Divine Rivals Summary, Characters and Themes

Ruthless Vows by Rebecca Ross is the sequel to Divine Rivals, continuing the story of Iris Winnow and Roman Kitt against the backdrop of a world at war with gods and men. 

As tensions between human leaders and divine forces escalate, Iris and Roman’s love is tested by memory loss, wartime separations, and a ruthless god’s pursuit of power. With enchanted typewriters connecting them across battle lines and the under realm, they find themselves entangled in a resistance to protect their world from destruction. This novel blends romance, wartime journalism, and mythology while exploring grief, courage, and the price of love in a world on the brink.

Summary

In Ruthless Vows, the goddess Enva has killed the other gods to prevent Dacre from seizing their power, absorbing the magic herself despite the pain it brings. Meanwhile, Iris Winnow, still grieving from the attack on Avalon Bluff where Roman Kitt was left behind, is called back to the frontlines by her editor Helena. Roman’s father confronts Iris, accusing her of abandoning Roman, while Iris plans with her colleague Attie to report on the war’s front, hoping to find Roman.

Roman, having survived Avalon Bluff, wakes in Dacre’s under realm without his memories. Dacre manipulates him into writing propaganda while controlling his environment, switching his typewriter to prevent memory recovery. Roman’s articles praising Dacre begin to appear in the Oath Gazette, confusing Iris. Determined to reach him, Iris and her allies steal the last Alouette typewriter from the museum to contact Roman secretly. When Roman receives Iris’s letter, he cannot remember her, though he feels an inexplicable connection.

As Dacre’s forces advance toward Oath, Iris heads westward with Attie and Tobias to report from the front, sending coded letters to Roman. Roman’s fragmented dreams begin returning, hinting at his life with Iris. He warns her about Dacre’s planned attacks, prompting Iris to help evacuate civilians from threatened regions like Hawk Shire. Roman’s memories fully return when he and Iris cross paths during a raid, and she reveals that she is his wife before escaping, leaving him with her wedding ring.

Now aware of Dacre’s plans, Iris and Roman communicate carefully, with Roman sending intelligence while hiding his betrayal from Dacre. Roman’s health deteriorates due to the tear gas damage to his lungs, but he remains committed to helping Iris and her allies. Iris discovers that Oath’s ley lines can protect civilians during attacks, and she, Attie, and Tobias prepare maps for the public. Meanwhile, Enva visits Iris in dreams, explaining her vow with Alzane and revealing that she has taken the gods’ powers to keep them from Dacre, but she cannot kill Dacre herself.

Dacre plans a press conference to deliver an ultimatum: civilians can join him or face destruction. Roman is tasked with delivering a message to an assassin during the event, but he discovers it too late, and a bombing ensues, failing to kill Dacre. Roman is captured and imprisoned by Dacre in the under realm after being exposed as a traitor. Iris, hidden in the museum, dreams of Enva, who shows her an enchanted sword capable of killing gods, which Iris takes to prepare for the final confrontation.

Iris rejects Dacre’s offer to become his correspondent but agrees to publish a piece to save lives by urging civilians to evacuate to safe zones. She reunites with Roman briefly, sharing one last night together before he is taken. With the sword and a stolen key, Iris and Attie enter the under realm, where Attie plays “Alzane’s Lullaby” on her violin to put Dacre to sleep. Enva assists with illusions, and Iris decapitates Dacre, killing him.

In the aftermath, Roman is rescued but arrested, with the Graveyard seeking to execute him for his association with Dacre. Iris intervenes, providing proof of Roman’s aid, and Keegan demands humane treatment for prisoners, preventing Roman’s execution. Roman is hospitalized for his lung injuries, and he and Iris mourn the loss of her brother Forest, who dies with Sarah during the bombings.

Months later, Iris and Roman move forward with their lives, sorting through Forest’s belongings and planning their future together. Roman continues writing while managing his health, and Iris supports him as they attend Attie’s violin concerts, honoring those they lost while building a quieter life.

In the epilogue, Enva, the last living deity, contemplates leaving Oath through the under realm that once imprisoned her, holding the iron key that symbolizes her potential freedom, as magic lingers in the world she has preserved.

Characters

Iris Elizabeth Winnow

Iris Elizabeth Winnow stands at the very heart of Ruthless Vows, embodying resilience, longing, and the quiet bravery of an ordinary woman thrust into extraordinary conflict. 

She is a war correspondent with a stubborn streak that often puts her in danger but also keeps her tethered to her unwavering sense of justice. Iris’s deep grief over her mother’s death, the haunting loss of Roman, and the betrayal of her brother’s secrets create layers of sorrow and strength that define her choices. Her love for Roman is not a passive yearning; it is an active resistance against Dacre’s manipulation. 

Through stolen letters, clandestine break-ins, and coded messages, Iris wages a war of words and truth. Her courage is not without cost—she shoulders immense guilt, particularly when Roman’s father blames her for Roman’s disappearance. Yet, her spirit remains unbowed, driven by her belief in the power of stories and in her ability to shape a better future through the fragile threads of connection she refuses to let break.

Roman Carver Kitt

Roman Carver Kitt’s journey in Ruthless Vows is that of a man fragmented by loss, memory, and manipulation. Once a respected columnist, Roman’s love for Iris pulls him away from privilege and toward the frontlines of conflict. 

His capture and forced servitude under Dacre rob him of his memories, twisting him into an unwilling mouthpiece for the enemy’s lies. Despite this, Roman’s innate integrity glimmers through—an ember that Iris’s letters slowly fan back into a flame. His internal war is as harrowing as the physical one: the agony of piecing together dreams, half-remembered loves, and family traumas like the drowning of his sister. His body, too, becomes a battlefield; old wounds reemerge as memories return, binding his mind and flesh to the price of truth. 

Roman’s reunion with Iris rekindles his resolve, and despite his failing health, he becomes a conduit of secrets that may yet turn the tide against Dacre. His love for Iris is not just romantic but restorative, granting him the strength to fight for freedom one letter at a time.

Forest Winnow

Forest Winnow, Iris’s brother, embodies the enduring scars of war and betrayal. Having once served Dacre directly, Forest bears wounds both visible and hidden—his old injuries and the mental scars from Dacre’s insidious theft of memories. 

His relationship with Iris is fraught with guilt and protectiveness; he once dragged her from Avalon Bluff, leaving Roman behind, an act that strains their bond with unspoken regret. Forest’s struggle to reclaim a semblance of peace is painfully human—he seeks mundane work, romance with Sarah, and simple moments of normalcy, but his body and mind refuse him rest. 

Forest’s tragic end, discovered hand-in-hand with Sarah beneath the rubble, crystallizes the devastating cost of a war waged by gods but paid for by mortals. In his final letter, Forest’s pride in Iris and his gratitude for fleeting moments of warmth and connection reveal a tender soul who, even in ruin, never stopped trying to shield his sister from a world that would not be kind to them.

Thea “Attie” Attwood

Attie Attwood is Iris’s confidante, partner-in-resistance, and the unyielding force of friendship that anchors Ruthless Vows in moments of harsh reality and stolen hope. A fellow journalist at the Inkridden Tribune, Attie’s sharp wit and steadfast bravery match Iris’s resolve, making her an indispensable ally at the frontlines. 

Her skill with music, especially her mastery of “Alzane’s Lullaby,” elevates her role from loyal friend to pivotal combatant capable of subduing a god. Attie’s unwavering loyalty to Iris often places her in mortal danger, yet she never hesitates to stand beside her friend, whether they’re breaking into museums, outrunning hounds, or descending into the under realm’s darkness. Her budding closeness with Tobias Bexley hints at tender, ordinary dreams that persist even amidst the chaos of war—dreams that remind readers that defiance often blooms not just from rage but from love and the hope of better days.

Dacre

Dacre is the omnipresent terror haunting every page of Ruthless Vows, an ancient god driven by betrayal, hunger for power, and an obsession with reclaiming what he believes Enva stole. His cruelty is methodical—he does not just kill or conquer; he corrodes his enemies from within, severing their memories to erase their resistance and remake them as tools of his empire. 

Dacre’s manipulation of Roman showcases his mastery of psychological warfare, and his strained connection with Enva reveals a more intimate, chilling dimension to his villainy: a twisted echo of love turned to wrath. 

Despite his terrifying power and dominion over monstrous creatures like the eithrals and hounds, Dacre’s downfall stems from his inability to grasp the mortal truths of loyalty, love, and sacrifice—forces that no magic can bend. In the end, it is this blind spot that grants Iris and her allies the chance to end his reign, not through brute force alone but through the quiet strength of human defiance.

Enva

Enva, the goddess whose music once lulled other gods into slumber, moves through Ruthless Vows like an enigma wrapped in sorrow and cunning. She is both betrayer and protector—a deity who killed her kin to prevent Dacre’s dominion and yet remains shackled to the world she sought to protect. Her presence is spectral but deeply felt, appearing in dreams, memories, and fleeting glimpses that blur the line between myth and reality. 

Enva’s interactions with Iris reveal her weariness and enduring pain: absorbing the power of slain gods has poisoned her, and her broken harp strings mirror her fractured strength. Bound by old vows that forbid her from killing Dacre herself, Enva chooses to guide Iris instead, passing her the final weapon to sever Dacre’s hold. 

Her quiet resignation and flickers of hope in the epilogue remind us that even immortals ache for freedom and that true power often lies in relinquishing control to those brave enough to fight in her stead.

Tobias Bexley

Tobias Bexley adds warmth and a dash of mortal heroism to Ruthless Vows, bridging the realms of ordinary life and mythic conflict. 

A skilled post runner and daring driver, Tobias is more than just the man behind the wheel; he is a symbol of unwavering support for Iris and Attie. His practical courage—delivering letters through war-torn lands, rescuing his friends from dire peril, and racing roadsters through deadly chases—embodies the everyday heroism that underpins the grander magic and prophecy. 

His subtle, blossoming affection for Attie provides moments of quiet reprieve from the omnipresent dread, proving that in a world of gods and monsters, the most extraordinary acts are often simple ones: loyalty, laughter, and staying when flight would be easier.

Helena Hammond

Helena Hammond is the flinty backbone of the Inkridden Tribune, wielding the power of the press as a sword against tyranny. As Iris and Attie’s editor and mentor, Helena stands as a beacon of what free speech means in the shadows of censorship and fear. Her unyielding commitment to truth makes her a target for Dacre’s regime, but her courage never falters. 

Helena’s role, though less central than Iris’s, is vital; she arms her correspondents with both ink and purpose, understanding that stories can rally the masses where swords cannot. Her quiet resilience, her willingness to risk her life to protect Iris and the enchanted sword, and her unwavering faith in the power of words anchor the narrative’s human struggle against divine oppression.

Themes

Memory, Identity, and the Fragility of Self

In Ruthless Vows, memory is not merely a personal archive but the boundary that separates a person’s sense of self from external forces seeking to reshape it. Roman’s experience under Dacre’s control, where his wounds are healed in exchange for the erasure of memories, demonstrates how identity can be weaponized and bartered in a world ruled by gods and warlords. 

The novel explores the terror of waking without the knowledge of who one is, emphasizing the deep yearning for familiar fragments—a name, a memory of a drowned sister, the feel of a typewriter under one’s fingers—that tether a person to themselves. The Alouette typewriters function as lifelines across realms, allowing Iris to preserve Roman’s humanity through small, ordinary details that hold immense power against Dacre’s systematic erasure. 

The restoration of Roman’s memories becomes a painful but necessary reclamation of his past, even as old wounds and trauma physically resurface. The narrative suggests that memory is worth the pain it carries because it forms the architecture of love, loyalty, and conviction. This theme asks readers to consider what remains of a person when their memories are stolen and whether identity can truly be recovered or rebuilt in a world intent on dismantling it.

Power, Corruption, and the Cost of Control

The hunger for power in Ruthless Vows is illustrated through Dacre and Enva’s pursuit and protection of divine magic, the manipulation of mortals, and the use of fear to control cities on the brink of destruction. Dacre’s healing of wounds while stripping away memories is an extension of his political strategy, aiming to forge loyalty by first dismantling identity. 

Enva’s decision to kill the other gods and absorb their power to prevent Dacre from growing stronger reveals how power can become a corrupting burden even in the hands of those seeking to prevent evil. The novel paints a stark picture of how control over others is often rooted in the control of knowledge and narrative, evident in the censorship and manipulation of the press by both Dacre and the Graveyard. 

The characters constantly navigate a landscape where the cost of challenging power is often their bodies, their memories, or the lives of those they love, forcing them to reckon with the moral weight of resistance. The presence of the enchanted sword capable of killing gods underscores the fragile line between justice and vengeance, reminding readers that dismantling tyrants does not erase the scars left behind by their reign.

Love and Connection Amid War

Amid bombings, censorship, and divine conflicts, Ruthless Vows positions love not as a soft subplot but as a force of defiance against erasure and violence. The relationship between Iris and Roman is a testament to connection persisting through shattered memories and the brutalities of war. 

Their exchange of letters becomes an act of survival, allowing them to maintain a thread of humanity while surrounded by devastation. Love, in this context, is not passive; it is the deliberate act of remembering and recognizing each other in a world determined to make them forget. The intimacy they share, whether through letters, coded memories, or brief reunions, becomes a sanctuary where they can confront grief, loss, and the weight of violence without losing themselves. 

This theme also extends beyond romantic love, as seen in Iris’s relationship with her brother Forest, whose slow healing and eventual death embody the quiet grief that war leaves behind. Love in the novel is transformative, acting as the anchor that guides characters back to themselves and one another, reminding them of the world they wish to build beyond conflict.

Resistance and the Power of Stories

Journalism and storytelling in Ruthless Vows are portrayed as acts of rebellion against forces that seek to control reality. 

Iris’s decision to continue reporting from the front, despite censorship and threats, positions the written word as a weapon against tyranny, allowing her to bear witness to atrocities while preserving the truth for a frightened populace. Roman’s articles, initially tools for Dacre’s propaganda, become subverted when he regains his memories, turning his words into small rebellions that warn and inform those he left behind. 

Stories within the novel, such as myths of Enva’s and Dacre’s past or the coded use of Alzane’s Lullaby, carry the weight of survival and action, offering resistance through memory, culture, and coded warnings. 

Even the enchanted typewriters are conduits of rebellion, enabling communication in defiance of barriers imposed by gods and warlords. Through these layers, the narrative argues that stories can carry the breath of freedom in worlds that suffocate dissent, becoming the last and most resilient defense against oppression.