Title: A Promised VengeanceAuthor: Sara B. Larson
Publication Date: Oct. 28, 2025
Publisher: Jumelle Press
Genres: Fiction / Romance / Fantasy / Romantasy
Synopsis:
From the author of the DEFY trilogy, get ready to immerse yourself in this romantasy reimagining of The Count of Monte Cristo!
Falsely accused of murder, impoverished Elodie Dantès is torn from her childhood love, Killian, stripped of her most valuable possession—a forbidden artifact that wields ancient power—and banished to the otherworldly prison of Autremonde.
Awaiting certain death in a world poisoned by magic, Elodie meets an unexpected ally, and together they begin digging for an escape. However, once Elodie is finally free, she discovers that the very people who betrayed her are those she trusted the most. Consumed by vengeance, Elodie develops a plan to ruthlessly destroy them all.
But all too soon Elodie is forced to choose whether vengeance is worth the price, especially if it means losing the love of her life forever.
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A gender-switched reimagining of The Count of Monte Cristo, A Promised Vengeance follows Elodie Dantès, a heroine who refuses to stay powerless in the face of betrayal. Watching her transformation from someone wrongfully imprisoned to someone who takes control of her fate and seeks vengeance was great, even though I sometimes struggled to understand her actions. She doesn’t always choose the moral high ground, and she’s definitely a morally grey protagonist, but I feel like that made her story even more compelling, as she learns the cost of seeking vengeance.
The relationship between Elodie and the priest was one of my favorite parts of the novel. Their connection felt so sincere and gave the story a rare softness amid all the darkness and anger, much like the imprisoned pair in the original story. The priest becomes a true friend to Elodie at a time when she needs it most, and it was very touching, especially after she faced so much betrayal and then a significant amount of isolation.
The first half of the book moved at a slower pace than the second half, which made sense contextually. There was definitely a build-up to the final confrontation and Elodie’s journey toward exacting justice. However, the ending felt a bit rushed, especially after so much buildup. I think I expected to see Elodie face more challenges than she did, and I wanted a little more groveling from her love interest. Even so, her journey was powerful, and I ended up enjoying how everything played out.
A Promised Vengeance is an empowering story about reclaiming one’s power, confronting betrayal, and deciding how much of yourself you are willing to lose in pursuit of justice. I always like Sara B. Larson’s stories, and this is no exception.
Thanks to NetGalley and Jumelle Press for providing me with a copy of the book. All thoughts are my own.
Vengeance is a poison for the weak. Forgiveness is a tonic for the brave. One leads to death, the other to peace.
– Friends to lovers to enemies
– Who did this to you?
– Forbidden romance
– Found family
– Second chances
Sara B. Larson is the best-selling and critically acclaimed author of multiple YA fantasy books, including A Promised Vengeance (coming Oct 2025), the Defy trilogy, the Dark Breaks the Dawn duology, and the Sisters of Shadow and Light duology. Every Beat After will be her adult debut 6.2.26. She can’t remember a time when she didn’t write books— although she now uses a computer instead of a Little Mermaid notebook. Sara lives in Utah with her husband, their four children, and their dogs, Loki the Maltese and Bindi the English Cream Retriever, where she also runs a commercial preschool. When she’s not mothering, preschooling, or writing, you can often find her at the gym repenting for her sugar addiction. She’s online at www.SaraBLarson.com.
