The following version of this book was used to create the guide: Ross, Rebecca. Ruthless Vows. Wednesday Books, 2023.

The gods Enva and Dacre are at war. Two weeks ago, Iris Winnow returned to the city Oath from the front, where she was reporting with her friend Attie on behalf of the Inkridden Tribune. Her husband Roman Kitt went missing during Dacre’s attack. Iris does not know yet that Dacre captured Roman, using magic to erase Roman’s memory and thereby force Roman to be his head journalist.

Usually, Iris and Roman stay in touch via their magical Alouette typewriters, but Iris left hers behind at the front. Thus, she enlists the help of Attie and her former colleague Sarah to break into the museum and steal an Alouette. They do so successfully, and Iris starts writing anonymous letters to Roman to help jog his memory. Enva also visits Roman’s dreams to help him remember Iris.

At their boss Helena’s suggestion, Attie and Iris return to the war front—this time, with their own driver: the handsome, young Tobias Bexley. They visit their friend Marisol, who is married to Keegan: a captain in Enva’s army.

Dacre takes a liking to Roman, who secretly sends Iris confidential information who, in turn, feeds it to Keegan. Roman realizes that Dacre is strategically conquering territories on top of ley lines: access points to the underworld, Dacre’s realm. Dacre wants to raise an army of the dead. Only Dacre has the keys which unlock access to the realm.

On their way back to Oath from the frontline town Hawk Shire, Tobias’ car gets a flat tire. Iris steps into a nearby house in search of a tire iron. Dacre’s forces enter the house, and Iris comes face-to-face with Roman, who lets her escape. He remembers who she is the minute he touches her. Iris entrusts him with her wedding ring for safekeeping.

Iris publishes an article describing Dacre’s failed marriage with Enva. Furious but impressed, Dacre decides to try to win Iris over to his side, so that she might write propaganda for him. He sends Roman as his spokesman. They meet at the magical Gould’s Café, where Roman also gives Iris a note asking to meet at his place that night.

Roman is hardly surprised to find his home teeming with Dacre’s soldiers, since his father, Mr. Kitt, is in league with them. After dinner with his family, Iris sneaks into Roman’s room. They have sex. The next morning, Iris retrieves her wedding ring and leaves behind a book about birds which Marisol gifted her.

Dacre arrives in Oath. A lieutenant of his, Shane, discovers Roman’s letters to Iris and uses them to blackmail Roman. He orders Roman to attend a press conference and hand a speaker a note. At the conference, Roman gets distracted by Iris’ presence and forgets to hand over the note in time. He opens it. It is a warning that a bomb is not enough to kill Dacre, but that he must be decapitated. Just then, a man nudges him with a gun and orders him to move. It is Bruce, Mr. Kitt’s associate, comes to save Roman. They flee just as the blast goes off. Once home, Dacre orders Roman to summon Iris.

Iris is shaken but unharmed by the bomb. She decides to take refuge in the museum. There, Enva takes care of her. Enva tells Iris that Dacre can be killed with a magical sword, housed in the museum. She also gives Iris one of Dacre’s keys to the underworld.

At the Kitt estate, Dacre forces Iris to write a letter on his behalf for the Inkridden Tribune. In it, Dacre announces that he intends to bomb the south side of the city the following day. Iris rushes to the printing press to post the letter. She also sneakily includes a list of bomb shelters in the south side of the city in the Oath Gazette, the paper she used to work on.

That night, Iris and her brother Forest shelter with Attie’s family. The following day, Forest seeks his girlfriend Sarah while Iris and Attie head to Gould’s Café. Since it is a magical building, there is a portal to the underworld. Iris uses her key to unlock it, entering with her sword. Attie joins her with her violin, which she uses to play Dacre to sleep. Music is Enva’s magic and can be used to put gods to sleep. Iris successfully decapitates Dacre.

With Dacre dead, Oath’s police force starts rounding up his soldiers for execution. Iris narrowly saves Roman from death by presenting the firing squad with his letters, which prove he was a spy in Dacre’s forces. Roman is admitted to the hospital where he spends a few days recovering. Iris volunteers to retrieve dead bodies from the rubble. She finds Forest and Sarah’s dead bodies. Three months later, she spreads Forest’s ashes. A year later, she lives happily with Roman. Iris enjoys gardening while Roman writes a book.