I love tarot based magic but I feel like more could have been done with this! The pacing in this book was all over the place - i think some consistency would benefit the book!

Have you ever read a book where the trope bingo card fills itself in before you even hit chapter five? That was me here. Chosen one vibes, dark lord aesthetics, the usual fantasy checklist — and honestly, it made it hard for me to sink into the story. I didn’t really click with it until about 75%.

That said, once things did pick up, the emotional payoff and intensity kept me hooked. The last stretch delivered the kind of drama and heartache I’d been waiting for, even if it was a rough climb to get there.

Well what a book! The only other book I’ve ever read about cards was One Dark Window but this book is so magnificent and interesting. Arcana as it’s called is such a cool way of looking at magic and handling a deck of cards like a pro magician. This book starts with Rune and Draven as enemies, him the bastard Prince picking the lowly humans for their ritual and Rune the lowly human volunteering for said ritual with very ulterior motives. Enemies to lovers, fake fated mates, touch her and die, slow burn, found family all of my favorite tropes in one “magical” book. I’m so glad I got this arc because I am hooked. Jaclyn Rodriguez wrote a swoon worthy morally gray princeling and a morally gray FMC and they’re perfect for each other. 5 stars for me. Thank You Netgally and Jaclyn Rodriguez for allowing me to to arc this debut novel. It was amazing

4⭐

Thank you to Jaclyn Rodrigues and Zando Slowburn for the ARC.

"𝐇𝐞’𝐬 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐲 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭’𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐫𝐞, 𝐝𝐫𝐚𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐲 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐦𝐨𝐭𝐡 𝐭𝐨 𝐚 𝐟𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐞, 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐈’𝐥𝐥 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐝. 𝐍𝐨 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐬𝐭."

𝐀 𝐕𝐨𝐰 𝐢𝐧 𝐕𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 is a sexy, action-packed, and brimming with tarot magic, an unputdownable romantasy debut, the first Installment in the Immortal Desires series.

As someone who LOVES tarot-based magic systems, this book was one of my most anticipated titles! I absolutely loved the same academia setting and the wonderful magic system and was pleasantly surprised to see how unique this system was and how it adapted to the narrative.

The author draws intrigue from the very first page, luring the readers into intrigue. This made me want to continue reading because there was so much mystery and secrets lurking everywhere. I was hooked from the prologue — a very emotional one that shaped the course of action for this book.

The world-building is rich and immersive. Rune Ryker, the FMC, is forced to journey into the Immortal Realms, but she orchestrates her own selection, determined to find her family. This tale takes place in a ruthless magical academy in the Immortal Realms — the Forge, where Druids draw powers from tarot cards and learn how to use them. The lush backdrop of dark academia is something that had me enthralled, from the uniforms, ancient rituals, classes for magic, and danger.

The magic system is tarot based, which was something that was very well explored within the time frame they had. It has a lot of potential and open endings for more exploration in the next book which I'm excited for.

𝐑𝐮𝐧𝐞 𝐑𝐲𝐤𝐞𝐫 is the human turned changeling who orchestrated her own selection into the Immortal Realms. Her family was ripped away from her, one by one, at a young age and she is determined to reunite with them, and she's willing to do anything for them, even if it means death and destruction. She's an understandably angry character because of everything she's been through. She's fiercely protective of the people she cares about and is stubborn about it. She's dealing with grief and anger which is portrayed so well to make her character feel real.

𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐃𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐕𝐨𝐬 𝐃𝐲𝐧𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐲 is a shape and mysterious character, whose intentions are unknown but his grumpiness knows no limit. He's brooding, constantly holding secrets. From the very first page, you can feel the intrigue behind him because of the secrets he carries.

Rune and Draven's romance wasn't instantly grown. Their forced proximity along with the banter, tension and anger created the perfect slowburn romance dynamic for them. The forced proximity trope gave them the perfect push to fuel their romance and the chemistry they had was just perfect.

There were so many secrets and adventures throughout the narrative. The last hundred pages were action packed, with romance, adventure, betrayals, revelations and plot twists that had my jaw down. It was non-stop movement of the narrative at that point and I was here for it all!

I cannot wait for the next installment of this series!

I read this in Netgalley. I loved it. the magic system is so cool. it had everything that I love in a fanatsy novel. Awesome main female character, great atmosphere, fantastic villains, slow burn, string friends and family connections. I just loved the entire thing, the ending killed me in the best way. I loved the writing style too, descriptive and immersion without being tedious. Fantastic read!!!

This book had me hooked from the start. A Vow in Vengeance is dark, emotional, and full of twists that kept me guessing. I loved the mix of romance, danger, and betrayal—it made the story feel really intense and addictive.

The main character was such a standout. I loved her strength and determination, even when everything around her felt impossible. And the love interest? Complicated in all the best ways. Their chemistry had me completely invested, and I found myself rooting for them even when I wasn’t sure if I should.

I enjoyed this romantasy as it's well plotted, fascinating world building, and entertaining. . I liked the good storytelling and the romance and fantasy elements are mixed
Recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

This book is a captivating start to what promises to be an addictive fantasy romance series. The author delivers a unique and original magical system, blending rich fantasy with touches of esotericism. And that’s exactly the kind of worldbuilding that pulls me in and refuses to let go.

At its heart, this is an enemies-to-lovers, fake-dating, slow burn romance, and it executes those tropes beautifully. The tension is high, the stakes are even higher, and every interaction between the leads feels charged. The FMC is unapologetically badass, layered with depth and a streak of female rage that makes her instantly compelling. Both main characters are well-developed, and their emotional journeys kept me hooked throughout.

The world itself is vividly described, immersive, and left me wanting to know so much more about its lore and secrets. Jaclyn Rodriguez builds a setting that feels both fresh and familiar, balancing lush details with forward momentum in the plot.

And then there’s the ending. Without spoiling anything, let’s just say: cliffhanger. A brutal one. I already can’t wait for book two, I need it in my hands as soon as possible!!

I requested an ARC of this on netgalley after seeing at least one author like talking about it on insta!

It was fine. A bit like a mash up of fourth wing and one dark window - even with the “unsent correspondence” bits at the beginning of some chapters.

The MMC felt very generic romantasy, but I liked the banter and his sassy attitude.

I think this would’ve felt a little different had I not read things like fourth wing and one dark window.

Overall, a solid read.

I had a lot of fun with this book! The use of tarot cards as a magic source was so cool! It was also refreshing to see druids instead of fae which have kinda dominated the fantasy genre these past few years.

I ended up loving Rune’s character. I was a little nervous that she was gonna be like every other stabby FMC but SHE WAS A BADDIE THROUGH AND THROUGH 👏🏻👏🏻

Also, let’s talk about Draven for a minute. Wings, powerful magic AND a prince who’s willing to burn the world for Rune? I’M SAT.

This book had everything I wanted. Powerful magic, tarot, fated mates, magic academy, hidden secrets, slow burn and a lil spice. I ate this book up in a matter of days and stayed up late just to finish it. This is definitely a book I recommend once it comes out and will continue to yap about forever.

To be completely honest, I had a hard time finishing "A Vow in Vengeance".

Rune, our main character, kept talking about the rage she feels along with all of the training she did in order to be a wraith, but at some point it starts to feel like it's just all talk. She never actually shows us anything, and we expect the prince to notice her because, what... she's glaring at him? And then they just so happens to both be in the strongest on campus, roommates on top of that? It simply felt a bit too convenient and I tend not to be the biggest fan of these kind of storylines and tropes; however, this is simply my own preference and if you liked Fourth Wing, you will probably love this one.

The book itself wasn't badly written and the magic system as well as the premise of the book was pretty interesting and it started out really strong (honestly, I struggled to keep reading it after Rune and Draven meet). It simply wasn't my cup of tea. Too bad!

I’d like to thank the author, publisher and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this arc.

A Vow in Vengeance by Jaclyn Rodriguez is a dark, spellbinding debut that blends dark academia, tarot-based magic, and a simmering enemies-to-lovers romance. Set in the eerie Forge academy, where immortal druids rule and magic always comes with consequences, the story follows Rune Ryker who is a fierce, grief-stricken heroine determined to survive, no matter the cost. Her raw, stubborn voice makes her journey both emotional and gripping, especially as she grapples with family loyalty and the dangerous powers she’s only beginning to unlock. Enter Draven, the brooding, secretive love interest whose push-pull dynamic with Rune is filled with tension, banter, and deliciously slow-burn attraction. While some pacing lulls and lighter worldbuilding moments keep it from absolute perfection, the intensity of the stakes, the strong emotional core, and that jaw-dropping ending make this a standout debut. If you love tarot magic, morally gray characters, and a heroine who refuses to play nice, this series opener absolutely belongs on your romantasy radar.

This book is super fast paced. I plan to purchase this and reread so I can annotate. I enjoyed this over all. I loved the magic system, I enjoyed the characters and was not bored at all.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the EARC.

This is a 5 star read - I could NOT believe it's Jaclyn's debut novel - it was phenomenal.

Dare I say it gave me like.... Fourth Wing x Harry Potter vibes? SO good

We follow Rune, who gets selected into the Druids - they think she's joining an army, she's really seeking revenge and looking to find her parents and brother who were taken in years previous.

The magic used in this book was different - tarot cards. They had classes to learn all the Arcana magic.

Strong FMC and MMC - and all the background characters were great.

I LOVED IT! Cannot wait for book 2. I need book 2... right now..

This has taken me a little while to compose my thoughts because, to be honest, they were a bit erratic. Anyway, let's get into it shall we.

I would like to preface this by saying I read a lot of fantasy, a lot of fantasy series, and a lot of good fantasy that sticks with me. That being said, I felt that I was reading a book I have already read ("I think I've seen this film before"). It was like an amalgamation of different popular YA/Fantasy/Dystopian books. I'm not sure if this is because I noticed it once (the 'issue' in this book is extremely Hunger Games-esq) and continued to notice it throughout because it was on my mind, or if it really was that obvious.

Again, it was probably a bit unfortunate that I've read so many fantasy books because the magic in this was very One Dark Window. The tarot cards were really interesting, I just didn't feel like I got enough detail about they way they actually work, how they interact, any side-effects, etc. The magic is so cool, and I love the idea of power being tied to tarot, I wish there was more on it.

The characters were very one-dimensional. I found I didn't care about them and, in the high stakes moments, I wasn't interested. The romance was 'meh' and not quite believable due to the lack of chemistry. I always have a problem when a description says 'enemies to lovers' and they are quite obviously not enemies. Our FMC has a pretty immediate dislike of the MMC, based on stereotypes that lasts all of 3 hours. It was more like 'I am mildly annoyed by your presence' to 'lovers'.

In terms of pacing, it felt like an odd place to begin in the story, though I can't really explain why. I suppose we don't get a lot of background and the only information comes from small memories and massive info-dumps. Rune seems to know a lot of people with a lot of information which is oddly convenient. From the ending, I'm assuming this is a series? If so, the last ~50 or so pages felt unnecessarily rushed and could've done with a bit more development, in my opinion.

And, finally, the language/naming. The MMC's name is Draven. Yes. As in Dragon x Raven. The FMC is Rune, which isn't bad, but I didn't vibe with the full name of Rune Ryker. The two main places are Sedah (Hades backwards) and Nevaeh (Heaven backwards) which honestly made me sigh aloud when I realised. A lot of the naming felt very on the nose, more of a tell not show, which is also how some of the other plot points also felt.

I had really high hopes for this. The premise sounded fantastic but the execution fell flat for me, which was so disappointing.

The magic in this world is centered around Tarot cards,and lately I've been loving the tarot card magic systems. Each person has an affinity to a specific tarot card, and that card grants them a unique magical ability, and I’m OBSESSED.

This book hits some of my favorite tropes:
✨ Forced Proximity
✨ He Falls First
✨ Found Family

This MMC... Im swooning over...He wants her powerful. The FMC is equally divine. I loved watching her growth just within this book, from guarded and full of anger to open, curious, and truly stepping into her potential.

I’m already fully locked in at 3.5 stars 🌟

I was just missing the depth to the world, another thing. It's shown as enemies-to-lovers but 4 chapters in, and I would not market it has enemies to lovers.

Thank you Jaclyn Rodriguez and Zando Projects for this ARC.

I adored everything about A Vow In Vengeance and would highly recommend. It was a good time! Lovely writing.

I’m so glad I came across this author in threads. I ran to request this book on NetGalley & I may have emailed @slowburn.reads expeditiously, cause I NEEDED this book. It was everything I expected it to be. The unique magic system utilizing tarot cards? Was written perfectly. It was fun, and explained the cards in a way that captured your attention. The slowburn.. BURNED! I was screaming, crying, throwing up. I’m sure the author was sick of my DMs lmao. I just couldn’t contain my excitement. Rune (FMC) and her RAGE was so dang amazing. Draven (MMC) my winged dreamboat 🤭🤣 just loved inciting her rage. Reading their interactions had me kicking my feet! It was so good, 10/10 banter.

This was 4.5 stars for me.
I quickly became very invested in this book as the story really intrigued me, it almost felt slightly dystopian but with a fantasy overlay.
I appreciate a female character with rage and determination and Rune definitely had those things. The story moves along at a good pace and it kept my interest the whole way through. I really loved the academy setting and the concept of the hearths, i felt like i could really picture it all, i would have liked to have seen more classroom time from Rune to learn more about her using her magic. The Magic system was fascinating and a really interesting concept with the tarot cards and major and minor arcana cards, i enjoyed seeing the different characters making use of different powers.

I didn't really feel like this was enemies to lovers, as things progressed really fast, but despite that i really liked Rune and Draven, there was great tension and banter between them and i do love a 'touch her and die' trope.

I really enjoyed the whole cast of characters, the found family was developing nicely and i assume it will be built on in the next book. Rune and Draven's friends are varied and interesting and i hope to see more from them. The antagonists in the book were also done really well and were suitably hateful.

I would have liked a touch more world building as outside of the academy it felt a little under-developed but that isn't a huge issue.

There were lots of secrets and surprises throughout the book and some i saw coming and others i didn't but they were all delivered well and there were a few brutal moments that made me pause because i was getting emotional.

Overall a really good book and i will eagerly be awaiting the second part. Thank you to Jaclyn Rodriguez and Zando for letting me access this ARC .

For the longest time humans have been chosen by the Druid’s, Elves & the Seraphs. Rune knows this is her last chance to find her family she has to be chosen for the selection. But she has made an error by bringing attention to herself at the selection as the prince has taken notice of her.
She doesn’t realise how much is about to change not just her appearance but she will gain magic a very rare arcana. She is to share a living space with Prince Draken as they both have the same arcana. Can she survive long enough to find her family?
Draken needs to keep away from Rune as he wants her even though she drives him insane. So when he sees a chance to save them both he does. They are now mates but for how long can they play pretend before everything becomes real?
Will they be able to give their promises to each other and will Rune be strong enough to stay?
A great read full of adventure & danger with some tension. Can’t wait for the next book in the series. Great characters even the ones that we want to die horrible deaths. Rune & Draken’s relationship starts off rocky but it grows stronger with each other obstacle that is in their way.
Thank you Netgalley & the publisher for the copy. This is my voluntary review.