Vows and Ruins
By Helen Scheuerer
🎧 Narrated by: Mollie Stark and Sebastian Grove 
Series: Legends of Thezzmar, Book 2 
Book 55 of 2024 – Backlist Review
Do you find yourself rating some genres more harshly than others?

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Vows and Ruins is book 2 of a planned 4 book series + 1 companion novel “Slaying the Shadow Prince” that should be read after Book 2! Definitely read them in order. (Thanks  @bella_bibliophile_bello & @lindzzlillibrary for walking me through the series!)

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I love when a series gives me consistent vibes, you know? I may not know how it’s going to end but I have an idea of how it’s going to make me feel? I felt like Vows and Ruins matched the plotting and intensity of book 1, with a little more spice. I read it so quickly that I don’t know that I can give this review a lot of depth, but I definitely recommend it for when you are looking for something fast paced! 

I initially gave it 4 stars, but as I’m thinking more about it, I’m upping it to 5 stars. It’s absolutely giving what it set out to give, and I loved every minute of it. The only reason I want to rate it lower is because it hasn’t immediately entered that highest peak obsession, but I really wish I could rate those above 5 stars anyway. 

🎧 I love these narrators, they fit their characters so well! Since most of the major worldbuilding happened in book one, I didn’t have any trouble listening to this via audiobook exclusively. 

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Truly my toxic trait as a fantasy/romantasy reader is that I hold fantasy books up to a higher standard of excellence than any other genre. Like, if I finish a fantasy book and am capable of reading anything else, it’s not good? If I am anything less than completely obsessed, do I even like fantasy? I don’t feel this way about any other genre, to be clear, just fantasy. I can read a romance book, remember 0% of the plot or characters, and happily give it 5 stars. 

I think it comes down to my obsessions with the HP & ACOTAR series. I don’t know how to be chill about fantasy. I don’t know how to be a casual fan. If I don’t feel the compulsive need to memorize every detail about the book, what’s even the point? 

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QotD: Do you find yourself rating some genres more harshly than others? Last book you gave 5 stars? 

.    .   .   .   .   .    .  book synopsis   .   .   .   .    .   .   .   .  

Against all odds, Althea Zoltaire emerged from her trials as a champion. Now, she must train even harder and prepare herself to become a true warrior of Thezmarr.

But Thea’s world is turned upside down as she struggles to navigate her newfound magic and uncover the secrets of her past. Slowly, she begins to untangle the truth about her family, her powers and the evil that threatens to engulf the kingdom.

When Wilder Hawthorne returns to be her official mentor, everything changes. Dark forces are gathering, and he will stop at nothing to prepare her for the challenges to come, even if it means breaking her.

As war looms and their quest for answers leads master and apprentice deeper into danger, the undeniable connection between them intensifies – defying all odds, but also threatening to tear them apart.

With secrets unravelling and evil closing in, Thea and Wilder fight to save the world, and each other. The fate of the realms rests in their hands – will they emerge victorious, or will the darkness consume them both?

Full of action, adventure and steamy romance, Vows & Ruins is the second book in the spellbinding epic romantic fantasy series, The Legends of Thezmarr and is perfect for fans of The Bridge Kingdom, From Blood and Ash and The Witcher.