Genre: Gothic Romance | Romance | Fantasy | Paranormal
Published: August 4, 2026
Received From: NetGalley as an ARC
Blurb
Clara Wagner has always known that monsters are real, and the worst of them is Prince Raleigh of Rostenburg. But when he decides it’s time to marry, Clara inadvertently finds herself at the center of his attention.Forced to accept Raleigh’s proposal, Clara would do anything to escape her fate. So when the prince provides an ultimatum—lift his vampiric curse before the end of the year, or become his bride for eternity—Clara knows what she must do.Heal the prince. Stay alive. Try not to fall in love.Vow of Eternal Night is a slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers, gothic romantasy about the lengths people will go to for love, and the many faces monsters can wear.
Review
This is a retelling of Beauty and the Beast, except the beast is a vampire. It's a cool premise; the prince wants his chosen bride to lift his vampiric curse, while the chosen bride defies him in any way that she can. One would expect the premise to lean into its strengths as a romantasy: engaging characters that make you choose sides between the female and male protagonists, immersive worldbuilding, and a slow-burn romance that steams up your glasses.
This book doesn't have any of those characteristics. The female protagonist, Clara, is defiant rather than strong. What I mean by that is Clara engaged in active rebellion entirely, rather than leaning into the dignified and quiet restraint of strength. She was written for both defiance and strength, but those traits missed their mark. The male protagonist, the prince, lacked a backstory. He's a vampire; he should have a fleshed-out and rich backstory. When I got to the point where the prince's backstory was given, it lacked depth. The two main supporting characters were more interesting than the protagonists.
The world-building was near nonexistent. Short, vague descriptions that failed to provide an immersive experience. The slow-burn romance that should have built up to an overwhelming climax was disappointingly underwhelming. I think this book is more appropriate for a younger YA audience as an introduction to romantasy, rather than marketed for adults.
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