A Vow in Vengeance
A Vow in Vengeance
A warrior woman sworn to destroy the fae court must infiltrate it by seducing the prince, which goes sideways when he's better at seduction than she anticipated. Rodriguez writes a dark romance where both characters are playing dangerous games with their lives and hearts. The prince is unapologetically ruthless, and his attraction to her is not salvation but complication.
Everything You Need to Know About A Vow in Vengeance
Rune Ryker has lost everything to the Immortals. Her family is gone, her world burned down, and the only thing keeping her upright is rage. When she enters the Forge, a brutal training ground for tarot magic, she expects enemies. What she doesn't expect is Prince Draven, the heir to the Immortal throne she wants to destroy, who she's now forced to live with. The magic system is built around tarot cards, which gives the whole thing a different texture than your standard romantasy. Rune's power is rare and dangerous, and the Forge is designed to break people who have it. The romance is enemies-to-lovers with real hostility behind it. Draven isn't a brooding prince who secretly cares from page one. He's a genuine obstacle. The tension between them builds through proximity and shared danger, not instant attraction.
The tarot magic system is the standout. It's not just window dressing. The way powers work through card affinities shapes every conflict and relationship in the book. Rune is angry in a way that feels earned, not performative. She's not snarky for the sake of it. She's someone who has been through genuine trauma and channels it into survival. The pacing is tight. Rodriguez doesn't waste chapters on setup. You're in the Forge by chapter three, and the danger escalates from there. The world-building unfolds through action rather than exposition dumps.
Violence, death of family members (off-page, referenced), forced proximity in hostile environment, emotional manipulation by authority figures.
Rune's tarot affinity turns out to be far rarer than anyone initially suspects. Her connection to Draven isn't random. There's a magical bond at play that neither of them chose, and discovering it shifts the power dynamic between them significantly. The Forge itself has a darker purpose than training. The ending reveals that the institution is designed to harvest certain types of magic, not develop them.
If you liked the war college dynamic in Fourth Wing but want something darker and more personal, this is your book. Fans of The Serpent and the Wings of Night will recognize the mortal-among-immortals tension. If you need a completed series before starting, this is book one of an ongoing series.
Book one of a new series. Not standalone. Ends on a significant cliffhanger that sets up the next installment.
Community Buzz
How much the internet is talking about this book right now
Hype Score
Trending0 total mentions
Where People Are Talking
Sentiment: 0% positive across 0 mentions
Reader Reviews
No reader reviews yet. Be the first!