Ruthless Vows (Letters of Enchantment #2) by Rebecca Ross

Ruthless Vows by Rebecca Ross
Narrator: Rebecca Norfolk, Alex Wingfield
Series: Letters of Enchantment #2
Published by MacMillan Audio
Published on 26 December 2023
Genres: 20th Century, Fantasy & Magic, Young Adult
Format: Audiobook
Source: my local library
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The epic conclusion to the intensely romantic and beautifully written story that started in Divine Rivals.

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.

There were many things I enjoyed about this book:

• I loved how in the first book, we saw Iris falling in love with Roman. In this book, Roman had his mind wiped, and we saw him falling back in love with Iris. I thought that was a very nice twist.
• I really enjoyed the action sequences, eg when Iris went places she absolutely should not be.
• I loved seeing Roman playing the double agent.
• I liked the progression of the plot.
• I really liked how Iris had a few people she could continue to rely on (mostly Keegan!)
• The prose was lovely.
• The romance was so freaking SWEET and WHOLESOME. The BANTER. It was PEAK ROMANCE.
• The magic system was interesting and I liked how this book explained and used it more in a really organic way (ie it contributed to the climax)
• This almost felt more magical realism than fantasy. I really liked how the people were just ordinary and the world around them was magic (sometimes).
• I literally bought a typewriter keyboard because of this series. I don’t remember the last time a book influenced me quite so much!

“Note: I promise to scold you later, in person, as you’d like.”

What I didn’t like:

• How Roman really had nothing to do with the resolution. I really thought he and Iris were going to work together.
• The pacing felt a bit too slow for my liking. Right near the end, when we should have been ramping up to an epic conclusion, there were several new POV characters providing ‘slice of life’ amidst all the terror, and it only served to slow everything way down.
• Also, I felt like a lot happened in this book so YAY, but I also felt like it was too long? There were so many shorter scenes chapters that I felt didn’t really add anything to the narrative. Or scenes that focused on weird stuff, like spending too long waiting for someone then climbing out a window.
• Dacre being obsessed with Iris. You already have a correspondent, dude. Also, what do you need a correspondent for if you’re just dictating?
• I felt like Dacre and Enva were just too black and white. Dacre was just soooooo evil with really the most evil motivation. Enva was cowardly yet supposed to be the good guy? I was FULLY expecting Enva to reveal her own evil machinations in an epic plot twist that also led to her death and the end of all magic.

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