Ruthless Vows Is the Perfect Conclusion to the Letters of Enchantment Duology

Wednesday Books

Last year, I had the pleasure of reviewing Divine Rivals, Rebecca Ross’s new YA fantasy about rival journalists falling in love in the midst of feuding gods and a devastating war. I haven’t stopped talking about it since, mainly because Ross is a brilliant storyteller and the rivals-to-lovers trope was done exceptionally well, but also because it left off on one of the cruelest cliffhangers imaginable. To my surprise, the sequel, Ruthless Vows, was released earlier than scheduled, at the end of December 2023. I can safely say that the conclusion to this duopoly was as good as the first one, but somehow even more heartbreaking and feels-inducing.

Spoilers for Divine Rivals will be discussed.

Ruthless Vows picks up about a week or two after the end of Divine Rivals. Iris Winnow is back in Oath with her brother, Forest, and Roman is now in the hands of Dacre, one of the gods at the center of the war. With no recollection of anything, Roman becomes a mouthpiece for Dacre’s propaganda, and Iris is desperate to save him and warn the people of Oath that the war is quickly approaching the city, whether they choose to believe it or not. Through their magically connected typewriters, Iris and Roman once again strike up a correspondence, but this time, the stakes are even higher. Roman has access to Dacre’s plans and Dacre is keeping a sharp eye on Roman. With Enva’s army dwindling and more enemy forces closing in, Iris makes it her mission to bring Roman home, memories intact, but death and destruction could prevent her success.

In my previous review, I discussed world-building and how Ross gives us hints throughout the book, but what first started as interesting quirks hold much more weight in this book. Enchanted buildings, for example, aren’t just magical relics from a bygone era. Their magic has to come from somewhere, and to be brief and avoid spoilers, they serve a larger purpose in the grand scheme of things. The Alouette typewriters are still connected. However, we learn that a wardrobe door is required to send and receive letters; contact is all but useless without a portal. Things introduced in the first book are given context and depth, grounding them to tell a story arguably more devastating than the previous one while adding details that make Cambria all the more interesting.

Perhaps the biggest surprise is Dacre himself, absent from the previous book but very much a foreboding presence in this one. Although he isn’t ten feet tall as I had pictured, he holds himself as such, his cruelty swift and calculating. Portraying him this way also showcases his weaknesses. Through Roman being close to Dacre as a correspondent, we witness that Dacre may not be as invincible as he would like his followers to believe. For a god centuries old with little regard for human life, it doesn’t take much to rattle him, and his personal vendetta against fellow god Enva lies at the center of his vulnerability. His reasons for starting the war boil down to her placing him under a prolonged enchanted sleep to escape from the underworld.

Iris and Roman are still lovable protagonists, and it’s difficult not to feel heartbreak at their separation during the first third of the book, especially with Roman’s memories being hazy at best. They already work well as individual characters, and it’s fun to see Iris go on a mini museum heist with her friends near the beginning of the book. Still, seeing them apart is bittersweet, especially when Iris can’t give away who she is in her letters for safety. Their ultimate reunion is well worth the wait. Roman’s memory loss isn’t dragged out too long. Ross keeps it just long enough to have an impact and to make their eventual reunion all the more satisfying. Just like the last book, their romance is one of my favorites I’ve read in a long time. The two flow from banter to serious conversations effortlessly and their quieter moments are swoon-worthy.

Attie and Tobias, friends of Iris and Roman, have a sweet romance on the side. Attie is a fellow war correspondent introduced in the first book. She wants to be published to spite a college professor who criticized her writing, but ultimately she wants to inform the public of what the war is actually like. The best way I can describe her is breezy and outgoing, and she isn’t easily flustered, which is where Tobias comes in. He’s a new character who ferries mail in his motorcar and befriends Iris and Attie when he gives them a ride back to the war front. He’s just as outgoing as Attie with the addition of loving to tease her. They have very brief interactions, but from what is included, they bring a bit of levity, which is sorely needed for the heavier moments.

If there’s anything I found lacking, it would be not having a map of Cambria and seeing some of the visual details of this intricate world Ross has created. With so many places left unexplored, I’d love for her to go back and maybe write some short stories or a spin-off set in the same universe. I’m far too curious and not quite ready to let go of these books. While I definitely need a breather after everything Ruthless Vows put me through, I’ve loved the journey these books have taken me on. If this truly is goodbye to Iris and Roman, I know I can always reread their story and feel all the feelings whenever I’m missing them, and I guarantee I will many times to come.

Ruthless Vows is out now. You won’t want to miss it.