A Vow So Bold and Deadly

If this is meant to be a conclusion to A Curse So Dark and Lonely and A Heart So Fierce and Broken, as the blurb claims, I thought the ending was a bit too anticlimactic, with a few too many loose ends, to be really satisfying.

But I’d prefer a muted ending over something more dramatic and devastating -- and when I reached the end I was feeling positive about the story, because I’d really enjoyed the characters’ interactions.

All of the protagonists have to deal with conflict in relationships: Lia Mara and her sister disagree about politics; Grey doesn’t have the trust or respect of the soldiers he now commands; Rhen and Grey are at odds with each other; Harper and Rhen are hurt and angry over choices the other has made. I loved show more the times when they each navigate these conflicts by acting fairly and communicating honestly, when doing so is often difficult and complicated. That’s realistic and satisfying.

And I particularly liked how Harper and Rhen talk about their mistakes and misunderstandings -- I actually think that’s a stronger foundation for a relationship than if they just never made any mistakes to begin with. It’s a relationship dynamic I’d like to see explored more in fiction.

“I … I don’t know how to say this.”
“No lies between us.”
“Right.” I smooth my hands against the silk of the dressing gown, feeling it slide along my knees. “I’m realizing that I got so caught up in the poor choices you made I forgot that you knew how to make good ones.”
His eyebrows raise, but he thinks before he speaks, which is probably something I should have done.
“As did I,” he says. “With you.” show less

So, this series holds a very special place in my heart and it might be the only Young Adult series that I inhale in three days tops. I was such a big fan of this series that I actually called four of my local Barnes and Nobel to see if their shipment had come in so that I could go pick it up on the 26th so that I can review the whole book instead of just the excerpt provided by NetGalley. Sadly, I was not able to get my hands on a physical copy but now own an ebook audiobook and a physical book. I also went ahead and bought books one and two in paperback so I could have the series considering I will for sure read this series again. I love all the characters. Harper, Rhen, Grey, and Lia Mara are all back in an installment that will leave show more you breathless. If you read A Heart so Fierce and Broken then you know Grey is the rightful heir to Emberfall. The book is told from 4 points of view of the four major players in the second book. What I loved is how all four of these characters are beautifully flawed yet motivated by duty, honor, and the fear of the unknown to do the right thing. The chapters that intertwine with Harper and Rhen are devastating not only is Rhen dealing with the betrayal of his brother but the wicked sorcerous Lilith reappears in this book and as wicked as she is I really would have been said if there wasn’t a Lilith appearance. I will say that this is the only book in this series that is getting a 4-star rating. Why you might ask? Well, let me explain. While all the loose ends are tied up and we got a semi- satisfying ending I felt like there was more story to be told. Is there a book four that is the only question I have left? Now I will be happily waiting for Defy the Night that comes out in September of this year. show less

"As always, I have so many hopes and so many plans and so many wishes, but the results always depend on fate.
And fate seems to hate me so very much."

After coming to terms with the plot of the second book and why my babies Rhen and Harper were put into an impossible situation, I really liked this book.

Things I loved: The angst, soft scenes between Rhen and Harper, the ANGST. All of it. (And I guess Lia Mara and Grey are pretty cool too.)

Also: I'm glad everyone could agree the Lilith was the true villain.

I'm excited there is going to be a spin-off series for the Cursebreakers series because I would honestly read anything about Emberfall and all the characters, only so I don't have to say good-bye to them.

Blog Review: https://trishadoeseverythingbutstudy2.wordpress.com/2021/02/01/january-2021-revi...

I received a free e-ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review!

This excerpt was nowhere near enough. At all. It was all nice and slow and just easing into the story, when the last page of the excerpt really went, BOOOM you thought, girl?

I'm really scared about Rhen because oh God he doesn't know about Grey's abilities, and Grey's not telling him, and these two fools are going to destroy the world because of miscommunication.

Its just so sad seeing Harper and Rhen together right now with Harper somewhat scared of Rhen. I don't like this. He needs to be fixed. He needs to go back to what he was. Or eveolve into somehting better, I don't show more particularly care.

Grey and Lia....well what do I even say? I just love them. But this excerpt was so ominous on that front. It seems like they're growing apart in the wake of Lia's rule. And I don't like that either. This is horrible.

I for one, cannot wait to read the rest of this book!


Pre-reading review:

I SWEAR TO GOD, IF SOMEONE DIES IN THIS I WILL MURDER BRIGID KEMMERER

AND RHEN NEEDS TO REDEEM HIMSELF

AND GREY AND LIA NEED TO STAY TOGETHER


AND I WANT MORE HARPER


HAAAAAAARPEEEEEEER show less

The final book in the Cursebreakers series is everything I hoped for!

The conflict between the kingdoms of Emberfall and Syhl Shallow, between Prince Rhen and Prince Grey, is barrelling toward an all-out war that neither side wants but neither can avoid. The return of the evil enchantress, Lilith, throws another wrench in the works and may just be Rhen’s undoing — unless the two long-lost brothers can find a way to put aside the mistakes of the past and make peace with each other and the twists of fate that brought them to this point.

Although certain characters continued to make some choices that made me want to scream at them, they did eventually learn and grow from them and everything came out alright in the end, which was just so show more satisfying! I honestly wouldn’t mind another book in the series, or maybe a novella, just to see how things in the kingdoms are progressing. But Brigid Kemmerer has several other books that I haven’t read yet so I will content myself with those instead. :) show less

I’m conflicted as I finish this story. I thought Rhen was a complete idiot throughout this whole book - until the end then he redeemed himself. Harper had her own moments - including self doubt of her previous choices, which I can’t doubt her for. A character whom I thought was dead makes a recurring appearance, and not the good kind. But I was glad to see that plotline play out and they got what they deserved! In my opinion, the true standout characters in this novel were Grey and Lia Mara - both had their conflict and shined, showing their strength as individuals and as a couple. I’m glad there was a happy ending but I need to know what happens next for Grey, Lia Mara, Rhen and Harper. This was a good wrap up of the series and I show more enjoyed the entire series. show less

A Vow So Bold and Deadly is the third book in The Cruse Breaker Series. While I adored the first two books, I was disappointed with this one. It is still a good story, and series, just not on the same level as the previous two books.
Book three brings together the prior two books and this book is about the fate of not only the kingdom of Emberfall but of Syhl Shallow too. There are several big questions the book will answer. First, will the two kingdoms really wage war on each other now that we know Grey is the true heir of Emberfall? Will Lia Mara be able to hold her throne? Finally, Will Rhen ever defeat Lilith?
The book is not badly written nor did it have big plot holes. No, nothing as damaging as that. I just lost interest in the show more story and the plot was very slow in the beginning. Then to top it off, there were unresolved issued. It left me wondering if there will be another book. I thought it was a three book series. Maybe I am wrong.
I enjoyed that we finally got to read about all four characters in one book and from their own POVs no less. However, I came to detest Lia Mara. I wanted to tell her to grow a pair. All the self-doubt and whining got old. I would have preferred to have seen more growth for her character. She was strong enough to kill her mother; therefore, at this point in the game, she should not be second guessing herself at every turn. We all wonder at times if we are doing the right thing or not; however, her fears left me with mammoth doubts about her capacity to rule. Ugh!
Lastly, the interaction between characters did not feel genuine. I never got this feeling in the previous two books. I think this is partly due to the pacing in the first half of the book. There was not much going on and all the talk and preparing for war got a bit tiresome. A good subplot would have made things more interesting and would have given the characters a chance to interact meaningfully.
The thing I liked most about the story was the ending. Even though I wish it had been a little meatier after spending so much time on the lead up to it. In truth, the ending felt almost anticlimactic. Yet it suited the story. Not everybody gets everything they want in life and the characters had to accept compromises and come to terms with them. That is the way life works and so was very appropriate.
As I stated at the beginning, this book is not terrible. However, it is not on par with the previous two. I still loved the series and well gladly read other books by the author. If you like fantasy and retellings this is a good series to read. I encourage you to give it a try and sincerely hope you enjoy.
For more of my reviews, and author interviews, see my blog at www.thespineview.com. show less