A Vow so Bold and Deadly by Brigid Kemmerer | Book Review

3.5 out of 5 Stars. It was hard to get into because the first third felt like the characters regressed in their development. A Vow so Bold and Deadly has a relationship-driven plot that isn’t the typical fantasy, fairytale retelling story of a hero’s journey.

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Setting

In A Vow so Bold and Deadly, the setting shifts between Emberfell and Syhl Shallow as we bounce between the main characters. The two countries’ topography and culture were established in the previous books, and while traveling between the two countries affects the plot of the earlier books, it doesn’t seem to matter in A Vow so Bold and Deadly. We skip most travel time, and our characters don’t seem to have any problems traveling into enemy territory.

Kemmerer doesn’t fully explain the magic system in this series. The story introduces a new aspect of the magic system一magical artifacts. This world has items that can be used against magesmiths. We never know the limits of the magesmith’s magic or why Grey and Lilith’s magic is different.

Plot

A Vow so Bold and Deadly is kind of character-driven but ultimately relationships-driven. All three books focus on Rhen and Harper’s relationship and Grey and Lia Mara’s relationship. Events happen because the characters care about each…