Vows & Ruins Review
Star Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
Spice Rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
What is Vows & Ruins?
Vows & Ruins the Second book in The Legends of Thezmarr, a completed 4-part epic, romantic fantasy. It is author Helen Scheurer’s debut series into the subgenre, having previously written YA fantasy. The main four books of the series need to be read in publication order they are: Blood & Steel, Vows & Ruins, Fate & Furies, and Shadow & Storms. Scheurer also offers a short prequel novella that describes the events leading up to our main character’s story in Blood & Steel for free. Sign up for Scheurer’s newsletter to receive the free prequel, An Alchemist’s Vow.
The series also contains a standalone book, Slaying the Shadow Prince which follows the story of important side characters and offers insight into the behavior and motivations of the main male characters. This book can be read in several places. First, it can be read between An Alchemist’s Vow and Blood & Steel for a chronological reading experience. It can be read after Blood & Steel allowing you to read in the publication order. Finally it can be read after Vows & Ruins. This is the author’s recommended reading order for maximum emotional impact.
The author is currently working on a spinoff series, The Ashes of Thezmarr which is intended to be a trilogy. This series can be read independently of Legends of Thezmarr, but will definitely spoil it for you. The first book of this series, Iron & Embers, is currently available with the next being released in July.
It is important to remember this is a dark, romantic fantasy intended for adults. As such, it touches on topics that may be sensitive or too graphic for some readers.
Vows & Ruins Summary
Vows & Ruins is a dual POV story following our main female character, Althea Zoltaire, and main male character, Wilder Hawthrone. Vows & Ruins picks up three weeks after Blood & Steel left off. It has been 3 weeks since Thea passed her initiation to become a Guardian of Thezmarr and forced into the position of Wilder’s apprentice. The problem? Her mentor is no where to be found. When he returns tensions are high as the would-be lovers are forced into a new relationship dynamic. Reluctantly, Wilder agrees to train Thea so that she may become a Warsword in the limited time she has left. Meanwhile Thea confronts her magic and secret past. Wilder questions his duties and what he knows of the Midrealms.
What did I like about the book?
I loved trainer/trainee dynamic between our two main characters. I enjoyed watching their relationship develop and see their romance become more realistic than it was in the previous book. The dual POV gives the reader a chance to understand Wilder more (although not much more! He’s still a mystery). There’s clearly more going on in the Midrealms that is being told and I am excited to continue to unravel the mystery.
What did I not like?
Usually the second book in a series is my favorite. I love getting to know the characters and watching their romance develop. Unfortunately, this one felt lacking for me. The first book was a slow burn with a few spicy scenes sprinkled in toward the end. This one forced the characters into another slow burn. The first half of the book is them telling each other they can’t be together; almost the entire second half of the book was spicy content. The first book set up a very interesting story line about Anya, which was not explored much in this book. By the end not much has happened; we are not much further along in the story than when we started.
Tropes you’ll love
Grumpy Broody MMC
Forced Proximity
Reluctant Trainer- Trainee
Found Family
Mysterious Past
