Review: The epic conclusion to Iris and Roman’s story is heart-wrenchingly beautiful. 

“Ruthless Vows” picks up two weeks after the events that transpired in the first installment as Iris Winnow heads westward with Attie to report on Dacre’s movements. Along the way she writes to Roman, who cannot remember his past since waking in Dacre’s realm. While writing articles to Dacre, he strikes up a relationship with his mysterious pen pal. As his memories begin to return, he begins to question whether he should stand with the god who healed him or risk betrayal to change the tides of the war. 

The same whimsical, atmospheric writing that I fell in love with in “Divine Rivals” carries over to this book. Nearly every line is as magical and profound as the last, easily transporting me back to Ross’ complex world. With the war coming to a head, she leans more into the fantastical while still weaving in elements of realism to deepen the lore surrounding the gods. I hungrily devoured each new tidbit until I ran out of pages to read. 

What captivated me most about “Divine Rivals” was Iris and Roman’s love story. Roman winning over Iris in person and via letter correspondence was everything. Ross begins this process again following Roman’s memory loss. The memory loss trope can be hard to pull off, but Ross executes it well by reversing Iris and Roman’s roles. Now Iris is the one pouring her heart into her letters to Roman and pining for him just as he did in the first book. Watching the two fall in love for a second time despite the war forcing them apart filled me with emotion and left me feeling satisfied.