A Vow So Bold and Deadly Is a Satisfying Conclusion to the Cursebreakers Series

Bloomsbury

After reading Brigid Kemmerer’s A Curse So Dark and Lonely more than two years ago, I became enamored with the kingdom of Emberfall and entangled in the fierce ongoing battle of Team Rhen vs. Team Grey. The Cursebreakers series has taken on a life of its own, and after the cliffhanger ending we received with A Heart So Fierce and Broken, waiting for the third installment has been both exciting and nerve-wracking, with the past year filled with fan speculation on what may happen next. The wait for A Vow So Bold and Deadly is finally over, and as promised, it brings this trilogy to a thrilling—and satisfying—conclusion.

Note: This review does not spoil A Vow So Bold and Deadly but does include major spoilers for the first two Cursebreakers books.

Prince Rhen of Emberfall was given 60 days to surrender the throne of Emberfall to his half-brother Grey, the rightful heir, or be forced to go to war to defend the crown. As the deadline approaches, Rhen and Harper are still at odds with each other, unable to truly compromise on how to handle facing Grey in battle. While Grey has gotten better at honing his magic, the queendom of Syhl Shallow has not fully accepted a magesmith into the fold, despite newly crowned queen Lia Mara working toward a peaceful alliance with him and many questioning her ability to effectively rule as the successor to her violent mother. With the enchantress Lilith still posing a major threat and the future looking uncertain, everything hinges on whether or not our heroes will choose to go to war or if they can find another way to end their conflict.

Vow switches among the viewpoints of all four main characters, giving insight that many fans missed from Rhen and Harper being largely absent in Heart. Rhen is struggling more than ever to maintain control, and while he regrets his previous harsh actions and choices, it’s clear he’s still scared of losing everything and is unwilling to consider any kind of peaceful compromise. Harper acts as his foil, never quite going along with his plans and questioning his decisions, and a new layer is added to her character as she wonders if she’s staying with Rhen for the right reasons, comparing her current situation to her dysfunctional home life in Washington, DC. Lilith is still lording her power over Rhen, threatening to force Harper back to DC with no way of returning to him, and the stakes become much higher the longer she lurks in the shadows. It isn’t enough for Harper to love Rhen this time around—Lilith is unrelenting and unpredictable, playing into Rhen’s trauma and fear of magic, making his relationship with both Harper and possible allies in the war much more strained.

Similarly, Lia Mara is facing threats on her life from a faction of those who fear magic, and coupled with her sister’s interference in important decisions, her self-doubt begins to grow and she starts to wonder whether kindness truly is as powerful as she thinks. Her struggle to maintain composure in the face of opposition hit closer to home for me than any other individual character arc, especially when she begins to internalize her worst fears of not being the queen her people want. Grey’s presence, while not seen as a positive in a female-dominant society, is what gives her the confidence to do what she knows is right, and she in turn reminds him that a violent approach isn’t always the best option. Their romance is once again a huge highlight, their honesty bringing out the best in each other and making them a truly formidable pair.

Fans will be surprised to find moments of humor throughout the book, whether from Harper’s brother Jake making sarcastic remarks or Rhen recalling a memory of one of his first days trapped under Lilith’s initial curse. The side characters are not as prominent as in previous installments, but readers do get a little bit of insight into Grey’s friend Tycho’s past, something that has been hinted at but never fully explored until now. The plot twists that crop up are shocking, but they’re handled well and built up accordingly, and while this book certainly contains much more violence than its predecessors, there’s no shortage of suspense or surprises that will leave readers equally stunned and eager to turn the page.

I obviously can’t divulge too much about this book without wandering into spoiler territory, and there’s a lot I haven’t touched on that is better left to be discovered while reading. I can say that I enjoyed where the story went, especially when I couldn’t predict what would happen next. That’s the beauty of this trilogy and why I fell in love with it in the first place: you never know quite what to expect, but it never disappoints and is even better than you could have hoped. I am a bit sad that this is the last book, but given the rise of fan content and the camaraderie I’ve found among fellow Cursebreakers, this definitely isn’t the last I’ve seen of these characters or the enchanting world of Emberfall.

A Vow So Bold and Deadly hit shelves January 26, 2021. It was well worth the wait.