Vow of Thieves (Dance of Thieves, 2)

Fantastic sequel. It is rare for the second book to be just as good, but that it was! I enjoyed it immensely. It got cheesy at times, which I hate, but it it was easy to deal with!

**No spoilers in first half** Vow of Thieves picks up where Dance of thieves left off. Plenty of twists, lots of action/violence. Lots of time to consider that people can surprise you for better or for worse. Lessons of forgiveness, sacrifice, the importance of learning from history, and the dangers of letting hate/past disappointments consume you. Those who have followed the complete series will be satisfied with they way things end. Age Recommendation: 14+ Violence: Plenty of violence involving hangings, beheadings, explosions, stabbings, etc. Fairly descriptive, but not glorified Sex: implied, including a mention of a character walking into the room naked looking for clothes, but off page/no explicit descriptions. Kissing—the most descriptive is characters “pressed” against each other, but again, no explicit descriptions of physical reactions Language: No F words, some variations of a**, b****, d***, etc. **Spoilers Below** For readers who have followed the entire series, they will be satisfied that there is a happy ending and that we know the fates of all our favorite characters. And something that I really liked with this book vs the last book in the trilogy is that Jade and Kazi were working together rather than against each other like Lia and Rafe were in their last book together. I liked that their differences were worked out in dance of thieves to give readers a chance to root for them rather than curse them for throwing away everything they’ve worked for, even though we now know things worked out between Lia and Rafe. I will also add I was pleasantly surprised that love was the main focus for Jase and Kazi rather than lust. I don’t need to know every intimate detail of their love life, so I’m glad the author focused on the words they shared vs physical attraction/reaction Some reviews might not find it realistic that so many main characters survived to live happily ever after, but for escapist readers who want to see characters go through the ringer and come out on top will be fine with it, especially after investing so much time to follow the story from start to finish.

I really should stop being surprised at how good Mary Pearson’s writing is, but every time I read something of hers I’m blown away. Her prose is clear and concise, but is as beautiful as a work of art. Her character development is incredible and the world she’s created in this series and in the Remnant Chronicles is so vivid and stunning. Vow of thieves is a seductive adventure about enduring love. It has high stakes, all sorts of twists and turns, and is a satisfying ending (maybe? Maybe not?) to this duology.

These books might honestly be my favorite - from the remnant chronicles to vow of thieves I have loved this world so much. I am not big on rereading series but have reread remnant chronicles multiple times, and as soon as I finished dance of thieves I immediately went back and did a reread. Kazi and Jase's story is everything I could ever ask for in a book, it is sweet and tender, it's vulnerable and scary, and so exciting. The world Pearson has built is so intricate and vivid. I love everything about these books, and Pearson's writing but most of all I love the beautiful mysticism that is so gently woven into these stories and these women. It's so powerful, and yet gentle that it really grips you. This review is mostly just babbling about how much I love the series since I haven't had time to fully process it, but I already want to go back and start Kiss of Deception again so I can reread the whole series - THAT- is how good it is imo.

This book was amazing! The first book if the series was very slow burn, and only really piqued my attention in the last 10 chapters or so. But Vow had me from the get-go. Jase and Kazi are finally together and stronger than ever... only to be ripped apart. I needed to know what was at stake and how they would overcome the obstacles constantly thrown into their way. I think my only criticism is that some things that came to light were, again, predictable in my opinion. But it didn't stop me from wanting to read and loving the MCs. I read and listened to this via Audible, and the narrators really drove home the emotions on the page. I really enjoy this author and the universe she has created.