Title: A Vow so Bold and Deadly
Author: Brigid Kemmerer
Genre: Fantasy, Romance
Published: January 26, 2021
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Source: Audiobook (Audible)
Length: 12 Hours 36 Minutes
Narrated by: Melissa Beyern, Matt Reeves, Kate Handford, and Davis Brooks
Goodreads Synopsis:
Find the heir, win the crown.
The curse is finally broken, but Prince Rhen of Emberfall faces darker troubles still. Rumors circulate that he is not the true heir and that forbidden magic has been unleashed in Emberfall. Although Rhen has Harper by his side, his guardsman Grey is missing, leaving more questions than answers.
Win the crown, save the kingdom.
Grey may be the heir, but he doesn’t want anyone to know his secret. On the run since he destroyed Lilith, he has no desire to challenge Rhen – until Karis Luran once again threatens to take Emberfall by force. Her own daughter Lia Mara sees the flaws in her mother’s violent plan, but can she convince Grey to stand against Rhen, even for the good of Emberfall?
The heart-pounding, compulsively listenable saga continues as loyalties are tested and new love blooms in a kingdom on the brink of war.
My Rating: 4
**This review contains spoilers if you have not read the first two books in the series**
This was my second read-through of this book, this time in audiobook form. This one is told from the perspective of all four of our main characters, Harper, Rhen, Grey, and Lia Mara.
I remember absolutely loving this series and devouring it during my first read through. However, on this second read through, I’m not loving it as much as I had. Rhen gets the short end of the stick by the end of this one. Everything he went through is all for nothing it seems. All he is left with is the love of Harper.
The whole series seemed to shift into the Grey and Lia Mara series, rather than the characters we started with.
So who’s story is it supposed to be? The first book we have Rhen and Haper falling in love and breaking the curse. Grey is as side character. The next book is Grey and Lia Mara, we learn that Grey is the magesmith everyone is looking for, the illegitmate son of Rhen’s father, but also simultaneously the rightful heir to the throne because he was born first and their succession laws are by birth order. In most stories involving royalty and succession this only works if the previous ruler claims them as their child. But the previous king hadn’t. So why is this being pushed so hard.
I can understand the people in Emberfall being upset with Rhen and the royal family because of years of what they though as abandonment. Then the lies with Harper and the army from D.C. sowing some doubt, but not outright dissent to wanting someone who hasn’t proven lineage to in fact be Rhen’s brother and because he’s older he should be king, not the person who pushed the army of Syhl Shallow out of the kingdom.
Wouldn’t it have helped to have had a moment of honesty with the people of the kingdom and what happened, maybe not every detail, like the monster, because that probably wouldn’t help, but about Lillith and the curse and why it felt like they had been abandoned. That she was trying to exact her revenge on the kingdom of Emberfall for the destruction of the magesmiths. How about that Harper helped break that curse, etc? no nothing? Rhen, Harper and Grey go through all of that but Grey gets the kingdom (two technically), gets a girl, and now has a baby on the way.
Nothing seems to fully resolve at the end of the series. Do they find a way to establish peace between Emberfall and Shyl Shallow? What happens to Harper and Rhen’s relationship? Does Rhen find a way to fit in to his new role as advisor to the Grey? What about Noah and Jake, do they go back home to D.C. or do they stay in Emberfall? How about Tycho? and Isak’s son who makes a very brief appearance and then dissappears?
Lia Mara doesn’t seem to grow at all, she doesn’t step into her role of Queen at all it seems. You can be kind, but also firm and commanding. She always seems to need Grey or Nolla Verin to be there before she can make a decision or an attempt at one. But we wonder why no one respects her? It was happenstance she became queen in the first place.
Was the story entertaining? Yes. Was the pacing good? Also, yes. Did it leave me dissapointed? Absolutely. It clearly wasn’t perfect. I have recently learned that there is a semi-sequel series to this one. Following the character Tycho so maybe some the questions I have after reading this series again will be answered there.
Have you read this book?
What were your thoughts on it?
Are there any books you would recommend for me to read based on this book review?
Leave a comment below and let me know.
Happy Reading!
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