A Vow of Blood and Tears

A Vow of Blood and Tears #1

by Cate Corvin

Bane

Never did I dream that a woman would cry on our wedding night.

Ten years have passed since humans and vampires allied to defeat the wolves.

Now, to seal the covenant between our people and keep my throne, I must take a mortal bride.

But I’ve gone further than any vampire has gone before—become a fiend, a monster even among my own kind. No woman can lay eyes on me now without horror and fear.

When I first see her, I know I’ve doomed her. But she doesn’t scream in terror.

She fears not my face, but my bestial thirst.

Because of her courage, I will be the remorseless beast who keeps a beauty chained with vows.

And though I crave the taste of her blood…

I will fight the monster within to win her heart and soul.


Cirri

Never did I dream that a monstrous vampire would be the one to hear me.

Voiceless and ignored by the world, I was never considered good enough for anything beyond my indentured servitude—a silent, forgettable shadow.

Until my blood betrayed me.

Chosen by chance as a pureblood bride for the Lord of the Rift, I’ve been sold in marriage to a vampire more hideous than I could’ve imagined.

But despite his savage appearance, he tries to hear my silent words.

He alone learns to read the language of my hands.

He might be a beast, but there is beauty in his soul. For the sake of my people, I will spend a lifetime shackled to this monster…

But for the sake of his heart, I will make myself heard.



This novel is a full-length standalone fantasy romance with a guaranteed HEA. Beauty & the Beast entwines with Dracula in this steamy, slow-burn romantasy for readers 18+.

One-click this MF standalone if you

Dual POVs

Romantasy

Monstrous vampires

Obsessed goth husbands

Arranged/political marriages

Strong, smart heroines

Genres: Fantasy, Vampires, Romantasy, Romance, Fantasy Romance, Paranormal, Slow Burn

732 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 24, 2025

About the author

Cate is a USA Today Bestselling Author who loves all things passionate and paranormal with a side of horror. She lives in the South with her family and pets, and loves every kind of coffee, horror and fantasy movies, and cats. Reading is her favorite hobby when she’s not writing.

Sign up for my newsletter here: https://www.catecorvin.com/newsletter

Reviews

[Rain · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you love an unconventional hero and relationship, this book is a gift. While the writing isn’t as poetic as Grace Draven’s Radiance, it gave me similar feels.

Cirri (25) is a strong, intelligent fmc, she is also mute. She reads and writes in multiple languages and communicates through sign language. Abandoned by her family at an early age because of her “defect” she has been an indentured servant all of her life.

Bane (80 ish) is a vampire Lord, but he elected to be permanently transformed into a fiend to protect his people. Basically, he’s a giant, terrifying, monster-like creature. *See below

“People of the Rift, welcome your Lady, Cirrien lai Darran, wife of Lord Bane Lifegiver.”

I loved the slow, steady growth of their blossoming relationship.

When she signs, I see you, and you hear me. I melted. She is able to see past his monstrous features, and he is able to understand her complicated language.

Age gap
Fantasy
Arranged marriage
Mute fmc
Language barrier
Beauty and the Beast/Cinderella/Dracula
Dual POV
Well developed characters and plot
The best gollums
The journal
No virgins
HEA
Standalone

For nearly 700 pages, the story flows beautifully, I was never bored. The length allows the plot to unfold naturally.

The not so great.

-The bad guy was easy to spot.
-Why is this cover so bad?
-Why do so many books in this genre have the same type of titles?!

The drama around the 70% mark made sense, and I was relieved it wasn’t just another giant miscommunication trope. But the last 20% felt like a different story. Gruesome battle and torture scenes, go in prepared.

And yet, after all that darkness, we get a strangely fluffy conclusion. A bit of a letdown, but overall, I still really enjoyed the journey.

*The hero isn’t human at all. He has split tongue, mouthful of sharp teeth, horns, long pointed ears, and a bat-like snout. His male appendage has barbs.

[Mikky · Rating 3 out of 5]

My Rating: 2.5 Stars

I'm SO SO SO glad this book is over. This felt like the LONGEST book I've ever read in my life (even though it wasn't). The first half had me hooked. I adored where it was going and was loving every minute of it. I didn't even mind how long winded/long it was because the author did a fantastic job of sprinkling in enough intrigue in regular intervals to keep me wanting more.

The second half is when this book lost me. As soon as pregnancy/children were mentioned I got the ick. It was so strong of an ick that it kinda sorta made me lose sight of what I had enjoyed so much in the first half. The kidnapping in the third act was the final nail in my personal ick coffin. I read those last 20 or so chapters with so much bitterness and betrayal. I'll be honest and admit that I wasn't even truly reading it, I was skimming and only focusing on the dialogue because by that point I had had enough. It was very unnecessary and I'll stand by that statement.

I started this book thinking I had found my new favorite book to build my entire personality around and came out of it incredibly pissed off and annoyed. Throughout this book, I also learned something about myself. I like my MMC's to be more humanoid than monster. So when the author took her sweet sweet time describing the MMC I kinda sorta filled in the blanks to the point where when his full description finally dropped I was already set with my own version of him in my head. So much so that every time the author described an aspect of him that I refused to merge in my head I got pulled out of the story. I agree that that one was on me but it was not fun to play that game throughout this entire super long book.

The one positive note was Cirri (the heroine)! I loved her! She's mute and has had a hard time communicating with everyone around her because no one ever bothered to learn sign language. She's been put down her entire life because no one has had enough patience to let her write down what she wants the say and continue the conversation from there. I loved getting to see her grow into herself with Bane and the gang. Her sass was unmatched and the shiny new backbone she found suited her so well. I loved that Bane made it a priority of his to learn her language so they could communicate easily. Bane was also a sweetheart to her and I love him for that!

Another thing, this book had no business being this long. This could have been cut down by, like, A LOT. I've gone through some of the page counts of this author's other books and it looks like this is her usual M.O. so I can't fault her for it. I could have looked it up before picking this one up.

The story definitely lends itself to having future stories added to it, such as Bane's brother's/friend's getting their happy ending and saving their realm. Even if there are I don't think I'd enjoy those very much, so I'll be getting off the train here. It's been a fun ride, but it wasn't for me.

[Gavin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I pre-ordered this romantasy on a whim after being sucked in by the intriguing blurb and pretty cover. I’m a sucker for Beauty and the Beast inspired tales. It turned out to be a great decision as this turned out to be a very enjoyable read. It was good slow burn romance that blended Beauty and the Beast, classic arranged marriage tropes, and communication tropes. Corvin had an engaging writing style so it was easy to get sucked into this story and the dual POV leads were very easy to root for both individually and as a pairing.

The plot was fun. In a world where humans and vampires, once traditional enemies, had formed an alliance to fend off a horde of vicious wargs (monstrous werewolves) four vampire lords ruled. As part of the alliance treaty they had a set time to take a human bride. The four vampire lords were unique. They were not the typical pretty vampire but still deadly vampires that the humans had been slowly beginning to accept over the years since the war. During war time they had transformed themselves into hideous Fiends and were now more beast than man or vampire in appearance. Which made them feared but gave them the power they needed to turn the tide in the war with the wargs.

The story begins as the last vampire lord, Bane, was approaching the deadline for taking his human bride. Unfortunately his bride was to come from the Silver Sisterhood, an all female institution of vampire hunters that was fading in relevance in an era where vampires and humans had an alliance. To make matters even worse, on the eve of the wedding, the chosen bride decides death is the better option than marriage to a beastly fiend and takes her own life! This leaves the Silver Sisterhood scrambling to find a last minute replacement so the treaty is not broken. Unfortunately for mute indentured servant, Cirri, she is the backup and quickly finds herself going from cleaning up the blood of the last bride to taking her place in the political marriage to a fiend!

The tale was a ton of fun. Corvin had an engaging writing style. I’ve read a bunch of recent books that have nailed the characters, the dialogue, and the story but that have struggled with the nitty gritty of sufficiently describing their world in a way that was easy to picture. That was not the case with this story as the gothic setting and fantasy world was vividly described. This was a long tale (running over 25 hours in audio) and Corvin made the best use of that time to develop both the romance and the plot in a way that had the action, romance, and emotional beats of the tale ramping up as it progressed. Resulting in this being one of those tales that started good then got better and better as it went!

I liked the world. It had an old school fairytale fantasy feel to it. We got superstitious humans, pretty but still scary vampires and blood witches, evil monstrous wargs, and we got teased with the potential existence of the fey and even possibly actual Gods. Throw in the uneasy alliance between the vampires and the humans, potential hostilities with a neighbouring kingdom, and the threat of the constant warg raids and attacks and we had an interesting setting for our story.

I enjoyed the romance. Both Cirri and Bane were easy to root for and sympathise with. They both had issues but, over time, worked hard to help each other overcome them as much as possible. There was a lot of Beauty and the Beast in this one, but enough original elements to still make it a great read in its own right. We also got a lot of classic HR arranged marriage vibes rather than the more common enemies-to-lovers trope that is so popular right now. Both Cirri and Bane had reasons to be wary of each other but both were genuinely interested in trying to make their political marriage work even if they were not particularly hopeful of finding actual love in it. It helped add to the slow burn nature of the romance. With Bane being monstrous in appearance and Cerri having issues communicating there was definitely some early problems to overcome. Reminded me a bit of Radiance by Grace Draven but it did not quite lean so hard into initial repulsion of both characters appearance as Bane thought Cerri was a hottie right from first sight but it did have that similar element to this tale and the additional communication issues for Cerri, as no one knew her sign language, added some nuanced melodrama to the story and her new relationship. Bane had his own fears and issues to deal with which gave their relationship a good balance. They were likeable characters that were easy to root for as a couple but they were not beyond making mistakes.

I felt like this was an engaging romantasy tale that focused most on the slow burn relationship but had enough worldbuilding and plot to keep the story a compelling read/listen. I was engaged through all 25 hours of this one! I also feel like the world had a dark fairytale edge to it that added some creepy atmosphere and tension to the happenings.

The supporting cast was good and helped add some depth to the story. Since we were introduced to the three other fiend lords, who had recently taken human brides of their own but seemed to be having issues with them, it hinted at potential for at least three more sequels set in this world. Which I’d absolutely be interested in reading. This wrapped up the Bane/Cirri tale nicely, and worked perfectly as a satisfying standalone, but left me eager to read more from this world. I feel the classic romance pivot to a new lead couple would be the ideal way to go for this series.

All in all I’m glad I grabbed this romantasy on a whim as it was pretty much everything I was hoping it would be when I got hooked by the blurb and hit that pre-order!

Rating: 4.5 Stars. I’m rounding this up to 5 Stars here on Goodreads.

Audio Note: This was narrated by Jesse Vilinsky and Tyler Donne in the dual narration style. POV segments were split fairly equally between Cirri and Bane and each narrator did their respective POV segments. I can sometimes find this method a little jarring but the bouncing between Vilinsky and Donne was fairly smooth. Both gave very good performances.

I’m also fairly sure Tyler Donne is a pseudonym for Jim Frangione. They sound the same and have the exact same style, speech cadence, and accent. It goes without saying that grabbing the Black Dagger Brotherhood audio narrator, or a guy that sounds exactly like him, was a fantastic choice for this one!

[Mora · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very long and boring in most parts.
______

Book info:

— H (80) / h (25)
— Vampire~monster H / human h
— Beauty and the beast vibes
— Arranged marriage
— He falls first and harder
— Mute h
— Thoughtfully H and will do anything for the h
“Let her find something she loves here. Just one thing.
Even if it’s not me.”


Note:
The H looks a monstrous and people always call him ugly and girls used to run away from him or get disgusted by him.

“What should have been the whites of his eyes were as black as ink, his skin a deep, ashen gray.
High, sharp cheekbones, curved upwards like horns, jutted above a thick lantern jaw distended to accommodate fangs. A row of tiny, rounded spicules protruded through his brows, growing in size as they moved up his forehead to the hairline, all the way to the sharp, angular horns sweeping back over black hair. 
These things might have been overlooked, were it not for the wide, pointed ears that seemed to swivel at every tiny sound. The almost muzzle-like shape of his lower face, his nostrils slitted, lips deformed to expose a rack of gleaming fangs.
His entire face was deformed with sharp, cartilaginous ridges that traveled over the bridge of his nose and up to his forehead, giving him a bestial aspect.
The sum of his parts reminded me of a bat, of all things. A larger-than-life, wolf-skinning beast, wearing the clothes of a nobleman.”

He wasn’t always like that. He used to have that extraordinary vampire beauty but to save his people, he sacrificed his face, his freedom and his happiness and turned into a monster.


Safety:

— Past/experience:
⤷ The h had some experience, she was only with two partners.
⤷ Experienced H but there’s no info on his past. He turned into a monster 10 years ago and mentioned this: “I haven’t so much as kissed a woman since I became a fiend, until I met you. I’ve just had a lot of time on my hands to imagine what I wanted to do.”
— Slight OWD:
In the first half of the book, the h was afraid of the H’s fangs and didn’t let him drink her blood. At one point, the H’s advisor told her that if she didn’t allow him, he’d be given a lover (Auré/OW and she’s a vampire). Of course the H refused from the start to betray the h or have any lovers, even before meeting her.
Around the 44% mark, this OW appeared for the first time and we had few scenes showing the h’s jealousy and her insecurity around her, which I don’t like or enjoy in my books. It turned out that OW and the H were old friends and close for decades but it had been 10 years since they last saw each other.
The h felt possessive and jealous over the H and didn’t like the OW around him (nothing serious, so don’t worry) and at some point, the h decided to ask the H if he and the OW were lovers and this was his answer:

“It’s not funny to me, Bane. Is she a past lover of yours?
“No, my lady. No.” He mastered his expression, barely managing to wipe his incredulous smile away. “Auré is, and has always been, a sister to me. To all of us.”
Well, to hell with it. I’d already shown my hand, ugly jealousy and all.
Wyn said Auré was the one she would choose as your lover, I wrote. If we didn’t find our way. 
That was what fully killed Bane’s amusement. The smile, which had been on the verge of returning, became a stormy scowl. “Ah, fuck. I see why you’d think… but no, never. She genuinely is like a sister to me. Even if you and I had never met, that thought would never cross my mind. And as for Wyn… as you’ve noticed, she likes to be involved, whether she’s wanted or not. I love her, but that is a shortcoming, I won’t lie. Yes, she tried to make plans in the event that you preferred to be away from me, but as I told her then: no. While my vows are made, there will never be another, whether you love or loathe me—and Auré would never have been a consideration regardless.”

“Let me alleviate your fears, at the very least. I have never wanted Auré, and I certainly don’t now. There has never been a woman I want more than you.”

I also don’t think the OW wanted the H for her self. As I mentioned above, they were friends and she cared for him as a close friend, nothing more. Plus since she’s an advisor to one of the H’s brothers, she’s been the one to choose wives for some of the other princes (the H’s brothers). But it turned out that none of those wives were good for the princes, so she was cautious about the h and assumed she might be like all the other wives. She was worried the H might get hurt, just like his brothers did.
In the end, the OW came to see that the h was different from the other princes’ wives and the two of them became friends.
Note to my friends: don’t worry at all, the H’s friendship with OW never give (Cassian and Mor) vibes. Actually he didn’t care about OW that much. He always chose the h’s side and was ready to fight everyone including his brothers for her. He’s not like that loser xD.
— No real OMD:
The H is jealous and possessive over the h.
— No cheating/scenes with other people
— HFN

[T.P.A. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the type of story that gently pulls you in as you find yourself in the world where humans and vampires have aligned as to protect themselves from the grave danger that wolves pose. The story flows smoothly and the author has done a fantastic job at portraying the atmosphere, the political mechanisms that are in play as well as creating outstanding characters that offer depth, authenticity and gradual growth as the story evolves. This is a love story at its finest, one of the most tender ones I have read in a while.

I found the concept of the four Lords rather interesting as they have sacrificed themselves for the greater good. At first it appears that the Blood Accords was signed with the intention of building mutual trust and connection, but as the plot thickens it seems that there were much more sinister ideas on behalf of the humans when it came to the contract. Although there is a good glimpse at the politics and history of the realm, this book is about love and I have to say that I was absolutely smitten with the romance here.

Lord Bane is an exceptional strategist and his devotion to his people has earned him respect among his own. However, leaving behind who you used to be and embracing your monstrous form is no easy task. After all, most will be repulsed by the grotesque features and less than desirable form. Nevertheless, it is what lays below the surface that matters the most as physical appearance is simply a passing in time. So, when he encounters his new bride, there is this snippet of a kinship as she as well is perceived as different from the rest.

Cirri is absolutely lovely! Her passion for knowledge and tender heart draws you in instantly. Despite her intelligence and unique traits, she has been treated as an outcast, due to the mere fact that she is mute. However, unlike many others, when she is given to Lord Bane, she holds her head high and embraces her future. What our main heroin discovers though is that behind the beast, there is tender soul, one that shows more care, support and tenderness towards her than anyone else.
The romance between the two builds slowly and I loved the fact that it was almost like an exploration journey as they discovered more about each other. Bane is the type of husband that offers you the world and Cirri offers him the chance to accept his nature. The slow-building connection between the two was beautiful. I loved the journal, the attempt to write her poems, the little messages that they exchanged. It is always within the actions of a person when you can see clearly whether there is something genuine in there.

It is an incredible experience when a story manages to touch you in an unexpected way and this one had that exact impact on me. It is almost like a gentle caress, one that smooths your very soul and you know that all will be alright. The slight Beauty and the Beast vibes were evident here, but what stood out for me the most, was the devotion and care that these two had for each other.

[Shannon Farley]

“Cirrien was mine now, whether she wanted it or not, and every fragment of what I was would defend her to my dying breath.”

No rating as I only made it 40% in. Honestly, I think it’s just me. My mind is not getting into fantasy books right now.

This book was really easy to read! The author’s writing was very fluid and engaging. The Romance was so sweet and heartfelt. I loved the main characters depth, and dimension! The only reason why I’m DNF’ing is I found the plot/storyline to be boring. I found myself skipping to the romance parts because I was invested in the characters coming together. 🤷‍♀️

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a good read at times but it was unnecessarily long. It didn't need to be over 700 pages and it was a drag at times.

I loved the characters, Cirri was a different FMC to read about and Bane was interesting. I loved the take on vampires and the world that Cate created.

It was just far too long and it took me forever to read 🙄

[|Stephanie| · Rating 4 out of 5]

I see you, and you hear me.

What a gem A VOW OF BLOOD AND TEARS turned out to be. I adored both leads, Cirri and Bane who despite their circumstances were still kind (yes, a fiend can be kind) and open to love. I loved the blossoming of their relationship from tentative friends to lovers, which was done so well and had just enough tension and swoon-worthy moments for my romance loving heart. And I was intrigued by the world this author created. It was familiar in a way but also new to me that kept me turning the pages. I truly hope Ms. Corvin plans to write more with these characters, with each of Bane's brothers getting a book. 4.5 Stars!

Highlights
🌹Beastly hero (fangs, forked tongue, bat-like features)
🌹Mute heroine
🌹Genuine love & affection
🌹Size difference
🌹He learns sign language to surprise her
🌹Touch her and die (literally)
🌹He's a secret poet
🌹Satisfying HFN

Memorable Quotes

He was the first person in my life to ever try to hear my words, to return them in kind. Without warning, tears spilled over.

My new husband. My beast.

This would be my gift to her, to show her that I had not meant harm, that I wanted this union to thrive. That she was no ornament to be kept locked away, but the Lady of the Rift.

Let her find something she loves here. Just one thing. Even if it’s not me.

But I see you, and you hear me. Yes? “I hear you, and you see me,” I murmured, touching her words. “Yes.”

Oddly, I found myself thinking that if I were to have a painting of Bane to keep in my tower, I wouldn’t choose the one in the garret above. I would want the one that showed him as he was now, the face that was monstrous, yet filled me with joy when I saw it.

When I see you, the whole world becomes bright. Everything feels possible. I adore you beyond words.

I love you, I told him. By the Light, you are more than I ever could have asked for. I’m the luckiest woman in the world.

My Cirri. The fire of my life, the light in the darkness.

[Cee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so, so good.
Great characters who learn, grow, and work through the miscommunication. They don't just blindly listen to others or throw tantrums. They are mature and smart. Bane even IMMEDIATELY sets out to learn sign language so he can speak with his wife. We are shown time and again how people dismiss or ignore Cirri, but she always has his attention. 100% best. Cirri is thrown into this situation with barely time to come to terms with it, but she rationally tries to work through all the problems and her misconceptions. Girl knows SIX languages. Love her.

Great story. Major Beauty and the Beast vibes here, but also throw in wargs, or like monstrous werewolves, and it's just done so, so well. I think the romance flowed really well and it was great to see them learning to trust each other and figure out how their lives would work moving forward.
This book is over 700 pages long. It did feel long, but also time flew while I was reading it and once I got to the end I really just wanted more.

I honestly hope we get a book for Worth because I feel so bad for him and he's such a sweetheart. It does feel like there is more to explore here politically with the other country, diving into history, exploring Below, and all the mentions of the fae. Mayhaps a book for each of our poor Fiends?

Anyhow loved the book and I'm looking forward to reading more by this author again. It's been too long!

[Devon Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you loved Under The Oak Tree but found yourself thinking:

“this would be much better if Riftan was a giant bat with a barbed wiener”

then have I got a book for you, you closet monster fucker.



No, but really. He has a barbed wiener. The man is a giant bat.


In other news: this book is a beautifully written Beauty and the Beast retelling.

It’s very much character and romance driven with atmospheric prose and a well drawn out world and history. In the beginning it was giving Radiance (by the iconic Grace Draven) with the mature way the two main characters responded to their forced marriage.

This couple doesn’t believe in miscommunication.

The woman can’t even speak but they jump through hoops to discuss EVERYTHING.

Every time I started to roll my eyes waiting for the misunderstanding and the angst it just wasn’t there. The giant bat has FEELINGS and the mute woman speaks her mind like wtf in this economy???

All this being said, at the 50 percent mark there have been approximately 2.5 slightly smutty scenes (like…Taco Bell green hot sauce packet spicy) but they are written, um, badly?

You can’t jump from Charlotte Bronte level lyrical prose into words like cock and balls and pussy and clit okay?? It’s jarring. And it wasn’t necessary. There are better ways to write smut people! (Again: read Grace Draven’s Radiance or Master of Crows or Entreat Me…perfection in every way)

And he has a *huge, monstrous, barbed, ribbed for someone’s pleasure wiener*!!!! We had a whole page on discussing how he might make it fit. I feel like I got catfished into reading a monster romance book and in the author’s defense I read NOTHING about this book before I picked it up so maybe it was in the tags somewhere.

If the plot is going to turn into the two of them having to go through couple’s counseling to help him overcome his hang ups about his dangly bat bits I definitely have to take a break for now.

Because this book is a long one. When Kindle tells ME it’s going to take me 12 hours to read I just imagine the physical copy of the book must rival the Bible in size. So, since the story is at a decent pause point this is a DNF for now! I’ll edit this review once I’ve finished it but I think based on what I have read it deserves the full five stars.

[Katrina · Rating 2 out of 5]

A Vow of Blood and Tears
By Cate Corvin
Format: ebook/Kindle Unlimited
Salient Points: Past tense; dual POV; loose Beauty & the Beast retelling.

So. I received a one-year subscription to Kindle Unlimited for Christmas. I’ve started and petered out on several KU books so far this year; this is the first I’ve finished.

What I liked: I am an absolute ho for a Beauty and the Beast retelling. The limit does not exist on the number I have (and will continue to) read. This one wasn’t too bad, but was pretty loose as far as retellings go.

The characters were engaging, the world building was fairly robust, and, gratefully, it was written past tense (or I never would’ve finished it).

What I didn’t like: While, overall, the writing was not too bad, I have to share that there was a good deal of anachronistic language and modern turns of phrase. The writing style was simple, except when the author randomly sprinkled in two-dollar words for…what? I don’t know. To try to sound smart? (What is the word bifurcation doing in a sex scene? Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great word, but…) There were incorrectly used phrases (I have to call out “stepped foot,” which is a particular sticky wicket of mine) that stuck out.

But despite all else, there was no reason under god’s sky that this book needed to be nearly 700 pages. It should have been a duology or, more probably, cut in half.

If none of that bothers you, proceed with glee. It’s not bad if you’re looking for a KU Romantasy with spice. But it is long…

[Bianca Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️

Never have I enjoyed a book as much as I have enjoyed this! I've been struggling to find a vampire romance that ticks all the boxes and this book absolutely does it for me!
We have Beauty & the Beast vibes, slow-burn romance, friendship and trust before love, no magical fixes.
Bane, our MMC is the biggest teddy bear in the world and will do anything for our FMC, Cirri. The efforts that he goes to to understand, communicate and get to know Cirri is phenomenal. The descriptions to Cate has gone to for Cirri's facial and body expressions is second to none.
The sex scenes were extremely well placed and a natural progression for Bane and Cirri.
I absolutely cannot wait for more books in this series by Cate!

[ᴏɢɪᴍᴀᴀᴋᴡᴇ · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beauty and the beast retelling. So that is where my romantasy journey truly began 😅😌.. I fucking loved this. They were so fucking wholesome. There are for sure some very gory scenes. But those spicy scenes…were hot and I ate it tf up. 🤪 our fmc is a book nerd obviously but also mute so she was constantly ignored and cast aside by everyone..but HIM. Mmc is a beast and a sweet and caring touch her and ☠️.. “I see you and you hear me” stop they were so cute. This was a great story with great plot.

[Ana Carolina Crespo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lovely! 😍

[Merry Jayned · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was super locked in during the first half, but then it dwindled a bit. still a great story, but it was so very long. a good monster romance.

[Cheyyleigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Spoilers:

Let's start with a personal opinion, this should have been a duology. As much as I despise the "kidnap" book that's where a natural break in the story occurred and the ending could have been more detailed versus feeling as though it slowly tapered off into essentially a pretty tame and boring epilogue ending.


Likes:
The overall concept of loving a good hearted monster in a world of unknown was good.
The fiends and wargs battle and war was good, not the most inventive of ideas but as long as you don't expect a reinvention of the wheel you are good.
The main character having to overcome a disability was also a nice touch for this book and made her relatable in a way we otherwise may not have seen.
The relationship between the main characters also seemed to develop naturally and that was a nice read.

Dislikes:
Now for why this was a three star read for me. From 55%-85% my eyes glassed over and I could not care less. Stuff happened but stuff that amounted to filler. There weren't leaps and bounds for plot or for relationship building and I just wanted to skip ahead so bad.
Another reason; Did we really not see Miro coming? I honestly questioned our main characters intelligence or "spirit" every time she dealt with him and did absolutely nothing. He belittled her, lied about facts, and opening spoke treasonous things out loud. And the whole subplot of him recreating letters, not shocking. As soon as the maid denied it, j was like well yeah....because Miro obviously did it.
And last but not least....this love story seems immature. A lot of blushing and misteps in wording and a blinding devotion to each other but only being physical together a few times. It seems that the couple of sex scenes got added in but didn't really add anything. It felt a little too YA in that regard and while I have no problem with that I wanted more depth and maturity just because they weren't a young couple, they had life experience that shaped them and I wanted those traits to be a little more prominent.

Overall there are some great things in this book and the monster goth vibes were super clear for those who like that genre, but it fell flat in places and could have used either a duology or a heavy edit.

[Grace · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m giving this two stars as a place holder and hoping someone else sees my review and comments. I frankly feel crazy right now.


I frankly don’t know what to do with rating this book because I feel like I am going crazy. There are some serious white supremacy dog whistles in this book, and racism but NO ONE ELSE IS TALKING ABOUT IT. Am I crazy? Am I going too woke? I’ll make a more in depth review later maybe, to go over what I noticed but I don’t know. I’ve been looking everyone for someone to at least explain to me what the author was trying to do when making the only POC race, rapists and ‘dirtying’ the pure white blood line without ANY proper conversation on it. After looking at every single review I have found not a single other person talking about this, so I told myself I was being crazy but after finishing the story and going back I can’t ignore it. I’ll write a better review later, with quotes, but I don’t… something is wrong here.

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Plot 3 Spice 1.75 FMC 3.75 MMC 3.5

Dark Monster Romantasy, Dual 1st POV, Beauty & the Beast Retelling, Political Marriage, Size Difference, Yearning, Morally Gray Obsessed Protective Vampire MMC, Non Verbal Soft & Smart FMC, He Falls First (Instalove), Special Monster 🍆, No 3rd Act Break Up


Pros

Radiance meets Under the Oak Tree vibes (in the first half)

He learns to sign for her 🥺

Rose & Thorn

He is so completely in love with her

As a couple, they are adorable. It was lovely to watch them get to know each other and grow together.

This book was surprisingly well written, from a plot standpoint, for 700 pages. Not perfect, but better than I expected. Usually books of this length are overwritten, under edited, repetitive, rambly, & plotless. This one wasn’t too bad. There was repetition, but it was minimal, and it did keep to an overall plot. I do think it would’ve been better as a duology though.

Cons

No TWs - blood, gore, violence, death, massacre, murder, cannibalism, physical assault (off page), mentions of SA

Truthfully more like a cheap knock off of Radiance/Under the Oak Tree

Miscommunication

The writing voice has potential but was riddled with grammatical issues & contained stylistically erratic extremes - slang anachronisms and excessively obscure vocabulary choices both interject the fantasy vibe frequently.

Ridiculously, unethically, inhumanly large 🍆, like to the point that she somehow physiologically has her 🐱 modified so it fits. I’m sorry, what?!? !

And on that note, the spice. It was weird & awkward & made very little sense.

Wyn

Toxic Misogyny - I don’t think there is one true female friendship in this book, just a bunch of women pitted against each other exhibiting varying levels of mind games & dislike.

Issues with consent -
While the MC values consent, his adviser side character did not. One of the central plot points to the first half of the story is the FMC’s fear of being bitten & fed from. The MC respects this. However, his sidekick releases an absolutely unhinged and abusive tirade of emotional coercion and threats, stating that the FMC was essentially neglecting her marital duties (that she was forced into in the first place), causing the MC emotional & physical harm, and everyone would scorn her, to the point that they would literally CELEBRATE HER DEATH, if she didn’t allow the MC to feed immediately. WTF?!

While the MC values consent & vows to give the FMC the time & space necessary to deal with her own fears around feeding, the FMC does not. The second the MMC asks for time & a slow pace to deal with his body issues & fear of hurting her during smexy time, she pushes back, pouts, & wallows in self pity 🙄 Consent is a two way street. She gets it, but so should he.

The story fell apart around 68% for me

The FMC’s downfall - she seems quite intelligent in the first half of the book, but exhibits plot convenient bouts of stupidity in the second half, and that is so disappointing.

The MMCs downfall - in a fit of rage he murders a girl who ends up being (very obviously) innocent. Then everybody completely misses the point by focusing on his monstrous appearance and violent actions, instead of the fact that she was innocent & he let his emotions overwhelm him to the point of murder. Later, when her innocence is revealed, it gets completely brushed off with a “what’s done is done” and a “don’t do it again.” No remorse, no guilt, and certainly no mention of this also being an indicator of poor leadership 🙄

[Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5

This didn’t need to be 700 pages BUT I still enjoyed my time with it. Did it have spice? Yes. Was it spicy? Meh. If the book just had to be this long I would have preferred chapters of the two character together instead of Cirri being in the library. Boring.

[Steph · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 ⭐️/ 1.5 🌶️—You know what? Cate Corvin can sometimes really hit it out of the park. This is a loose retelling of Beauty and the Beast. Our FMC is an indentured servant who is married to a vampire lord. Ten years ago, vampires, who were formally exiled from the lands, are invited back into the land with an agreement that allows them to live there if they fight the wargs from a neighboring country. The wargs are similar to werewolves but it’s a transformation that is permanent. In their bid to end the war, four vampires became fiends, which is an atavistic reversion of vampire kind that make them stronger, faster, more lethal, and (of course) beastly. The peace accords say that ten years after the war, the vampire fiends need to marry pure humans. This is how our FMC Cirri comes to be married to Bane.

Cirri and Bane are great characters. The alternating narratives allow us to see the hopes, fears, and dreams of each of them. Both are lonely. Cirri can only speak through sign language or through writing. Because Bane has transformed into a massive fiend, he is set apart not only from humans, but also from his vampire brethren.

The big allusions to Beauty and the Beast are all there: the manor, wolves outside the gates, a beastly MMC, a FMC that loves libraries, a garden with roses. It’s all done in a way that is referential but also doesn’t feel stale.

The one issue is the pacing. The internal timeline seems to be off. At one point, I thought Cirri had been with Bane for months and another of the fiends mentions that it’s like a week? This was sort of a one-off mention though, so I just went with my original internal timeline.

Definitely worth reading.

[The Aqua Pisces · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a different take on Vampires. 🧛‍♂️ Highly recommend! I loved our sweet FMC. Obviously there was a whole lot of miscommunication, but the MMC did educate himself to learn his female’s language. ♥️ 🤫 🧛‍♂️

[Ollieletz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alexa play MOBB – Hit Me (pura energía de Bobby y Mino señoras)


Exquisito. Deslumbrante. Inolvidable.

Este es de esos libros que te recuerdan por qué amás leer, no solo porque los protagonistas están maravillosamente escritos —honorables, apasionados, respetuosos entre sí incluso en medio de un mundo oscuro y sangriento (es un mundo de vampiros)—, sino porque cada personaje secundario son importantes y aportan algo a la historia. Aquí no hay relleno: cada gesto, cada interacción, cada “little thing” suma y te roba sonrisas.

Lo que más disfruté fue esa sensación de complicidad: la pareja central es perfectamente compatible, se respetan y se reconocen mutuamente, y eso hace que su romance sea creíble y emocionante. (Yo estaba ahí aaaaaah aplausos para esta pareja que está enamorada)

No es exactamente un enemies to lovers, sino algo todavía más especial si así mismo!!! Es una relación que nace del respeto y se transforma en amor.


El worldbuilding es igualmente fascinante. La ambientación te atrapa desde el inicio y deja con ganas de mucho más, un libro demasiado cortooo este si merece que se yo 1000 páginas 😂

Terminé este libro con el corazón lleno y una sonrisa. Hacía tiempo que no me sentía tan mareada de felicidad con una lectura, por estas historias estoy aquí y de estas historias soy!!!

Aish me doy un beso por genia por decir si a este libro raro. 😂

[Romance All the Way · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing!! The story, characters, and world building were well written and fleshed out and it wasn't huge information dump after information dump at the beginning. There are twists and turns you don't see coming and the journey to the hero and heroine's HEA is so beautifully written and realistic! Which I, myself, appreciate the realistic-ness within the story and between the lovers, Bane and Cirri.

I can't wait to read more books by Cate Corvin because she always writes such amazing worlds and characters!

[Karesha Burgess · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book!!!
It is a fantastic beauty and the beast retelling.

You meet our FMC named Cirri who is mute and speaks the language of the priests (essentially sign language). She is an indentured servant to the Silver Sisterhood. There was a terrible war between humans and vampire. A peace treaty of sorts was made. Vampires must take a human bride. The silver sisterhood must provide this bride. Due to unseen circumstances, Cirri finds herself said bride. Since very few have learned to “speak” her language she is unable to protest the arranged marriage. All Cirri wanted to do is read and be a librarian.

Enter our MMC named Bane. He is the king in the area where the Silver Sisterhood resides. Bane taught in the war and came home a hero. His people respect him and he well liked. However something tragic happened during the war which turned him into a beast permanently. He once was a handsome well taught after vampire and now is feared by both humans and his kind. He wants to be seen for who is and not what he became.

Cirri and Bane find themselves drawn together and each one wants to be “heard” by the other.

This is the sweetest slow burn story. It’s absolute perfection. The world building, banter, political intrigue and a few spicy scenes make this delectable.

Don’t miss out reading it!!

[Jessy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was excited to read this. Vampires are my thing. And then, well it was too long and the story moved slowly for my taste. I found myself getting bored and wishing we could move things along. While, I did enjoy our characters and think they could’ve been amazing. In this book, it didn’t work for me. Left me wanting and disappointed.

[book.aholic · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was similar to grace draven Radiance (political marriage with different species - human monster) but fell a little flat and was overlong.

The couple went straight to lust despite the physical challenges in their way and the FMC was so starved for affection that the MMC being nice to her meant she should love him. Bit of a weird message and just too much canabalistic rituals for my liking

[Katarina · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wow a heroine who is actually NOT stupid but smart and brave, I never thought I’d see the day!! Seriously the kindest FMC I’ve probably ever read 🤩 and still doesn’t try to act hard all the time. I don’t think there was anytime I was cringed out or threw my kindle across my bed.

But sadly, this was so boring I’m surprised I didn’t Dnf. The ratings are great tho, and I can see why because the story is heartwarming, but not very interesting at all. Probably because this was the fastest insta love I’ve ever read. ZERO buildup in the relationship.

Honestly felt like nothing even happened. What was the point of this a story? I finished 5 minutes ago and I really can’t even recall anything. I’m glad this is over.

[AppleWhiteey · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF 40%

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

• romantasy
• vampire x human
• mute fmc
• arranged marriage
• beauty and the beast vibes
• dual POV

This book. Wow.

Yes, it’s long but if you’re after a romantasy with rich plot, steady relationship building, and spice that actually means something, A Vow of Blood and Tears delivers. Think Beauty and the Beast but with vampires, wargs, and the long-dead fae.

From page one, I was hooked. Cirrien is forced into an arranged marriage with a literal vampire beast. Bane, the MMC, is layered and complex. While he’s called a monster throughout, he’s a total cinnamon roll for Cirrien. His small, thoughtful gestures to make her feel heard were amazing.

“𝐇𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬, 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐢𝐧 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐝.”

Their romance is a slow burn, based on companionship and trust. The dialogue sparkles, and the side characters (especially the creepy but endearing gollums) add so much depth to the story. The pacing is smooth for most of the book, though the ending dragged a touch. Still, it’s a rich, heartfelt read I didn’t want to put down!

“𝐁𝐮𝐭 𝐈 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫 𝐦𝐞.”

[Chaos · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wasn't sure how I was going to like the story, but as it went on, it got better and better. The book is long, but it needed to be. Words weren't wasted, nor was the plot easily wrapped up. The plot, the characters, and the lore were all so complicated but explained so well. I love Cirri. She's so smart and so curious and so kind. While her kindness could be considered a weakness, she showed it was a strength. She was open-minded and honest. Even in her fears, her honesty shined through. She was what Bane and the other fiends needed. Hope that they all could find love and openness like that. Bane is so complex. He suffered for his people and their well-being just to be cast as a monster. He has his faults, but he loves his people and respects them. I love Bane and Cirri as a couple. They work well together and see each other as who they are. The story itself was masterfully built and resolved. I could see more books about the other Fiends, but the way the story ended, it was perfect.