Edited to add: Because a few people have told me I would like this book more if I had continued it, I probably should mention that, after choosing to "officially" DNF it where I did, I skimmed forward and read chunks of the rest of the book here and there to see if I might be more intrigued by what was happening. I then also skipped ahead and read the last few chapters (I know, blasphemy, but this is something that has convinced me to continue a boring or disappointing book many times in the past, so I was hopeful). Unfortunately, not only did I find the plot line predictable enough that literally NOTHING about the end surprised me, but I was even more frustrated by the characters by the end that I can safely guarantee nothing that happened between the sections I read would have redeemed AHSFAB for me. :( /end edit Also, where Harper might've looked all docile and unlike her usual self in AHSFAB, she definitely wasn't like that here. It was the Harper we all know and love who didn't let Rhen get away with *ahem* certain actions and I lived for those moments. The Plague has left a population divided between Elites and Ordinaries—those who have powers and those who don’t; now, an Ordinary teen fights for her life.

So where did that leave us for A Vow So Bold and Deadly? I really wasn't sure I was going to read this one. The last time I forced myself to finish a series I wasn't enjoying, it was Throne of Glass, and if you are at all a regular reviewer of mine, you'll know that didn't end so hot. That said, I knew this was (probably) the last book, so I bit the bullet and decided to go forth. Grey doesn’t tell anything Rhen, and in the end, the prince gives Grey a day to consider and lets him stay in one of the rooms for the time being. It absolutely disgusted me that Grey steamrolled over Rhen like that. Rhen's kingdom wasn't in tatters because he was hopeless, rather that the kingdom had been cursed. He had the potential to be a great ruler, was trained for it and accepted the responsibility. He also loved his people dearly, whereas we never hear about Grey feeling any duty to the people of Emberfall. Why oh why couldn't Lia Mara and Grey rule Syhl Shallow and Harper and Rhen rule Emberfall? We would then be assured of a peaceful land with those precious trade routes in tact. And the worst part is, he's not wrong either. I was acting on emotion. I wasn't thinking about how anyone would perceive my actions. I spent months thinking Grey was dead, and after seeing what Rhen was willing to do in the courtyard, I wasn't going to wait around for him to up the ante. i mean, if this was a book all on its own, completely unrelated to ‘a curse so dark and lonely,’ this is objectively a very good book. the writing is great, the pacing is decent, and the characters are complex. but i have to look at the bigger picture.Rhen is quiet for a moment. "He was your friend, too, my lady. I was not the only one he ran from." Tycho, Jake and Noah gosh these lot are so cute I love everyone of them to bits, Tycho and how cute he is he doesn’t even have to try and how he doesn’t want to fail anyone, Noah and how accepting and understanding he is and how kindly he uses his knowledge to help those in need of aid and Jake putting aside his anger and being the friend Grey really needed at a time. Lets not forget Zo and Iisak the fierce characters they are, Zo and Harpers friendship I loved and I loved how Zo was not afraid to defy anyone when something clearly wrong is happening and Iisak’s just cool like do we need to say anymore? Now, I don’t know about you, but I genuinely feel that Rhen’s character could have been further explored in this book, especially regarding his morals and views when it comes to doing what is right and what is best for his kingdom. Everyone choosing to forgive what he did to Grey and Tycho somewhat rubbed me the wrong way, because while he did regret his actions and was only acting out of desperation to keep his kingdom together, I would have appreciated more dialogue, internal or otherwise, about his thoughts and ethics, especially because we didn’t get to see any of it during the second book.

I loved this book. The beginning and middle were amazing but then it all turned and plummeted at the end. I will never forgive that ending. RHEN DESERVED THE WORLD AND YOU GIVE HIM THIS? It's not fair how Grey gets everything handed to him while Rhen has to live with this! Grey, thankfully, stays mostly the same since he was in the first book. At this point, I’d say that he’s the most reliable one in terms of character development, because the others’ character arcs are erratic and change suddenly, often with no driving force behind them. I swear to god, I was seriously going to give this 5 stars and move it on my all-time-fav shelf bUT THAT ENDING- Grey assumes Rhen will not take the news well that there’s a truer heir out there after he’s fought so hard to become a worthy leader. So he hides out, working at an other-worldly, less sanitized version of Medieval Times, and tries to find a new normal despite missing his friends. Harper is also worried about Rhen, because Grey isn’t wrong—Rhen is terrified at the idea of a magical half-brother out there somewhere andissues a royal decree against anyone who may have “the blood of a magesmith”.I refuse to believe that this is the end of the Cursebreakers world. There literally has to be more because that ending did not resolve everything and if I'm being honest, I'd say the only people who truly got their happy ending are Grey and Lia Mara...and I could care less about them (I know, ✨unpopular opinion✨). A Vow So Bold and Deadly is the final book in the Cursebreakers series, following all four of our previous POV characters as they head towards that inevitable conclusion that we’ve been dreading. Grey: Grey confuses me. He has for a while. I just don't understand his reasoning or his decision making process. It doesn't seem logical to me. I can't follow how he gets there. I simply don't understand him as a character. Rhen is and will always remain the best thing of this series. The way he took all the brute of Lillith's torture to protect his people and Harper really hurt the deepest part of me. And after everything that happened, how can he NOT get the ending he deserved. Like what is even the point of book 1 and 2 if we are here. I think he redeemed himself plenty before reaching here. And it's not like he was the only one with poor choices.