Vows of Empire

Book Three of The Bloodright Trilogy

By: Emily Skrutskie

Narrated by: James Fouhey, Anthony Rey Perez, Carolyn Kang, Siho Ellsmore

Two young princes on opposite sides of a war must decide between loyalty and love in this galaxy-shaking finale of the Bloodright Trilogy.

“Skrutskie handily sticks the landing. Series fans are sure to be pleased.”—Publishers Weekly

Gal and Ettian have never been farther apart. Once, they were roommates and best friends, each suffocating under a secret of galactic consequence. When Gal’s came to light—that he was heir to the Umber Empire and all of its brutal conquest—the two were forced to flee their military academy, fall in with a brewing rebellion to reclaim the Archon Empire from Umber’s grasp, and face their long-held feelings for each other.

Then the rebellion discovered Gal’s identity and to save his life, Ettian had no choice but to unveil his own secret: that he was the long-lost heir to the Archon throne. With Gal as a political prisoner, Ettian began the fight to restore his own empire—and to open Gal’s eyes to the possibility of a galaxy reclaimed from Umber’s greed. But just when Gal was starting to come around, a team of Umber operatives rescued him from Archon’s clutches and dragged him home to take up his crown.

Now, separated for the first time and in full command of the might of their respective forces, the star-crossed rulers find themselves truly at odds. And with the war reaching a tipping point, the time has finally come for Gal and Ettian to confront what they owe their empires, their friends, and each other if they’re ever to forge a universe where the two of them can be together.

Critic reviews

Praise for Vows of Empire

“Vows of Empire was a thoroughly enjoyable read and everything it needed to be to conclude the series. 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.”—Teresa Crider, creative writer

“A good blend of worldbuilding, fast-paced action, intrigue, but, most of all, complicated relationships . . . Those who enjoy exciting Young Adult LGBT Sci-fi or Space Opera should definitely give it a go.”—Books of My Heart

“Vows of Empire neatly wraps up the Bloodright Trilogy, providing satisfying endings for its trio. . . . Worth every second.”—Wealth of Geeks

“Readers will easily jump back into the complex political machinations of Skrutskie’s beautifully detailed world. . . . Skrutskie handily sticks the landing. Series fans are sure to be pleased.”—Publishers Weekly



Praise for Oaths of Legacy

“Oaths of Legacy is a wildly thrilling and fast-paced sci-fi adventure, and equal parts a heart-wrenching romance torn asunder by bloodrights and galactic war.”—Your Money Geek

“Skrutskie is a master of perspective.”—But Why Tho?

“Skrutskie’s breathless, brilliantly written action sequences and tear-jerking quieter moments will keep readers enthralled. [Oaths of Legacy] is a knockout.”—Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Gays. In. Space!!”—Sam Maggs, author of Tell No Tales: Pirates of the Southern Seas

“Skrutskie sets her characters’ competing political and personal motivations against stellar battle scenes. . . . An engaging narrative that should satisfy existing fans and new readers alike. Recommended for fans of anime-inspired space opera and readers looking for queer relationships in their sf sagas.”—Booklist


Praise for Bonds of Brass

“A fast-paced space opera with heart and style, Bonds of Brass had me screaming KISS ALREADY on every page.”—Delilah S. Dawson, New York Times bestselling author of Star Wars: Phasma

“Fast ships, quick decisions, a new friend who likes to blow stuff up, and a love story with empires at stake: This story’s got it all.”—Kevin Hearne, New York Times bestselling author of A Plague of Giants and the Iron Druid Chronicles

It ended predictably

Overall it’s a good enough ending to a quite interesting series. The story however got a little convoluted and *spoilers but not really if you’ve made it through the first one* unreliable narrator twist was easy to predict this time.

The multiple narrators were a little much for me. Not just in the performance being uneven, with some being way better than others, but I didn’t see why we needed all of the extra perspectives.

Satisfactory ending

I was hoping this final book in the trilogy would make the journey worth it, but I mostly found book 1 great and the others a bit meh. They have a structured plot but it didn't feel very character-driven or like the possible moral dilemmas were explored. Too bad, the concept from the first book had great potential!

Still, if you want to see how the series ends it's not a bad novel, I just found myself thinking there weren't any real stakes and that the author was only going through the motions to wrap things up.

Great Series with minor issues.

First off as a member of the LGBTQ+ community, I am always fascinated with our stories. And I sometimes take for granted the amazing opportunity I’ve been granted by living in the age that we do. Especially with how many amazing books that we have on hand that goes through the lives and legacies of LGBTQ+ people. However we still do not have what heterosexual people have in the way of fantastical stories about people who don’t and couldn’t exist in our lifetimes. That’s why I love love love this series. It challenges tue science fiction status quo by not only dealing in the gay relationship between the two main characters, but also the the subtlety of other LGBTQ+ relationships in the galaxy.

It goes above and beyond being a dramatic space opera with twists and turns a plenty and rivals the greats. 10/10 for the story and would recommend it for any and all people not tied down to a heteronormative existence.

The literal only fault is the readings of Wen and Hanji from a performance level. They mispronounced proper nouns established by the first two performers and soured the tail end of this book. But all in all a fantastic series none the less.

great gay space opera

Fantastic young adult series about some gay monarchies IN SPACE. I was a bit iffy on the messages being sent by the constant focus on blood-right and genetic determinism in the series, but the end had the right message.

Favorite trilogy!

This trilogy has been EVERYTHING and I devoured this last installment in one weekend. This is the space opera I’ve been waiting for. And what a fantastic ending to an incredible series!!!