A Vow in Vengeance was a compelling read with a new twist on fantasy. I was fully invested in the concept of magic through tarot cards. However, when I started reading about the academy I was a bit skeptical it would be like other romantasy books with similar settings, but I was pleasantly surprised. I found the book to be unique and utterly captivating.

My only wish is that this book would have gone a bit more in detail with world building and character descriptions. Although everything was written beautifully I felt there was room for more.

3.75 ⭐️ I thought this was a great debut - especially for a fantasy romance! I found Rune to be such a likable character and Draven is one swoony MMC. My only critiques with this book are on the length and world building. I felt like this book was missing some valuable time and relationship building - I think adding 100+ pages more allow for Rune and Draven's relationship to really develop as well as show stronger relationships with the ensemble characters. In terms of world building, I LOVE the idea of the tarot cards but found it confusing at time, especially with understanding how people can use them but then the Major and Minor Arcana. I probably will read this again to try and see what details I might have missed.

Overall, I loved reading about this world and the characters! I definitely want to keep reading and see how this story will continue to unfold.

Thank you to NetGalley, Zando | Slowburn, and Jaclyn Rodriguez for the opportunity to read this eARC for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

Unique magic systems, impending war, a devilishly handsome MMC and a FMC ready to rip the world in two- what else do you need?

I really enjoyed the different magic systems in this novel. At first the "info dumping" seemed tedious, but I picked it up fairly quickly. I really enjoyed the main characters, as well as MOST of the side characters. Some were well articulated while others just fell flat for me.

The world-building and plot made this incredibly difficult to put down. The author's use of continuous story progression kept me hooked the entire time.

thank you so much for the approval- i cannot wait to dive in, this is one of my most anticipated reads of 2026! i will be sure to leave a review on GR/retailers to come! 💞

This book was nothing like I expected... in the best way possible. This book is both jam-packed with world-building, history, unique magic, all the political stirring, dark academia vibes, and the best tropes. I cannot wait to see what happens in the next instalment. Especially after those final vows enacted Rune and Draven.... I cannot believe that everyone will have to wait until January to get their hands on this book. Now I will anxiously wait for longer for book 2! VERY ANXIOUSLY!

It was okay. Like many other current romantasy books there is an emphasis on shadow daddies and trials but it does it just fine.

The writing was good then heroine was appealing and personable and I would recommend.

This is a HIGH fantasy book which made it difficult for me to get into the beginning (as with lots of high fantasy books). However, once I started the story, it pulled me in! There was not too much world building as with some fantasy books so I enjoyed that, as I felt like there was constant action in the book and it was never dull! My favorite parts of the book would bethat it has lots of action, slow burn, and THE BANTER!!! The banter was some of the best I read in a long time! Overall as with any books published by Zando and especially Slowburn, it was amazing! I will definitely be picking up the next book/rest of this series! This book will be all over the book community and worth the hype in my opinion! For me this book was a 4.5/5 just because of the beginning but if you love high fantasy then this book will be a 5/5.

If you’re looking for: high fantasy, forced proximity, enemies to lovers, fake dating, academia, tarot card magic, and lots of snark and banter…. Pick this book up ASAP!

Thank you the NetGalley and Zando for the arc of this book!

I consider myself an overcritical reader. I’m the kind of person who looks for mistakes in the words, the meanings, the narrative, in everything. Knowing that, I’m also the kind of person who gets frustrated when I find them because they instantly make me enjoy a book less, turning it into some kind of a waste of time in the back of my mind to the point it becomes a DNF sometimes (I know, it’s ridiculous, and yes, my therapist is working on it).

I needed to tell you this so you can understand that this book has many many mistakes. And yet I couldn’t stop myself from reading it and enjoying it immensely.

A Vow in Vengeance is a mix of everything I’ve already read before: Enemies to lovers? Check. A rebel FMC? Check. A black-haired shadow daddy covered in tattoos? Check. A magic system more told than shown? Check.

HOWEVER (and the reason for the upper case is because you might disagree with me hardly on this) even the most cliche and basic things can turn enjoyable when done correctly.

Let me explain further and point it out what stood out in this books for me:

Despite this being a romantasy, the main plot isn’t forgotten as soon as the main couple get closer, which is huge considering how things have been going in the current books. The FMC keeps her head in place, knowing what she wants and going after it, even with the romance on the horizon. She doesn’t lose her autonomy and that was one of the main things that made me love this book.

The MMC, despite being sarcastic and aesthetically generic, doesn’t solve everything with violence and anger, using good strategy and dialogue to solve problems instead of just growling every five minutes.

The magic system is really interesting, although the background folclore behind it wasn’t explained thoroughly and it’s more told than shown, which made me think several times that the limitations of its use are very subjective and mostly decided by the author in each occasion instead of established by the plot. Nonetheless, it was very fun to read it.

And last but not least (actually, I think it was the most important thing that made me enjoy this book) is the author’s prose. The writing is really well weaved, the metaphors and the dialogues are actually amazing and even the unidimensional characters that were there to be tools for the main characters had solid presence and were interesting in their own way.

Honestly, this is one of the best written romantasies I’ve read in the last 10 years or so and despite all the problems I found (that I honestly think could be solved with simple editing) the author will be on my radar from now on. If this is just her debut, once her writing gets fully fledged and sophisticated, she might be able to single-handedly destroy the bad reputation of the writing quality from the romantasy genre.

(But girl, please remove the analog sexting scene, it was totally uncalled for.)

A Vow in Vengeance

Firstly thank you to netgalley for approving me to read this Arc and also thank you to the Author Jaclyn Rodriguez for writing this book.

I wasn’t really sure what I would find when I opened this arc, but it was so far above my expectations (in a good way) this is the type of fantasy I love, a book that grips you from the very beginning.

It had immortals, mortals, magic, tarot cards, Wyvern, druids and soooo much more. I won’t say it’s similar to anything else because it isn’t for me. It’s a story all by itself with no comparisons.

To give you a little backstory, Rune is a mortal whose family have been separated by the immortals beyond the wall. And she only has one thing in mind Vengeance for her stolen loved ones.

It pains me to know you all have to wait until next year before it’s published (13th January 2026 make a note of that) and it also pains me to know I’m going to have to wait quite some time for book 2 to see how it develops, as soon as it’s released I’m definitely grabbing a copy.

I can’t wait for you all to read it x

I will also be adding the review to my TikTok page and instagram page tomorrow (11th June) I will link both pages below

A mortal wraith finds herself a student in a magical school ran by the ones who took everything from her. Magic, tarot, and an academy…all the fun things that are so hot right now merged into one unforgettable tale.

The world building is perfect and the tarot magic is so unique I was blown away. This magic system has a steep learning curve, luckily we get to walk through it with the FMC at the academy, building our knowledge naturally. There was definitely great banter, chemistry and a slow burn between the main characters that had me hooked. The amount of interruptions these enemies to lovers had was so stressful it kept me up all hours of the night! From unexpected twists and turns to the character development, this romantasy gives a refreshing take on the usual tropes.

Fantastic Romantasy book for fans of Fourth Wing and ACOTAR. Rodriguez has created a brilliant world based on Tarot magic, something I was really unfamiliar with prior to this book, but quickly became enamored with. I absolutely loved the banter between Rune and Draven and can see him quickly becoming the internet's next book boyfriend. I'm just mad that I have to wait until NEXT YEAR for everyone to experience this book. Can't wait to see what how the series unfolds!

Wow wow wow. What a great example of the genre: as others have said, if you love fourth wing or any of the Sarah J Maas books then you’ll love this too. Great world building and relationship development. I couldn’t put it down.

5 stars for me, as it kept me reading until the early morning hours. I was barely functional besides reading…

Is it something completely new?
No, many elements are familiar from other romantasies like „Fourth Wing“s Academy setting or the blackhaired, violet-eyed, broody MMC.
Do I care about that? Not really, there are only so many eye- and hair-colors…and in my head, no matter the description, they all look like a young Henry Cavill anyway.

For me this works as I will never be able to read ACOTAR, The Kindreds Curse or The Empyrean a first time again. So I am happy to find similar tropes in other books.
If I want a complex high fantasy with new complex worlds and mechanics I turn to Brandon Sanderson, but in Romantasy I want to feel at home and I want my heroes to be happy in the end.

New for me was the magic system with a well-developed detailed Tarotcard-basis. At the start that confused me, but obviously the FMC, who is thrown into this realm, has her issues with that too. So, it is kind of mirroring.

Spice level was so far low, but I did not miss it. The story was captivating, lots of banter had me laughing out loud at times.

Jaclyn Rodriguez writing style made for an enjoyable and effortless read.

E. g. in the course of the story, you will encounter the following tropes:

•⁠ ⁠Enemies to Lovers
•⁠ ⁠Slow-burn (still burning)
•⁠ ⁠wings
•⁠ ⁠forced proximity
•⁠ ⁠he trains her
•⁠ ⁠Academy setting
•⁠ ⁠well, no dragons so far, but draken and wyvern

So, readers, who liked „Fourth Wing“, Spark of the Everflame“ or a „Court this Cruel and Lovely“ should put this definitely on their reading list.

I am looking forward to the next book, I am expecting a bit more world building and I really need to know if she gets wings!

A Vow of Vengeance is a dark fantasy romance woven with secrets, simmering tension, and a heroine fueled by revenge. While strong on its own, it echoes several popular fantasy series. Still, it brings action, angst, and a fierce heroine on a deadly path.

Tropes
✅️ Hidden Identity
✅️ Magic School / Training Grounds
✅️ Revenge Quest
✅️ Forbidden Love
✅️ He Falls First
✅️ Found Family
✅️ Fated Mates Vibes
✅️ Enemies-to-Lovers
✅️ Strong Heroine / Warrior FMC

📖Storyline
At just fourteen, the FMC loses everything. Her father and brother are taken during the Selection, a brutal ceremony where one hundred mortals are chosen by the Immortals every ten years. Her mother, in a desperate attempt to avoid the selection and protect the FMC, disappears. Believed to have been taken as well, the FMC is left completely alone.

In this world, mortals live under the oppressive rule of Immortals powerful, near-untouchable beings divided into three distinct castes, each wielding unique forms of magic. When the selection occurs, these Immortals descend like gods, choosing their "tithe" from the mortal population.

Fuelled by grief, rage, and the echo of a family stolen from her, the FMC spends years training in secret. She hardens herself into a weapon, then takes a dangerous step to be selected, joining the very empire that destroyed her life. Disguised and determined, she enters the Immortals’ elite training grounds to dismantle them from within.

But what she didn’t plan for was the connection she feels to her commanding officer, a prince burdened by duty, secrets, and a darkness that mirrors her own. As buried truths emerge and tarot-bound magic stirs, she’s forced to question everything. Her vengeance is no longer a straight path, and she might be far more powerful and less alone than she ever believed.

🎭Characters
Our FMC is all grit and shadows calculated, cunning, and so easy to root for. The MMC? Swoon. Protective but not overbearing, emotionally complex with that tortured softness I crave. Their chemistry is tension-laced perfection.
And the side characters? Chef's kiss. Banter-filled found family vibes, especially between the combatants, gave that siblings-but-not energy that made me laugh and ache at the same time.

✍️ Writing & Pacing
Jaclyn Rodriguez’s writing is sharp and emotionally immersive, especially when it comes to tension, banter, and inner turmoil. The pacing is well balanced, action-packed moments broken up with emotional introspection and slow-burn chemistry that simmers throughout.

That said, the writing style and structure felt heavily inspired by other popular fantasy titles. From chapter openings with communication snippets to familiar character dynamics and academy settings, there were strong Fourth Wing vibes that sometimes pulled me out of the story. It occasionally felt like a blend of Sarah Mass, The Hunger Games, Dark Window, and Fourth Wing in a way that didn’t always feel subtle. The use of tarot cards as a magical tool, while cool, is something I’ve seen repeated across multiple recent ARCs, making it feel less original here.

Still, the worldbuilding is compelling, the emotional beats land, and the story delivers a gripping arc of revenge, power, and unexpected connection.

🧠 Final Thoughts
Vow of Vengeance delivers a gripping, emotional journey packed with vengeance, found family, and forbidden connection. The worldbuilding is rich with lore, magic, and political tension, and I was fully invested in the FMC’s mission and emotional unravelling. While the story stands on its own, the heavy inspiration from other popular fantasies was hard to ignore and occasionally pulled me out of the experience.

Still, I flew through the pages. The banter hit, the tension built beautifully, and the ending left me desperate for more. If you're in the mood for a morally grey romance wrapped in rebellion and magic with familiar beats and a fierce heroine, this one's worth picking up

Overall Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 but rounded up ( mainly due to it being too similar to other popular books in an unsubtle way)

Who Would Love This Book
🖤 Readers obsessed with morally grey leads
🖤 Anyone who screams at enemies-to-lovers tension
🖤 If you want a heroine who is as deadly as she is soft
🖤 Those who live for a story built on vengeance, loyalty, and love that hurts

This book has it all: world building, slow burn, twists and turns... chef's kiss! I was super intrigued by the use of tarot cards throughout, which could have been a flop, but somehow totally worked for this plot. It was a bit slow moving at points, but I have to believe (and hope in all my heart) that the author took her time creating this world and all its fantastic characters to set us up for a thrill-ride of a story in the sequel. I cannot wait! Draven! He is the perfect mix of good and bad boy. MUST READ!

WOWWW!! I loved everything about this book, genuinely. The descriptions of the world, tarot, power system, ETC!! were so unique and fun. I loved both of the main characters as well as the background characters! The banter…. The spice….the action…. I’m eagerly awaiting the rest of the series.

“Until fate has her say, and time washes away the name on my grave… you are mine.”

A Vow in Vengeance is, without hesitation, my book of the year so far. In my opinion, this is everything good and right about the up-and-coming Romantasy genre: the perfect amount of flirty tension and romance mixed with worldbuilding that enhances the main couple rather than detracting from them.

Draven Vos has officially dethroned every other book boyfriend I thought I had. Somewhere between his colour-changing eyes and his "hatefully and adoringly" devotion to Rune, I lost all sense of judgement... and dignity.

The best part about this book? The electric, flirty banter between the main couple. Never before have I laughed and kicked my feet so hard when reading a book. I would struggle to say that this is a slow-burn. The magnetic chemistry between Rune and Draven is immediately palpable and leaves the couple struggling to stay away from each other (not to mention the forced proximity and one-bed trope). I would also argue that, because of this, the book very loosely follows the enemies-to-lovers definition, so readers, take that trope with a pinch of salt.

The magic system is unique, well-explained and surprisingly easy to follow. The magic academy setting is a fun backdrop that facilitates the reader's learning process, but at the end of the book, it left me wanting more. One minor flaw I found was the depth of the side-characters in the overall plotline. I enjoyed reading Rune interacting with her new allies (and potential enemies), but found myself sometimes mixing them up and forgetting their individual backgrounds. However, with the focus being on the romance, this flaw did not detract from the overall emotional experience that was A Vow in Vengeance.

Thank you, Zando and NetGalley, for the privilege of reading this ARC!

this felt like a very formulaic romantasy - a blend of a bunch of different books (one dark window, hunger games, fourth wing...) and I just didn't really care about the world or any of the characters. it didn't feel fresh or original to me. the writing was fine, but I didn't like much else.

thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC!

Thank you NetGalley & Zando publishing for this arc! I am so absolutely in love with this book. I devoured it from front to back !!! This is definitely my favorite Romantasy of the year !! Jaclyn Rodriguez did such a beautiful job at bringing this fantasy to life. It had all my favorite romance tropes: fated mates, enemies to lovers, forced proximity. The magic system was unique with tarot card magic. Setting took place in a high stakes academy and had different kingdoms. The world building was easy to comprehend and understand. What I loved the most were the plot twists scattered throughout the book. I was on the edge of my seat thinking one thing and then BOOM something else occurred! The author did an amazing job at making it a fantasy with romance and adventure. I cannot wait to recommend this book! The only downside is that it doesn’t come out until January 2025!!

4.5 ⭐️

This was so good!! I couldn’t put it down. The pacing was excellent, the magic system was really unique, and I ate up magic school setting.

Rune and Draven are what made the story for me, the banter and tension was perfect. Rune was bold and vulnerable, I loved seeing her character develop throughout the book. Draven though, i’m OBSESSED. He really made the book for me, he was strong and protective but soft when it came to Rune.

I would have liked more backstory and depth from the side characters but I also don’t feel it took away from the story. so excited to see what happens in book two!

Thank you net galley and the publisher for the arc <3