Ruthless Vows (Letters of Enchantment, #2) in Scripted in Fantasy and Fiction

Jan 29, 2024 Jenny rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

"Write me a story where there is no ending, Kitt. Write to me and fill my empty spaces."

"Divine Rivals" was one of my favourite reads of the last year, and I could not wait to finally get my hands on the conclusion. I was desperate to find out what would happen to Iris and Kitt, especially after the massive cliffhanger at the end of the first book. "Ruthless Vows" was, in many ways, not what I was expecting, and I needed a few days to make my peace with the story. While I did not love it as

"Write me a story where there is no ending, Kitt. Write to me and fill my empty spaces."

"Divine Rivals" was one of my favourite reads of the last year, and I could not wait to finally get my hands on the conclusion. I was desperate to find out what would happen to Iris and Kitt, especially after the massive cliffhanger at the end of the first book. "Ruthless Vows" was, in many ways, not what I was expecting, and I needed a few days to make my peace with the story. While I did not love it as much as "Divine Rivals", it was still a stunning closure to this beautiful duology.

What made the first book so special were the characters and their interactions. Iris and Roman have the perfect love story, especially their letters were so unique. In "Ruthless Vows", we see the roles reversed, with Kitt not knowing who is behind the letters he is receiving. I have to admit that I'm not a huge fan of the lost memories trope, which made me skeptical as soon as I realized what had happened to Kitt. However, as far as it goes, I didn't mind it too much and enjoyed seeing how he regained his memories through Iris's letters. I can't say it often enough how much I love the use of the letters in this duology and it really makes it something special.

She hadn’t cried much the past few weeks. Indeed, she thought she had recovered from most of the trauma she had experienced, letting it hollow her out. But perhaps it had only been buried. Perhaps she had shoved it down to dark forgotten places and it had grown roots while she had been sleeping.

Iris and Roman wake up to a new world in "Ruthless Vows", where the war is no longer something they write about from afar but something they experience firsthand on the frontline. This has a huge impact on both characters, who have to adapt to their new realities. Iris takes a very active role, and it was special to see how she channels her grief into motivation to fight for what she loves. She's such a strong character without being this typical YA heroine.

The story is much more plot-driven in "Ruthless Vows", which I feel took a bit of a toll on the romance between Iris and Roman. I loved their interactions in the first book; many of their scenes together felt special. Sadly, in the second book, they are apart for most of the time, and I wish the author had chosen a different path where Iris and Roman would have fought together. (view spoiler) I think it's down to them not being together that made the book feel less special than "Divine Rivals".

'Dear Iris,
Should I be surprised that I was falling in love with you a second time? Should I be surprised that your words found me here, even in the darkness? That I've been carrying your E. letter close to me heart like they are a shield to protect me?'

There are so many interesting side characters in the duology, and I really loved seeing Attie and Thomas together and how they took on a very active role in the war. I missed Marisol and Keegan and felt they weren't given enough time, especially towards the end. After hearing so much about him in the first book, it was a bit of a disappointment to meet Forest, but he quickly redeemed himself. (view spoiler)

There is much more world-building in "Ruthless Vows", and so many of my questions were finally answered. We get a much better picture as to how the magic works as well as the realm of the gods and their feuds. However, we also see a lot more of the gods, which kind of ruined a bit of the magic for me. Dacre plays a big role in this book, and as someone who likes morally grey characters, I wasn't thrilled with him being the typical bad guy. It often felt like the whole book was about him, but he lacked personality, and I found it unrealistic that he put so much trust in Roman. Enva appeared a few times as well, but she is very forgettable. They needed a stronger side story or should have stayed more in the background, similar as in the first book.

"Divine Rivals" will always have a special place in my heart, and while "Ruthless Vows" wasn't quite what I was expecting, I would still recommend the "Letters of Enchantment" duology. It's a beautiful story about loss and love, grief and hope. Rebecca Ross has a really beautiful way with words and deals with some difficult topics impressively. I will definitely read more from her in the future!

As the stars faithfully burned beyond the window, Roman had never been more certain.
He could wake in the deepest of Dacre’s realm, as far from the moon and sun as divinity could shackle him. He could wake and not know his name, forgetting every word he had ever written. But he would never forget the scent of Iris’s skin, the sound of her voice. The way she had looked at him. The confidence of her hands.
And he thought, There is no magic above or below that will ever steal this from me again.

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Dec 31, 2023 Meeshee | Cursebreaker 🌙 rated it it was amazing

A beautiful ending to a beautiful series. The audiobook narrators were fantastic yet again. Although parts of this book broke me, I thought it was a fitting end to the story. This will forever be one of my favorite love stories, and this duology will always be perfect in my mind.

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