Title: Vow of the Shadow KingAuthor: Sylvia Mercedes
Series: Bride of the Shadow King #2
Pages: 502
Publisher: Berkley
Genres: Fiction / Romance / Fantasy / Romantasy
Synopsis:
A treacherous bride.
A heartbroken groom.
Is their marriage over before it’s begun?
Her deceit discovered, Faraine finds herself trapped in the Shadow Realm at the mercy of her new husband. She’s surrounded by enemies, far from any allies, and her best bet for survival is to convince Vor to send her home.
But to do so means to give up on the alliance. Which would spell disaster for her people.
With the tremors growing worse and poison spreading through his realm, Vor is more desperate than ever to find a solution. Only, it cannot involve his wife. Vor wants nothing to do with the woman he has inadvertently married. At one time, he thought he might love her, but now? How can love flourish where trust is broken?
When circumstances require them to spend more time together, however, Vor’s blood is stirred in ways he doesn’t like to acknowledge.
Can two lost hearts find healing and hope in one another? Or is their love already poisoned beyond recovery?
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After the chaos of Bride of the Shadow King, I was eager to dive into Vow of the Shadow King. And wow, this book didn’t hold back—it’s an emotional rollercoaster full of heartbreak, tension, and a slow-burn romance that had me hooked.
Picking up right where the first book left off, the story had me hooked from the very start as Faraine struggles to navigate life in the Shadow Realm. Trapped as a “guest” of her new husband, she’s trying to salvage an alliance that could save her people. Vor, however, is still reeling from the betrayal and can barely stand to be in the same room as her—yet his feelings are anything but simple.
Faraine shines in this book. Her quiet strength and determination kept me rooting for her, especially when Vor’s distrust and emotional walls made things downright frustrating. I loved watching her grow into her own, showing that she’s more than just the discarded princess everyone underestimated.
I kind of had a love-hate relationship with Vor in this one. His struggle between duty, hurt pride, and undeniable feelings for Faraine created a hot and cold attitude toward her that frustrated me at times even though his feelings made sense. I can’t wait to see what happens between these two because their chemistry is fabulous, and they both deserve some happiness. Hopefully, they’ll learn to communicate better with each other in the next book!
The writing is vivid and immersive, and like the first book, the stakes in this story are high—not just for Faraine and Vor’s relationship but for the entire realm. And the side characters added so much depth, especially Hael, who is definitely my favorite. And that ending? My word! Sylvia Mercedes sure knows how to write a stunning cliffhanger!
Grief is such a wild, untamed creature, always returning at the most unexpected times to bite.
When the world all comes undone, when the cracks spread and the caverns fall, her face, just as it is right now, will be the last vision my mind’s eye sees.
I don’t know how much time we have left together. What I do know is that I want whatever time we have to belong to her.
- Who did this to you?
- slow burn
- dual pov
Glad you enjoyed this one also! Very excited to dig into the next book in this series.
I hope you enjoy it!