A Vow So Bold and Deadly (Cursebreakers #3) eBook PDF

User Reviews

Lia Carstairs

Rating: really liked it
wait, wait WHAT-

that cannot be the end. I-

I don't know how to feel.

that moment when the ending prevents a book from being a 5 stars *sadness*

I'll start off with this—RHEN. DESERVED. MORE.

I refuse to believe that this is the end of the Cursebreakers world. There literally has to be more because that ending did not resolve everything and if I'm being honest, I'd say the only people who truly got their happy ending are Grey and Lia Mara...and I could care less about them (I know, ✨unpopular opinion✨).

Not saying that Rhen and Harper didn't get their HEA but like there's still so many questions I have for them AND IT ENDED WITHOUT ASDFBGGDSAMNMBSBDAJSSDNAM IM ANGRY. I WANTED A DIFFERENT OUTCOME FOR RHEN *sobs*

That's probably just me and my unhealthy obsession with Rhen though. If I looked at this in a more critical POV, Brigid really did end this series in a realistic way, where not everything is fixed and everyone's happy.

ughhh still doesn't mean I have to like it. Rhen deserved more and I will forever keep saying that until he gets it. ~~meanwhile I'll be waiting for when she releases info on a spin off or something~~

(🛑There shall be SPOILERS from the previous books...you have been warned🛑)

•❅──────✧❅♕❅✧──────❅•

"Yield to yourself. Yield to forgiveness. Yield to happiness. Yield to this moment. It's not hers. It's yours. It's mine."

"It's ours."

Tell me that isn't just one of the sweetest speeches in history? And that scene--ohmygod I wanted to burst into tears ~~who am i kidding? i totally did~~

From book 1, Rhen and Harper have had my heart and that will never change. They both made terrible mistakes, but what matters more is that they learned and changed for the better. Especially Rhen.

I know many despised Rhen ~~ofc i didnt~~ after whipping both Grey and our little cinnamon roll, Tycho in A Heart So Fierce and Broken—and what he did was definitely unforgiveable, even after learning that Lilith was behind making him do that.

I'm not making excuses for his actions, but I believe you have to look at it a bit differently and see it from the other side of the story. We didn't get Rhen's POV in AHSFAB so we wouldn't know, but here...we see how much it pained him to do that to his brother and best friend, but in the end, Rhen would've done it all over again if it meant Harper was safe from Lilith.

And I respect that.🥺 That's true love right there ~~even if it did harm others in the process.~~

So yes, I absolutely loved how many scenes we got with Harper and Rhen ~~as you could tell from my status updates~~ asdfghjhfgdsaf my heart is so happy thinking about them even now.

Also, where Harper might've looked all docile and unlike her usual self in AHSFAB, she definitely wasn't like that here. It was the Harper we all know and love who didn't let Rhen get away with *ahem* certain actions and I lived for those moments.

AND I WILL NEVER FORGET RHEN BLUSHING

N E V E R

I'm gonna keep rereading that scene until I die. It was amazing.😭💖

•❅──────✧❅♕❅✧──────❅•

If my people must see strength, then we need to show them ours.

Edit: no no no, never mind i don't know what i was thinking when i wrote this, i must've been high or something because when i think of Lia Mara now, i just remember how much she annoyed me and would constantly let people push her around SO IGNORE EVERYTHING I SAID BELOW. seriously, what a joke she is.
Lia Mara definitely grew a lot from the previous book. She still longs for peace between nations and all people, and although she has so many come at her for being too kind, too fair, and too just -- which leads to being 'weak', Lia Mara doesn't let that change her ways and continues acting as the queen she wants to be for her people.

Strength is shown in many ways, and Lia Mara truly showed that to be possible.

And then there's Grey. As someone who started off being a royal guard and now this...truly a huge leap from the first book.

He's become much more confident in himself and a great leader to those around him (though that's not really surprising...he's Grey). No longer does he always follow orders given from others, but he gives the orders.

But one thing that hasn't changed is that he's still ~Scary Grey~ and the big softie everyone fell in love with. ~~but not me ofc, my heart belongs to Rhen~~

Too bad I couldn't care much about his and Lia Mara's POVs though. (In fact, I actually disliked them less in this book) I feel like AVSBAD was really for Rhen & Harper and I'M 100% OKAY WITH THAT.🥰

Every time I got to their POVs, my heart would do a happy dance and whenever I was not reading from their POVs, I'd literally skip ahead to see how many more pages were left until I got to be back in Harper/Rhen's POV ~~(yes, I know I'm sad)~~.

Living for their scenes is what I do✌

I swear to god, I was seriously going to give this 5 stars and move it on my all-time-fav shelf bUT THAT ENDING-

I despise that ending with every fibre of my being. Why, Brigid, why? (view spoiler) But I still love this series so much ~~because of rhen & harper~~ and for that, I shall continue praying there's a spin-off.

Actually, I bet there is going to be a spin-off -- and if I'm right, let it be known that I am a wickedly, brilliant fortune teller. ~~and if I'm wrong...well rip💀~~

Oh Grey, Lia Mara, Rhen, and Harper...I'd say goodbye, but I don't believe this is the last we'll see each other. If it is ~~altho i wont allow that~~, then my final words are:

FOR THE GOOD OF EMBERFALL🔥

And down with Syhl Shallow.🙂

(*cough* HarperxRhen for life)

•❅──────✧❅♕❅✧──────❅•

Pre-read Review ~ January 22, 2021:

ASDFGHJGFDSAGSAS MY COPY CAME IN 4 DAYS EARLY THANK YOU, AMAZON
For once, amazon hasn't failed me with my preorder :' )

IM SO SCARED. RHEN MY LOVE, PLEASE BE OKAY.

~~dammit, I have to finish my other book first~~

Stephanie

Rating: really liked it
What the actual fuck? Did I read the same book as everyone else? Fair warning, this is a super long, ranty and spoilery review. Yet, let the record reflect that I loved ACSDAL.

The tl;dr is that: Every character in this book is an idiot. Oh, and watching Rhen getting cucked into oblivion made my blood boil.

I'm so sad that this story became a series when it should have remained a standalone. I really didn't enjoy AHSFAB but I was so invested in the characters and confident in BK's writing ability that I still managed to look forward to this.

We return to Emberfall and Syhl Shallow as the 60-day clock ticks down to when Grey plans to invade Emberfall and claim his rightful place on Emberfall's throne.

This is where I make a case for recaps at the start of a book à la Jay Kristoff's Nevernight Chronicle. I have loaned the first two books to a friend so I couldn't check back on any plot points to understand what Grey's claim was . . . until it struck me that he doesn't have one.

I need someone to explain to me why he's the rightful heir? No-one actually attempted to confirm his provenance, and even if he is indeed Rhen's older brother, he's a bastard and therefore has no right to the throne at all, right? I'm not saying that's fair, but if the law works differently here, a sentence from BK would have cleared that up.

Secondly, why does he deserve the throne? What are his qualifications? Everyone seems to be in agreement that Grey should be king, but why? Because he's a nice guy? Well, if that's the only criteria, then any fella from Hutchins Forge to the Blackrock Plains can stake a claim. Tycho is a sweet lad, can't he have a crack at it?

I'd make the case that actually, Grey ISN'T a nice guy at all. Everyone in the book seems to forget that Grey betrayed Rhen. He fled and withheld information that could compromise national security (bear in mind that Rhen has no idea that it's supposedly Grey who is the heir). It felt like someone was lamenting Grey's whipping with every second breath, but this was the consequence of Grey not trusting his friend to at least hear him out. At that point, Grey didn't want the throne anyway!

We're beaten over the head with Grey's perceived loyalty in ACSDAL, and yet betrays Rhen for this? It seems very OOC for a usually rational Grey to think fleeing and declaring war on your best friend is better than risking his ire by confessing the "truth" about his parentage. His coldness towards Harper was wholly unecessary - why is he so pissed at her? Let's not forget she was visibly heartbroken over the discord between the boys and Grey has Harper to thank for his freedom.

So, he's off at Syhl Shallow with Lia Mara and every chapter from either of their POVs was painful. To me, they have zero chemistry and I struggle to believe that someone as disciplined and driven as Grey would have any interest in her at all. I love smut and I skimmed their sex scene, which of course results in a baby.

Lia Mara is nice, did you know that? Niceness is a laudable trait, but on its own offers fuck all. I don't blame her army for not respecting her. I respected them less when they started listening to a word she said. She won the crown as a result of perfectly lobbing a knife at her mam (despite having no prior experience with such a thing) and then wants everyone to be best pals.

She is totally toothless and incapable of doing anything without Grey and/or her sister propping her up. I understand that Lia Mara is meant to serve as a balm to the Celeanas and Mias of the YA world, but being compassionate and fair are only a strength when paired with competency. She started stamping her feet a bit at the end, and I wasn't convinced by all her battle-hardened warriors coming immediately to heel. I was honestly hoping Nolla Verin would usurp her, because as unpalatable as she is, it'd at least be interesting.

And then we come to Harper and Rhen. Much as I was pleased to get more of their POVs, I wanted to hear more from them. I actually enjoyed the progression of their relationship; fractured and untrusting at the beginning, and ugly conversations that felt realistic. I felt like in the end they were both trying to be better for each other and for Emberfall even though it felt impossible and sad.

It really irritated me that Harper was so naïve about asking for Grey's help, but beyond that, I felt she was true to character and remained likeable. The way BK addresses Harper's cerebral palsy remains very positive, too.

As for Rhen, whilst this feels like an unpopular opinion, I don't believe he deserves almost anything that happens to him, and the things he has done wrong I feel he is sincerely contrite for. He's lived centuries forced to terrorise his kingdom whilst coping with the death of his family for *checks notes* sleeping with a woman in whom he lost interest?

Well, if that's so dreadful, let's look at his track record since breaking the curse: he readies his forces as appropriate and tries to win favour by visiting his nobles, yet doesn't take any drastic military action that would unnecessarily risk his force or Grey's. He is tormented by a psychopath and intentionally bears the brunt of her torture as far as being actually mutilated, begs for the opportunity to once again become the monster of his nightmares despite the immense personal cost, kills the enchantress causing all this strife and then graciously accepts Grey as sovereign.

WHAT

It absolutely disgusted me that Grey steamrolled over Rhen like that. Rhen's kingdom wasn't in tatters because he was hopeless, rather that the kingdom had been cursed. He had the potential to be a great ruler, was trained for it and accepted the responsibility. He also loved his people dearly, whereas we never hear about Grey feeling any duty to the people of Emberfall. Why oh why couldn't Lia Mara and Grey rule Syhl Shallow and Harper and Rhen rule Emberfall? We would then be assured of a peaceful land with those precious trade routes in tact.

The end of the book sees Rhen as a broken and directionless man whom Grey teases as if they're still best pals and has the audacity to be like: "Hey bro, you know I still need you, right?" How dare he?!

The one thing that saved AHSFAB was its pacing because it was easy to burn through, but this was a total slog. This feels like a really pointed criticism, but it feels like BK realised that she'd tanked the character development of essentially everyone in AHSFAB and doubled down by gaslighting readers into believing there's a consensus over Grey's goodness and Rhen's awfulness going into this book. I wanted to check previous books to understand how I'd got it so wrong.

I honestly resented every minute of reading this, because each page eroded the very genuine affection I felt for Harper, Rhen and Grey's story in Book 1.

jessica

Rating: really liked it
well, it might have been a mistake to have had high hopes for this. i gave the previous book the benefit of the doubt and told myself i wouldnt judge everything until i read this, hoping for redemption, but man. this was rough.

i mean, if this was a book all on its own, completely unrelated to ‘a curse so dark and lonely,’ this is objectively a very good book. the writing is great, the pacing is decent, and the characters are complex. but i have to look at the bigger picture.

i dont want to spoil anything but if you take the characters from book one and compare them to the characters in this (and even book two), they arent the same. and i think omitting two vital POVs from book two weakened this series. there is sooo much back-tracking and explaining done in this because it was missing from the previous installment that so much page time is literally wasted. and for what seems like nothing in the end.

also, i have no idea why this is being sold as the conclusion for the series because there is still sooo much left unresolved. like, a new issue is literally added within the last chapter and all of the sudden the series is done and over? its just a very bizarre choice.

anyway, BK is still a good author and i wont hesitate to pick up her books, i think this series just went in the wrong direction and unfortunately suffered because of it.

↠ 3 stars

✨ A ✨

Rating: really liked it
[was forced to do all those things by Lilith but I've also just lost my love for him. If he ends up dead in the next book I won't mind (I sound cruel, sorry). But he's probably going to be redeemed and I'm still going to hate him. I just can't get over what he did in AHSFAB (hide spoiler)]

Lucy Tonks

Rating: really liked it
"Yield to yourself. Yield to forgiveness. Yield to happiness. Yield to this moment. It's not hers. It's yours. It's mine. It's ours.”

Ladies and Gentlemen, this is it. I found my most disappointing book of the year. I didn't expect to find it so soon, but I did it. A Vow so Bold and Deadly was one of my most anticipated novels of this year. I've read the first two books last year and absolutely loved them. They were even on my favourite books of last year list and this has managed to shatter that love completely.

After I finished reading this earlier, I was willing to give it 2 stars, just because of Rhen, but the more I think about it, the more I realise how much I actually hated this book, so I'm just gonna lower my rating to 1 star. This pains me. This actually pains me.

**mild spoilers for the first two books ahead**

Emberfall is a torn kingdom, devided between the people supporting Rhen and the ones supporting Grey. Grey has agreed to wait to months before attacking Emberfall with the help of Syhl Shallow and during this time Rhen has completely shut himself away from everybody. Harper is trying to get to him, to find peace between the two kingdoms, but she isn't having much success there. Meanwhile, Lia Mara is having a hard time trying to rule Syhl Shallow. Her subjects aren't happy of her decision to ally with an enchanted prince and with Grey's deadline approuching she isn't sure she is the queen her country needs.

I'm honestly not sure if my standarts when it comes to books have just raised since I read the ACSDAL and AHSFAB or this was just that bad. I couldn't even tell it was part of the same series. It had none of the epic moments that the previous books had, the characters had this sudden changes in them and, unlike the first books, this was so slow paced that it was actually painful.

I don't know what happened to the main characters in this book. I used to love them all, but in here the only thing they managed to do was piss me off.

Rhen

He was the only reason I did not DNF this book. I actually forgot how much I loved him and this book reminded me of that. He goes through so much in this series and I hate how, whenever we get scenes with him, the main focus was everything he did bad. About every bad decision he's made. Guess what? He's human. He makes mistakes so please let him be and also think about the good things he did. Thank you.
Honestly, out of all the characters in this series, he is the most loveable. Yes, I said what I said. Fight me.

Harper

Oh my poor Harper, what happened to you? She just wasn't the same character that I knew in ACSDAL. Yeah, it's obvious that she changed. But what she's had in this book cannot be called character development as it's not that. I feel like everything that I loved about her was erased by the end of the book. I did not recognize her anymore, She wasn't the brave girl that I knew anymore. End of story.

Grey

He was my favourite chararacter in the first two books and I'm just so mad. His character was completely ruined in this one. Utterly and completely ruined. His personality? Just gone. All of it, gone. His only personality trait in this one was that he loved Lia Mara. That's it. That's all. I'm just sitting here asking what was the author thinking? He had such a nice development in the previous books and now all of it gone. His chapters were so boring, I couldn't care less about what was going to happen to him. I just wanted more of Rhen's POVs while reading Grey's. That's the only thing I was thinking about. That I would much rather read from Rhen's perspective.

Lia Mara

I completely hated her in this one. I remember liking her in AHSFAB, but in here she managed to annoy me in every chapter that she was in. After the events of the second book, she is now the Queen of Syhl Shallow and she was just so unfit for that. She let her little sister undermine her on so many occassions. Girl, you are the Queen not your sister. Grow a spine and do what you have to do to be a good Queen for your people. I remember her being clever, but nope. She is as dumb as a brick in this one. I was just so aggravated by her unwillingness to do what she has to do in order to win the war and be the Queen she was needed to be, that I was screaming at the book. I wish I was kidding, but I am not. Her chapters were the most painful to read and honestly, I think I skimmed through more than half of them because of how bored and annoyed I was.

The way the chapters were devided was so wierd. In this one we follow the POVs of all 4 main characters we had previously and I just hated the way the chapters wee devided between them and honestly, I hated the decision to have all of tehir perspectives. I feel like Rhen and Grey would have been enough. Harper and Lia Mara felt more like side charcters in this one than main charcters really. Their POVs revolved constantly around the boys and the decision to also have their perspectives felt like a poor attempted on the author's part to show us that they are still main characters.

The plot dragged a lot. For the first 300 pages I was so bored and by the time the plot picked up I was just so over the story and I wanted it to be finished. The thing that I liked about this series was that it was an easy and fast read, but this one was everything but that. Also I'm not sure what we had can be actually called plot.

I hated the ending. Am I really supposed to like the way everything turned out? I will forever be bitter about this ending and this book in general. This was one of the worst endings for a series or a book that I've read. Rhen deserved so much better. He was basically the only character that I cared about by the end and he did not deserve what he got. He deserved so much better. And, now speaking in all honestly, ~~do not come after me if you love Lia Mara and Grey~~ both Grey and Lia Mara got more than they deserved. I'm not happy.
I'm just gonna erase this from my mind and pretend this ~~ending~~ whole book did not happen.

I'm not sure if this is the end in this world or if we are going to meet this characters again and to be honest I'm not sure what I actually want. For example, I would love to see Harper and Rhen again and them getting the ending they deserve instead of all this crap, but at the same time I'm not sure I would be able to endure another book with Lia Mara. Although with another book maybe my love for Grey would return. I miss the Grey I used to know.
This author has many possibilities for a return to this world and I'm curious to see what she would do if that happens.

This review was actually painful to write. I had such high expectations for this book and I'm not sure I have ever read a book that disappointed me this much. I wanted to love it, but it jsut wasn't meant to be.

On a very last note, Rhen, Harper, *reluctanly turns to Grey* and you too, Grey, I'm gonna miss you guys. I hope we get to meet again.

FOR THE GOOD OF EMBERFALL!

~~I don't care about Syhl Shallow~~

______________________________

I guess I just found my most disappointing book of the year.
RTC.

Yun

Rating: really liked it
After loving the first two books of this series, I have just been bubbling with excitement, ready to completely immerse myself into what surely must be the epic last book of this trilogy. There is no way A Vow So Bold and Deadly would let me down, right?

Sigh.

Diving into this book was like diving into... nothing. Because nothing happens in the first half (that's 200 pages!) of this book. When we left off at the end of book 2, it was clear that war is coming. So I expected to jump right into war, or conflict, or excitement. But instead, we are treated to scene after scene of preparing for war, talking about war, training for war, and petty squabbles about war.

We are also treated to Lia Mara's insufferable dithering in pretty much every scene. In the previous book, it wasn't as irritating because she was still growing and figuring out where she belongs. But the character growth I expected out of her never materialized in this book. She is still doubting herself and never standing up for what she believes in, instead allowing everyone to walk all over her. She is constantly hesitating and gasping and being startled. At one point, she almost cried when there was food in front of her. Ugh, how am I supposed to cheer for her as a leader when she doesn't even have the courage to eat?

In this book, all four main characters' stories converge, and we get to see it from each of their perspectives. I have been looking forward to this, but it left me a little confused. Often, I didn't really understand each character's reasoning for doing what they were doing. They all say they want peace, but then their actions would make the other side believe the opposite, which leads to unnecessary conflict.

Thankfully, the plot finally starts to coalesce around the halfway point. And once the action gets going, all the things I have loved about this series up to now emerges again. My girl Harper is as badass as ever, showing courage and strength in the face of overwhelming adversity. Our favorite villain is back in force, wrecking havoc and destruction in our characters' lives. And Rhen and Grey come face to face again, and their interactions are as wonderful and heartwarming as I remember.

Don't get me wrong, this wasn't a bad book. But it was the weakest of the trilogy simply because it didn't have enough meat to fill out its bones. There was so much unnecessary filler in the beginning, it completely bogged down the pacing. And since all the action and development was saved for the end, the rest of the book felt meandering and plodding.

Still, I enjoyed the way the conclusion wrapped everything up, and felt it sufficiently brought a terrific series to its end. I'm just walking away a little disappointed that the last book of the trilogy wasn't as superb as the earlier ones.

My heartfelt thanks for the advance copy that was provided for my honest and unbiased review.

Maja - BibliophiliaDK ✨

Rating: really liked it
I AM SO DISAPPOINTED I MIGHT CRY 😭😭

I really feared this was what was going to happen with this book. I LOVED the first one SO MUCH! I loved Harper, Rhen and Grey. They second book caught me by surprise and didn't fully live up to the first but I was okay with it. But it also made me fear for the conclusion of this series. It made me fear, that the magic of the first book would be completely lost. Sadly, for me at least, that fear came true.

👎 What I Disliked 👎

Lia Mara: I was okay with Lia Mara in book two. She wasn't my favourite character, but I sympathised with her quest to be a more benevolent ruler than her mother and to bring peace to her people. But in this book she let me down completely. I couldn't like her because she never 'got into character' so to speak. She didn't step up to the plate. She didn't do what she set out to do because she was too busy second guessing herself and letting others make the tough decisions for her. It didn't sit well with me. I felt like she had such potential to be the greatest character, but Kemmerer let her down. Almost as if Kemmerer didn't really like her either...

Grey: Grey confuses me. He has for a while. I just don't understand his reasoning or his decision making process. It doesn't seem logical to me. I can't follow how he gets there. I simply don't understand him as a character.

Rhen: Now. Rhen is a real problem. I absolutely loved him in the first book. Absolutely hated him in the second. And now, with this book, we are somehow meant to love him again? It feels like a split personality. It doesn't make any sense. And when we here learn why Rhen was so terrible in the second book, it doesn't even come close to making up for his behaviour. I am deeply conflicted by this. I like character development, but there has to be a reason for it and it has to seem plausible. Rhen is not plausible.

Underwhelming: All in all this was just... underwhelming. There was too much talking and not enough walking, so to speak. This was definitely a character driven book, and when I didn't like 3 out of 4 characters it probably isn't so surprising that I am underwhelmed...

Follow me for more book loving content!
Blog ✨ Facebook ✨ Instagram ✨ Twitter
Blog Post: 15 Books to Read if You Love Jane Austen

spring ~♡

Rating: really liked it
This book is messier than my bedroom and I'm not even being sarcastic. (I wish I was though. Life would've been better)

I know this is probably going to be the only review with such a low rating and this is going to be one of the most unpopular opinion in the history of unpopular opinions but you know what? screw that.

Ugh! I'm so disappointed and frustrated right now I can't even...

The things ~~all of us~~ me wanted from this book:

- Rhen to be sorry for what he did. He needs to understand what a scumbag he is.

- Harper to slap Rhen hard. Possibly leave him for ~~forever~~ a couple of weeks so this guy would see her worth.

- Grey to learn more about his powers. Also squeeze Lilith. Around the neck. Hard.

- Lia Mara to "act like a queen" not a 24/7 insecure whinnying crybaby princess.

- Grey and Lia Mara to rule Syhl Shallow together. Harper and Rhen to rule Emberfall together. *and they starts living happily ever after* *sobs*

WHAT WE GOT:
(view spoiler)

Life was better before this book happened. Now all I want in my life is Lilith to come back. Stab Lia Mara, Grey, Rhen and Harper for atleast a million years. take Emberfall and Sylh Shallow for herself. THE END.

Layla

Rating: really liked it
~ 3 stars ~

This was pretty disappointing and definitely not the ending I wanted, and from what I gather from talking with other people, not the ending many people wanted.

I loved how it was setting up. I thought the plot was interesting and much better developed than the first two. It had more of a purpose and the pov's were more evenly balanced. Though that initial satisfaction didn't last too long I quite enjoyed it overall, same with the writing. It was a fast read, and I sped through it. But unfortunately it was not as good as the first two overall, and was just a let down. It could have done so much, it could have chosen so many different paths, but it chose the one that made the least sense.

The climax and downfall, and the entire ending in general was underhwlemig and unsatisfactory on many levels. Lot's of filler content, and it should have taken less time with the unnecessary and more time building the intensity for the fall of the villian. It should have focused a bit more on the conflict, so that when the climax happens it feels like it. I didn't mind the buildup at first, but it got tiering after a while. And once the climax did happen, it happened too fast, and before I knew it, the book was over.

This is not a terrible book, but quite mediocre. And I do not think it is redeemable, no matter if there is some sort of spin off or novella, though if there was one, I would read it. I wish this could have been a great finale to an overall solid series, but it was not.

Reviews for the first two books:

A Curse So Dark and Lonely

A Heart So Fierce and Broken

•••••
(3/3/21)

I've literaly been waiting for a copy to be available at the library for over a month because one of my 2021 goals is to not buy anymore books until I read at least half of my unread ones, and now it FINALLY is ready!

I'm both really excited and scared to start, just looking at all the mixed reviews I've seen .

Cait Jacobs (Caitsbooks)

Rating: really liked it
Thank you so much to Bloomsbury YA for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Quick Stats:
Overall: 5/5 Stars
Characters: 4.5/5
Setting: 4/5
Writing: 5/5
Plot and Themes: 5/5
Awesomeness Factor: 5/5
Review in a Nutshell: A Vow So Bold and Deadly is exactly what I wanted in a finale. It was epic, full of twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat, with amazing characters that I absolutely adored.

// Content Warning: Violence, Death, Torture, Chronic Illness, Suicide Mention, War Themes, Murder, PTSD //

Release Date: 1/26/2021
Publisher: Bloomsbury YA
Page Count: 416
Premise:
A Vow So Bold and Deadly is the final book in the Cursebreakers series, following all four of our previous POV characters as they head towards that inevitable conclusion that we’ve been dreading.

- Initial Thoughts -

I was scared to read this book. After A Heart so Fierce and Broken, I was left conflicted and concerned. The direction the plot was going in, and how some characters were treated, really bothered me, and I knew that the final book in this series will make me love it, or hate it.

I love it.

What scared me most about A Heart so Fierce and Broken was how it seemed to hint at a character having PTSD, but instead of addressing it, they made that character seem more villainous. A Vow So Bold and Deadly continues to show that characters struggle with PTSD, but the handling of it was so much better than in the previous book. I don’t want to spoil anything, but if you were upset about the direction that character went in in A Heart So Fierce and Broken, you’ll feel better after reading A Vow So Bold and Deadly.

- Characters -

But let's talk about all of our characters. We spend time with each of the main four protagonists in this book. In my opinion, Harper and Rhen stole the show. There was so much going on in their point of view, and I loved hearing more of their side of what happened in the previous books and how they’re dealing with the decisions they made. There was so much depth and development for the both of them (especially Rhen), and I couldn’t have been happier.

Lia Mara and Gray also get point of view chapters, and I did enjoy them, but I found their development to be a little weaker in comparison. Although, to be honest, it’d be pretty hard to compare to Harper and Rhen’s story here.

- Plot -

One of the things that I loved most about the first two books in this series was the addictive pacing and plot. Well, I can confirm: A Vow So Bold and Deadly still has it. I read this book in two sittings, but I definitely could have read it in one. I was glued to the page, always eager to see what was going to happen next. There were also fantastic twists in this book that I never could have predicted, that made me want to throw the book in shock.

- Conclusion -

Pros- Great character development, addictive, fun twists
Cons- I wish I cared more about Gray and Lia Mara than I did (but I know some people adore them so this definitely won’t be a problem for everyone)
Overall- 5/5 stars.
A Vow So Bold and Deadly was exactly what I was hoping it would be. While I’m so sad this series is over, I couldn’t imagine a better conclusion.

Follow Me Here: Blog ||Tumblr || Bookstagram || Twitter|| Reviews

~Calliope~

Rating: really liked it
4.5 Stars

Cardan Greenbriar

Rating: really liked it
description

Devanshi

Rating: really liked it
Warning: This review has been written by a Prince Rhen admirer. There are chances others might get hurt. And this is all over the place. No method. No order

One poor choice shouldn’t undo a thousand good ones.

So buckle up everyone. I'm gonna tell you a story about a series that could have been full five stars but the end takes one of those shining stars away. This is me trying to get over that end, if you can even call it an end.

So much loss, and yet there’s always room for more.

Let me get one thing cleared. I really love this series. I was so connected with the characters from the first book itself that I remember I binge read the first two books and was unable to sleep after the end of the second. I craved for this book then. And so whatever I say, it's because I didn't get the end I think this beautiful series deserved.

“I wonder if he would see me as a failure—and I also wonder if I would want a man like that to see me as a success.”

So if we get to the story, there was not a single moment I felt bored. Maybe the Lia Mara POV? But even then, I wanted to read the next page and the next. The plot is that engaging. The writing that beautiful. It is wonderfully crafted.

The Characters

Prince Rhen
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.

Rhen is and will always remain the best thing of this series. The way he took all the brute of Lillith's torture to protect his people and Harper really hurt the deepest part of me. And after everything that happened, how can he NOT get the ending he deserved. Like what is even the point of book 1 and 2 if we are here. I think he redeemed himself plenty before reaching here. And it's not like he was the only one with poor choices.

He suffered from Lillith's torture. He was the one whose guards and family were killed. He lost an eye. He lost Harper for a while. He lost his friend. He begged to be killed multiple times. And then he lost his kingdom? The only thing that had kept him going for so long and would have even had him going through everything again if he had a chance he could protect it. What did Grey lose? A game of dice????
(Okay. I'm feeling a bit better after that)

Harper
“Go ahead,” she whispers. “Take me home. Let’s see how long you live on my side.”

Harper is still my cool badass girl. I love her. Literally everything about her makes her one of the best female protagonists!! She can be kind and helping but when necessary she can just pin the scariest enchantress to the ground😂.

Grey

Language and politics don’t matter once a blade is flying. All that matters here is skill.

If you leave behind how he went from I-dont-want-your-throne to can-you-be-my-advisor, I actually like him. Definitely not the same extent as Rhen (that's immeasurable) but I liked how he did have something for Rhen. How he did want to help in the middle of the impossible situation.

Lia Mara

I am not my mother

I really can't find ANYTHING other for her. Wait. Is she even a character with a development. You want peace. I get it lady and I respect it. But just repeating that again and again with null actions doesn't make it happen. She is such a bland character. I might have even skimmed through her chapters.

The relationships

Rhen and Harper

“Yield to yourself. Yield to forgiveness. Yield to happiness. Yield to this moment. It’s not hers. It’s yours. It’s mine. It’s ours.”

After a very long time, I got to read a really beautiful relationship. I was begging for just one moment more between these two. In spite of the choices they made they stood together and understood each other. Still, I didn't get the proper END I wanted!!!

Grey and Lia Mara

Forgive me but I don't have a quote here. It was just meh. They had their sweet moments but no. Not for me.

Rhen and Grey

Grey clasps my hand, his grip tight. “You and me, Brother. For the good of all.”

Despite everything that happened between them, all those betrayals, stupid choices, miscommunications or lack of communications, these two have a beautiful relationship. Both feel for each other. It was made clear from the very start that neither of them wanted a war. My eyes might have moistened at their reunion (tho that may have more to do with Rhen on his knees yielding and begging to be killed)

Grey and Harper

“As I said once before, I could have chosen no one better, my lady.”

That is one friendship that's done so well. I really loved all those moments they talked because it felt like Harper knew Grey's depths more than Lia Mara.

Overall? If I was not THAT mad at the ending, this was definitely a solid 5 star and I still might have cut that 1 star more because of emotions rather than being realistic. Because many would agree with that ending. I, for the life of me, can't. It hurts. The way Rhen's having an existential crisis after EVERYTHING he suffered from. It just effing hurts.

“You once told me that when the world seems darkest, there exists the greatest opportunity for light.”
She nods at me in the mirror, but then her eyes fill again.
“Sometimes I worry that the light can be doused too easily.”
“Then we just light it again,”

Well, this rant certainly made me feel better.

Silver hell!

I'm so torn right now😖

RTC

Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin

Rating: really liked it
I loved the first book so much and the second book was good but I’m truly not going to read these again. I’ll get them on kindle on sale but I’m unhauling the hardbacks.

I love Grey and I appreciate that ending with Grey and Rhen but I just didn’t love the book itself. Such is life .... whatever life truly is any more.....

Mel 🖤🐶🐺🐾

Arini ~ Miss Casually Reading

Rating: really liked it
#1 A Curse So Dark and Lonely — 3 Stars
#2 A Heart So Fierce and Broken — 3 Stars

You know when you’re reading a book and you feel like you’re moving but not going anywhere??? Then when you get to the last page, you feel bereft because you thought, ‘Wait, that’s it??? But the characters barely accomplished anything!!!’ Well, there you go. That’s basically this book for you.

I felt like I was reading the beginning from start to finish as if this book didn’t have a middle and an end. The characters were just moping around on their side of the castles, and things didn’t pick up until the last few chapters. Even then, some things still felt unconcluded at the end despite the fact that this was marketed as the conclusion/final book.

*Spoilery Thoughts*
Prince Rhen: Am I the only one thinking he was just so weak and lame in this book?? I liked that he only hesitated for a ~short~ time telling Harper about Lilith’s comeback, but at the same time I wish he’d told her sooner. I mean, did you see how fast she handled the situation?? She didn’t even cower and literally stabbed her the moment Lilith *poofed* herself into existence.

Harper: I loved that she stuck by Rhen even when everyone else didn’t and (until the moment Rhen confided in her) she herself didn’t quite understand what had changed him. Not to mention, even when he was being a jerk considering how much they fought in this book. Honestly, why did everyone put up with his sh!t and forgave him easily just because he was tortured by Lilith?!

Lia Mara: She was whiny and full of self-doubt. While I empathized with the burden she carried, I was also frustrated and often wanted to shout, ‘STOP CRYING AND DO SOMETHING!!!’ 😭 Her sister was even more annoying with her “advising” because the way she voiced them didn’t seem genuinely supportive but felt showy and demeaning as if she believed herself she was more capable than Lia Mara in rulling their kingdom.

Grey: He was noticeably ~still~ in this book, like he pretty much didn’t do anything for 80% of it. I don’t understand his sudden willingness to rule. Sure, he was the true heir and whatnot, but I feel like it’d make more sense if Rhen stayed in power and them as brothers. Also, I didn’t expect we’d come out of this with him having a baby with Lia Mara. With everything going on, that was just too soon IMO.

I know some people have rockier journey with this series compare to my rather steady one (though I admit I was being generous with this installment), but I hope this is it—goodbye. Despite the loose ends, I don’t want to waste time reading another mediocre book that doesn’t know how to tie itself in unity with the rest of its mates in the series.

(Read as an Audiobook)

Detail

A Vow So Bold and Deadly (Cursebreakers #3)

Must be read