Title: Ruthless Vows
Author: Rebecca Ross
Publisher: Wednesday Books
Publication Date: December 26, 2023
ISBN: 9781250857453
Synopsis:
Two weeks have passed since Iris Winnow returned home bruised and heartbroken from the front, but the war is far from over. Roman is missing, and the city of Oath continues to dwell in a state of disbelief and ignorance. When Iris and Attie are given another chance to report on Dacre’s movements, they both take the opportunity and head westward once more despite the danger, knowing it’s only a matter of time before the conflict reaches a city that’s unprepared and fracturing beneath the chancellor’s reign.
Since waking below in Dacre’s realm, Roman cannot remember his past. But given the reassurance that his memories will return in time, Roman begins to write articles for Dacre, uncertain of his place in the greater scheme of the war. When a strange letter arrives by wardrobe door, Roman is first suspicious, then intrigued. As he strikes up a correspondence with his mysterious pen pal, Roman will soon have to make a decision: to stand with Dacre or betray the god who healed him. And as the days grow darker, inevitably drawing Roman and Iris closer together…the two of them will risk their very hearts and futures to change the tides of the war.
This series is such a refreshing and easy read. It’s a beautiful breath of fresh air following two fantasy war correspondents who, against all odds, find love through a magical set of typewriters. Book two, Ruthless Vows, continues after Divine Rivals with Roman and Iris separated. Roman is in peril and Iris must try to find her way after her life begins to fall apart around her.
The second book in the duology sees the conclusion of Iris and Roman’s story and takes the reader through rising tensions of a divine war fought by jilted gods. I can’t say too much without giving the plot away, but I loved to come back to these two characters and this unique and magical world. Ross takes the readers down unexplored avenues when it comes to the fantasy element of the story, building more of her magical world as the characters begin to travel more and expand beyond the bounds of their mortal world.
Similar to book 1, the focus is not solely on the magic or the fantasy. It’s almost secondary to the plot of the story, so much so, that you’re not taken away into a fantasy world. Set in an era similar to what we’d imagine for WWI in our own world, it actually feels as though Ross is writing a bit of history, rather than a fictional story. It makes this who series uniquely captivating and immensely appealing. I think, because of this writing style, it’s a series that will appear to both those who read, and those who are less familiar with fantasy as a genre.
If you’re looking for something easy and quick to captivate you this summer, this is the series.
Happy reading!
Worn Pages and Ink 