A Vow in Vengeance (Immortal Desires Series)

Amanda | escapetoerilea

Amazing tarot card magic world

"A Vow in Vengeance by Jaclyn Rodriguez Immortal Desires book 1 Duet narration by Raquel Beattie and Gregory Salinas Raquel and Gregory did a fantastic job with this story!! I am a huge fan of Gregory, and I was so excited to see his name on this! I enjoyed both of their voices and they brought the story to life! Audio note: My brain needs faster speeds for audio and this narration/recording sounded great at higher speeds. Dark academia Enemies to lovers, found family, unique tarot card magic, feminine rage, forced proximity, fake fated mates, touch her and find out, banter, schemes, druids/seraphs/elves, familiars, slow burn, tension Rune has lost everything, but has been planning a way to try to find her family. Her plan is to get chosen in the mandatory selection during which Immortals choose mortals to take to their lands. And they are never seen again. Her family has all been taken at this point and her only hope to find them is to get taken where they are. Once there, the druids that choose this year send her to a college to receive magic. Her magic puts her on the radar for EVERYONE. The only other druid with her magic is the prince, Draven, and he strikes a deal with her. He trains her, she becomes his partner to make the world a better place. I adored this book. Absolutely ate it up! It has so many of the tropes I am feral for! I loved the chemistry between Rune and Draven so much! Rune's rage was so delicious and I am an absolute sucker for fake dating, which this book took up a notch. The magic was super unique and intricate and the world building drew me in, making me want to know more about the druid kingdom as well as the others. I cannot wait for book two and will be counting down the days! ["

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April 6, 2026 Verified Purchase

Leanna Streeter

Dark Academia and cool magic

"This was a really solid romantasy that kept me engaged from start to finish. The world-building is one of the strongest parts of the book rich, immersive, and clearly well thought out. The immortal realms, the history between mortals and immortals, and the overall political tension made this feel like a fully realized world rather than just a backdrop for the romance. The magic system is incredibly unique and honestly one of the most interesting concepts I’ve read recently. Tarot based magic is such a creative idea, and I appreciated how much depth and intention went into it. That said, it is complicated. There’s a lot to take in, and at times it felt a bit dense, but I still admired the ambition behind it. Rune was a compelling main character, driven by grief, determination, and a need to reclaim what was taken from her. Her dynamic with Draven was a highlight for me, forced proximity, tension, and that slow-building pull between them absolutely worked. I loved the shared space, the reluctant alliance, and how their relationship developed alongside the plot. Overall, this book delivered strong world-building, a fresh magic system, and a romance trope I’ll never get tired of. Even with a few moments where the magic felt overwhelming, I really enjoyed this one and I’m definitely continuing the series. Looking forward to book two! ["

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March 18, 2026 Verified Purchase

Lavena Jenkins

Tarot card magic, Academy setting. What not to love! About that!

"I found this to be an absolutely incredible immersive read from this debut author. Tarot card magic. I’ve never read a book with it as the focal point of its world it but this was absolutely incredible. The characters were very well developed it’s an academy setting so that was a plus already The plot is well developed with lots of twist and turns. The story moves quickly and there is lots of action along with deep emotion, betrayal and of course slow burn romance. This book has it all For me I felt this was a five star read . Your heart will break at the end in fact the ending was so amazing I read it twice. And set it up beautifully for the next book in the series. ["

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February 13, 2026 Verified Purchase

Gabrielle B.

Pretty good. Will Read the next one.

"This book was alright. I liked the writing style, and there wasn't a gross abuse of inner monologuing so that's a plus. The plot was interesting and the magic system was cool, if not a little complex. I have mixed feelings about the characters. I liked Draven a lot even though I still can't tell if we're supposed to trust him or not, which is fun. I had a real issue with Rune, though. I can't stand when an author tells the reader how badass, well-trained, and competent a character is only for them to be an incapable idiot the whole book. Rune was supposed to be this clever, stealthy spy, but she was constantly making impulsive, rash decisions and dumb mistakes that contradicted what we're told about her. There were far too many instances throughout the book where she was like, "I know I should be careful, but I couldn't bring myself to care." AKA "I'm totally willing to blow the mission." For being this great wraith spy, she wasn't very good at her job. There were also a few plot holes. Like, (**SPOILER-ish**) Scorpios getting bested in combat by Kasper, a new changeling with less than a year of training, because he used the mind reading tarot card on Scorpios to anticipate his moves. But Scorpios and the rest of the Prince's inner circle just came back from the elf realm where mental shielding was critical. So we know Scorpios and the others are well trained in mental shielding, which prevents the mind reading tarot from working. So how did Kasper best him? IDK. If the plot relies on constantly contradicting your characters then maybe the writing isn't as fleshed out as it should be. But still, even with the issues, this was an impressive author debut and I'll read the next one when it comes out. ["

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January 22, 2026 Verified Purchase

Reading_with_Magic

So glad I took a chance on this one!

"⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5 🌶️ A Vow in Vengeance I went into this not totally sure what to expect since it’s a debut author, but I picked it up through my Allurial subscription and I’m so glad I did. This ended up being such a fun surprise and one of those reads that reminds me why I love taking chances on new authors. The story pulled me in quickly with its revenge-driven plot and immersive world. Rune is a fierce, determined FMC with a clear mission, and I loved watching her navigate dangerous immortal politics while trying not to lose herself in the process. The tarot-based magic system was a standout — fresh, intriguing, and woven into the story in a way that felt intentional rather than gimmicky. The dynamic between Rune and Draven was where this really shined for me. The tension, banter, and slow-burn chemistry were so well done, giving just enough payoff while still keeping the focus on plot and character growth. While a few elements felt familiar, the execution kept me hooked and turning pages. Overall, this was a strong, addictive romantasy with great pacing, compelling characters, and just enough heat to keep things interesting. I’m absolutely continuing the series and keeping this author on my radar. ✨ Tropes & Vibes 🛏️ one bed ⚔️ enemies(ish) → allies → lovers 🔮 tarot magic 💬 banter 🖤 touch her / him & die energy ["

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January 29, 2026 Verified Purchase