- Title: Oath Taker – A Kingdom of Runes Novel
- Author: Audrey Grey
- Publisher: Starfall Press
- Release Date: May 23, 2019
- Genre: Horror, Sword and Sorcery Fantasy, Folklore
- Format: Kinde, Audio
- Rating: 4 Lattes
- Heat Level: Light Roast
Check out THIS post for details about my rating and heat levels.
Blurb
Light magic is forbidden.
Dark magic spells death.
Haven has both.
After the Prince of Penryth saved her from captivity, seventeen-year-old Haven Ashwood spends her days protecting the kind prince and her nights secretly fighting the monsters outside the castle walls.
When one of those monsters kidnaps Prince Bell, Haven must ally with Archeron Halfbane and his band of immortals to rescue her friend.
Her quest takes her deep into the domain of a warped and vicious queen where the rules are simple: break her curse or die.
Lost in a land of twisted magic and fabled creatures, Haven finds herself unprepared, not just for the feelings she develops for Archeron, but for the warring powers raging inside her.
Her rare and forbidden type of magic may be their only hope . . . but mixing light and dark comes with a steep price.
Haven’s soul.
Faced with impossible love, heartbreaking betrayals, and a queen intent on destroying the realm, only one thing remains certain.
Haven must shatter the curse or it will devour everything she loves.
First impression
This first impression is for Oath Taker as an individual book, and as the introduction to the series.
I liked Haven immediately, and even though the world building was slow, that works in the author’s favor since the details don’t overwhelm the reader. I was a bit annoyed by the overuse of rune-this or rune-that to describe nearly everything, but honestly, it wasn’t enough to stop me from reading.
This series is often compared to Sarah J Maas’ series Throne of Glass and/or Court of Thorn and Roses. I’ve read and enjoyed both, and to a certain level, I agree with that comparison. The writing style is much closer to ACOTAR, and both ACOTAR and Oath Taker are less sophisticated than the TOG series overall.
Haven Ashwood’s character is believable in the sense that she is skilled, but not overly so. She is the crown prince, Bellamy or Bell’s, personal guard of sorts. Unlike Celeana in TOG, there is no in-depth list of her skills for the reader until further into the story, and I like that. The reader gets a good feel for who Haven is rather that what she does before we get into the action.
What kept me reading (or didn’t).
I finished the book in a day and a half, which puts this one easily in the ‘couldn’t put it down’ category. The story line moved at a good pace and the large cast of characters came on the scene in a reasonable way, enabling me to easily keep track of who is who.
After taste
I already mentioned that I like Haven, and while Bell’s character is interesting enough, he fell a bit flat for me. The deep connection Haven and Bell are supposed to have isn’t really developed, we’re simply told how much they care about each other and how much time they spend together. Whether or not their feelings more friendship or sibling like – we aren’t really told, but it IS clear there is no attraction between them.
This book is squeaky clean, and if there were any curse words I don’t remember them. There is little to no romantic insinuation in this portion of the story, though it’s easy to read where it will come from in the upcoming installments.
Overall impression
Once all the players were introduced, at about the mid-point, the story took off, and I couldn’t put it down. Since this is book one of a four book series, I would list this as a great introduction to the series and a satisfactory set up for the rest of the books.
I am looking forward to reading the next book: Curse Breaker
Quotes or Highlights
I didn’t snag any from this title.
About the Author
From the Author’s Own Bio:
Audrey Grey lives in the charming state of Oklahoma, with her husband, two little people, and four mischievous dogs. You can usually find her hiding out in her office from said little people and dogs, surrounded by books and sipping kombucha while dreaming up wondrous worlds for her characters to live in.
Purchase links
Amazon Kindle Unlimited (Amazon Exclusive)