Action & Adventure
![Emily Skrutskie - [object Object] author](https://res.cloudinary.com/readsomnia/image/upload/authors/a_a_emily_skrutskie.jpg)
Vows of Empire: Book Three of The Bloodright Trilogy
Two young princes on opposite sides of a war must decide between loyalty and love in this galaxy-shaking finale of the Bloodright Trilogy.
"Skrutskie handily sticks the landing. Series fans are sure to be pleased."-Publishers Weekly
Gal and Ettian have never been farther apart. Once, they were roommates and best friends, each suffocating under a secret of galactic consequence. When Gal's came to light-that he was heir to the Umber Empire and all of its brutal conquest-the two were forced to flee their military academy, fall in with a brewing rebellion to reclaim the Archon Empire from Umber's grasp, and face their long-held feelings for each other.
Then the rebellion discovered Gal's identity and to save his life, Ettian had no choice but to unveil his own secret: that he was the long-lost heir to the Archon throne. With Gal as a political prisoner, Ettian began the fight to restore his own empire-and to open Gal's eyes to the possibility of a galaxy reclaimed from Umber's greed. But just when Gal was starting to come around, a team of Umber operatives rescued him from Archon's clutches and dragged him home to take up his crown.
Now, separated for the first time and in full command of the might of their respective forces, the star-crossed rulers find themselves truly at odds. And with the war reaching a tipping point, the time has finally come for Gal and Ettian to confront what they owe their empires, their friends, and each other if they're ever to forge a universe where the two of them can be together.
"Skrutskie handily sticks the landing. Series fans are sure to be pleased."-Publishers Weekly
Gal and Ettian have never been farther apart. Once, they were roommates and best friends, each suffocating under a secret of galactic consequence. When Gal's came to light-that he was heir to the Umber Empire and all of its brutal conquest-the two were forced to flee their military academy, fall in with a brewing rebellion to reclaim the Archon Empire from Umber's grasp, and face their long-held feelings for each other.
Then the rebellion discovered Gal's identity and to save his life, Ettian had no choice but to unveil his own secret: that he was the long-lost heir to the Archon throne. With Gal as a political prisoner, Ettian began the fight to restore his own empire-and to open Gal's eyes to the possibility of a galaxy reclaimed from Umber's greed. But just when Gal was starting to come around, a team of Umber operatives rescued him from Archon's clutches and dragged him home to take up his crown.
Now, separated for the first time and in full command of the might of their respective forces, the star-crossed rulers find themselves truly at odds. And with the war reaching a tipping point, the time has finally come for Gal and Ettian to confront what they owe their empires, their friends, and each other if they're ever to forge a universe where the two of them can be together.
Editorial Reviews
Praise for Vows of Empire
"Vows of Empire was a thoroughly enjoyable read and everything it needed to be to conclude the series. Not only is this trilogy worth the time to read, but it is one of those legendary series that is worth a reread. Again. And again."-Teresa Crider, creative writer
"A good blend of worldbuilding, fast-paced action, intrigue, but, most of all, complicated relationships . . . Those who enjoy exciting Young Adult LGBT Sci-fi or Space Opera should definitely give it a go."-Books of My Heart
"Vows of Empire neatly wraps up the Bloodright Trilogy, providing satisfying endings for its trio. . . . Worth every second."-Wealth of Geeks
"Readers will easily jump back into the complex political machinations of Skrutskie's beautifully detailed world. . . . Skrutskie handily sticks the landing. Series fans are sure to be pleased."-Publishers Weekly
Praise for Oaths of Legacy
"Oaths of Legacy is a wildly thrilling and fast-paced sci-fi adventure, and equal parts a heart-wrenching romance torn asunder by bloodrights and galactic war."-Your Money Geek
"Skrutskie is a master of perspective."-But Why Tho?
"Skrutskie's breathless, brilliantly written action sequences and tear-jerking quieter moments will keep readers enthralled. [Oaths of Legacy] is a knockout."-Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Gays. In. Space!!"-Sam Maggs, author of Tell No Tales: Pirates of the Southern Seas
"Skrutskie sets her characters' competing political and personal motivations against stellar battle scenes. . . . An engaging narrative that should satisfy existing fans and new readers alike. Recommended for fans of anime-inspired spac...
"Vows of Empire was a thoroughly enjoyable read and everything it needed to be to conclude the series. Not only is this trilogy worth the time to read, but it is one of those legendary series that is worth a reread. Again. And again."-Teresa Crider, creative writer
"A good blend of worldbuilding, fast-paced action, intrigue, but, most of all, complicated relationships . . . Those who enjoy exciting Young Adult LGBT Sci-fi or Space Opera should definitely give it a go."-Books of My Heart
"Vows of Empire neatly wraps up the Bloodright Trilogy, providing satisfying endings for its trio. . . . Worth every second."-Wealth of Geeks
"Readers will easily jump back into the complex political machinations of Skrutskie's beautifully detailed world. . . . Skrutskie handily sticks the landing. Series fans are sure to be pleased."-Publishers Weekly
Praise for Oaths of Legacy
"Oaths of Legacy is a wildly thrilling and fast-paced sci-fi adventure, and equal parts a heart-wrenching romance torn asunder by bloodrights and galactic war."-Your Money Geek
"Skrutskie is a master of perspective."-But Why Tho?
"Skrutskie's breathless, brilliantly written action sequences and tear-jerking quieter moments will keep readers enthralled. [Oaths of Legacy] is a knockout."-Publishers Weekly (starred review)
"Gays. In. Space!!"-Sam Maggs, author of Tell No Tales: Pirates of the Southern Seas
"Skrutskie sets her characters' competing political and personal motivations against stellar battle scenes. . . . An engaging narrative that should satisfy existing fans and new readers alike. Recommended for fans of anime-inspired spac...
Readers Top Reviews
Sophia RoseKole Olso
The build up to the final confrontation from the beginning lead to this moment. An enemies to lovers romance with a twist set in the backdrop of far future space and two clashing empires. The first book in the trilogy grabbed my attention and now I am excited to see it come to an exciting end. Vows of Empire is part of an ongoing story so doesn’t make a good place to jump in. The tale started when two young guys became friends at the Umber space academy. One was a promising, young Umber and the other a scholarship student from the conquered Archon empire. Then a late night attempt to kill Gal made him go on the run with Ettian and share the secret that he was the Umber heir and he had to stop this attempt at a coup. The two young men go on the lamb to keep from getting captured and their adventure leads them to a savvy street gang member, Wen, who ties in with them and then the Archon resistance who can’t know Gal’s identity. They don’t speak of feelings, but Gal has never treasured before what he has with Ettien. His mother tried to make him tough, cold and ambitious, but all he wants to do is stop the brutal conquering machine of Umber might. If Gal thought his confession was a shocker, Ettien’s is mindblowing to him. And the twists keep coming in this building story of twists, betrayals, and machinations. I have been very taken with this series from the beginning. It has a good blend of worldbuilding, fast-paced action, intrigue, but, most of all, complicated relationships. Gal and Ettien started it and then Wen emerged as a main character and lastly, Hanzi, emerged. Everyone seems to have their own secrets and secret agenda. Vows of Empire began with Gal and Ettien far from each other and no solution in sight as to how any of it, from the two warring empires to the two enemy lovers, would resolve. I started to get an inkling early on what was really going on so I wasn’t very shocked by the surprise moments. Still, I could appreciate seeing how it all played out. I’m a little hazy on where things finally went on a grand scale because there wasn’t a final resolution there, but the main story, started in the beginning, got resolution. This was very much YA in some ways, particularly how the characters thought and behaved. I was grateful to be spared as much of Gal’s thinking since this one had four narrators including the two young women, Wen and Hanzi. In truth, Wen and Hanzi tended to overshadow Gal and, especially, Ettien. They were forces of nature and took initiative and faced the bulk of the danger and fights. The romance was undergirding the story, but was understated and not heated like in most YAs. This one wound out like a chess match because the plotters had a long game going and much of the book was spent getting their pieces properly placed. But, it didn’t lag and kept up the ...
Bob
Amazing ending, can't wait to read other books by this author :). One of my favorite "space opera" books to date.
Sion Fogal
The final installment in Vows of Empire was fast paced, with plenty of interesting POV shifts. I did not care for the focus on twists. I thought it was a little odd, because we are often getting the story from the POV character’s inner monologue, so there are plenty of cases where it doesn’t make sense that the character would be hiding the twist from themselves, given that they already know about it. Since it is already telegraphed heavily, it feels like an impending twist is just this elephant in the room that might prevent you from fully enjoying the ride. I don’t want to be taken out of the moment! That said, I love these characters.
Spencer!!!!!
It was ok. The plot had a few twist. It was a bit boring though. All in all, I was glad I read it
Susan C
What a finale!! I would never have guessed. Perfection for Gal, Ettian, Wen, the Wraiths and many more. I hope Iral finds some peace. He warrants a book on his own. Phew! What these people have lived through! Five stars for each book. Absolutely fantastic treatise on greed(think the Empress) and good featuring Gal, Ettian and of course, Wen. I hope we see more in these worlds, truly. Definitely Five stars! Highly recommended!!
Short Excerpt Teaser
Chapter 1
Ettian
My stomach drops with the shuttle.
"Ruttin' hell," I mutter, one hand flying to catch the overhead straps, the other snapping to my forehead to keep my circlet from tipping off. It's a gusty day over Ichano, and the pilot isn't doing us any favors. My eyes catch Wen's across the hold.
She gives me the subtlest shake of her head, a wry smile twisting her lips. I know she wants to storm the cockpit as badly as me. The pilot couldn't stop either of us if we demanded he hand over the controls.
But both of us have higher duties than shouldering through turbulence.
So I grit my teeth through the utterly avoidable rattling and try to bend my focus back to my responsibilities for today. Beneath my feet sprawls Ichano, a newly liberated Archon city and the capital of Osar, a newly liberated Archon system. We've strung the second jewel in our belt after a month of fighting like hell-and all that my thoughts keep circling back to is that it's been a month since Gal slipped past our fleet and disappeared into the black.
Because you let him, an ugly voice in my head reminds me. Because you gave him the Ruttin' Hell and told the fleet to let it go. And then Gal refused, kissed me breathless against its hull, and told me he wasn't doing a damn thing I said. I took him at his word. I wanted so badly for it to be real. For him to be choosing me, siding with me, throwing off the shackles of his bloodright to fight this war at my side.
It was the happiest I'd been in months. I practically floated out of that hangar.
As far as I can tell from the tattered scraps of the security logs, the moment I left was the moment Gal got to work. He hadn't meant a word of it. All along, he'd been biding his time, waiting for his opening. From the holes in the camera footage and the drugged guards we discovered left in their wake, it seems his team sprang Hanji from her cell, rendezvoused with Gal, stole the powersuit, and flew the Ruttin' Hell free from the Torrent's core without a single person lifting a finger to stop them.
If it hadn't torn my heart out, I'd almost be impressed.
Another gust of wind shakes the shuttle, and I let out a soft groan. No weather's ever been enough to put a fear of flying in me- and I've flown through a hell of a lot worse-but the grating on my nerves is the last thing I need ahead of today's event. "Five minutes to the drop," the horrible pilot announces over the intercom.
Wen rises from her bench, resplendent in platinum-trimmed tac armor that almost makes up for the fact that she should be wearing that powersuit. Her feet are encased in a pair of boot prototypes welded to a carbon fiber exoskeleton that frames her hips-a poor substitute, but enough to get her airborne. Her vibrosword hilt is latched to the magnetic sling on her waist, a reminder that powersuited or not, she's still the Flame Knight. To top off the look, her shoulders are mantled by a fine emerald cape that's been cut with vents.
It takes the breath out of me a little to see her like this-though certainly some of that comes from the wound Hanji bored through my gut two months ago. Wen Iffan's come a long way from the chaotic little troublemaker I found on the streets of Isla. I had no way of knowing the girl dressed in rags trying to sell me a skipship with no engines would one day singlehandedly win the battle for my birth system by taking out a dreadnought with nothing more than a powersuit and her sheer force of will, but there was a little voice in my head that day telling me to bet on her-a little voice that's never steered me wrong.
"You're staring," she says, checking over the straps of her armor. "Again."
"Can you blame me?"
When her eyes catch mine, my smile falters. No happiness of mine can stand up under scrutiny-especially not hers. I've tried to keep the effect Gal's abandonment has had on me concealed, throwing myself headlong into the war effort. I've been burning myself out on strategy meetings and resourcing meetings and gods-of-allsystems-know-whatever-else I can involve myself in, praying that somewhere in the middle of all of it, I'll shovel enough into the hole Gal left inside me to patch it over.
Wen hasn't been faring much better. I've seen a darkness eating at her ever since the battle that claimed the Tosa System and cost us her mentor, Commodore A...
Ettian
My stomach drops with the shuttle.
"Ruttin' hell," I mutter, one hand flying to catch the overhead straps, the other snapping to my forehead to keep my circlet from tipping off. It's a gusty day over Ichano, and the pilot isn't doing us any favors. My eyes catch Wen's across the hold.
She gives me the subtlest shake of her head, a wry smile twisting her lips. I know she wants to storm the cockpit as badly as me. The pilot couldn't stop either of us if we demanded he hand over the controls.
But both of us have higher duties than shouldering through turbulence.
So I grit my teeth through the utterly avoidable rattling and try to bend my focus back to my responsibilities for today. Beneath my feet sprawls Ichano, a newly liberated Archon city and the capital of Osar, a newly liberated Archon system. We've strung the second jewel in our belt after a month of fighting like hell-and all that my thoughts keep circling back to is that it's been a month since Gal slipped past our fleet and disappeared into the black.
Because you let him, an ugly voice in my head reminds me. Because you gave him the Ruttin' Hell and told the fleet to let it go. And then Gal refused, kissed me breathless against its hull, and told me he wasn't doing a damn thing I said. I took him at his word. I wanted so badly for it to be real. For him to be choosing me, siding with me, throwing off the shackles of his bloodright to fight this war at my side.
It was the happiest I'd been in months. I practically floated out of that hangar.
As far as I can tell from the tattered scraps of the security logs, the moment I left was the moment Gal got to work. He hadn't meant a word of it. All along, he'd been biding his time, waiting for his opening. From the holes in the camera footage and the drugged guards we discovered left in their wake, it seems his team sprang Hanji from her cell, rendezvoused with Gal, stole the powersuit, and flew the Ruttin' Hell free from the Torrent's core without a single person lifting a finger to stop them.
If it hadn't torn my heart out, I'd almost be impressed.
Another gust of wind shakes the shuttle, and I let out a soft groan. No weather's ever been enough to put a fear of flying in me- and I've flown through a hell of a lot worse-but the grating on my nerves is the last thing I need ahead of today's event. "Five minutes to the drop," the horrible pilot announces over the intercom.
Wen rises from her bench, resplendent in platinum-trimmed tac armor that almost makes up for the fact that she should be wearing that powersuit. Her feet are encased in a pair of boot prototypes welded to a carbon fiber exoskeleton that frames her hips-a poor substitute, but enough to get her airborne. Her vibrosword hilt is latched to the magnetic sling on her waist, a reminder that powersuited or not, she's still the Flame Knight. To top off the look, her shoulders are mantled by a fine emerald cape that's been cut with vents.
It takes the breath out of me a little to see her like this-though certainly some of that comes from the wound Hanji bored through my gut two months ago. Wen Iffan's come a long way from the chaotic little troublemaker I found on the streets of Isla. I had no way of knowing the girl dressed in rags trying to sell me a skipship with no engines would one day singlehandedly win the battle for my birth system by taking out a dreadnought with nothing more than a powersuit and her sheer force of will, but there was a little voice in my head that day telling me to bet on her-a little voice that's never steered me wrong.
"You're staring," she says, checking over the straps of her armor. "Again."
"Can you blame me?"
When her eyes catch mine, my smile falters. No happiness of mine can stand up under scrutiny-especially not hers. I've tried to keep the effect Gal's abandonment has had on me concealed, throwing myself headlong into the war effort. I've been burning myself out on strategy meetings and resourcing meetings and gods-of-allsystems-know-whatever-else I can involve myself in, praying that somewhere in the middle of all of it, I'll shovel enough into the hole Gal left inside me to patch it over.
Wen hasn't been faring much better. I've seen a darkness eating at her ever since the battle that claimed the Tosa System and cost us her mentor, Commodore A...
