I was so very happy that I got this copy from NetGalley. I have been following this series since the beginning and it has been amazing. I've really enjoyed the writing, the characters, and I'm not gonna lie, I'm sad to see this series end. I won't talk about the story, because if I start, I may end up accidentally spoiling something, but this was such a fantastic finale to the trilogy and I highly recommend it.

I DID IT! I FINALLY FINISHED THE BLOODRIGHT TRILOGY!!

I love our main trio so so much, so my view is always going to be biased because of how much I love them. BUT I will voice all my thoughts and opinions, including those that I realize make the trilogy less than perfect (and if I weren't such a Finnpoe/Star Wars fan, I still wonder if I would have liked it that much).

Things I Liked:
- We got a happy ending!! Was it close to what I expected? No. Was it perfect? No. But it was good, and I'm happy about it.
- It was unexpected. There were moments that even as a reader, I was fooled and I had to stop because I thought I was going crazy. I appreciated that!
- The Wraith Squad. I love them.

Things I Didn't Like:
- How time seemed to skip around so much. They would mention how an event that just happened last chapter was a month or two ago, which really threw me for a loop.
- We didn't get to see as much romance in this trilogy as I would have liked to.
- The space battles are always confusing.
- I wish we got more of the Wraith Squad; it was like Hanji and then 4 side characters.

Overall, a fun series and I'm sad to see it end but happy it exists. Good sci-fi story for pride month!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced copy of this book.

I really liked the wrap up of this series.
I was looking forward to this book for such a long time and I had really high expectations. They weren’t all met but I’m happy how it all ended. I loved how everything made sense in the end and how everything got solved. I must admit I did not expect this route and was rather surprised. I love Gal and Ettian so much though and it was a pleasure to follow along their journey. The writing style is amazing.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher I was able to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
***
Vows of Empire by Emily Skrutskie is the third and last book in the Bloodright Trilogy.
Would you like to talk today about my heart, my hero, Queen Wen? No? You want to jump into the star crossed love of Ettian and Gal? I mean… I guess. They are the key players of the series, but surely you’d rather talk about Queen Wen? Again, no? Fine.
If you remember the way book 2 ended you’ll understand why I’ve been a mess since I got my hands on book 3.
Gal and Ettian are the farthest they have been from each other. One in the Umber Empire and the other in the Archon Empire. Ettian’s only consolation is that he has Wen. (And let’s be honest, you’re already winning at life if you have Wen on your side.)
On opposite sides, far away from each other these two disaster boys are going to have to play for very high stakes if they want to end up together, after all the Empress of Umber has ruled over blood, it’s how she started. Does she really have a line she won’t cross to get what she wants?
***
This book alternated between Gal and Ettian so you got both sides of the war and what they were up against all the while they fought to be together again.

What I liked: This story had some great action scenes, and it moved pretty quickly. Unfortunately, it wasn’t a very long book so things had to happen hard and quick anyway. Wen is Queen and don’t you forget it.

What I wasn’t as big of a fan of: there was a lot of plans within plans and things that were very dependent on things happening a certain way, like balancing on a knife’s edge type happening way, and one thing I know for certain about war is to expect all your plans to be thrown to the wayside, and yet everything kept coming together every time. I was happy for the win and yet my brain was just like… but how? That’s honestly kinda nitpicky tbh though and not a really big complaint. If you expected a huge fallout from the end of book 2, it wasn’t really there, it was addressed/admitted to and things were talked out and it was done. I’m glad there wasn’t a lot of extra drama added to the story, because again it wasn’t a super long book to begin with, but also… that was a very big thing to happen and we did the equivalent of a shrug and a “meh, moving on” over it.

The ending took a direction I had not anticipated and I’m still not sure how I feel about it. I think because it wasn’t an outcome I’d considered so my mind still needs to mull it over, but I don’t hate it. It was an interesting choice.
Overall I’d recommend this book and this series. It was a ride.
Now, I need to find some people to talk to about the glory that is Wen.

.

In her last novel to finish off a series trilogy that would come to bookend the Covid-19 pandemic, Emily Skrutskie hits the ground running. Separated by force and circumstance, Gal and Ettian are running out of time to save the galaxy and hoping that their relationship survives the fallout. With the help of their friends, they cook-up plan after plan, featuring but not limited to: kidnapping, betrayals, and faked deaths. With higher stakes that the previous novels, Skrutskie still manages to break up the tension with humorous lines and hijinks. A diverse smorgasbord of characters and unexpected twists will leave readers disheartened that this is the last in the series.

Thank you, NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, Del Rey, for the chance to read this book in exchange of an honest review.

Gal and Ettian came a long way from being simply roomates and best friends, from fleeing their military academy, fallin in with a rebellion, revealing secrets long hidden, being prisoner for one other and now, as two young princes facing opposite sides of a war. Now, for the first time they are separated, at the opposite sides of their own forces and they have to decide what to do and what to own to the empire, their friends and to themselves, while trying to forge a world were they can be truly together.

Vows of Empire is the finale of the Bloodright Trilogy and if you think I needed time to process what I read, you're absolutely right. This book was truly something. It was a pleasure coming back in the universe and galaxy created by Emily Skrutskie and to want to scream in frustration for the star-crossed situation between Gal and Ettian. This book was a rollercoaster of emotions, actions, twists and I truly felt involved into everything.
The hard decisions, the love and loyalty, the war and pressure from both sides, these young men did everything in their power to do the right thing, fighting for themselves, also and I so loved everything.
I totally recommend this saga. It will frustrate you, make you smile and cry and it'll be so worth it.

Lives up to the last two books! Not my favorite of the three but love how the characters' arcs all got wrapped up. Feels like a good ending to the story that the other two books set up.

3 stars

This ending felt very underwhelming for me. It seemed like there was no tension. Everything felt flat and rushed. I wanted more but it just didn't quite get there for me.

Emily Skrutskie bings her trilogy to conclusion with an unsatisfying resolution of Gal and Ettian's relationship in Vow of Empire.

A great finale to this epic space saga! I admit, I was worried that the ending wouldn't be in keeping with the rest of the series because I didn't see how everything was going to work out, but although unconventional, I did think the ending fit. I was surprised (and happy) about Wen's twist, and I think overall all the plot lines were wrapped up nicely. The middle book nearly put me off completing this series because it was a bit boring, and I found Gal's POV unbearable, but I'm glad I stuck with it! Emily Skrutskie does fantastic sci-fi!

The build up to the final confrontation from the beginning lead to this moment. An enemies to lovers romance with a twist set in the backdrop of far future space and two clashing empires. The first book in the Bloodright trilogy grabbed my attention and now I am excited to see it come to an exciting end.

Vows of Empire is part of an ongoing story so it’s not a good place to begin.

The tale started when two young guys became friends at the Umber space academy. One was a promising, young Umber and the other a scholarship student from the conquered Archon empire. Then a late night attempt to kill Gal made him go on the run with Ettian and share the secret that he was the Umber heir and he had to stop this attempt at a coup.

The two young men go on the lamb to keep from getting captured and their adventure leads them to a savvy street gang member, Wen, who ties in with them and then the Archon resistance who can’t know Gal’s identity. They don’t speak of feelings, but Gal has never treasured before what he has with Ettien. His mother tried to make him tough, cold and ambitious, but all he wants to do is stop the brutal conquering machine of Umber might.

If Gal thought his confession was a shocker, Ettien’s is mind-blowing to him. And the twists keep coming in this building story of twists, betrayals, and machinations.

I have been very taken with this series from the beginning. It has a good blend of worldbuilding, fast-paced action, intrigue, but, most of all, complicated relationships. The world of the story expands in focus as the story progresses to a grand scale, but then pulls back to small at the very end. Gal and Ettien started it and then Wen emerged as a main character and lastly, Hanzi, emerged. Everyone seems to have their own secrets and secret agenda. Vows of Empire began with Gal and Ettien far from each other and no solution in sight as to how any of it, from the two warring empires to the two enemy lovers, would resolve. I started to get an inkling early on what was really going on so I wasn’t very shocked by the surprise moments. Still, I could appreciate seeing how it all played out. I’m a little hazy on where things finally went on a grand scale because there wasn’t a final resolution there, but the main story, started in the beginning, got resolution.

This was very much YA in some ways, particularly how the characters thought and behaved. I was grateful to be spared as much of Gal’s thinking since this one had four narrators including the two young women, Wen and Hanzi. In truth, Wen and Hanzi tended to overshadow Gal and, especially, Ettien. They were forces of nature and took initiative and faced the bulk of the danger and fights. The romance was undergirding the story, but was understated and not heated like in most YAs.

This one wound out like a chess match because the plotters had a long game going and much of the book was spent getting their pieces properly placed. But, it didn’t lag and kept up the tension throughout. Those who enjoy exciting Young Adult LGBT Sci-fi or Space Opera should definitely give it a go.

This trilogy started off strong, but each successive book has been more and more of a letdown, and this one... Yawn. I DNF'd halfway through, because it really felt like there wasn't much tension. Or rather, there was plenty of conflict in the plot, but the narrative failed to make me care about it.

I cannot say enough about this series, and Vows of Empire is the absolute perfect conclusion. Wow! I am so satisfied with this third book. The characters throughout the series are so well developed, and I loved how book 1 was Ettian's POV, book 2 was Gal's POV, and book 3 was both of their POVs. Without giving away any spoilers, I will say that book 3 has plenty of action, romance, betrayal, and Waithe-caused ridiculousness. I laughed and I cried. I will be recommending this series to everyone I know. I'm also hoping for some further adventures with these characters in the future!

Genre: Science-fiction/LGBTQ/Fantasy
Rating: 4/5

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Bellantine, and Emily Skrutskie for the opportunity to read Vows of Empire in exchange for an honest review. 

This is the third and final book in The Bloodright Trilogy, preceded by Bonds of Brass (book one) and Oaths of Legacy (book two), and what a ride if has been! While this, like the second book, didn't quite have the same feel as when the adventure first started in book one, Vows of Empire was a thoroughly enjoyable read and everything it needed to be to conclude the series.

Every aspect of this book is one ploy after another, and as the reader, you know it's just another trick...or is it? While relatively predictable, Skrutskie still had me guessing here and there. It was fun to see what crazy plan the characters would come up with next. Wen, Gal, and Ettian are a science fiction trio to go down in the books. They will be with me forever.

The Bloodright trilogy is great for lovers of Star Wars and readers seeking LGBTQ representation and creative, dynamic characters. Not only is this trilogy worth the time to read, but it is one of those legendary series that is worth a reread. Again. And again. Thank you Miss Skrutskie for this amazing adventure, and I look forward to meeting the new characters in your next one.

EMILY SKRUTSKIE! You really did that! This will forever be one of my favorite fantasy series. I absolutely fell in love with Ettian, Gal, and Wen over these three books. You took such great care of each of them, even with the challenges they all faced. Can’t wait to discover more from you

The ending felt a little bit abrupt, and the plot felt very rushed. Kept reading only because I am attached to the characters. There are not a lot of things revealed in between like discussions and plotting were all behind the scenes, so I guess there are some surprise elements in there, but I felt it was a kinda lazy way to write.

What a great ending to a great trilogy. Epic forbidden love, thrilling space battles, political intrigue, duty, planetary and empire fight for independence, and all the moves and trickery of a heist. This has it all. It is an emotional roller-coaster and just satisfies the soul.

This is a great trilogy. What more do you need to go out and read it!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review.

An absolutely brilliant ending to this series. These wonderfully engaging characters grabbed my attention on book one and kept me coming back because I just had to see where their journey was going to take them. This fast-paced finale was a great wrap up to their highly entertaining adventure.

*I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book provided by Netgalley*

And that is exactly how you end a sci-fi trilogy that has had twist after twist!

Honestly, I have loved this story and these characters ever since the first book introduced readers to Gal and Ettian (with Gal remaining my favorite character throughout the entire trilogy) and I am so glad to see them get the ending they deserve. I know it's an easy comparison but if you loved the new Star Wars movies but wished to see more involvement from Finn and Poe, then this is absolutely the trilogy for you. Space battles, friends-to-lovers-to-enemies-to-allies, epic twists, queer characters - all of it was simply perfection.

Truly cannot wait to see what comes next for the author Emily Skrutskie!