Review summary
This spoiler free review of Ruthless Vows by Rebecca Ross walks through why this fantasy adventure that letters of enchantment 2 still hooks readers. This Ruthless Vows review follows Iris and Roman through a war scarred finale where memory loss, love letters and god level politics decide whether their marriage and their world survive.
Full review
This spoiler free Ruthless Vows review picks up right after the Divine Rivals cliffhanger, following Iris Winnow and Roman Kitt through the final, war torn stretch of the Letters of Enchantment duology. Iris returns to Oath bruised and grieving while Roman wakes in Dacre’s realm with his memories erased, and the story splits them onto opposite sides of the same divine conflict.
Instead of trying to top the swoony surprise of magical typewriters, Ruthless Vows leans into consequences: trauma, missing time, loyalty tests and the ugly realities of propaganda. Iris and Attie head back to the front as journalists, trying to tell the truth about a war their own city refuses to face, while Roman becomes the polished voice of a god he barely understands. The letters between them shift from meet cute magic to a lifeline that slowly stitches identity and trust back together.
In terms of age rating and content, this feels a touch heavier than Divine Rivals but still firmly in the YA bracket. The focus is on wartime danger, grief, nightmares and the cost of power, with several intense battle scenes and on page deaths. Romance wise, the relationship is passionate and tender with some implied intimacy and fade to black moments rather than explicit detail, so it suits readers who want emotional heat more than graphic spice.
For anyone wondering if Ruthless Vows is darker than Divine Rivals, the answer is yes in mood, not in nihilism. The stakes are higher, Dacre is on the page more often, and Roman’s amnesia hurts, yet the book keeps circling back to hope, chosen family and the idea that words can still change the tide of a war. Read in order as Divine Rivals first and Ruthless Vows second, it works as a satisfying conclusion that answers big questions without explaining every mystery away.
Ruthless Vows Review Highlights
A direct continuation of Divine Rivals that opens just two weeks after the first book’s ending and never lets the emotional threads drop.
Dual perspectives that contrast Iris reporting from the front lines with Roman writing for Dacre, showing how journalism and propaganda mirror each other.
A slow, aching rebuild of romance where letters help Roman fall in love all over again while the gods push both characters toward impossible choices.
Who Should Read Ruthless Vows
Readers who loved Divine Rivals and want a conclusion that leans harder into war, memory loss and sacrifice while still honoring the love story.
YA fantasy and romantasy fans who prefer rich atmosphere, character growth and letter based longing over nonstop action or high spice.
Anyone curious about how the Letters of Enchantment duology resolves its questions about gods, journalism and the power of written promises.
Letters of Enchantment Reading Resources
Start with Divine Rivals, then move to Ruthless Vows to get the full impact of Iris and Roman’s relationship and the war’s escalation.
If you are sensitive to violence, skim content warnings first: themes include war, grief, PTSD, manipulation by a god and the death of loved ones.
After finishing the duology, you can explore future prequels or companion stories set in the same world if you want more mythology and history.
Key ideas
- Love and memory are intertwined, and reclaiming the past can be as painful and heroic as fighting on a battlefield.
- Words, journalism and letters act as weapons and shields in a war where propaganda is almost as dangerous as magic.
- Hope, loyalty and chosen family can survive even ruthless gods when characters are willing to tell the truth and keep writing.
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FAQ
- What is Ruthless Vows about?
- Ruthless Vows continues Iris Winnow and Roman Kitt’s story as they are separated by a divine war and a brutal act of magic. Iris returns to the front as a reporter trying to expose Dacre’s advances, while Roman wakes in Dacre’s realm with no memory of his former life and is asked to write for the enemy until a mysterious stream of letters begins to unsettle his loyalty.
- What is the age rating and how intense are the violence and romance in Ruthless Vows?
- Most publishers and booksellers shelve Ruthless Vows as young adult fantasy for roughly ages 14 to 18, with some crossover appeal to adults. The violence is war focused, including battles, injuries, nightmares and grief, but it stops short of graphic gore. The romance includes kissing, strong emotional intimacy and a few implied, fade to black scenes without explicit sexual detail.
- Do I need to read Divine Rivals first and what is the Letters of Enchantment reading order?
- Yes, you should read Divine Rivals before Ruthless Vows. The duology is tightly connected and Ruthless Vows assumes you already know Iris and Roman’s history, the magical typewriters and the basics of the war between Enva and Dacre. The simple Letters of Enchantment reading order is Divine Rivals as book one followed by Ruthless Vows as book two.
- Is Ruthless Vows darker than Divine Rivals?
- Ruthless Vows leans darker in tone because the characters are dealing with the fallout of the first book, including amnesia, heavier war scenes and moral compromises. Even so, it does not turn grimdark; the focus stays on love, trust, recovery and the belief that small acts of courage and honest writing can change the course of a seemingly hopeless conflict.
Reader-focused angles
This review intentionally answers longer questions readers often ask, such as ruthless vows spoiler free summary and main themes for romantasy readers, ruthless vows age rating, violence level and romance content guidance, letters of enchantment reading order divine rivals and ruthless vows, is ruthless vows darker than divine rivals tone, war scenes and emotional stakes, and books like ruthless vows for readers who enjoy war torn fantasy romance duologies, so the guidance fits naturally into the analysis instead of living in a keyword list.
Each section of the review is written to speak directly to those searches, making it easier for book clubs, educators, and new readers to find the specific perspectives they need.
Reading guide
- Track how Iris’s articles differ from Roman’s pieces for Dacre and note where each character bends the truth or refuses to.
- Pay attention to the moments when Roman’s memories flicker back and how the tone of the letters changes as he recognizes Iris on the page.
- Compare the overall tone of Divine Rivals and Ruthless Vows and decide for yourself whether the sequel feels darker or simply more expansive.
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