A review by riada
Ruthless Vows by Rebecca Ross

3.0

Write me a story where there is no ending

I was looking forward to Ruthless Vows because I liked Divine Rivals so much. I thought it would continue the mix of romance and fantasy in a vividly imagined world. Sadly, Ruthless Vows has many of the same problems as its predecessor, even though it tries to build the world more deeply.

In Divine Rivals, the fiction parts were not well developed enough. Ruthless Vows, on the other hand, puts a lot of emphasis on the gods and the war. This could have been a good addition, but it's not done well. The gods, who weren't very interesting in the first book, are still not very interesting, and the war feels more like a weakly structured background than a fully developed battle. It's also hard to stay interested because the pace is slow, especially in the middle. There are still parts of the world-building that feel more told than shown, and I want to know more about what's at stake.

There is no magic above or below that will ever steal this from me again.

The romance in Divine Rivals had promise, even though it was rushed, but it's even worse here. The bond between Iris and Roman, which was a big draw, feels far away and unfinished now. They have been separated for too long, and their letters used to be full of deep emotions. Now, when they talk, it's short and doesn't have the same spark. The romance isn't given as much attention as the war, so their relationship feels like an afterthought, and I wish there had been more dramatic buildup.

There are some beautiful writing and emotionally powerful moments, mostly in the last few chapters, but they don't save the whole experience. The ending is a little disappointing because there wasn't enough buildup and the conclusion was rushed. Even though the finish is heartfelt, it feels like it's missing something because it leaves too many questions and loose ends unanswered.

Even then, may I find your soul still sworn to mine.

Ruthless Vows is a well-written book overall, but it doesn't have the emotional depth, tension, or payoff I was looking for. The romance isn't as important as the world-building, and the pace makes it hard to stay in the story. Although I admire the story's ambition, it didn't offer the satisfying conclusion I was hoping for.