence, Mass/school shootings, Medical content, Kidnapping, Blood, Torture, Medical trauma, and Car accident

Minor: Death of parent, Sexual content, Panic attacks/disorders, Stalking, and Alcoholism

avacadosocks's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Death, and Violence

Moderate: Medical content, Blood, and Gun violence

Minor: Child death and Death of parent

auga's review against another edition

emotional hopeful reflective 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: Violence, Grief, Death, Gaslighting, War, Emotional abuse, Blood, Medical trauma, Murder, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

lyss_reads's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War

Moderate: Body horror, Death, and Death of parent

Minor: Vomit

aliceloyallaleon's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful mysterious sad 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? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Medical content, Murder, Violence, Torture, Car accident, War, Blood, Body horror, Death, Injury/Injury detail, Confinement, Death of parent, Grief, and Kidnapping

Moderate: Sexual assault

rneel95's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional hopeful tense medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War and Blood

Moderate: Injury/Injury detail and Death

Minor: Death of parent and Sexual content

martapsalvado's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful sad tense slow-paced

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

4.25

Just wanted to start this saying that I LOVE Rebecca Ross' writing. Her words feel like literal magic.

The pace of this second book is slower than the first and it focuses a lot more on the fantasy elements and the war. I'm a romance reader to the core, so that's why I didn't love this as much as Divine Rivals. 
Nonetheless, I still really enjoyed Ruthless Vows. The found family, the angst, the letters, the writing (!!!!) and just 💗💌💓 Iris and Roman 💓💌💗

A duology that I certainly will come back to.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Murder, War, Violence, Torture, Death, and Mass/school shootings

Minor: Death of parent and Injury/Injury detail

weenweenschnitzel's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny informative inspiring lighthearted relaxing tense fast-paced

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

4.5

I'm emotionally attached to these characters, this world, and their love. 
saying goodbye was like punching a hole in my chest as if you were searching for my heart but you werent strong enough to pull it out.
ok that was very bad and weird and oddly specific but you get the point

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death and Death of parent

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