A Vow in Vengeance by Jaclyn Rodriguez l Book Review
Book Details
A Vow in Vengeance by Jaclyn Rodriguez
Series: Immortal Desires #1
Genre: Adult, Fantasy, Romance
Published by: Slowburn on January 13th, 2026
Goodreads rating: 4.09/5
My rating: 5/5
Deadly tarot, wicked schemes, dangerous alliances . . . can you survive the Forge?
Sexy, action-packed, and brimming with magic, A Vow in Vengeance is an unputdownable romantasy debut.
Blurb
Rune Ryker has nothing left to lose. Everything’s been stolen by the Immortals—her family, her home, her freedom. But she’s done playing by their rules.
Each year, humans are forced to journey into the Immortal Realms, but twenty-year-old Rune orchestrates her own selection, determined to find her family and destroy anyone who stands in her way. Rune is used to doing whatever it takes to survive, and now she must endure the Forge, a cutthroat college for the Immortal druids’ elusive tarot magic. When Rune’s magic reveals itself to be the rarest and most powerful, she must live with its only other wielder—Prince Draven. As arrogant as he is ruthlessly ambitious, he’s the last person she can trust.
Rune’s abilities also draw the eyes of the most dangerous druids in the realms. Some want to use her. More want her dead. Draven offers to train her… for a price. As Rune becomes ensnared in Draven’s dangerous games, she learns there are secrets at the heart of the kingdom that some will kill to protect.
And Rune and Draven’s growing attraction may be the spark to ignite a brewing war.
Enemies-to-lovers, slow-burn romance, dark academia, one bed, forced proximity, tarot magic, fake fated mates.
My Review
This was such a fun read! I was hooked from beginning to end and I can’t believe that this is the author’s debut novel.
Rune is driven by the loss of her family and seeks vengeance against the Immortals who took them from her. She gains entry to the Immortal realms via the yearly selection, but life amongst the druids is not what she expected.
This book felt like home with everything I love in a romantasy. A high stakes world brimming with danger, the slowest of slow-burns, secrets and betrayal, a fierce FMC and a dark, brooding MMC, banter, friendships, tension that you could cut with a knife – I’m obsessed!
I loved the tarot card magic – it felt unique and well thought out. I also really liked the dark academia setting which was the perfect backdrop for the political games, rivalries and dangerous alliances in a book with vengeance at its core.
Overall, this book ticked all of the boxes. I’m just sad that I have to wait so long for book 2.
“The one hundred days we’ve shared has convinced me that I could spend a hundred years at your side and still not have enough of you”.