An Oath Sworn

Saga of the Stone King #1

by M.T. Kadisin

M.T. Kadisin’s debut novel in the Saga of the Stone King series masterfully blends dark fantasy, political intrigue, and reluctant heroism.

Grady, a clanless dwarf, lives an ordinary, lonely, and forgettable life. Until a mysterious Poster changes everything.

Drawn into a brutal experiment by the ruthless Keyrdegen Salzum, Grady is molded into the perfect soldier: obedient, unthinking, unbreakable, extraordinary. But, as the truth behind the warlord’s plans comes to light, Grady must fight to reclaim his will—and his identity.

An Oath Sworn is a tale of control, resistance, and the cost of becoming a hero in a world that would rather you remain a victim.

316 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2025

About the author

A lifelong reader, gamer, and dreamer, M. T. Kadasin finally stopped saying he wanted to write a book and just did it. Most of his time is spent sacrificing his imagination to the Kraken Tree. To keep it happy he must conjure new tales set in fantastic lands filled with wonderous and horrible characters. The ultimate character himself, he loves cooking for his family, communing with nature, and painting little army men.

He lives in the Hudson Valley, New York, with his wife, his daughter, and his blop-tongued dog.

Reviews

[Barley Seaborn · Rating 5 out of 5]

An Oath Sworn drew me in immediately with its lush world-building, compelling characters, and a sense of high stakes that never let up. The story balances emotion, action, and intrigue beautifully, weaving together themes of loyalty, sacrifice, and identity.

The protagonist is complex and deeply human, and I appreciated how the book didn’t shy away from the internal conflicts that come with making hard choices. The pacing is tight, and the prose is both lyrical and engaging—each chapter left me wanting more.

If you're a fan of epic fantasy with strong character development and a story that lingers after you’ve closed the final page, this one is for you. Looking forward to more from this author

[G.W. Citroner · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a gift from my wife, and it's the most engaging story I've read in years - I found myself actually anxious to find out what happened next, and looked forward to my quiet hour before bed when I could catch up with the saga of Grady. The character arc is extremely satisfying, while M.T.'s descriptions and world-building were captivating.

I'm hard-pressed to believe this is his debut novel, as the caliber of writing is mature, nuanced, robust, and more suggestive of a novelist hitting his stride than a first effort. Most importantly - he absolutely nails the ending, leaving me as satisfied as if this was a standalone novel, while stimulating anticipation to discover what lies ahead for our hero.

[G. Edweird Cheese · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kadisin's debut novel is a fun, if not a bit drawn out, fantasy adventure full of heart, chuckles, and a whole lot of dwarfs.
Telling the tale of Grady, a clanless pencil pusher and his fantastic transformation into a rock solid golem for a wicked warlord by a mad scientist, this novel has it all: love, adventure, bloody violence and dwarfs! Lots and lots of dwarfs.
Kadisin's world building is fantastic. Creating a living, breathing society for a class of characters that are usually regulated to blacksmiths or sidekicks, Kadisin brings us into a world right beneath our own. For the most part, every character felt fleshed out, though a bit cliche. There's the reluctant hero, the mad scientist, the power hungry warlord. But that's part of the fun. Adding just a bit of back story for context and subtext might help, like he does in the last few pages, while thinning out other parts to quicken the pace wouldn't hurt, either.
Over all, Kadisin's first novel is worth checking out. Well written by a talented author, I have high hopes for the next installment in this unique fantasy series.

[Brian Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

An outstanding debut! Picked this up from the author at a local con and it was easily the best purchase I made that day.

I enjoyed every moment as the protagonist is pulled from his poor, boring existence as a number cruncher into a nightmare existence where he has little control over his physical actions while remaining fully conscious of the horror of what's happening.

It's a classic case of a character who believes there is something better out there for them, taking a chance, and then discovering it's just another kind of hell.

I enjoy the way the story and the drama unfolds as the main character comes to the realization that the world isn't quite what he thinks and how he battles for some measure of control in order to make things right, if not fo himself then for others.

Looking forward to a second installment. Highly recommend.

[Hany E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Way to come out the gate swinging Kadisin. When you had pitched the book to me at horror fest I was intrigued, and I'm glad I jumped into your world. An Oath Sworn is an engaging telling of Grady of No clan's heroes journey, while simultaneously touching on topics of classism, manipulation, and the power of the self.

"From Devotion comes power" - and its as clear as Dulane's morals how devoted you are to this world you have created. The seeds were planted for a powerful story to be told and I am eagerly awaiting the next entry.

[Simon · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book drew me in very rapidly, and kept me on my toes til the end. The worldbuilding is fantastic, diving deep into a unique setting at the center of a Dwarven society, not often covered in details in fantasy.

The characters are charismatic (or remarkably not) and memorable, the plotline has both action and intrigue. One of the successes of the book is how it manages to keep high stakes and a high tension in several scenes without action, keeping me at the edge of my seat even without a high level of action.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book and strongly recommend it.

[Lisa Church · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this! The atmosphere and plot of this book was unique and really entertaining!

[Joseph Starsia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Got to meet M.T. at Saratoga Comic Con and bought the book. Very glad I did. A very engaging story and quick, fun read. Looking forward to reading the rest of the series.

[jj* Starr · Rating 5 out of 5]

total page-turner, i can't wait for the next one!