Vow Forever Night

To the Cruel Gods #1

by May Sage, Alexi Blake

I didn’t think I’d ever see her again, then she barged into my life and shattered it.
Kleos disregards every rule, all common sense that dictates she shouldn’t trust me. I’m a dark sorcerer, comfortable with murder, torture, and not entirely opposed to world domination. She’s the sweetheart of Highvale. We make no sense.
I can’t say I care.
Our city. Our families. Our entire world.
It doesn’t matter what I’ll have to destroy to keep her.
They told her I was bad news from the start.
She should have listened.

A sensual, dark, steamy paranormal romance in a world where everything that goes bump in the night exists, To the Cruel Gods is unsuitable for sensitive readers.

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Romantasy, Fantasy Romance, Paranormal, Paranormal Romance, Enemies To Lovers

394 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 19, 2025

About the author

May Sage is a USA Today Bestselling romance writer dabbling in different genres.

When she isn’t writing, she spends her time with her German Shepherd and her two Savannahs. She loves reading, ballet, running, and cake. Mostly, cake.

May Sage also writes longer fantasy romance novels as Alexi Blake.

Reviews

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Be very careful what you ask of me, love. You might just get it.”

Wow, that’s my second 5 star in a row, the gods must be pleased with me!

This was so much fun to read! I loved the characters, the banter, the little mysterious plot and the world building.
Kleos and Lucian are two opposites, one being a light witch and the other a dark sorcerer with families that dislikes each other but despite that, they still managed to get close to each other and he even helps her find her stalker and then get through a l*st potion 👀.

It was scorching hot, the chemistry and tension were palpable but also very cute ( she bakes him cupcakes and he’s addicted to them ) and I absolutely loved the animal sidekicks

Read this if you love good banter, spice, witches, greek mythology and angst.

I am impatiently waiting for book 2 to come out!

Thank you so much May Sage for the ARC, opinions are totally my own.

[Naomi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished Vow Forever Night and immediately went into withdrawal. READ THIS! This was such a good paranormal/fantasy romance, slow burn, great world-building, interesting plot, found family, spice (but not until like 80% which was torture) and it ends on a cliffhanger. I LOVED both main characters so much and I’m obsessed. But it’s a duet and the second book comes out next month so I’ll survive. I think 🙂‍↕️

[Drhgm]

Dark wizard gets the girl you say 👀

[Ashley Catelyn · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 27%

This is one of the worst cases of insta love I've ever had the misfortune of reading.

[Abigail Wynter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honestly this was so bingeable. I am kind of obsessed and craving book 2! Formal review to come. But damn May Sage is one to watch out for.

[Irum · Rating 3 out of 5]

I went in to this blind so I was really impressed by the story line but I was kind of getting bored mid way unfortunately.

There just wasn’t enough romance in my opinion 😖✋

Don’t know tho if I’m intrigued enough to read book two 🧐

[Potato (previously Ennie) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars

Admittedly, the first thing that drew me into this book was it’s cover - the art is just stunning. The author also had some gorgeous character art on her socials, which had me instantly sold. Although romantasy and I don’t always see eye to eye, I had a fun time reading this. It was an interesting world with peculiar magic and characters.

I was particularly fond of the fact that the male love interest wasn’t an asshole and actually respected the main character. I can’t tell you how refreshing that was. The romance was also cute. The reader knows that both Kleos and Lucien are into each other from the start, which I don’t always love. It just feels like we miss out on that growth and journey a character goes on when they start to feel different for someone/see someone in a different light or are willing to admit how they feel to themselves (because they have always felt that way and just haven’t realised it). I think for a romance story, it just takes away from the development of the relationship. My rambling aside, I still do think that the romance was the strongest aspect of this story. I love a respectable male lead who is simultaneously mysterious and brooding. It was very grumpy x sunshine if that's something you’re into (which I happen to be).

While I liked the premise of Vow Forever Night, the story would’ve benefited from more detail. A lot of the world, magic and social constructs were brushed over and I felt like I had been thrown into the deep end. It was such an interesting idea, with the magic and the under and upper portions of the environment, but I struggled to fully grasp the concepts. This did seem to improve later on, but it wasn’t enough for me. I feel like I was just expected to know and understand the characters and where they were. I really don’t mean to rant, and I’m hoping it's not coming across that way, because in the end, I still enjoyed this. I just think there is potential for the story to have more depth.

Thank you to the author for this ebook in exchange for an honest review.

[Tiana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has truly become one of my favourite books that i've read all year, i simply couldn't put it down and ended up finishing it in 2 days. As soon as it's available in paperback i'll be rushing to grab a copy!

It's full of so many cool tropes and interesting elements including;
🖤 Rival Families and Natural Enemies
🖤 interfering Gods and Monsters
🖤 Dark world
🖤 Sm🥵t
🖤 Who did this to you 😏
🖤 Norse and Grecian mythology
🖤 angst and slow burn romance
🖤 hades x persephone vibes

I knew i was going to love this one after reading the first chapter because i was already obsessed with everything about it! Both characters seemed like they were going to be incredibly interesting and fun, and completely different to most main characters that are in fantasy romance's, and i wasn't wrong!!
They were complete and total opposites, while fitting together like two pieces of the same puzzle. The only way i can really describe it is that it felt like they were 'fated mates' with just how compatible they were, let alone how obsessed they were with finding out every detail about each other.
And yet while they are constantly flirting and bantering with each other the whole way through, nothing actually happens between them until about 70% of the way through the book! (it was slow burn in the most delicious sense)

I also really loved the parallel that Kleos was meant to be the 'light' character and Lucien was meant to be the 'dark' one, yet they both inhabit this grey area because they don't fit into the groups that society has put them into.
Lucien is perceived to be this big bad bogeyman by everyone who knows of him. He is a dark sorcerer that does unspeakable acts of evil, and yet he is actually a huge softie with a really big heart who is always trying to help his friends and make life better for everyone that lives under the main city.
Kleos is seen as being this darling of the upper city who can do no wrong, a successful healer and academic with a heart of gold, and yet she has this darker side that she is always hiding from society. She doesn't want the same things that they all do, and has a really nasty side that comes out if anyone she cares about is hurt.

I also thought that the whole premise of all these supernatural beings and creatures existing, as well as greek gods and gods from other mythologies was really cool. It kept the whole story really interesting because there was so much different lore to learn and so many different things happening simultaneously that it was impossible to be bored.
Finding out as well that it was the gods who built the city that they're all living in was really interesting, and even more insane when it was revealed that the gods were real and not just fabrications for religion.

All of the world building and character development and relationships throughout were a true delight to read as well. it was so clear that a lot of attention has been poured into making this book and series the best that it can possibly be because everything was just so vivid and alive if that makes sense? When reading it really felt like things were flowing perfectly, and that things were jumping off the page with how well they had been described.

I feel like this book would have been cool enough if it was just about the romance between Lucien and Kleos, the supernatural elements and figuring more out about the gods, but it got even more INSANE when the murder mystery/unsolved case was presented!!! I was eating it up and this point and just couldn't put it down because i had to find out what was happening.
The set up for all of this is that Kleos has been attacked by someone who is trying to make her a puppet, and runes were carved into her that had her burning from the inside out. Kleos was trying to figure it all out on her own with no luck so ended up telling her two closest friends, who then roped Lucien into helping too (which he didn't mind at all because he was already obsessed with her at this point). Figuring out who is trying to hurt Kleos means that her and Lucien end up having to spend a lot of time together trying to figure everything out while also keeping her safe 😏

Truly an amazing book, and one that i won't stop thinking about any time soon!
I can't wait to see what will happen in the second book, especially after the cliffhanger and epilogue where we hear from a mystery POV that despises one of the main characters 😬

[Cheyyleigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dang this was a fun read. I have read a few books that had this vibe lately and it just puts a smile on my face. spoilers ahead.


FMC:
Kleos. Fabulous and top knotch. She has this inner strength but you can see her still struggling with her reality and the family she was born into. I am hoping we see a more rebellious streak in book two with actual moves to be more than she is, but I'll try and be patient.

MMC:
obsessed. I love when the main male character is utterly obsessed but either hasn't realized or acknowledged it. love every second of it. Their banter and playfulness just made this a super fun read for me. And the steam at the end 🥵 can we just be together now?

Side characters:
Now I usually don't have a separate section to go over side characters, but the ones in this book need mentioning.
Silver- why do I distrust her so much? every scene she is in I don't see best friend I just feel so distrustful. Maybe my bad guy meter is off.
Gideon and Ronan- these two are fantastic counter parts to Lucian and it makes so many normal scenes funny.
The Regis family:
Why do I feel like this story absolutely needed the Regis clan? knowing them is such a nice counter balance to not ever seeing Kleos' family.

Plot:
Now the plot is slow going as it usually is with investigation books and I am ready to find out more in book two especially since we end by involving all the gods. I wish I would've known the second book doesn't come out for a bit, but I am extremely glad I read this close to the release date because I need to know what is happening.

Overall I devoured this book. It is clever and funny and keeps you engaged. The plot isn't something super in depth and crazy which may turn some readers of the genre off but I loved it

[Kelsi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️

I don’t know what May Sage put in this book, but it was absolutely fantastic! I was hooked from page one, and could not put this book down until I got to that cliffhanger ending… and now I’m sitting here absolutely desperate to read book two! After an attack on her person that left a lasting reminder behind, Kleos is determined to find out just who she may have crossed that wishes to make an enemy out of her… when he search leads no where though and new revelations surface Kleos is forced to get some outside, unconventional help. Lucian is a very powerful dark sorcerer who answers to no one and has always been drawn to the strange girl with red hair, mostly because something about her magic seems off. What he never expected though was that she’d one day come to ask for his help with a magic problem. And even worse he never thought he’d find himself in a situation where he found someone he could truly connect with, even if her strange signature gives him pause. When things start to get out of hand though Lucian agrees to help in whatever way he can… something he may come to regret as being near Kleos is stirring up feelings he should absolutely not be having. And helping her out could either be their greatest strength or their inevitable downfall! If you’re looking for a book that is filled to the brim with characters you can’t help but fall in love with, found family, adorable animal companion, a mystery that will keep you guessing, and a slow burn, forbidden romance that contains plenty of mutual pining, sweet moments, spice and a cliffhanger ending that’ll have you reaching immediately for book two than be sure to grab Vow Forever Night now!

[Ju Lie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you for this gifted ARC from May Sage.

A Mythology-Infused, Sexy, and Fast-Paced Read That Keeps You Hooked

Note: I discovered this book/author as part of my reading journey for RARE London 2025.

✨Short Review✨
"Vow Forever Night" is a contemporary fantasy set against mythological Greek gods and magic. Told in dual POV, we follow Lucian, a grumpy dark sorcerer from an elite family, and Kleos, a bold light witch. The story feels like a Romeo and Juliet retelling with plenty of tension and mystery.

The plot drives the story: murders, a cursed rune, and simmering sexual tension that finally ignites in steamy scenes. While not heavy on emotional depth, it’s an addictive, quick read that had me hooked by the end.

If you want a fast, spicy read with mythology and mystery, this is for you!


✨Long Review✨
This was an enjoyable read that started gradually but pulled me in more and more as the story unfolded, until I found myself reading into the early hours of the morning.

"Vow Forever Night" is a contemporary fantasy with mythological Greek gods and a magical setting.

The story is told in dual POV, following two characters from very different worlds in what feels like a Romeo and Juliet-style retelling.
Lucian is a grumpy, powerful dark sorcerer; withdrawn, work-focused, ridiculously wealthy, and from one of the most elite magical families. Though I expected him to be darker and more morally grey, but he still carries a strong, intense presence.
Kleos, by contrast, is bold, bright, and persistent; a sunshine light witch also born into a powerful magical bloodline.
Both characters are in their twenties (27 and 23), and share a deep passion with rune magic, which becomes central to the story.

This book is not character-driven, and it doesn't go deep into emotional or psychological themes. Instead, the focus is clearly plot-driven: a string of murders, the mystery of a cursed rune, and a steadily building sexual tension between Lucian and Kleos. Once the pace picks up, it's hard to stop turning the pages, and I literally couldn’t put the book down.

The tension between the two leads simmers until it finally explodes. There's no prolonged teasing here, the spice hits, and it's definitely wet-your-panties level.

There are a couple of minor issues I noticed:
- A timeline inconsistency between Kleos' cursing (chapter 2) and Lucian's POV (chapter 3, marked six months later), followed by Kleos later saying she’s only had the rune for a week.
- The Pan’s pub scene was great and well done, but the follow-up at home felt rushed and underdeveloped. After such a steamy moment, I was left wanting more weight and emotional follow-through; it felt out of sync and left me feeling a bit hungry for more.
- And as mentioned, Lucian’s character could’ve leaned more into his darker, morally ambiguous side to fully deliver on what his setup promises.

While the book ends a bit unexpectedly, you’re left eager to find out what happens next. Thankfully, May Sage doesn’t make us wait long, she prefers to write her stories straight through and split them only when necessary. That’s why the sequel arrives just a month later, so we won’t be left hanging.

If you’re looking for a fast-paced, sexy, mythology-infused read that’s light on emotional heaviness but heavy on intrigue and tension, "Vow Forever Night" delivers exactly that.

[Bo0kSLoth · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's a reason . . .

I really liked this book, this world, and even these characters.

In a city that seemed almost created by the cupped hands of ancient gods and crafted by long forgotten deities, paranormals, demigods, and witches all congregate to survive free from the mortal eyes of man.

Created by the gods and ruled by their children, this city is both a utopia and prison. Old and new ways clashing; prejudices are hard to overcome even when you're part of one of the 5 original ruling houses. This story shows a lot about the inate prejudices people have that are passed down through generations or areas and are often not questioned.

While I enjoyed this book, there were moments I felt like I must have slept read a whole section of the book. Around page 41ish, when Kley and Gideon go to the Unders, there are quite a few references to 'last time we were here a year ago. . .'?!? Ugh🤔🤨😶. In the 41ish pages, the book starts 6 months prior to chapter 1 and then we get only a couple weeks later. There is another reference about turning up at Lucian's house and he answers half asleep. I have no idea where any of these scenes are coming from, but it's not from this book. If it's not from this book, frankly, don't bring it up. It's confusing AF. Honestly I would give it 4 stars if it wasn't for that. But I was just so confused and reread over 40 pages just to make sure I didn't miss anything thing Spoiler - I didn't.

[Alexandra Sárik · Rating 4 out of 5]

4,5 ⭐

4 things: dark wizard gets the girl, greek mythology, he calls her love, YEARNING.

Need I say more? I don't think so. I can't wait to read the sequel.

The banter is sharp enough to cut glass.
The tension could power a small village.

Lucian quotes:

"Bloody fuckpants of Hades. I should have murdered him as a toddler."

"I wasn't that much of a stalker. I just happened to... observe her when she was in my vicinity."

"There was only one woman in the entire city whose simple mention made me pause."

"Who did this to you?"

"But I should have been the one thank her. Getting to my knees and worshipping her. She was hugging me. She didn't get it. How could she? She didn't understand that my own mother never could have wrapped her arms around me like this while i was at full power. I couldn't help it. My arms circled her, and held her close. I felt like myself... I never believed this would happen to me. Kleos was warmth and light and goodness and hugging me. I have to let go sometime. Soon. Too soon."

"I have to wonder if your goal is getting kidnapped by a dark wizard."

"Be very careful what you ask of me, love. You might just get it."

"I needed to see her with Regis family heirloom around her neck."

"You're going to be the death of me, aren't you?"

"Careful, love."

"Mine. Mine. Mine. Except she wasn't, was she?"

🇬🇧

[Nan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I regret to inform you that this book will be my entire personality for the foreseeable future. Y’all I loved this! The story pulled me in from the jump. Magic? Gods? Sexy dark sorcerer? Throw in a dash of murder mystery. Yep, sign me up.

If you love:
- Great banter
- “Love” as a pet name
- Demon kitty/sweet puppy
- A man with a signet ring 😏

I thoroughly enjoyed this story. From the plot to the characters to the writing style. This is book one of a duet, and without giving too much away we got to see the two MCs relationship evolve from knowing of each other, to getting to know each other (and maybe spending every possible moment together). The feelings of attraction are mutual and we get a taste of spice (and I must say, I’d like another serving please 😏). The book ends unresolved, but it’s not a brutal cliffhanger that keeps you up at night stewing. And I cannot wait to read book two when it comes out.


𝘐 𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘦𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘧𝘳𝘦𝘦, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘮𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸 𝘪𝘴 𝘷𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯.

[Jennifer W · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was so much fun! It entertained me through all of it but now afterwards when I think about it, not too much actually happened? But it didn't bother me because I enjoyed reading it. A bit strange actually how that worked out for me...

Anyway, I like the world and how it's mixing this kind of magic and gods. It also gives off a little Romeo and Juliet kind of vibes at times. I really enjoyed that Lucian was so cocky and arrogant 🤭 but totally gone for her, a real protective dude let me tell you.

Kleos, also very likeable. I found her a bit mysterious even though she wasn't? I can't really explain it. I really liked her and her sense of being, so kind and brave.

There are also very likeable side characters, they are all so funny. It's a lot of fun reading this and all the things they get up to. The ending was also very interesting and left me with a bit more questions than I thought I would have.

[Aleksandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it!

But from club scene to the end of book it felt rushed. Still I can't wait for book 2 though!

[corie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

I’m very into the world of Highvale, and the slow burn was BURNING. Very excited for the second part of this duology.

[Sarah Diemel · Rating 3 out of 5]

something quick didn’t take much brain would’ve liked more love

[Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short review time!

I really, really, really enjoyed this one 😁
I mean, it has great characters, a compelling story, and... mythology! Doesn't get better than that tbh 😁😁
It also helps that the second part of the story will be out in a month, so even for people who don't like to wait, that's pretty doable.

And, of course, I'm going over it super fast (short review, remember), but it was really well-written, with fun and engaging characters, and not much drama (yet).
Just pick it up and check it out for yourself 😉

Can't wait for book 2!

[Bel · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 - 3.5 ⭐
Book #1 of ?? (in the series)
Book #1 of 2 (duology of Kleos and Lucian's story)

🔸 Mythology: witches and wizards as Gods' descendants, beasts and monsters
🔸City divided into Highvale and the Underside (slight segregation, prejudice & discrimination against each other)
🔸FMC is Highvale witch & MMC is a dark wizard Under and from one of the founding families -> forbidden romance with Romeo and Juliet vibes (without all the death and drama, just the family thing)
🔸MMC is cocky, handsome, fancy, always well dressed, incredibly powerful and intelligent, all accomplished, billionaire, basically royalty, a genius who invented a lot of things used by the characters throughout the story and has a sucking your vitality-death power, makes potions, necromancy, protective of his people, and carries everything everyone could need in his (daddy) pack with a shrinking spell
🔸FMC: darling of the Vale, heavily controlled by her mother, nerd studying to be an archivist for the guard, has natural, instinctive powerful healing powers & hides how much power she has
🔸FMC bakes and everyone is crazy about her sweets, including the MMC who gets jealous of anyone eating his cupcakes
🔸FMC is the only one immune to the MMC's power
🔸Adult MCs: FMC is 23 and MMC is 27
🔸Working for the Guard
🔸Investigating ritualistic murders and an attack on the FMC
🔸Deals & promises
🔸Hidden secrets
🔸Prophecy
🔸Friendship & Found family
🔸Funny moments
🔸Romance: medium burn, the attraction was there from even before they spoke but neither thought the other would be interested
🔸Forced proximity: someone is trying to harm the FMC and the MMC is the only one with the expertise able to help
🔸MMC is crazy about the FMC, completely obsessed, possessive, even if doesn't admit it even to himself but his friends/family realise it and the FMC is ignorant and believes he is only being nice
🔸MMC warns her about making deals/flipping promises with him, that if she is not careful they will bind them for life every time she says something along the lines of "it's only fair, you protect me, I bake you something" and she takes it as him not believing she is serious nor him wanting her around which is the opposite as he is always a trigger away of abducting her just for himself
🔸Book boyfriend
🔥Spice
🔸No cheating
🔸No overdramatic scenes, the characters behaviour and development was quite good
🔸Conscious house: MMC's house who changes itself to also fit the FMC, her tastes and obeys her wishes (which didn't happen with other guests)
🔸Pets: his demon cat hates him and loves her
🔸 World building: some things are still quite confusing and weren't properly explained or developed, but it was still so interesting and entertaining
🔸Ends in a cliffhanger


❗Mentions: controlling parent, segregation and prejudice, sex scenes, murder (off screen), attempt at controlling one's will


Notes:

As like in mythology, these characters are quite freely sexually.
The MCs aren't virgins.
While the MMC has always been conscious of the FMC, always seeking her with his eyes whenever they may be in the same building, always studying her, he didn't let himself believe there was more to it than him being curious to know what type of being she is because his senses where telling him to be careful of her.
The FMC was also conscious of him, handsome, powerful, accomplished and believed he hated her in the few instances they interacted when she visited her cousin's office (who had the MMC as a temporary partner).
And even if it wasn't specific, the MCs have known of each other since they were 12 and 16 (?) but they only interacted now at 23 and 27. They may have been conscious of each others presence. They had sex with others meanwhile (past, off screen, not mentioned but is implied).

[Natalie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A palette cleanser. I've been following the author on Instagram where they post a lot of amazing art. I really appreciate that they've hired artists!!! This is one of the things that drew me to this book.

As a fan of PJO since middle school, I was excited to dig into this. The concept of magic is interesting, as well as the mix of gods, as far as I understand Greek/Norse. Yet I wanted more from the world-building. It had potential, but some things were never explained and left holes in my mind that I still wonder about. For a long while I couldn't figure out whose descendant the MMC is.

I liked the urban setting and that modernity mixed with antiquity, and there were some Victorian vibes with the coaches in unders. Cool details that I wished I was given more to work with.

Kleos, the FMC, is likable. Witty and bright, and in this book I liked her, even though the whole plot revolves around her. There's mystery to it, yes, and I've already begun the second part, so I won't comment further. I await to see her character arc.

Lucian, the MMC, is my type of man. I'm talking blonde/silver haired and with something wrong with him. He is also a bit of a nerd and sassy the right amount. Despite that, all of his privileges and traits were a bit much for me. He's a cool dark sorcerer, but he can apparently do everything else too? Own business and is super powerful?? We get it — he is hot — but so far, he has been too perfect. His only vice would be his obsessive tendencies, but it's painted as a positive here.

Their romance is intriguing. Visually, they are beautiful, but the miscommunication trope is a huge issue for me. Yes, there is pining, and yes it's a slow burn romantically. The smut was above average. I enjoyed the sexual tension more.

I liked the dual POV. I didn't love the writing style, though. It's very readable but shallow to me. The world 'fuck' appears so often, and it throws me off. I sorta mourn how much better it could've been if the author had dug deeper, expanded the plot and world more, and removed casualties from the writing. The best friends side characters are sidelined. I would've liked to know more about them.

Overall, it's a good book! I'm not obsessed and I see myself recommending this to someone. Witch x witch romance does it for me. The gorgeous covers and art definitely influenced me to give this a chance.

PS. I would've liked to see queer/bi rep since they are based on Ancient Greece's culture, which very much was those things.

Second edit: I noticed a few inconsistencies as well as two spelling errors. Silver's name was spelled "Sylver" in one of the last two chapters.

[Makiita · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️ this was good until it stopped.

We have Kleos, a witch living in the vale, and Lucian a noble, living in the city under the vale, the Unders. Kleos wakes up one day to runes being burned into her skin, she manages to stop it killing her but needs to find out why this happened in the first place. Lucian, a noble of a founding family, a hit man for hire and a powerful sorcerer, gets linked in with Kleos’ problems, being the only person who can help her with the runes trying to kill her and figure out what is happening, why it’s happening and who is doing it. Dead bodies turn up with the same runes as Kleos had, deepening their concerns. They move through the boring motions of research while crushing on each other hard, fighting off their families trying to convince them to get married to people deemed suitable, aka not each other. They decide the only way to get information is through the gods themselves, so after a few nights of getting drugged and having sex, they set off on a mission to Greece in the hopes of getting answers from a god. Apollo appears and then ….. nothing.

Kleos our FMC, is pretty good. She’s nice, caring, tough, smart, realistic and also a little bit self entitled. Her mum holds some weight within the government, and this has made her the “Vale’s darling”. A prominent feature that’s well displayed through the writing is Kleos intelligence and how that feeds from the fact that she should have died as a child, if it wasn’t for a god drawing runes on her to save her life, which also increased the level of her witch powers drastically, it might not be as effortless as she thinks. Kleos pretty obviously wants Lucian from the get go, even though she keeps telling herself no.
The description of her mummy issues is written really well, I think it’s very easily understood that her mum has not been an easy woman to be raised by, or deal with, and that’s perhaps created some issues within Kleos.
Kleos it’s really going through it, someone tries to kill her with runes, her mum keeps lining up dud dates for her to hopefully marry and become a breeding machine, she gets drugged and basically sexually harasses Lucian, Lucian won’t bang her like a normal person and does it for the first time in a club full of people, he then tries to distance himself from her like a fuck boy and she nearly gets killed by a giant snake.
All the while her her personality remains eager and positive while chasing answers to her questions. The writing of her character is reasonably well done, we see some development in her feelings towards Lucian.


Lucian, our MMC, is supposed to be some big supreme badass hitman that people are scared of. I wouldn’t say this is portrayed overly well. While it’s clear there was an effort to make Lucian more than the rumours about him, like many other MMC, misunderstood, his personality is not written in a way that matches the description of him at the start. He’s supposed to be a murderer, when in fact he’s a little bit broody, mostly kind, helpful, smart, funny and nerdy. While his personality is written well in terms of his entitlement, superiority complex, and innate ability to be an absolute nerd - none of it matches the intention of the character at the beginning of the book being some big scary enigma.
It’s pretty obvious he falls first, his entire internal narrative is mostly trying to convince himself he doesn’t want Kleos, while going out of his way to help her.
When we finally get to the smut, it feels a little anti-climactic on Lucians behalf. Basically turns him into a fuck boy which is dumb. While it’s well written that we are building to the point of it taking place, and Lucian is trying to talk himself out of getting with Kleos, in his internal narrative we don’t see the lightbulb moment of change when he decides to be with her. It just randomly happens, like he flipped a switch in his personality. The buildup is really well written, leaving a lot of tension between the two characters, and then the fact that he does her in a club just seems to take away some of the seriousness of what their relationship is supposed to become, particularly once he starts explaining that his ring is so he can lay a claim to her soul if he needs to.
His intelligence is well written, as well as his innate desire to continue helping regardless of the fact that there’s no real reason he needs to. His brain seems to be the only reason they get anywhere in their research and getting answers, he’s clearly an integral part to the outcome of the story more than just the love interest.

The writing itself is unclear, and somewhat problematic. While you can definitely look past the issues of the writing, and the fact that sentences don’t necessarily make sense as to what they’re actually trying to say, it does make it a little harder to follow the story. The elements of the magic are well explained, as well as the two cities of the Vale and the Unders being well described early on. There’s a lack of detail in the explanation of the gods and their impact on the story. It almost feels like pieces of information I’m missing from this part of the narrative, and we just have to jump to conclusions.
The book maintains a consistent pace through the first 90% nothing exceptionally dramatic happens, causing it to feel a little boring at times, because the most characters are doing is researching the mysterious runes that appeared on Kleos. We finally get some good drama towards the end when the team goes to Greece and has to fight off a godly Python that seems to be the size of Harry Potter’s basilisk. We get to the most exciting part of the book where we may get answers, with Apollo’s arrival, and then the book ends. The ending feels like it should be the 3/4 mark, it’s left quite a bit to be desired because it doesn’t feel like any kind of conclusion, cliffhanger or not.

The found family has been well written, even to the point of lucians family being so loving and hateful of each other at the same time, his mum was a really enjoyable side character. Gideon was a lot of fun, I continued to get a decent laugh out of the fact that he’s supposed to be such a fierce protector but is inevitably completely hopeless.
I can’t stand Silver, she seems completely combative the entire time, and not overly supportive of Kleos getting answers.

The humour and light parts of the relationships through this story is also well written. I was left giggling many times at the banter and the jibes thrown around. For the most part the relationships develop well, and have a really good basis for the next book and the development that we can see through the series.

Looking forward to a little bit more explanation and drama in the next book

[Ash (so there’s this book) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genre: Adult Paranormal Romance
Spice: 2.5/5 🌶️
*spice ratings are relative to similar books in the same genre*

4.5⭐️ rounded up

The Catalog: FM, sorcerers, forced proximity (mystery solving), intricate world building, mythology, & lore, obsessed MMC, she’s immune to his killing power & he’s touched starved, “who did this to you?”, demonic cat sidekick, mythological aspects (runes, Greek Gods, demigods, etc.), forbidden romance (rival families), pining

Kink: public sex, breeding kink

Synopsis: When Kleos wakes in burning pain, runes etching into her skin, she knows there’s trouble brewing. It isn’t until corpses are found with the same runes that she realizes how bad the danger really is. Kleos isn’t quite like the other mythical beings that live in either Highvale or the Underside, but in order to solve the mystery, she’ll need the help of Lucian, the only other person like her.

Thoughts:
I really enjoyed this story! I am totally captivated by the world, the mythology, lore, and magic systems and I am DYING for book two!! The ending is what I’d call a soft cliffie, but I still need answers immediately!

As for the characters, there is always something so wonderful about bookish, powerful characters that teeter between morally good and gray. Kleos is kind of the darling of the vale, the “light” sorcerer’s territory, but she’s hiding a lot about her true nature. She’s hyper intelligent and brave! Lucian is the descendent of a god, treated like one in the under, treated like a villain in the vale. Together, they are perfection.

The romance is definitely a slow burn, mutual pining situation. Neither believe it’s possible for them to be together, but neither can deny the magnetic draw between them. It was sizzling!!

My one note is that the world building was steep. There are still some things I’m not 100% clear on because the explanations of some particulars of the world were perhaps lacking. While it kind of bothered me that I didn’t totally understand everything, I still enjoyed the plot and characters.

I definitely recommend for paranormal romance readers, and fantasy romance readers, alike. Especially if you enjoy deeper world building and lore!

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Vow Forever Night by May Sage was outstanding! Everything I could have wanted in paranormal romantasy. The world-building was superb. A supernatural city built by the gods and filled with all manner of supernaturals. There's the Vale, which I want to say is topside and filled with the new bloods, and there's the Underside, filled with the descendants of gods, vampires, dark wizards, shifters, and more. The Vale and Underside felt like two different worlds that connected through transportation and politics. They keep themselves separate, but the lines blur when Kleos is cursed and needs help.


I really liked the MCs. Kleos is smart and powerful but down-to-earth. Savvy in some ways but innocent in others, but also has a surprising dark side. I wouldn't cross her. She has the golden girl label, but that's far from true. Kleo has more in common with Lucian than I would have ever expected. He's a dark, shadowy prince, but once you get past his mask, he's surprisingly likable and has a good heart. I loved how the relationship between Lucian and Kleo developed. Playful flirtation, mutual respect, and attraction; things just flowed easily with them. There were also some really great side characters. Lucian's grandfather and Kleo's cousin are two of my favorites.


The magic system was fantastic! May Sage created some vivid descriptions and was incredibly detailed about magic, and it was everywhere. The pages just flew by; I was completely sucked in. As the research for the curse continues, it becomes a bigger mystery that pulls me in. The more that was revealed, the more my questions piled up. The ending was quite the jaw-dropper. The final scene was kind of epic, and introducing some new and very concerning characters has me excited for the next book. Vow Forever Night was superb. Most definitely a must-read if you enjoy a little dark fantasy and stunning romances. I highly recommend it.

[Stacie · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most anticipated ARCs I wanted and I practically screamed when I got it.

If I had time I would have devoured it in 3 days. It is a 5⭐️ I, actually want to give 6!

🌙 Before I elaborate, yes it gives Hades and Persephone vibes so don't be surprised you see me here rating it as a 5 stars. I guess it's my favorite trope in the whole world!

🌙 The book is an adult romantasy with spice and I can't wait for more! They are 27 (Lucian) and 23 (Kleos) and the pinning and yearning! AHHH! The world building is a mix of magic, the future, and ancient Greece and I really can't stop imagining it in my head. The book is atmospheric and makes you want to dive in and live in it.

🌙 Kleos, the female protagonist, is a witch from a very powerful line. A lovable character who was struck by a dark ritual magic. She is looking for a way to get rid of the runes in her body. She is the embodiment of life and happiness.

🌙 Lucian, the male protagonist is practically death incarnate. A very powerful dark sorcerer who is always focused and driven by his moral code. He is the one who will try to get to the bottom of Kleos' cursed runes and the reason behind this attack.

🌙 Lucian and Kleos are the couple I was craving for. These 2 make me want to read the second book now and it's not out yet! The chemistry was top notch and I wanted more. The last chapters are divine!

🌙 The side characters are an amazing addition to the book. It's an easy-reading, fast-reading book, with laughs and serious points. The plot so far is anticipating and I need to know more!


Tropes:

🌙 Hades x Persephone
🌙 Romeo x Juliet
🌙 Grumpy x Sunshine with banter
🌙 Dark world build
🌙 Gods and humans
🌙 Dual-pov
🌙 Spice 🌶🌶
🌙 Dark MMC x Light FMC
🌙 Slowburn
🌙 Forbidden love
🌙 Creatures and magic
🌙 Ancient Greek and Norse mythology
🌙 Rune magic and curses
🌙 "Forced" proximity (more willingly)
🌙 Yearning

Thank you May Sage for choosing me! I can't wait for book 2!

[Kavuyi Chivunda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tropes:
Dark wizard gets the girl
Who did this to you
Dark vs light
Greek and Norse Mythology
Rituals / Sorcery
Attempted forced bond
Possessive hero
Found family
Forbidden romance
Hereditary enemies/ Rival Families
Grown up characters (23 and 27)
Epic Romance
Interfering Gods and Monsters
Dark world
Slow burn

What do you get when you place a murdering touching killing descendant of a titan with a red haired rune covered god like new blood?

Attraction.

Lucian and Kleos.

Lucian is all bad and darkness and Kleos is all sweet and light. When Kleos finds herself covered in deadly runes from magic, Lucian comes in to help even if he’s afraid of his power and she’s not. Someone is out to kill her and she needs to understand what happened to her years ago when runes saved her life.

I loved Lucian and Kleos. I loved the opposites attract kind of connection. While he was portrayed as cold and horrible, he was still a very nice man put together. The book was a really good slow burn and the tension built up to it. The ending was quite confusing. I had to read it several times to sort of get the concept of it and I’m looking forward to book 2 to understand how their story goes on from the cliffhanger in book one.

I finished the book within 24 hours and that’s how interesting it was.

Some grammatical errors here and there and different names spellings but overall good book.

[Natalija Križan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Prva v duologiji To the Cruel Gods, me je imela v primežu, vse odkar sem na IG videla sliko iz knjige in prebrala kratko vsebino. Da sem jo požrla v slabem dnevu ne rabim razpravljati in, da je po nekaj mesecih prva s petimi zvezdicami tudi ne. Knjiga spada v žanr fantazije, oziroma specifično v romantazijo.

“𝙔𝙚𝙨, 𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙖 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙚𝙧. 𝙏𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙢𝙚𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙄 𝙠𝙣𝙚𝙬 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙘𝙪𝙩 𝙞𝙣 𝙤𝙧𝙙𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙗𝙡𝙚𝙚𝙙 𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙖𝙢𝙤𝙪𝙣𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚.”

Kleos in Lucian sta čarovnika iz popolnoma nasprotnih družin. Ona svetla čarovnica in zdravilka, on temen čarovnik, ki ne odgovarja nobenemu.
Ko Kleos potrebuje pomoč, se obrne na zadnjega človeka, ki bi ji utegnil pomagati, Luciana.
Za Luciana je Kleos uganka. Njena magija mu je neznanka in, ko ga Kleos prosi za pomoč, si še misli ne, da se mu življenje lahko obrne na glavo.

“𝘽𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙙𝙮 𝙛𝙪𝙘𝙠𝙥𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙃𝙖𝙙𝙚𝙨. 𝙄 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙢𝙪𝙧𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙝𝙞𝙢 𝙖𝙨 𝙖 𝙩𝙤𝙙𝙙𝙡𝙚𝙧.”

Po dolgem času knjiga, ki me je popolnoma prevzela. Že odkar sem nekaj mesecev nazaj izvedela za njo, sem vedela, da jo moram prebrati.
Všeč sta mi oba glavna junaka. Njuni dialogi so “chef`s kiss” in v straneh knjige se lahko čuti statika, ki ju obdaja. Da o stranskih likih ne govorim.

Partner me je večkrat ob branju knjige vprašal zakaj se smejem v bralnik. Zato, ker je knjiga zabavna in ena redkih, katero sem načrtno brala počasi, da se le ne bi končala.

“𝙄 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙬𝙤𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙜𝙤𝙖𝙡 𝙞𝙨 𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙠𝙞𝙙𝙣𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙮 𝙖 𝙙𝙖𝙧𝙠 𝙬𝙞𝙯𝙖𝙧𝙙.”
“𝙑𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙢𝙪𝙘𝙝 𝙙𝙚𝙥𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙨 𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙞𝙯𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙡𝙞𝙗𝙧𝙖𝙧𝙮,” 𝙄 𝙦𝙪𝙞𝙥𝙥𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you for the ARC!

Their families have hated each other for decades if not centuries.

When Kleos gets into trouble, she asks Lucian for help, so they make a deal.
"Sounds like making a deal with the devil"
"Welcome to the underside."

May Sage also writes under the pen name Emm Darcy and while I've read a lot of Emm Darcy books (and loved them!), this was my first May Sage book.

No surprise here: I had so much fun reading "Vow forever night"!

So why did I like the book so much?

The mmc and fmc:
Kleos is a smart cookie and funny.
"You're certainly not the first man with performance issues. Don't sweat it, it's perfectly normal"

Lucian is hilarious and everything you want in a book boyfriend.
"I wasn't that much of a stalker. I just happened to...observe her when she was in my general vicinity."

I love them together and they have the best (spicy) banter. 

Plot will be plotting. I still have no clue who the bad guy or girl (we don't discriminate) is. So I really can't wait for the second book (will come out in july 2025) in this duology to find out (and my Kickstarter books)!

Here's what else you'll get:
- "Who did this to you?"
- A mmc who'll make you snacks and walk you home
- A mmc who'll share his library and mansion
- A dungeon "It's not as unpleasent as it sounds"
- A mmc who'll tie you up ;)
- Signet ring shenanigans
- Awesome side characters "Marry her, or I will" (I would love a book for Ronan!)
- Good old fashioned cussing "Bloody fuckpants of Hades"
- Fuzzy friends, one of which may or may not be a demon
And much more! 

[papersewnthoughts · Rating 4 out of 5]

Greek Mythology meets murder mystery, slash enemies-to-lovers? Sign me up, please!

One thing you need to know about me is that I'm feral for Greek Mythology. I'm not a faithful person, but if I were to choose to follow any belief, then it would be those of the beautiful and cruel Gods residing in the Olymp and beneath. So it really is no wonder, that I thouroughly enjoyed this book a lot. It takes a wild take on the world formed by the actual gods, following the families down the line who now reside in Highvale and beneath. In this world full of magic, blooms not only tension but also a mystery of its own.

Between high stakes, carved runes, and the hate between families, Lucien and Kleos find their way to each other. A whole bunch of miscommunication (or not talking in general) and the fight between light and dark draws them to each other.

While it does have this Hades/Persephone touch, with Kleos being the darling og Highvale and Lucien being the local bad boy/ hunter of bad men, it's not entirely this. I think both of them swim more in this grey area, with Lucien having a bigger heart than he himself thinks possible and Kleos being full of magic and secrets.

There's a delicious slow burn and a deep desire on both ends, and we can read about it in two POVs, which I'm always a goner for. He would set the world on fire for her, and I'm loving every second of it.

All in all, this was such a great intro to this duology, leaving me wanting to dive into book two basically immediately. I can't wait to see where the story will go from here.

[Kaylee Tallakson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Almost gave 3.5 starts but the world building really saved it for me. I really enjoyed both the main characters and the world was super interesting! Really cool magic system and the plot was backed up with solid writing.

Now the main reason why I didn’t give 5-stars was because the whole “miscommunication” type thing that kept happening between the main characters was just annoying for me. Like maybe talk to each other about your feelings for 30 seconds and we wouldn’t have to deal with all the drama🙃

This relates to the miscommunication as well, but I felt like anytime the main characters had a moment together it was just immediately ruined in the next chapter after presumptions/misunderstandings on both sides. I get that having the characters immediately be together with no problems along the way wouldn’t make for an interesting read either, but I just found myself waiting for the other shoe to drop anytime there was a moment of progress in their relationship.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book but it did have a few things that bothered me. That being said, the few problems I had didn’t stop me from really enjoying the book overall. I’ll definitely be reading the next one!