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Divine Oaths
Ninth House meets Legendborn in this thrilling dark academia debut following a new student fueled by questions about her prestigious university and the haunting answers she uncovers as her heart pulls her in two different, dangerous directions.
Westfield University was supposed to be Sianna Adu’s dream school. But just when she’s on the cusp of attending the elite academic institution hidden in Virginia’s swampland, an unexpected tragedy changes everything. In one day, Sianna loses her family and gains an extraordinary power—the ability to see lifelines and witness other people’s pasts and futures.
With all she’s lost, Sianna puts her college dreams on pause and spends her days navigating dead-end jobs and a not-so-secret crush on her coworker. But when Kasem Saint James, the undeniably handsome heir of Westfield, approaches her with a strange request, the future Sianna has long deferred becomes a dangerous new reality. Worried that her powers are now tied to Kasem, she has no choice. Fate has called her to Westfield.
At an academy where secret societies abound, connections are everything, and an ominous history—stretching back centuries—determines the future, Sianna and Kasem must piece together the past to undo a curse that binds them to each other.
With a swoony romance and jaw dropping twists, this layered dark academia novel introduces a university where nothing is quite as it seems.
Westfield University was supposed to be Sianna Adu’s dream school. But just when she’s on the cusp of attending the elite academic institution hidden in Virginia’s swampland, an unexpected tragedy changes everything. In one day, Sianna loses her family and gains an extraordinary power—the ability to see lifelines and witness other people’s pasts and futures.
With all she’s lost, Sianna puts her college dreams on pause and spends her days navigating dead-end jobs and a not-so-secret crush on her coworker. But when Kasem Saint James, the undeniably handsome heir of Westfield, approaches her with a strange request, the future Sianna has long deferred becomes a dangerous new reality. Worried that her powers are now tied to Kasem, she has no choice. Fate has called her to Westfield.
At an academy where secret societies abound, connections are everything, and an ominous history—stretching back centuries—determines the future, Sianna and Kasem must piece together the past to undo a curse that binds them to each other.
With a swoony romance and jaw dropping twists, this layered dark academia novel introduces a university where nothing is quite as it seems.
Paperback
Published September 1, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 118 reviews
Did Not Finish
August 17, 2026DNF @ 62%
I was seated for the Ninth House comp, but this ended up being more along the lines of RuNyx's dark academia novels, which I absolutely loathed.
I wanted to stay for the Southern Gothic vibes, but everything from the story to the setting to the characters just felt so inane and ungrounded. The story took itself way too seriously for something that read like a Wattpad novel. I like my contemporary fantasy to make some sense, but the way that the university worked (you have to take a boat to get there, students can gain or lose merit points based on achievements or disciplinary action, and splitting students into houses based on how they were admitted [regular admits vs. legacies/wealthy vs. scholarship students, etc.) felt so, so nonsensical.
The story might as well have been HP fanfic. I was so put off by the silliness and the immaturity. It read like a debut from a fifteen-year-old who doesn't know how anything works outside of grade school. Students act like they're still in high school. Adults act like they're in their early twenties. The plot itself felt like the author threw everything but the kitchen sink into the story with the hopes that it might all somehow mesh together. What a mess.
I'm DNFing this before I give it an extremely low rating. I can't believe I wasted my time attempting to see the whole story through. I should've DNF much earlier, but there was a cool occult scene that drew me in. Unfortunately, the high I got from that scene vanished pretty quickly when the ridiculous love triangle came into play.
Thank you to Requited and NetGalley for this arc.
I was seated for the Ninth House comp, but this ended up being more along the lines of RuNyx's dark academia novels, which I absolutely loathed.
I wanted to stay for the Southern Gothic vibes, but everything from the story to the setting to the characters just felt so inane and ungrounded. The story took itself way too seriously for something that read like a Wattpad novel. I like my contemporary fantasy to make some sense, but the way that the university worked (you have to take a boat to get there, students can gain or lose merit points based on achievements or disciplinary action, and splitting students into houses based on how they were admitted [regular admits vs. legacies/wealthy vs. scholarship students, etc.) felt so, so nonsensical.
The story might as well have been HP fanfic. I was so put off by the silliness and the immaturity. It read like a debut from a fifteen-year-old who doesn't know how anything works outside of grade school. Students act like they're still in high school. Adults act like they're in their early twenties. The plot itself felt like the author threw everything but the kitchen sink into the story with the hopes that it might all somehow mesh together. What a mess.
I'm DNFing this before I give it an extremely low rating. I can't believe I wasted my time attempting to see the whole story through. I should've DNF much earlier, but there was a cool occult scene that drew me in. Unfortunately, the high I got from that scene vanished pretty quickly when the ridiculous love triangle came into play.
Thank you to Requited and NetGalley for this arc.
April 22, 2026
3.5 RTC
Did Not Finish
August 25, 2026DNF because I wouldn't be able to continue this any longer.
I thought it may fit that spooky hole in my heart for gothic book, but finally book was very flat and poor in comparison. Starting with characters that were supposed to be adults and their behaviour at times was strongly teen-like, moving onto university that had laws which seemed only to add it more "edgy" and "dark" side - it didn't work favorably for Divine Oaths at all.
Thank you Requited and NetGalley for this arc in exchange for honest review.
I thought it may fit that spooky hole in my heart for gothic book, but finally book was very flat and poor in comparison. Starting with characters that were supposed to be adults and their behaviour at times was strongly teen-like, moving onto university that had laws which seemed only to add it more "edgy" and "dark" side - it didn't work favorably for Divine Oaths at all.
Thank you Requited and NetGalley for this arc in exchange for honest review.
September 6, 2026
This is a really strong dark academia debut with clear Legendborn vibes and a whole lot going on underneath the surface. I also enjoyed the racial history woven through the academic setting.
The characters are complex and nuanced and there are so many moving pieces in their relationships that don't fully click into place until the end. This made the final stretch pretty fast-paced, which I appreciated. I also teared up at one point, which is always a huge compliment. The ending reads as a little more open than it initially appears, which I always love.
This touches on grief, loss, guilt, shame, and resentment in ways that feel very real. I love stories where people have made sacrifices for one another and how much weight and strain it puts on their relationships. It's a lot for these characters to carry and work through. Really enjoyed getting to know all of these characters and seeing their pain and joy.
The one note I'd add is that the characters read a little young for something marketed as adult romantasy. Worth knowing going in, though it didn't diminish my enjoyment.
The twists are plentiful and the supernatural elements keep things exciting. A great debut and a strong addition to the dark academia genre.
This review is voluntary and all opinions are my own. Thank you to the author, publisher, and Toppling Stacks Book Tours for the complimentary copy.
The characters are complex and nuanced and there are so many moving pieces in their relationships that don't fully click into place until the end. This made the final stretch pretty fast-paced, which I appreciated. I also teared up at one point, which is always a huge compliment. The ending reads as a little more open than it initially appears, which I always love.
This touches on grief, loss, guilt, shame, and resentment in ways that feel very real. I love stories where people have made sacrifices for one another and how much weight and strain it puts on their relationships. It's a lot for these characters to carry and work through. Really enjoyed getting to know all of these characters and seeing their pain and joy.
The one note I'd add is that the characters read a little young for something marketed as adult romantasy. Worth knowing going in, though it didn't diminish my enjoyment.
The twists are plentiful and the supernatural elements keep things exciting. A great debut and a strong addition to the dark academia genre.
This review is voluntary and all opinions are my own. Thank you to the author, publisher, and Toppling Stacks Book Tours for the complimentary copy.
June 21, 2026
Divine Oaths has the bones of a good dark academia novel but could have benefited from a more thorough editor and often tried to do too much at once.
Former child prodigy Sianna is offered a full scholarship to the most prestigious school in the U.S. following tragedy. Once there she uncovers the darkness that lingers beneath the school and its ties to the civil war.
There was a lot to work with here and it didn’t always smoothly go together. I liked the idea of linking real societal issues such as race into the story but at times it felt a bit forced. I also had trouble really connecting with the characters and found the romance a bit confusing given how the MMC acted towards Sianna for so much of the book. I think there’s a good story here, but an editor probably needed to clean up some of the storytelling to make it a truly great book.
Read if…
- you like dark academia similar to Ninth House or A Deadly Education
- you enjoy books that carry a deeper societal message
Skip if…
- you want a book that flows very well and the writing is flawless
- you don’t like books that try to do too much at once
- the romance is important to you
Spice: 🫑
Violence: 🗡️
Thank you to NetGalley and Requited for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Former child prodigy Sianna is offered a full scholarship to the most prestigious school in the U.S. following tragedy. Once there she uncovers the darkness that lingers beneath the school and its ties to the civil war.
There was a lot to work with here and it didn’t always smoothly go together. I liked the idea of linking real societal issues such as race into the story but at times it felt a bit forced. I also had trouble really connecting with the characters and found the romance a bit confusing given how the MMC acted towards Sianna for so much of the book. I think there’s a good story here, but an editor probably needed to clean up some of the storytelling to make it a truly great book.
Read if…
- you like dark academia similar to Ninth House or A Deadly Education
- you enjoy books that carry a deeper societal message
Skip if…
- you want a book that flows very well and the writing is flawless
- you don’t like books that try to do too much at once
- the romance is important to you
Spice: 🫑
Violence: 🗡️
Thank you to NetGalley and Requited for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
August 28, 2026
Wow. I honestly don’t even know where to start with this one, it was so unique and very different from pretty much anything I’ve ever read. It was a bit of a slow burn as far as pacing, it wasn’t super fast-paced, but it still had me hooked regardless. don’t get me wrong, this is a dark academia YA fantasy, but it’s very gothic & has a lot to do with spirits, curses, & secret societies & it’ll have you honestly pretty creeped out because it def did me lol. I loved that about it, though.
& the way it really went… I was NOT prepared lol. if I’d have made 100 guesses, that still wouldn’t have been on my list & to say I was pretty shocked is an understatement. I honestly didn’t relate to or even really like most of the characters, not even the main ones, so if that’s a deal breaker for you… you may be looking at the wrong book. but if you’re into an unreliable, kinda unlikeable cast, with twists & turns you absolutely cannot see coming, this is your girl. that last 20% really changed my rating if I’m being honest from a 3 to a 4.
⚖️ secret societies
🦋 magic & curses
⚖️ dark gothic academia
🦋 found(ish) family
⚖️ unreliable characters
🦋 slow, slow burn
⚖️ single pov
4⭐️
🫶🏼 thank you Toppling Stack Tours & @readrequited for my #gifted copy
& the way it really went… I was NOT prepared lol. if I’d have made 100 guesses, that still wouldn’t have been on my list & to say I was pretty shocked is an understatement. I honestly didn’t relate to or even really like most of the characters, not even the main ones, so if that’s a deal breaker for you… you may be looking at the wrong book. but if you’re into an unreliable, kinda unlikeable cast, with twists & turns you absolutely cannot see coming, this is your girl. that last 20% really changed my rating if I’m being honest from a 3 to a 4.
⚖️ secret societies
🦋 magic & curses
⚖️ dark gothic academia
🦋 found(ish) family
⚖️ unreliable characters
🦋 slow, slow burn
⚖️ single pov
4⭐️
🫶🏼 thank you Toppling Stack Tours & @readrequited for my #gifted copy
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Divine Oaths is a dark academia romantasy book. The premise is great and I was so excited about this ARC, but I really struggled with reading it. It started strong: FMC with mysterious powers, admittance to a prestigious university, some intriguing potential MMCs (is it the friend who is pulling away or the mysterious stranger who interrogates her a work?), but it did not continue that way. I kept thinking, “wait, what?” as I was reading. Too many times the reader was dropped into a scenario where we were expected to just believe that there was a known backstory or accept contrived drama that didn’t make sense. There was too much telling and very little showing in the story. To me, this book was trying to do too much and none of it was flushed out as much as I would have liked.
Thank you to Requited for providing this book as a digital ARC for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Thank you to Requited for providing this book as a digital ARC for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
September 6, 2026
Anyone looking for a dark academia similar to Ninth House to kick off the -ber months?! If so, Divine Oaths may be the book to add to your Fall TBR!
Fair warning, however—
The pacing is a bit on the slower side, and the characters are somewhat flat, but this one is a good story to slowly ease your way into the season, imo.
Website | Bookstagram | BookTok
Fair warning, however—
The pacing is a bit on the slower side, and the characters are somewhat flat, but this one is a good story to slowly ease your way into the season, imo.
Website | Bookstagram | BookTok
June 9, 2026
This was fine.
Following a tragic fire that claimed the lives of her parents, Sianna has taken the backseat in her life. She has ignored a scholarship opportunity , stopped performing piano and is desperate for cash using her talent for seeing the past when touching mundane objects when a St James arrives at the pawn shop to ask for her help. Finding herself tangled up in an attempted murder and secrets haunting her new school she works to overcome her trauma and stop a centuries old curse once and for all.
This was a bit of a miss for me. The premise was so interesting at the beginning with her abilities and this school with secret societies and curses but I just couldn’t really keep up with some of the elements. On the surface it was fine but the more you pulled back the more murky it got and it almost felt like maybe the author wasn’t too sure either once the web of plot lines became so much bigger.
The characters too are very flat. I wanted so much to like anyone but they never managed to stand out which left some of the bigger moments like romance, betrayals or deaths not hit as hard as I’m sure was the intention. I’m not sure why Sianna felt drawn to Jojo or Kasem, we’re told on paper she is but I couldn’t find anything in the story to justify why to the point I genuinely thought by the end there would be no romance at all. I wish we had dived deeper into the creepiness of the school and the devastation caused by a curse of this nature against innocent unsuspecting people but we never quite manage to get there.
This had so much potential I wish we had been given more to play with but hopefully the next reader will enjoy it!
**special thanks to the publishers and netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review**
Following a tragic fire that claimed the lives of her parents, Sianna has taken the backseat in her life. She has ignored a scholarship opportunity , stopped performing piano and is desperate for cash using her talent for seeing the past when touching mundane objects when a St James arrives at the pawn shop to ask for her help. Finding herself tangled up in an attempted murder and secrets haunting her new school she works to overcome her trauma and stop a centuries old curse once and for all.
This was a bit of a miss for me. The premise was so interesting at the beginning with her abilities and this school with secret societies and curses but I just couldn’t really keep up with some of the elements. On the surface it was fine but the more you pulled back the more murky it got and it almost felt like maybe the author wasn’t too sure either once the web of plot lines became so much bigger.
The characters too are very flat. I wanted so much to like anyone but they never managed to stand out which left some of the bigger moments like romance, betrayals or deaths not hit as hard as I’m sure was the intention. I’m not sure why Sianna felt drawn to Jojo or Kasem, we’re told on paper she is but I couldn’t find anything in the story to justify why to the point I genuinely thought by the end there would be no romance at all. I wish we had dived deeper into the creepiness of the school and the devastation caused by a curse of this nature against innocent unsuspecting people but we never quite manage to get there.
This had so much potential I wish we had been given more to play with but hopefully the next reader will enjoy it!
**special thanks to the publishers and netgalley for providing an arc in exchange for a fair and honest review**
Review of advance copy
🎧📖𝒜𝐿𝒞 𝒜𝓊𝒹𝒾𝑜𝒷𝑜𝑜𝓀 𝑅𝑒𝓋𝒾𝑒𝓌📖🎧
𝒟𝒾𝓋𝒾𝓃𝑒 𝒪𝒶𝓉𝒽𝓈 ʙʏ ᴇʟɪᴢᴀʙᴇᴛʜ ᴀɢʏᴇᴍᴀɴɢ
𝑅𝒶𝓉𝒾𝓃𝑔: 🥀🥀🥀🥀 ᴏᴜᴛ ᴏғ 𝟻 ᴇɴᴄʜᴀɴᴛᴇᴅ ʀᴏsᴇs
✨ 𝐻𝑜𝑜𝓀✨
ᴀ ᴘʀᴇsᴛɪɢɪᴏᴜs ᴜɴɪᴠᴇʀsɪᴛʏ ʜɪᴅɪɴɢ ᴄᴇɴᴛᴜʀɪᴇs-ᴏʟᴅ sᴇᴄʀᴇᴛs, ᴀ ɢɪʀʟ ᴡʜᴏ ᴄᴀɴ sᴇᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴀsᴛ ᴀɴᴅ ғᴜᴛᴜʀᴇ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴛᴡᴏ ᴅᴀɴɢᴇʀᴏᴜs ʟᴏᴠᴇ ɪɴᴛᴇʀᴇsᴛs ᴘᴜʟʟɪɴɢ ʜᴇʀ ɪɴ ᴏᴘᴘᴏsɪᴛᴇ ᴅɪʀᴇᴄᴛɪᴏɴs.
𝑅𝑒𝓋𝒾𝑒𝓌:
ʜᴜɢᴇ ᴛʜᴀɴᴋ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛᴏ ʟɪʙʀᴏ ғᴏʀ ɢɪғᴛɪɴɢ ᴍᴇ ᴛʜɪs ᴀʟᴄ!
𝒟𝒾𝓋𝒾𝓃𝑒 𝒪𝒶𝓉𝒽𝓈 ʜᴀᴅ sᴜᴄʜ ᴀ ᴘʀᴏᴍɪsɪɴɢ ᴅᴀʀᴋ ᴀᴄᴀᴅᴇᴍɪᴀ ᴘʀᴇᴍɪsᴇ. ɴɪɴᴛʜ ʜᴏᴜsᴇ ᴍᴇᴇᴛs ʟᴇɢᴇɴᴅʙᴏʀɴ ɪs ᴀ ᴘʀᴇᴛᴛʏ ᴀᴄᴄᴜʀᴀᴛᴇ ᴡᴀʏ ᴛᴏ sᴇʟʟ ᴍᴇ ᴏɴ ᴛʜɪs ᴏɴᴇ, ᴇsᴘᴇᴄɪᴀʟʟʏ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛʜᴇ sᴇᴄʀᴇᴛ sᴏᴄɪᴇᴛɪᴇs, ᴍʏsᴛᴇʀɪᴏᴜs ᴜɴɪᴠᴇʀsɪᴛʏ, sᴜᴘᴇʀɴᴀᴛᴜʀᴀʟ ᴀʙɪʟɪᴛɪᴇs, ᴄᴜʀsᴇs, ᴀɴᴅ ᴏᴍɪɴᴏᴜs ʜɪsᴛᴏʀʏ.
sɪᴀɴɴᴀ's ᴀʙɪʟɪᴛʏ ᴛᴏ sᴇᴇ ʟɪғᴇʟɪɴᴇs ᴀɴᴅ ɢʟɪᴍᴘsᴇs ᴏғ ᴘᴇᴏᴘʟᴇ's ᴘᴀsᴛs ᴀɴᴅ ғᴜᴛᴜʀᴇs ᴡᴀs ᴏɴᴇ ᴏғ ᴍʏ ғᴀᴠᴏʀɪᴛᴇ ᴄᴏɴᴄᴇᴘᴛs. ɪ ᴀʟsᴏ ʟɪᴋᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍʏsᴛᴇʀʏ sᴜʀʀᴏᴜɴᴅɪɴɢ ᴡᴇsᴛғɪᴇʟᴅ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ғᴇᴇʟɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ's ᴀʟᴡᴀʏs sᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ ʟᴜʀᴋɪɴɢ ʙᴇɴᴇᴀᴛʜ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʀᴇsᴛɪɢɪᴏᴜs ᴜɴɪᴠᴇʀsɪᴛʏ's ᴘᴏʟɪsʜᴇᴅ sᴜʀғᴀᴄᴇ.
ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴜʀsᴇ ᴄᴏɴɴᴇᴄᴛɪɴɢ sɪᴀɴɴᴀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴋᴀsᴇᴍ ɢɪᴠᴇs ᴛʜᴇ sᴛᴏʀʏ ᴀ sᴛʀᴏɴɢ ᴄᴇɴᴛʀᴀʟ ᴍʏsᴛᴇʀʏ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ᴀʀᴇ ᴘʟᴇɴᴛʏ ᴏғ ᴛᴡɪsᴛs ᴀɴᴅ ʀᴇᴠᴇʟᴀᴛɪᴏɴs ᴛᴏ ᴋᴇᴇᴘ ᴛʜɪɴɢs ᴍᴏᴠɪɴɢ. ɪ ᴊᴜsᴛ ᴡɪsʜ ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ ʜᴀᴅ ʙᴇᴇɴ ɢɪᴠᴇɴ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ʀᴏᴏᴍ ᴛᴏ ʙʀᴇᴀᴛʜᴇ.
ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴏᴏᴋ ɪs ᴍᴀʀᴋᴇᴛᴇᴅ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴀ sᴡᴏᴏɴʏ ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴀ ᴍᴀᴊᴏʀ ᴘᴀʀᴛ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ sᴛᴏʀʏ ʀᴇᴠᴏʟᴠᴇs ᴀʀᴏᴜɴᴅ sɪᴀɴɴᴀ ʙᴇɪɴɢ ᴘᴜʟʟᴇᴅ ɪɴ ᴛᴡᴏ ᴅᴀɴɢᴇʀᴏᴜs ᴅɪʀᴇᴄᴛɪᴏɴs, ʙᴜᴛ ɪ ᴡᴀɴᴛᴇᴅ ᴍᴜᴄʜ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴛɪᴄ ᴛᴇɴsɪᴏɴ. ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ᴡᴀs sᴏ ᴍᴜᴄʜ ᴘᴏᴛᴇɴᴛɪᴀʟ ғᴏʀ ʏᴇᴀʀɴɪɴɢ, ᴊᴇᴀʟᴏᴜsʏ, ᴄʜᴇᴍɪsᴛʀʏ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴇᴍᴏᴛɪᴏɴᴀʟ ᴄᴏɴғʟɪᴄᴛ, ᴀɴᴅ ɪ ғᴇʟᴛ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴛʜᴇ sᴛᴏʀʏ ᴍᴏᴠᴇᴅ ᴘᴀsᴛ sᴏᴍᴇ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴏsᴇ ᴏᴘᴘᴏʀᴛᴜɴɪᴛɪᴇs ᴛᴏᴏ ǫᴜɪᴄᴋʟʏ.
ᴛʜᴇ ʙɪɢɢᴇsᴛ ᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴍɪssɪɴɢ ғᴏʀ ᴍᴇ ᴡᴀs ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴛɪᴄ ᴛᴇɴsɪᴏɴ. ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ᴡᴇʀᴇ ᴏᴘᴘᴏʀᴛᴜɴɪᴛɪᴇs ғᴏʀ ʏᴇᴀʀɴɪɴɢ, ᴊᴇᴀʟᴏᴜsʏ, ᴄᴏᴍᴘʟɪᴄᴀᴛᴇᴅ ғᴇᴇʟɪɴɢs, ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴏsᴇ “ᴏʜ, ʏᴏᴜ ᴅᴇғɪɴɪᴛᴇʟʏ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ғᴇᴇʟɪɴɢs ғᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇᴍ” ᴍᴏᴍᴇɴᴛs, ʙᴜᴛ ɪ ᴡᴀɴᴛᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴇ sᴛᴏʀʏ ᴛᴏ ʟᴇᴀɴ ɪɴᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇᴍ ᴍᴜᴄʜ ʜᴀʀᴅᴇʀ. ɪ ʀᴇᴀʟʟʏ ᴡɪsʜ ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴛɪᴄ sᴜʙᴘʟᴏᴛ ʜᴀᴅ ʙᴇᴇɴ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ғᴜʟʟʏ ᴅᴇᴠᴇʟᴏᴘᴇᴅ ᴀɴᴅ ɢɪᴠᴇɴ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴘᴀɢᴇ ᴛɪᴍᴇ. ᴛʜᴇ ғᴀɴᴛᴀsʏ ᴘʟᴏᴛ ᴡᴀs ɪɴᴛᴇʀᴇsᴛɪɴɢ ᴏɴ ɪᴛs ᴏᴡɴ, ʙᴜᴛ ғʟᴇsʜɪɴɢ ᴏᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴇʟᴀᴛɪᴏɴsʜɪᴘs ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴀᴅᴅᴇᴅ ᴀɴᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ᴇᴍᴏᴛɪᴏɴᴀʟ ʟᴀʏᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ, ʜᴏɴᴇsᴛʟʏ, ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴇʟᴇᴠᴀᴛᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇɴᴛɪʀᴇ sᴛᴏʀʏ ғᴏʀ ᴍᴇ.
ɢᴇɴᴇʀᴀʟʟʏ sᴘᴇᴀᴋɪɴɢ, ɪ ʜᴀᴛᴇ ʟᴏᴠᴇ ᴛʀɪᴀɴɢʟᴇs, ʙᴜᴛ ɪ ɢᴜᴇss sɪɴᴄᴇ ᴛʜɪs ᴀsᴘᴇᴄᴛ ᴡᴀs ᴜɴᴅᴇʀᴅᴇᴠᴇʟᴏᴘᴇᴅ, ɪᴛ ᴅɪᴅɴ'ᴛ ʙᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ᴍᴇ ᴍᴜᴄʜ. ᴡʜɪᴄʜ ɪs ᴀ ᴅᴏᴜʙʟᴇ-ᴇᴅɢᴇᴅ sᴡᴏʀᴅ. ɪ ᴡᴀs ɪɴᴠᴇsᴛᴇᴅ ᴇɴᴏᴜɢʜ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ʟᴏᴠᴇ ᴛʀɪᴀɴɢʟᴇ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɪ ᴋᴇᴘᴛ ᴡᴀɪᴛɪɴɢ ғᴏʀ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴍᴏᴍᴇɴᴛ—ᴛʜᴇ ᴜɴᴅᴇɴɪᴀʙʟᴇ ᴄʜᴇᴍɪsᴛʀʏ, ᴛʜᴇ ᴛᴇɴsɪᴏɴ, ᴛʜᴇ ᴇᴍᴏᴛɪᴏɴᴀʟ ᴘᴀʏᴏғғ—ᴀɴᴅ ᴜɴғᴏʀᴛᴜɴᴀᴛᴇʟʏ, ɪᴛ ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ ǫᴜɪᴛᴇ ʀᴇᴀᴄʜᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ʟᴇᴠᴇʟ ɪ ᴡᴀɴᴛᴇᴅ.
🎙️𝒩𝒶𝓇𝓇𝒶𝓉𝒾𝑜𝓃:
ᴛʜᴇ ɴᴀʀʀᴀᴛᴏʀ ɪs ɪɴᴄʀᴇᴅɪʙʟʏ ᴛᴀʟᴇɴᴛᴇᴅ!
ʜᴏɴᴇsᴛʟʏ, ᴛʜᴇ ɴᴀʀʀᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴡᴀs ᴏɴᴇ ᴏғ ᴍʏ ғᴀᴠᴏʀɪᴛᴇ ᴘᴀʀᴛs ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀᴜᴅɪᴏʙᴏᴏᴋ. ᴛʜᴇ ɴᴀʀʀᴀᴛᴏʀ ʙʀᴏᴜɢʜᴛ sᴏ ᴍᴜᴄʜ ᴘᴇʀsᴏɴᴀʟɪᴛʏ ᴀɴᴅ ᴇᴍᴏᴛɪᴏɴ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀs ᴀɴᴅ ʜᴀɴᴅʟᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴅʀᴀᴍᴀᴛɪᴄ ᴍᴏᴍᴇɴᴛs ʙᴇᴀᴜᴛɪғᴜʟʟʏ. ᴇᴠᴇɴ ᴡʜᴇɴ ɪ ᴡᴀɴᴛᴇᴅ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ғʀᴏᴍ ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ ɪᴛsᴇʟғ, ᴛʜᴇ ɴᴀʀʀᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴋᴇᴘᴛ ᴍᴇ ᴇɴɢᴀɢᴇᴅ ᴀɴᴅ ᴍᴀᴅᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ʟɪsᴛᴇɴɪɴɢ ᴇxᴘᴇʀɪᴇɴᴄᴇ ᴇɴᴊᴏʏᴀʙʟᴇ.
ᴛʜᴇ ɴᴀʀʀᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ɢɪᴠᴇs ᴛʜᴇ sᴛᴏʀʏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇᴘɪᴄ, ᴍʏᴛʜᴏʟᴏɢɪᴄᴀʟ ғᴇᴇʟ ɪᴛ ɴᴇᴇᴅs. ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴇʀғᴏʀᴍᴀɴᴄᴇs ᴄᴀʀʀʏ ᴛʜᴇ ʜᴇᴀᴠɪᴇʀ ᴡᴏʀʟᴅʙᴜɪʟᴅɪɴɢ ᴡᴇʟʟ ᴀɴᴅ ʙʀɪɴɢ ᴇᴍᴏᴛɪᴏɴᴀʟ ᴡᴇɪɢʜᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀs' sᴛʀᴜɢɢʟᴇs, ᴇsᴘᴇᴄɪᴀʟʟʏ ᴅᴜʀɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴅʀᴀᴍᴀᴛɪᴄ ᴍᴏᴍᴇɴᴛs.
𝒯𝓇𝑜𝓅𝑒𝓈 & 𝒱𝒾𝒷𝑒𝓈:
⚔️ ɢʜᴏsᴛs & ᴘᴏssᴇssɪᴏɴ ᴠs ᴛʜᴇ ʟɪᴠɪɴɢ
✨ ᴅɪᴠɪɴᴇ ᴍᴀɢɪᴄ x ᴘʀᴏᴘʜᴇᴄʏ
🤝 ғᴏʀᴄᴇᴅ ᴀʟʟɪᴀɴᴄᴇs
👑 ᴘᴏʟɪᴛɪᴄᴀʟ ɪɴᴛʀɪɢᴜᴇ
💕 ғᴀɴᴛᴀsʏ ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ
🌍 ᴍʏᴛʜᴏʟᴏɢʏ-ɪɴsᴘɪʀᴇᴅ ғᴀɴᴛᴀsʏ
💥 ʜɪɢʜ sᴛᴀᴋᴇs
🖤 ʙᴇᴛʀᴀʏᴀʟ
𝐹𝒾𝓃𝒶𝓁 𝓋𝑒𝓇𝒹𝒾𝒸𝓉:
ᴡʜᴇɴ ᴛʜᴇ ɢᴏᴅs sᴛᴀʀᴛ ᴍᴀᴋɪɴɢ ᴘʀᴏᴍɪsᴇs, ʏᴏᴜ ᴋɴᴏᴡ sᴏᴍᴇʙᴏᴅʏ ɪs ɢᴏɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ sᴜғғᴇʀ. ᴀ ʀɪᴄʜ, ᴍʏᴛʜᴏʟᴏɢʏ-ɪɴsᴘɪʀᴇᴅ ғᴀɴᴛᴀsʏ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴅɪᴠɪɴᴇ ᴘᴏʟɪᴛɪᴄs, ᴅᴀɴɢᴇʀᴏᴜs ᴏᴀᴛʜs, ᴍᴀɢɪᴄ, ᴀɴᴅ ʜɪɢʜ sᴛᴀᴋᴇs. ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴏʀʟᴅʙᴜɪʟᴅɪɴɢ ᴡᴀs ᴛʜᴇ sᴛᴀɴᴅᴏᴜᴛ ғᴏʀ ᴍᴇ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀᴜᴅɪᴏʙᴏᴏᴋ ᴍᴀᴅᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇᴘɪᴄ sᴄᴀʟᴇ ᴘᴀʀᴛɪᴄᴜʟᴀʀʟʏ ɪᴍᴍᴇʀsɪᴠᴇ.
ᴛʜᴇ ɴᴀʀʀᴀᴛᴏʀ? 𝟷𝟶/𝟷𝟶. ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ? ɪ ɴᴇᴇᴅᴇᴅ ᴍᴏʀᴇ.
ɪ ᴇɴᴊᴏʏᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ғᴀɴᴛᴀsʏ ᴇʟᴇᴍᴇɴᴛs ᴀɴᴅ ʜᴀᴅ ᴀ ɢʀᴇᴀᴛ ᴛɪᴍᴇ ʟɪsᴛᴇɴɪɴɢ, ʙᴜᴛ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛʜᴇ ʟᴏᴠᴇ ᴛʀɪᴀɴɢʟᴇ ʙᴇɪɴɢ sᴜᴄʜ ᴀ sɪɢɴɪғɪᴄᴀɴᴛ ᴘᴀʀᴛ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ sᴛᴏʀʏ, ɪ ʀᴇᴀʟʟʏ ᴡᴀɴᴛᴇᴅ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴛɪᴄ ᴛᴇɴsɪᴏɴ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴇᴠᴇʟᴏᴘᴍᴇɴᴛ ʙᴇᴛᴡᴇᴇɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀs.
ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ ғᴇʟᴛ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴀ sᴜʙᴘʟᴏᴛ ᴡʜᴇɴ ɪ ᴡᴀɴᴛᴇᴅ ɪᴛ ᴛᴏ ғᴇᴇʟ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴀɴ ᴀᴄᴛᴜᴀʟ sᴛᴏʀʏʟɪɴᴇ. ɢɪᴠᴇ ᴍᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ʏᴇᴀʀɴɪɴɢ! ᴛʜᴇ ᴊᴇᴀʟᴏᴜsʏ! ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʜᴇᴍɪsᴛʀʏ! ᴛʜᴇ ᴇᴍᴏᴛɪᴏɴᴀʟ ᴅᴇᴠᴀsᴛᴀᴛɪᴏɴ!
sᴛɪʟʟ, ᴛʜᴇ ɴᴀʀʀᴀᴛᴏʀ ᴀʙsᴏʟᴜᴛᴇʟʏ ᴅᴇsᴇʀᴠᴇs ʜᴇʀ ғʟᴏᴡᴇʀs, ᴀɴᴅ ɪ’ᴅ ᴅᴇғɪɴɪᴛᴇʟʏ ʟɪsᴛᴇɴ ᴛᴏ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ғʀᴏᴍ ʜᴇʀ.
ʜᴀᴘᴘʏ ʀᴇᴀᴅɪɴɢ!
𝒜𝓈𝒽𝓁𝑒𝓎
ʙᴏᴏᴋsᴛᴀɢʀᴀᴍ: @ᴛʜᴇᴛᴀᴛᴛᴇʀᴇᴅᴘᴀɢᴇ
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NOTES:
The narrator is incredibly talented!
Needed more romantic tension and maybe just romance period. Would have really loved to see that aspect/subplot fleshed out more could have really elevated the story especially since a major aspect of the story was the love triangle
𝒟𝒾𝓋𝒾𝓃𝑒 𝒪𝒶𝓉𝒽𝓈 ʙʏ ᴇʟɪᴢᴀʙᴇᴛʜ ᴀɢʏᴇᴍᴀɴɢ
𝑅𝒶𝓉𝒾𝓃𝑔: 🥀🥀🥀🥀 ᴏᴜᴛ ᴏғ 𝟻 ᴇɴᴄʜᴀɴᴛᴇᴅ ʀᴏsᴇs
✨ 𝐻𝑜𝑜𝓀✨
ᴀ ᴘʀᴇsᴛɪɢɪᴏᴜs ᴜɴɪᴠᴇʀsɪᴛʏ ʜɪᴅɪɴɢ ᴄᴇɴᴛᴜʀɪᴇs-ᴏʟᴅ sᴇᴄʀᴇᴛs, ᴀ ɢɪʀʟ ᴡʜᴏ ᴄᴀɴ sᴇᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴀsᴛ ᴀɴᴅ ғᴜᴛᴜʀᴇ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴛᴡᴏ ᴅᴀɴɢᴇʀᴏᴜs ʟᴏᴠᴇ ɪɴᴛᴇʀᴇsᴛs ᴘᴜʟʟɪɴɢ ʜᴇʀ ɪɴ ᴏᴘᴘᴏsɪᴛᴇ ᴅɪʀᴇᴄᴛɪᴏɴs.
𝑅𝑒𝓋𝒾𝑒𝓌:
ʜᴜɢᴇ ᴛʜᴀɴᴋ ʏᴏᴜ ᴛᴏ ʟɪʙʀᴏ ғᴏʀ ɢɪғᴛɪɴɢ ᴍᴇ ᴛʜɪs ᴀʟᴄ!
𝒟𝒾𝓋𝒾𝓃𝑒 𝒪𝒶𝓉𝒽𝓈 ʜᴀᴅ sᴜᴄʜ ᴀ ᴘʀᴏᴍɪsɪɴɢ ᴅᴀʀᴋ ᴀᴄᴀᴅᴇᴍɪᴀ ᴘʀᴇᴍɪsᴇ. ɴɪɴᴛʜ ʜᴏᴜsᴇ ᴍᴇᴇᴛs ʟᴇɢᴇɴᴅʙᴏʀɴ ɪs ᴀ ᴘʀᴇᴛᴛʏ ᴀᴄᴄᴜʀᴀᴛᴇ ᴡᴀʏ ᴛᴏ sᴇʟʟ ᴍᴇ ᴏɴ ᴛʜɪs ᴏɴᴇ, ᴇsᴘᴇᴄɪᴀʟʟʏ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛʜᴇ sᴇᴄʀᴇᴛ sᴏᴄɪᴇᴛɪᴇs, ᴍʏsᴛᴇʀɪᴏᴜs ᴜɴɪᴠᴇʀsɪᴛʏ, sᴜᴘᴇʀɴᴀᴛᴜʀᴀʟ ᴀʙɪʟɪᴛɪᴇs, ᴄᴜʀsᴇs, ᴀɴᴅ ᴏᴍɪɴᴏᴜs ʜɪsᴛᴏʀʏ.
sɪᴀɴɴᴀ's ᴀʙɪʟɪᴛʏ ᴛᴏ sᴇᴇ ʟɪғᴇʟɪɴᴇs ᴀɴᴅ ɢʟɪᴍᴘsᴇs ᴏғ ᴘᴇᴏᴘʟᴇ's ᴘᴀsᴛs ᴀɴᴅ ғᴜᴛᴜʀᴇs ᴡᴀs ᴏɴᴇ ᴏғ ᴍʏ ғᴀᴠᴏʀɪᴛᴇ ᴄᴏɴᴄᴇᴘᴛs. ɪ ᴀʟsᴏ ʟɪᴋᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍʏsᴛᴇʀʏ sᴜʀʀᴏᴜɴᴅɪɴɢ ᴡᴇsᴛғɪᴇʟᴅ ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ғᴇᴇʟɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ's ᴀʟᴡᴀʏs sᴏᴍᴇᴛʜɪɴɢ ʟᴜʀᴋɪɴɢ ʙᴇɴᴇᴀᴛʜ ᴛʜᴇ ᴘʀᴇsᴛɪɢɪᴏᴜs ᴜɴɪᴠᴇʀsɪᴛʏ's ᴘᴏʟɪsʜᴇᴅ sᴜʀғᴀᴄᴇ.
ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴜʀsᴇ ᴄᴏɴɴᴇᴄᴛɪɴɢ sɪᴀɴɴᴀ ᴀɴᴅ ᴋᴀsᴇᴍ ɢɪᴠᴇs ᴛʜᴇ sᴛᴏʀʏ ᴀ sᴛʀᴏɴɢ ᴄᴇɴᴛʀᴀʟ ᴍʏsᴛᴇʀʏ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ᴀʀᴇ ᴘʟᴇɴᴛʏ ᴏғ ᴛᴡɪsᴛs ᴀɴᴅ ʀᴇᴠᴇʟᴀᴛɪᴏɴs ᴛᴏ ᴋᴇᴇᴘ ᴛʜɪɴɢs ᴍᴏᴠɪɴɢ. ɪ ᴊᴜsᴛ ᴡɪsʜ ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ ʜᴀᴅ ʙᴇᴇɴ ɢɪᴠᴇɴ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ʀᴏᴏᴍ ᴛᴏ ʙʀᴇᴀᴛʜᴇ.
ᴛʜᴇ ʙᴏᴏᴋ ɪs ᴍᴀʀᴋᴇᴛᴇᴅ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴀ sᴡᴏᴏɴʏ ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ ᴀɴᴅ ᴀ ᴍᴀᴊᴏʀ ᴘᴀʀᴛ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ sᴛᴏʀʏ ʀᴇᴠᴏʟᴠᴇs ᴀʀᴏᴜɴᴅ sɪᴀɴɴᴀ ʙᴇɪɴɢ ᴘᴜʟʟᴇᴅ ɪɴ ᴛᴡᴏ ᴅᴀɴɢᴇʀᴏᴜs ᴅɪʀᴇᴄᴛɪᴏɴs, ʙᴜᴛ ɪ ᴡᴀɴᴛᴇᴅ ᴍᴜᴄʜ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴛɪᴄ ᴛᴇɴsɪᴏɴ. ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ᴡᴀs sᴏ ᴍᴜᴄʜ ᴘᴏᴛᴇɴᴛɪᴀʟ ғᴏʀ ʏᴇᴀʀɴɪɴɢ, ᴊᴇᴀʟᴏᴜsʏ, ᴄʜᴇᴍɪsᴛʀʏ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴇᴍᴏᴛɪᴏɴᴀʟ ᴄᴏɴғʟɪᴄᴛ, ᴀɴᴅ ɪ ғᴇʟᴛ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴛʜᴇ sᴛᴏʀʏ ᴍᴏᴠᴇᴅ ᴘᴀsᴛ sᴏᴍᴇ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴏsᴇ ᴏᴘᴘᴏʀᴛᴜɴɪᴛɪᴇs ᴛᴏᴏ ǫᴜɪᴄᴋʟʏ.
ᴛʜᴇ ʙɪɢɢᴇsᴛ ᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴍɪssɪɴɢ ғᴏʀ ᴍᴇ ᴡᴀs ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴛɪᴄ ᴛᴇɴsɪᴏɴ. ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ᴡᴇʀᴇ ᴏᴘᴘᴏʀᴛᴜɴɪᴛɪᴇs ғᴏʀ ʏᴇᴀʀɴɪɴɢ, ᴊᴇᴀʟᴏᴜsʏ, ᴄᴏᴍᴘʟɪᴄᴀᴛᴇᴅ ғᴇᴇʟɪɴɢs, ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴏsᴇ “ᴏʜ, ʏᴏᴜ ᴅᴇғɪɴɪᴛᴇʟʏ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ғᴇᴇʟɪɴɢs ғᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇᴍ” ᴍᴏᴍᴇɴᴛs, ʙᴜᴛ ɪ ᴡᴀɴᴛᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴇ sᴛᴏʀʏ ᴛᴏ ʟᴇᴀɴ ɪɴᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇᴍ ᴍᴜᴄʜ ʜᴀʀᴅᴇʀ. ɪ ʀᴇᴀʟʟʏ ᴡɪsʜ ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴛɪᴄ sᴜʙᴘʟᴏᴛ ʜᴀᴅ ʙᴇᴇɴ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ғᴜʟʟʏ ᴅᴇᴠᴇʟᴏᴘᴇᴅ ᴀɴᴅ ɢɪᴠᴇɴ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴘᴀɢᴇ ᴛɪᴍᴇ. ᴛʜᴇ ғᴀɴᴛᴀsʏ ᴘʟᴏᴛ ᴡᴀs ɪɴᴛᴇʀᴇsᴛɪɴɢ ᴏɴ ɪᴛs ᴏᴡɴ, ʙᴜᴛ ғʟᴇsʜɪɴɢ ᴏᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴇʟᴀᴛɪᴏɴsʜɪᴘs ᴡᴏᴜʟᴅ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴀᴅᴅᴇᴅ ᴀɴᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ᴇᴍᴏᴛɪᴏɴᴀʟ ʟᴀʏᴇʀ ᴀɴᴅ, ʜᴏɴᴇsᴛʟʏ, ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴇʟᴇᴠᴀᴛᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇɴᴛɪʀᴇ sᴛᴏʀʏ ғᴏʀ ᴍᴇ.
ɢᴇɴᴇʀᴀʟʟʏ sᴘᴇᴀᴋɪɴɢ, ɪ ʜᴀᴛᴇ ʟᴏᴠᴇ ᴛʀɪᴀɴɢʟᴇs, ʙᴜᴛ ɪ ɢᴜᴇss sɪɴᴄᴇ ᴛʜɪs ᴀsᴘᴇᴄᴛ ᴡᴀs ᴜɴᴅᴇʀᴅᴇᴠᴇʟᴏᴘᴇᴅ, ɪᴛ ᴅɪᴅɴ'ᴛ ʙᴏᴛʜᴇʀ ᴍᴇ ᴍᴜᴄʜ. ᴡʜɪᴄʜ ɪs ᴀ ᴅᴏᴜʙʟᴇ-ᴇᴅɢᴇᴅ sᴡᴏʀᴅ. ɪ ᴡᴀs ɪɴᴠᴇsᴛᴇᴅ ᴇɴᴏᴜɢʜ ɪɴ ᴛʜᴇ ʟᴏᴠᴇ ᴛʀɪᴀɴɢʟᴇ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ɪ ᴋᴇᴘᴛ ᴡᴀɪᴛɪɴɢ ғᴏʀ ᴛʜᴀᴛ ᴍᴏᴍᴇɴᴛ—ᴛʜᴇ ᴜɴᴅᴇɴɪᴀʙʟᴇ ᴄʜᴇᴍɪsᴛʀʏ, ᴛʜᴇ ᴛᴇɴsɪᴏɴ, ᴛʜᴇ ᴇᴍᴏᴛɪᴏɴᴀʟ ᴘᴀʏᴏғғ—ᴀɴᴅ ᴜɴғᴏʀᴛᴜɴᴀᴛᴇʟʏ, ɪᴛ ɴᴇᴠᴇʀ ǫᴜɪᴛᴇ ʀᴇᴀᴄʜᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ʟᴇᴠᴇʟ ɪ ᴡᴀɴᴛᴇᴅ.
🎙️𝒩𝒶𝓇𝓇𝒶𝓉𝒾𝑜𝓃:
ᴛʜᴇ ɴᴀʀʀᴀᴛᴏʀ ɪs ɪɴᴄʀᴇᴅɪʙʟʏ ᴛᴀʟᴇɴᴛᴇᴅ!
ʜᴏɴᴇsᴛʟʏ, ᴛʜᴇ ɴᴀʀʀᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴡᴀs ᴏɴᴇ ᴏғ ᴍʏ ғᴀᴠᴏʀɪᴛᴇ ᴘᴀʀᴛs ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀᴜᴅɪᴏʙᴏᴏᴋ. ᴛʜᴇ ɴᴀʀʀᴀᴛᴏʀ ʙʀᴏᴜɢʜᴛ sᴏ ᴍᴜᴄʜ ᴘᴇʀsᴏɴᴀʟɪᴛʏ ᴀɴᴅ ᴇᴍᴏᴛɪᴏɴ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀs ᴀɴᴅ ʜᴀɴᴅʟᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴅʀᴀᴍᴀᴛɪᴄ ᴍᴏᴍᴇɴᴛs ʙᴇᴀᴜᴛɪғᴜʟʟʏ. ᴇᴠᴇɴ ᴡʜᴇɴ ɪ ᴡᴀɴᴛᴇᴅ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ғʀᴏᴍ ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ ɪᴛsᴇʟғ, ᴛʜᴇ ɴᴀʀʀᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ᴋᴇᴘᴛ ᴍᴇ ᴇɴɢᴀɢᴇᴅ ᴀɴᴅ ᴍᴀᴅᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ʟɪsᴛᴇɴɪɴɢ ᴇxᴘᴇʀɪᴇɴᴄᴇ ᴇɴᴊᴏʏᴀʙʟᴇ.
ᴛʜᴇ ɴᴀʀʀᴀᴛɪᴏɴ ɢɪᴠᴇs ᴛʜᴇ sᴛᴏʀʏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇᴘɪᴄ, ᴍʏᴛʜᴏʟᴏɢɪᴄᴀʟ ғᴇᴇʟ ɪᴛ ɴᴇᴇᴅs. ᴛʜᴇ ᴘᴇʀғᴏʀᴍᴀɴᴄᴇs ᴄᴀʀʀʏ ᴛʜᴇ ʜᴇᴀᴠɪᴇʀ ᴡᴏʀʟᴅʙᴜɪʟᴅɪɴɢ ᴡᴇʟʟ ᴀɴᴅ ʙʀɪɴɢ ᴇᴍᴏᴛɪᴏɴᴀʟ ᴡᴇɪɢʜᴛ ᴛᴏ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀs' sᴛʀᴜɢɢʟᴇs, ᴇsᴘᴇᴄɪᴀʟʟʏ ᴅᴜʀɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴅʀᴀᴍᴀᴛɪᴄ ᴍᴏᴍᴇɴᴛs.
𝒯𝓇𝑜𝓅𝑒𝓈 & 𝒱𝒾𝒷𝑒𝓈:
⚔️ ɢʜᴏsᴛs & ᴘᴏssᴇssɪᴏɴ ᴠs ᴛʜᴇ ʟɪᴠɪɴɢ
✨ ᴅɪᴠɪɴᴇ ᴍᴀɢɪᴄ x ᴘʀᴏᴘʜᴇᴄʏ
🤝 ғᴏʀᴄᴇᴅ ᴀʟʟɪᴀɴᴄᴇs
👑 ᴘᴏʟɪᴛɪᴄᴀʟ ɪɴᴛʀɪɢᴜᴇ
💕 ғᴀɴᴛᴀsʏ ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ
🌍 ᴍʏᴛʜᴏʟᴏɢʏ-ɪɴsᴘɪʀᴇᴅ ғᴀɴᴛᴀsʏ
💥 ʜɪɢʜ sᴛᴀᴋᴇs
🖤 ʙᴇᴛʀᴀʏᴀʟ
𝐹𝒾𝓃𝒶𝓁 𝓋𝑒𝓇𝒹𝒾𝒸𝓉:
ᴡʜᴇɴ ᴛʜᴇ ɢᴏᴅs sᴛᴀʀᴛ ᴍᴀᴋɪɴɢ ᴘʀᴏᴍɪsᴇs, ʏᴏᴜ ᴋɴᴏᴡ sᴏᴍᴇʙᴏᴅʏ ɪs ɢᴏɪɴɢ ᴛᴏ sᴜғғᴇʀ. ᴀ ʀɪᴄʜ, ᴍʏᴛʜᴏʟᴏɢʏ-ɪɴsᴘɪʀᴇᴅ ғᴀɴᴛᴀsʏ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴅɪᴠɪɴᴇ ᴘᴏʟɪᴛɪᴄs, ᴅᴀɴɢᴇʀᴏᴜs ᴏᴀᴛʜs, ᴍᴀɢɪᴄ, ᴀɴᴅ ʜɪɢʜ sᴛᴀᴋᴇs. ᴛʜᴇ ᴡᴏʀʟᴅʙᴜɪʟᴅɪɴɢ ᴡᴀs ᴛʜᴇ sᴛᴀɴᴅᴏᴜᴛ ғᴏʀ ᴍᴇ, ᴀɴᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ᴀᴜᴅɪᴏʙᴏᴏᴋ ᴍᴀᴅᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ᴇᴘɪᴄ sᴄᴀʟᴇ ᴘᴀʀᴛɪᴄᴜʟᴀʀʟʏ ɪᴍᴍᴇʀsɪᴠᴇ.
ᴛʜᴇ ɴᴀʀʀᴀᴛᴏʀ? 𝟷𝟶/𝟷𝟶. ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ? ɪ ɴᴇᴇᴅᴇᴅ ᴍᴏʀᴇ.
ɪ ᴇɴᴊᴏʏᴇᴅ ᴛʜᴇ ғᴀɴᴛᴀsʏ ᴇʟᴇᴍᴇɴᴛs ᴀɴᴅ ʜᴀᴅ ᴀ ɢʀᴇᴀᴛ ᴛɪᴍᴇ ʟɪsᴛᴇɴɪɴɢ, ʙᴜᴛ ᴡɪᴛʜ ᴛʜᴇ ʟᴏᴠᴇ ᴛʀɪᴀɴɢʟᴇ ʙᴇɪɴɢ sᴜᴄʜ ᴀ sɪɢɴɪғɪᴄᴀɴᴛ ᴘᴀʀᴛ ᴏғ ᴛʜᴇ sᴛᴏʀʏ, ɪ ʀᴇᴀʟʟʏ ᴡᴀɴᴛᴇᴅ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴛɪᴄ ᴛᴇɴsɪᴏɴ ᴀɴᴅ ᴅᴇᴠᴇʟᴏᴘᴍᴇɴᴛ ʙᴇᴛᴡᴇᴇɴ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀs.
ᴛʜᴇ ʀᴏᴍᴀɴᴄᴇ ғᴇʟᴛ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴀ sᴜʙᴘʟᴏᴛ ᴡʜᴇɴ ɪ ᴡᴀɴᴛᴇᴅ ɪᴛ ᴛᴏ ғᴇᴇʟ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴀɴ ᴀᴄᴛᴜᴀʟ sᴛᴏʀʏʟɪɴᴇ. ɢɪᴠᴇ ᴍᴇ ᴛʜᴇ ʏᴇᴀʀɴɪɴɢ! ᴛʜᴇ ᴊᴇᴀʟᴏᴜsʏ! ᴛʜᴇ ᴄʜᴇᴍɪsᴛʀʏ! ᴛʜᴇ ᴇᴍᴏᴛɪᴏɴᴀʟ ᴅᴇᴠᴀsᴛᴀᴛɪᴏɴ!
sᴛɪʟʟ, ᴛʜᴇ ɴᴀʀʀᴀᴛᴏʀ ᴀʙsᴏʟᴜᴛᴇʟʏ ᴅᴇsᴇʀᴠᴇs ʜᴇʀ ғʟᴏᴡᴇʀs, ᴀɴᴅ ɪ’ᴅ ᴅᴇғɪɴɪᴛᴇʟʏ ʟɪsᴛᴇɴ ᴛᴏ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ғʀᴏᴍ ʜᴇʀ.
ʜᴀᴘᴘʏ ʀᴇᴀᴅɪɴɢ!
𝒜𝓈𝒽𝓁𝑒𝓎
ʙᴏᴏᴋsᴛᴀɢʀᴀᴍ: @ᴛʜᴇᴛᴀᴛᴛᴇʀᴇᴅᴘᴀɢᴇ
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NOTES:
The narrator is incredibly talented!
Needed more romantic tension and maybe just romance period. Would have really loved to see that aspect/subplot fleshed out more could have really elevated the story especially since a major aspect of the story was the love triangle
September 11, 2026
Divine Oaths is such a tantalizing must-read for all who enjoy fantasy and dark academia. The way things unfolded in this story had me gagged and on edge as a looming doomsday threatened to really bring everything crashing down.
Westfield University is not all what it is cracked up to be as Sianna comes to quickly understand when she is immediately caught up in a serious game of politics, reputation and power amongst the leadership and leading family of the university. Now tethered to Kasem Saint James, the heir to Westfield, Siannna finds herself caught in a twisted web of death fighting against a curse and the ghosts that haunting the school and wreaking absolute havoc.
The fight for the inheritance of this university really brings to light how destructive selfishness, secrets and greed can be when people are willing to do whatever it takes to get what they want. The way the secrets and buried history were being unearthed, I never expected to be caught off guard the way I was as each twisty reveal unfolded.
With vivid imagery, symbolism, and a mix of complex characters, Elizabeth Agyemang writes this story flawlessly with such a good build up that had me hooked as I had a front row seat to all of the dysfunctional family drama among the Saint James family and others at Westfield University.
I thoroughly enjoyed everything about this book and highly recommend it!
Westfield University is not all what it is cracked up to be as Sianna comes to quickly understand when she is immediately caught up in a serious game of politics, reputation and power amongst the leadership and leading family of the university. Now tethered to Kasem Saint James, the heir to Westfield, Siannna finds herself caught in a twisted web of death fighting against a curse and the ghosts that haunting the school and wreaking absolute havoc.
The fight for the inheritance of this university really brings to light how destructive selfishness, secrets and greed can be when people are willing to do whatever it takes to get what they want. The way the secrets and buried history were being unearthed, I never expected to be caught off guard the way I was as each twisty reveal unfolded.
With vivid imagery, symbolism, and a mix of complex characters, Elizabeth Agyemang writes this story flawlessly with such a good build up that had me hooked as I had a front row seat to all of the dysfunctional family drama among the Saint James family and others at Westfield University.
I thoroughly enjoyed everything about this book and highly recommend it!
August 5, 2026
3.75 ⭐️
I received this as an early access read copy from NetGalley.
Even though this book had all of the elements I usually really like (magic, ghosts, mystery, academia, love elements), it took awhile for me to get into it. After finishing the story and really thinking about it, the storyline was very clever and creative. Perhaps I struggled with the pacing and how it was hard to put all the hints and pieces together. I like twists and turns and surprises, but I also like to try to figure it all out along the way. Everything came at us in the last 20% like a huge knowledge bomb and then rushed to finish without full closure.
I was a bit confused about the main characters’ love triangle and some questions were never addressed on the pages. Like, did Kasem love Sianna only because he swapped destinies with Jojo, or was that independent of the curse? And how did Kasem always know where Sianna was to save her from danger. They were all so hot and cold that it was hard to figure out how everyone truly felt.
I did love the supporting cast - Vivian and Angelica. I came around on Honey.
Destiny, curses, fortune telling, ghosts, betrayal, pining, lies and secrets, music, time, love, loss, love, confessions, death and love.
🎹🔥🧤🔮🏫👻🫖🐊🎭🔪💍⏳🧙🏻♀️❤️🔼❤️
📱ebook
Early access read copy from NetGalley
I received this as an early access read copy from NetGalley.
Even though this book had all of the elements I usually really like (magic, ghosts, mystery, academia, love elements), it took awhile for me to get into it. After finishing the story and really thinking about it, the storyline was very clever and creative. Perhaps I struggled with the pacing and how it was hard to put all the hints and pieces together. I like twists and turns and surprises, but I also like to try to figure it all out along the way. Everything came at us in the last 20% like a huge knowledge bomb and then rushed to finish without full closure.
I was a bit confused about the main characters’ love triangle and some questions were never addressed on the pages. Like, did Kasem love Sianna only because he swapped destinies with Jojo, or was that independent of the curse? And how did Kasem always know where Sianna was to save her from danger. They were all so hot and cold that it was hard to figure out how everyone truly felt.
I did love the supporting cast - Vivian and Angelica. I came around on Honey.
Destiny, curses, fortune telling, ghosts, betrayal, pining, lies and secrets, music, time, love, loss, love, confessions, death and love.
🎹🔥🧤🔮🏫👻🫖🐊🎭🔪💍⏳🧙🏻♀️❤️🔼❤️
📱ebook
Early access read copy from NetGalley
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 10, 2026
I think Divine Oaths was done a disservice by being marketed primarily as romantasy with a dark academia backdrop. This is much more of a Black supernatural historical mystery, rooted in the Civil War, Reconstruction, racism, Black institutions, ancestry, inheritance, and generational curses. The romance matters, but it is NOT the main engine of the story. And if you're looking for heavy spice, this isn't that book. There's little to no spice, which was actually a pleasant surprise for me.
At about 30%, I genuinely thought this might be a miss, but once I let the story unfold, I realized how many layers it had. The magical system is complex and rooted in Blackness, the symbolism is strong, and Sianna feels like a real person: defiant, vulnerable, emotional, scared, messy, and sometimes wrong. I also loved that she's both African and African American and how that layered identity connects to the story.
The ending was AMAZING. Loose threads circle back in ways that made earlier moments hit differently. I especially loved what the story says about cycles. Some need to be broken, while others deserve to continue. Sometimes what we inherit is a curse, and sometimes it's love, memory, protection, and ancestral strength.
This book won't be for everybody, but surprisingly, it ended up being for me. 4 STARS. I don't regret reading it, the sprayed edges are BEAUTIFUL, and I'll definitely read whatever Elizabeth Agyemang writes next. I redeemed my points at Kindred Stories in Houston and got this one for free, and I'm glad I took the chance. 😂📚
At about 30%, I genuinely thought this might be a miss, but once I let the story unfold, I realized how many layers it had. The magical system is complex and rooted in Blackness, the symbolism is strong, and Sianna feels like a real person: defiant, vulnerable, emotional, scared, messy, and sometimes wrong. I also loved that she's both African and African American and how that layered identity connects to the story.
The ending was AMAZING. Loose threads circle back in ways that made earlier moments hit differently. I especially loved what the story says about cycles. Some need to be broken, while others deserve to continue. Sometimes what we inherit is a curse, and sometimes it's love, memory, protection, and ancestral strength.
This book won't be for everybody, but surprisingly, it ended up being for me. 4 STARS. I don't regret reading it, the sprayed edges are BEAUTIFUL, and I'll definitely read whatever Elizabeth Agyemang writes next. I redeemed my points at Kindred Stories in Houston and got this one for free, and I'm glad I took the chance. 😂📚
September 2, 2026
A young man, Kasem, soon to the inheritor of the university, hires a young woman, Sianna, for her psych abilities to help ferret out who is trying to kill him before he inherits.
Not all that is seen nor unseen can be swayed by her abilities. Danger, is everywhere and those who help or hinder along the way, cause accidents.
Divine Oaths is a dark academia about families-who to trust and who not to trust; power, ambition and greed add fuel to the fire. It is about knowing one’s social class and staying there, not causing rifts or “accidents” happen.
Betrayal by family, curses-can they be broken?
Fantastic characterization-an equal balance of evil backstabbers paired with the do gooders.
Atmospheric and energizing! What a great debut.
Not all that is seen nor unseen can be swayed by her abilities. Danger, is everywhere and those who help or hinder along the way, cause accidents.
Divine Oaths is a dark academia about families-who to trust and who not to trust; power, ambition and greed add fuel to the fire. It is about knowing one’s social class and staying there, not causing rifts or “accidents” happen.
Betrayal by family, curses-can they be broken?
Fantastic characterization-an equal balance of evil backstabbers paired with the do gooders.
Atmospheric and energizing! What a great debut.
July 3, 2026
Sianna has powers. She can see the past and sometimes the future when she touches someone. Kasem knows that and tries to get her to help him break a curse. From there, strange accidents seem to happen and Sianna can’t control her powers. She then decides to attend Westfield University, following Kasem, to uncover why she lost control.
I liked the story, the setting and the dark academia vibes. I did not however connect to the romantic part of the book. The love triangle aspect was more or less well executed and the attraction between characters was not shown in a way that made me believe it. I was also a bit confused by the second half of the book, a lot happened and I’m not sure I was able to follow all of it.
Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book.
I liked the story, the setting and the dark academia vibes. I did not however connect to the romantic part of the book. The love triangle aspect was more or less well executed and the attraction between characters was not shown in a way that made me believe it. I was also a bit confused by the second half of the book, a lot happened and I’m not sure I was able to follow all of it.
Thanks to NetGalley for a copy of this book.
May 26, 2026
I received this arc at BookCon and was excited to give it a try. I wish we could give half stars because it’s more 2.5 than 2 stars. The concept had a lot of potential, I was intrigued and interested by the storyline. However, at times the plot sort of seemed all over the place, and hard to follow because it jumped around a lot. The love story felt under developed and rushed. Lots of potential just needs some fine tuning.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to Requited, NetGalley, and Elizabeth Agyemang for the eARC in exchange for an honest review. My opinions are my own.
While containing all the right elements for an eerie dark academia tale laced with magic, Elizabeth Agyemang's Divine Oaths falls short in execution, allowing the heart of the novel to be overshadowed with convoluted mythology and characters that failed to offer true emotional resonance.
The story follows Sianna Adu, a former child piano prodigy whose parents die tragically in a fire during her recital at Westfield University, a prestigious local college. Sianna, possessed of a type of magic that allows her to see into the past of people and objects she encounters just by touching them, dreams of a bigger life and of finally harnessing the true power she possesses, but financial and other circumstances prevent her from making that dream a reality. When a handsome young man comes into the store where she works and offers her a large sum in exchange for a "reading," Sianna is sorely tempted, but the encounter is cut short when the man's bodyguard comes to collect him. Later that night, Sianna finds herself at the center of a violent crime that will change the course of her life and inextricably tie her destiny to that young man's, for better or worse.
Though this book had a strong beginning, dropping you right into the middle of the action, the premise failed to provide the requisite payoff in both emotional stakes and resolution of mystery. We see Sianna struggle with her past, both through her grief at losing her parents and at losing the successful music career she was being trained to receive. We see the glaring racial inequality at Westfield, where rich (and predominantly white) students walk around in their blazers, flaunting their privilege while scholarship students are looked down upon. However, these inequities are predominantly disclosed through exposition instead of action, which I think diminishes the emotional impact.
The mythology of Westfield itself is convoluted and often hard to follow. There are two legacy families vying for control of the university, each with current students attempting to claim their inheritance. Most of this mythology is explained in long stretches of dialogue that tends to meander, and because the timeline of the university stretches out for hundreds of years, it was often difficult to remember what happened when. We also learn that there is a curse upon anyone who attempts to claim inheritance of the university, but how the curse came to be, its consequences, and how it affects "bystanders" who were not directly cursed is also muddied in explanation. I was often left with the feeling that I sort of understood what was going on, but I didn't feel intrigued or connected enough with the story to truly go back and attempt to understand.
Finally, the emotional stakes of the story never reached their mark for me. Sianna is torn between two possible love interests, but instead of a clear "will-they-or-won't-they" or "forbidden love" approach, we are once again left with confusion which ultimately ends in indifference. It almost seems like the author didn't want to cleanly close any possible doors so that the sense of mystery would endure, but again, instead of mystery, what I felt most of all was confusion and indifference, particularly as the novel progressed.
One thing I think the novel does well is maintaining a sense of eeriness and disquiet. Westfield is near a dark, swampy, and foreboding lake, and the almost gothic vibes were well-executed. The physical isolation made some of the more eyebrow-raising plot points slightly more plausible, and in some cases I could "see" the action clearly through the author's description. There were segments where the action was well-paced, driven with a sense of suspense and urgency, and I found those sections to be most enjoyable.
I think that you might enjoy this novel if you're a fan of dark mystery with horror elements. While the premise of dark academia is there, the academic part of it feels a bit like an afterthought. It's more like a historical mystery that takes place at a university. Those who enjoy enemies-to-lovers and chosen-one quests may find this to be enjoyable too. Since it's a standalone, this may also interest readers seeking a "one and done" story without being tied to a series. For me, it missed the mark, but I believe there are those who will find the mythology and storyline appealing.
While containing all the right elements for an eerie dark academia tale laced with magic, Elizabeth Agyemang's Divine Oaths falls short in execution, allowing the heart of the novel to be overshadowed with convoluted mythology and characters that failed to offer true emotional resonance.
The story follows Sianna Adu, a former child piano prodigy whose parents die tragically in a fire during her recital at Westfield University, a prestigious local college. Sianna, possessed of a type of magic that allows her to see into the past of people and objects she encounters just by touching them, dreams of a bigger life and of finally harnessing the true power she possesses, but financial and other circumstances prevent her from making that dream a reality. When a handsome young man comes into the store where she works and offers her a large sum in exchange for a "reading," Sianna is sorely tempted, but the encounter is cut short when the man's bodyguard comes to collect him. Later that night, Sianna finds herself at the center of a violent crime that will change the course of her life and inextricably tie her destiny to that young man's, for better or worse.
Though this book had a strong beginning, dropping you right into the middle of the action, the premise failed to provide the requisite payoff in both emotional stakes and resolution of mystery. We see Sianna struggle with her past, both through her grief at losing her parents and at losing the successful music career she was being trained to receive. We see the glaring racial inequality at Westfield, where rich (and predominantly white) students walk around in their blazers, flaunting their privilege while scholarship students are looked down upon. However, these inequities are predominantly disclosed through exposition instead of action, which I think diminishes the emotional impact.
The mythology of Westfield itself is convoluted and often hard to follow. There are two legacy families vying for control of the university, each with current students attempting to claim their inheritance. Most of this mythology is explained in long stretches of dialogue that tends to meander, and because the timeline of the university stretches out for hundreds of years, it was often difficult to remember what happened when. We also learn that there is a curse upon anyone who attempts to claim inheritance of the university, but how the curse came to be, its consequences, and how it affects "bystanders" who were not directly cursed is also muddied in explanation. I was often left with the feeling that I sort of understood what was going on, but I didn't feel intrigued or connected enough with the story to truly go back and attempt to understand.
Finally, the emotional stakes of the story never reached their mark for me. Sianna is torn between two possible love interests, but instead of a clear "will-they-or-won't-they" or "forbidden love" approach, we are once again left with confusion which ultimately ends in indifference. It almost seems like the author didn't want to cleanly close any possible doors so that the sense of mystery would endure, but again, instead of mystery, what I felt most of all was confusion and indifference, particularly as the novel progressed.
One thing I think the novel does well is maintaining a sense of eeriness and disquiet. Westfield is near a dark, swampy, and foreboding lake, and the almost gothic vibes were well-executed. The physical isolation made some of the more eyebrow-raising plot points slightly more plausible, and in some cases I could "see" the action clearly through the author's description. There were segments where the action was well-paced, driven with a sense of suspense and urgency, and I found those sections to be most enjoyable.
I think that you might enjoy this novel if you're a fan of dark mystery with horror elements. While the premise of dark academia is there, the academic part of it feels a bit like an afterthought. It's more like a historical mystery that takes place at a university. Those who enjoy enemies-to-lovers and chosen-one quests may find this to be enjoyable too. Since it's a standalone, this may also interest readers seeking a "one and done" story without being tied to a series. For me, it missed the mark, but I believe there are those who will find the mythology and storyline appealing.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
2.5⭐ | Ughhhh... I really wanted to love Divine Oaths. I saw for fans of Ninth House and jumped at the chance to recommend this. This has a mysterious university hidden in the Virginia swamps, secret societies, ancient curses, magic, complicated relationships, and a protagonist who can see pieces of the past and future? That is basically a checklist of things I normally can't resist. Unfortunately, the execution didn't quite live up to the premise for me.
The beginning grabbed my attention immediately. Sianna's tragedy, her unusual abilities, and the strange connection that pulls her toward Westfield University created a strong hook. I was genuinely curious to see what was waiting for her there and how everything tied back to the history of the school. Once Sianna arrived at Westfield, though, I found the story much harder to settle into. There are a lot of different pieces being introduced all at one time, curses, secret societies, family legacies, magic, racial tensions, romance, historical secrets, and at times it felt like the book was trying to carry all of them at once. I often understood the individual pieces but struggled to see how they fit together into one cohesive story.
The dark academia atmosphere was another area where I wanted more. Westfield itself has so much potential, and the swampy, isolated setting gave the book some wonderfully eerie moments. I just wish the university's history, secrets, and darker side had been explored more deeply. I wanted to feel completely immersed in the school rather than simply passing through it while the plot delivered the next piece of information.
I also had a difficult time connecting with the characters. Sianna has an interesting backstory and plenty of emotional baggage, but I didn't always understand her decisions or feel the weight of some of the things she experienced. The romantic elements didn't completely work for me either. The connections felt more told than shown and developed, so I never became particularly invested in the love triangle.
The pacing was probably my biggest issue. There were stretches where the story felt like it was circling around its mysteries, followed by a final section where revelations came one after another at such a rapid pace that I wished the book had slowed down and given them more room to breathe. Some of the explanations also felt heavier than the actual scenes, which made certain reveals less impactful than they could have been.
That said, there are a few things in this that I enjoyed. The premise is creative, the supernatural elements are intriguing, and the social commentary surrounding privilege and race at Westfield adds an interesting layer to the story. There were also moments when the eerie atmosphere really worked for me, particularly when the university and its surroundings felt mysterious and threatening.
Ultimately, Divine Oaths feels like a book with a great foundation that needed a little more space to develop. I could see the story I wanted to love underneath everything, but I needed stronger character development, a more cohesive mythology, and more time for the romance and mysteries to unfold naturally. This was definitely a mixed read for me, but Elizabeth Agyemang has an imaginative premise and some genuinely interesting ideas.
Thank you to NetGalley and Requited for this ARC!
The beginning grabbed my attention immediately. Sianna's tragedy, her unusual abilities, and the strange connection that pulls her toward Westfield University created a strong hook. I was genuinely curious to see what was waiting for her there and how everything tied back to the history of the school. Once Sianna arrived at Westfield, though, I found the story much harder to settle into. There are a lot of different pieces being introduced all at one time, curses, secret societies, family legacies, magic, racial tensions, romance, historical secrets, and at times it felt like the book was trying to carry all of them at once. I often understood the individual pieces but struggled to see how they fit together into one cohesive story.
The dark academia atmosphere was another area where I wanted more. Westfield itself has so much potential, and the swampy, isolated setting gave the book some wonderfully eerie moments. I just wish the university's history, secrets, and darker side had been explored more deeply. I wanted to feel completely immersed in the school rather than simply passing through it while the plot delivered the next piece of information.
I also had a difficult time connecting with the characters. Sianna has an interesting backstory and plenty of emotional baggage, but I didn't always understand her decisions or feel the weight of some of the things she experienced. The romantic elements didn't completely work for me either. The connections felt more told than shown and developed, so I never became particularly invested in the love triangle.
The pacing was probably my biggest issue. There were stretches where the story felt like it was circling around its mysteries, followed by a final section where revelations came one after another at such a rapid pace that I wished the book had slowed down and given them more room to breathe. Some of the explanations also felt heavier than the actual scenes, which made certain reveals less impactful than they could have been.
That said, there are a few things in this that I enjoyed. The premise is creative, the supernatural elements are intriguing, and the social commentary surrounding privilege and race at Westfield adds an interesting layer to the story. There were also moments when the eerie atmosphere really worked for me, particularly when the university and its surroundings felt mysterious and threatening.
Ultimately, Divine Oaths feels like a book with a great foundation that needed a little more space to develop. I could see the story I wanted to love underneath everything, but I needed stronger character development, a more cohesive mythology, and more time for the romance and mysteries to unfold naturally. This was definitely a mixed read for me, but Elizabeth Agyemang has an imaginative premise and some genuinely interesting ideas.
Thank you to NetGalley and Requited for this ARC!
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
More reviews (and no fluff) on the blog http://surrealtalvi.wordpress.com/
While there is nothing terrible here, I couldn't really get into the story or the characters. This is the same dark academia that we've read ad nauseum, the characters are really hard to like, and there are a lot of logic holes. So while I appreciated that we have people of color for once, I just wish the writing had been better.Story: Sianna, once a child piano prodigy, lost it all in a fire that took her family and her dreams of a prestigious university. She now spends her time working a dead end job at an occult shop. Then Kasem, son of the owner of Westfield University, shows up at her workplace and everything changes. She gets the chance to attend the university alongside her crush, former coworker Jojo. But something is very wrong at the university and the supernatural ability she gained from the fire may be the only thing that can save both Kasem and Jojo's lives.
So yeah, we know who the bad guys are and why they do the evil things the do - if you have read ANY dark academia, you'll figure it out pretty fast. Problematic for me were the plot holes and odd dialogue. E.g., Sianna has the ability to read objects and see the future or the past. Why is she working in an occult shop as an underpaid sales clerk when she could be helping police solve mysteries or making money uncovering provenances in valuable items? She says she needs money, is willing to steal it at a murder scene, yet she's done nothing with her unique ability at all? Not to mention that no one seems too interested or surprised at her abilities even though they are pretty powerful and unique. There were too many logic issues like this that made the read very problematic. And what was the point of the whole piano prodigy angle? So much was too random.
I also had difficulty with the logic of the dialogue. E.g., one person will accuse another of something very bad. He'll answer that he didn't do it and the conversation then just moves on like nothing happened and no one follows up. The conversations just jumped around all over the place in very inorganic ways. The author did give the characters weaknesses and vagueries, which means they never fell into the overidealized category. But they also changed personalities enough that it was hard to feel that they were a real person and not a poorly written construct.
There are the usual plot twists and supernatural shenanigans. I might have enjoyed the book more if I liked any of the characters but Siana felt checked out, Kasem bored, and Jojo far too "I'm hiding a BIIIIG secret!" overly telegraphed emo.
So not a terrible book but not one I enjoyed, either. Reviewed from an advance reader copy provided by the publisher.
August 31, 2026
Our story begins with Sianna Adu while auditioning to become a music student at the prestigious Westfield University located in Virginia’s swampland, things finally seem to be looking up for her, but things are about to change… in a single day tragedy snatches everything she’s worked so hard to achieve, after losing her family in an unexpected accident she gains powers that give her the ability to see other people’s pasts and futures, even crazier? She can also tell when they are going to d*e.
After the tragedy Sianna puts her college dreams on hold, and begins getting dead end jobs while maintaining a pretty obvious crush on her coworker, that is until Kasem Saint James walks into her life, the handsome, broody and mysterious heir to Westfield University needs her help and he’s willing to pay handsomely for it, after agreeing to his terms her powers become tied to Kasem so now she has no other choice than to follow him to Westfield to untangle the mess they’re caught in.
Once Sianna arrives at Westfield she realizes things are a lot more complicated than she thought, inside the Academy she finds secret societies, curses that threaten both of their life’s and a whole lot of history they need to catch up on if they have any hope of surviving….
Let me start by saying this book had all of the elements I usually love, once I read the book blurb I was instantly hooked, the story was full of ghosts, magic, mystery, plot twists and I can’t get enough of a dark academia setting, however I felt like I had some trouble getting into the story, the pacing felt a little off because the story had us going back and forth while trying to figure out the pieces of the puzzle (which I usually don’t mind but it got confusing at some points).
I also had trouble with the love triangle in the story, so many questions were left unanswered and I felt like our FMC went from hating one of the MMC’s to being absolutely in love with him in the blink of an eye.
Most of all I struggled with how every plot twist and unanswered question got resolved in the last 15% of the book, I felt like that made it feel rushed, I like being able to try and solve the mystery while reading the book and I felt like I didn’t truly get a chance to do that.
That being said I did enjoy the secondary characters, the psychic FMC I thought was a truly clever idea that allowed us to travel between the past and the present and different characters memories, the mysteries that surrounded the academy and Kasem’s family history and the curse had me gripped from the very start, the spooky gothic ambiance was really good.
If you like dark academia, love triangles, magical academies, historical mysteries with a touch of horror and family curses then this is the book for you, thank you so much to Requited, NetGalley and the author for the eARC!
After the tragedy Sianna puts her college dreams on hold, and begins getting dead end jobs while maintaining a pretty obvious crush on her coworker, that is until Kasem Saint James walks into her life, the handsome, broody and mysterious heir to Westfield University needs her help and he’s willing to pay handsomely for it, after agreeing to his terms her powers become tied to Kasem so now she has no other choice than to follow him to Westfield to untangle the mess they’re caught in.
Once Sianna arrives at Westfield she realizes things are a lot more complicated than she thought, inside the Academy she finds secret societies, curses that threaten both of their life’s and a whole lot of history they need to catch up on if they have any hope of surviving….
Let me start by saying this book had all of the elements I usually love, once I read the book blurb I was instantly hooked, the story was full of ghosts, magic, mystery, plot twists and I can’t get enough of a dark academia setting, however I felt like I had some trouble getting into the story, the pacing felt a little off because the story had us going back and forth while trying to figure out the pieces of the puzzle (which I usually don’t mind but it got confusing at some points).
I also had trouble with the love triangle in the story, so many questions were left unanswered and I felt like our FMC went from hating one of the MMC’s to being absolutely in love with him in the blink of an eye.
Most of all I struggled with how every plot twist and unanswered question got resolved in the last 15% of the book, I felt like that made it feel rushed, I like being able to try and solve the mystery while reading the book and I felt like I didn’t truly get a chance to do that.
That being said I did enjoy the secondary characters, the psychic FMC I thought was a truly clever idea that allowed us to travel between the past and the present and different characters memories, the mysteries that surrounded the academy and Kasem’s family history and the curse had me gripped from the very start, the spooky gothic ambiance was really good.
If you like dark academia, love triangles, magical academies, historical mysteries with a touch of horror and family curses then this is the book for you, thank you so much to Requited, NetGalley and the author for the eARC!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Unfortunately, this one completely missed the mark for me, and I decided to DNF at 40%.
I really wanted to love this because the premise sounded like everything I usually enjoy: dark academia, secret societies, magic, a mysterious university, and a romance woven into it all. But unfortunately, I spent most of my reading time confused and waiting for things to start making sense.
By 40%, I still felt like I didn’t understand what was happening or why certain things mattered. The story felt like it was missing so many pieces, and instead of feeling intrigued by the mystery, I felt disconnected from it.
Sianna as an FMC just didn’t work for me. I struggled to understand her choices, her motivations, or what she actually wanted. We’re introduced to Kasem, who needs her help and seems to be tied to her newfound abilities, but then there’s also JoJo, who I honestly wasn’t even sure how to categorize. Is he her friend? Her cousin? Someone she’s been in love with? The relationship dynamic was never clear to me. What I did understand was that Sianna was pining after him, while JoJo very clearly did not want the same thing. There’s even a moment where he tells his ex that he doesn’t want Sianna right in front of her, yet Sianna is still making choices based around him. The whole situation left me incredibly frustrated.
Her decisions throughout the story also felt inconsistent. She promises JoJo she won’t follow him to school, and then almost immediately she’s doing exactly that. She’s trying to build a future around someone who doesn’t seem to want her there, and I just couldn’t connect with that storyline.
The worldbuilding was another area where I struggled. Sianna loses her parents in a tragic accident and gains the ability to see lifelines and other people’s pasts and futures, but no one really questions this? She’s just using magic in the real world like it’s a completely normal thing, despite seemingly no one else having these abilities. I kept waiting for more explanation, more history, more depth, but I never got there.
The piano prodigy storyline also felt strange. We’re repeatedly reminded that she’s a “Baby Mozart” level talent, but she hasn’t played in years, and somehow random people still recognize her at the mall. It just felt like another detail that was thrown in without enough development.
The characters felt flat, the descriptions became repetitive, and I never formed an emotional connection with anyone. I was also expecting a true dark academia atmosphere, but I never found that feeling here. Instead, it felt like a collection of interesting ideas that never fully came together.
This had a lot of potential, and I can see why the concept would appeal to readers, but unfortunately it wasn’t the right fit for me.
I really wanted to love this because the premise sounded like everything I usually enjoy: dark academia, secret societies, magic, a mysterious university, and a romance woven into it all. But unfortunately, I spent most of my reading time confused and waiting for things to start making sense.
By 40%, I still felt like I didn’t understand what was happening or why certain things mattered. The story felt like it was missing so many pieces, and instead of feeling intrigued by the mystery, I felt disconnected from it.
Sianna as an FMC just didn’t work for me. I struggled to understand her choices, her motivations, or what she actually wanted. We’re introduced to Kasem, who needs her help and seems to be tied to her newfound abilities, but then there’s also JoJo, who I honestly wasn’t even sure how to categorize. Is he her friend? Her cousin? Someone she’s been in love with? The relationship dynamic was never clear to me. What I did understand was that Sianna was pining after him, while JoJo very clearly did not want the same thing. There’s even a moment where he tells his ex that he doesn’t want Sianna right in front of her, yet Sianna is still making choices based around him. The whole situation left me incredibly frustrated.
Her decisions throughout the story also felt inconsistent. She promises JoJo she won’t follow him to school, and then almost immediately she’s doing exactly that. She’s trying to build a future around someone who doesn’t seem to want her there, and I just couldn’t connect with that storyline.
The worldbuilding was another area where I struggled. Sianna loses her parents in a tragic accident and gains the ability to see lifelines and other people’s pasts and futures, but no one really questions this? She’s just using magic in the real world like it’s a completely normal thing, despite seemingly no one else having these abilities. I kept waiting for more explanation, more history, more depth, but I never got there.
The piano prodigy storyline also felt strange. We’re repeatedly reminded that she’s a “Baby Mozart” level talent, but she hasn’t played in years, and somehow random people still recognize her at the mall. It just felt like another detail that was thrown in without enough development.
The characters felt flat, the descriptions became repetitive, and I never formed an emotional connection with anyone. I was also expecting a true dark academia atmosphere, but I never found that feeling here. Instead, it felt like a collection of interesting ideas that never fully came together.
This had a lot of potential, and I can see why the concept would appeal to readers, but unfortunately it wasn’t the right fit for me.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ |
**Divine Oaths**
I’m so glad I received *Divine Oaths* as an ARC because, honestly, I’m not sure this is a book I would have picked up on my own—and I would have missed out on a really different and intriguing story. 📚✨
Sianna was once a child-prodigy pianist with her future ahead of her until a devastating fire changed everything. The same day she lost her family, she gained an extraordinary ability: by touching a person or object, she can access their lifeline and see glimpses of the past. Since then, Sianna has tried to keep that part of herself tucked away while simply moving through life.
That begins to change when Kasem Saint James approaches her and asks for her help using her abilities to find answers. Sianna initially turns him down, but after a cruel twist of fate, she becomes more entwined with Kasem than she ever thought possible. 👀 Eventually, she decides to stop putting her future on hold and finally accepts her scholarship to Westfield University, where both Kasem and her longtime best friend—and crush—JoJo are waiting.
But there's one little problem: JoJo hasn't exactly been honest with her throughout this whole ordeal. 🤨
Westfield is filled with secrets, mysterious societies, tragic accidents, and a history that goes much deeper than Sianna realizes. The Saint James family line has been cursed for an incredibly long time, and after Sianna saves Kasem’s life, she discovers she may be tied to both him and the curse in ways she never expected.
Sianna's relationships with JoJo and Kasem have plenty of ups and downs throughout the story. Her feelings become complicated as secrets are revealed and her connection with Kasem grows. I found myself liking Kasem more and more as the story progressed, but I also appreciated seeing the three of them eventually work through everything that happened between them.
What really got me was the truth behind the Saint James curse. 👀 I had theories while reading, but I was **not** expecting the full reveal when everything finally came together. That one got me!
This was definitely different from my usual reads. There is romance woven throughout the story, but I wouldn't consider this a spicy read at all. The mystery, supernatural elements, dark academia setting, family history, secret societies, and everything happening behind the scenes at Westfield take center stage. 🔮
Overall, *Divine Oaths* was an interesting change of pace, and I'm glad receiving it as an ARC pushed me outside of what I might normally choose for myself. Sometimes those unexpected reads are exactly why I love getting ARCs—you end up discovering a story you might have otherwise passed right by. 💜
⭐️ 4/5
🌶️ 0/5
Thank you for the opportunity to read and review *Divine Oaths*! 📚✨
**Divine Oaths**
I’m so glad I received *Divine Oaths* as an ARC because, honestly, I’m not sure this is a book I would have picked up on my own—and I would have missed out on a really different and intriguing story. 📚✨
Sianna was once a child-prodigy pianist with her future ahead of her until a devastating fire changed everything. The same day she lost her family, she gained an extraordinary ability: by touching a person or object, she can access their lifeline and see glimpses of the past. Since then, Sianna has tried to keep that part of herself tucked away while simply moving through life.
That begins to change when Kasem Saint James approaches her and asks for her help using her abilities to find answers. Sianna initially turns him down, but after a cruel twist of fate, she becomes more entwined with Kasem than she ever thought possible. 👀 Eventually, she decides to stop putting her future on hold and finally accepts her scholarship to Westfield University, where both Kasem and her longtime best friend—and crush—JoJo are waiting.
But there's one little problem: JoJo hasn't exactly been honest with her throughout this whole ordeal. 🤨
Westfield is filled with secrets, mysterious societies, tragic accidents, and a history that goes much deeper than Sianna realizes. The Saint James family line has been cursed for an incredibly long time, and after Sianna saves Kasem’s life, she discovers she may be tied to both him and the curse in ways she never expected.
Sianna's relationships with JoJo and Kasem have plenty of ups and downs throughout the story. Her feelings become complicated as secrets are revealed and her connection with Kasem grows. I found myself liking Kasem more and more as the story progressed, but I also appreciated seeing the three of them eventually work through everything that happened between them.
What really got me was the truth behind the Saint James curse. 👀 I had theories while reading, but I was **not** expecting the full reveal when everything finally came together. That one got me!
This was definitely different from my usual reads. There is romance woven throughout the story, but I wouldn't consider this a spicy read at all. The mystery, supernatural elements, dark academia setting, family history, secret societies, and everything happening behind the scenes at Westfield take center stage. 🔮
Overall, *Divine Oaths* was an interesting change of pace, and I'm glad receiving it as an ARC pushed me outside of what I might normally choose for myself. Sometimes those unexpected reads are exactly why I love getting ARCs—you end up discovering a story you might have otherwise passed right by. 💜
⭐️ 4/5
🌶️ 0/5
Thank you for the opportunity to read and review *Divine Oaths*! 📚✨
Review of advance copy
Rating: still debating between “I liked it” and “this had me in a chokehold but also annoyed me,” so… vibes‑based rating.
Genre: fantasy romantasy, dark academia
Tropes: cursed connection, secret societies, classism, touch‑based magic, grief‑powered abilities
ARC Source: gifted by my local Black‑owned bookstore 🖤
🔥 My Thoughts
Divine Oaths starts strong atmospheric, magical, and emotionally grounded but the middle drags and the ending doesn’t quite stick the landing in my opinion. Still, if you love dark academia, magic systems with rules, and romantasy that simmers instead of explodes, this will absolutely hit.
🎹 What Worked for Me
Sianna’s magic
Sianna’s ability is easily the standout: when she touches an object or person, she sees its past, present, and sometimes future.
It’s eerie, intimate, and deeply tied to her trauma the burned fingers, the audition fire, the loss of her parents. It gives the book a haunting emotional core.
The worldbuilding at Westfield
Westfield University is chef’s kiss dark academia.
You’ve got:
- legacy kids dripping in entitlement
- scholarship students fighting for space
- regular admissions kids trying to survive
It’s giving Mean Girls meets secret societies, and the classism is baked into every hallway.
The Jojo + Kasem twist
I loved this reveal. The way Jojo is woven into the curse, the brother dynamic, the secrecy it adds tension without feeling cheap.
The curse mystery
You’re constantly guessing who’s behind what, why the magic is spiraling, and how Sianna’s past ties into the present. It’s action‑packed and layered.
🐌 Where It Fell Short
The pacing in the middle...There’s a lot happening clues, visions, secrets, campus drama but somehow it still feels slow. Like the plot is moving but the story isn’t.
The ending
Not bad… just underwhelming. After all that buildup, all that tension, all those reveals, the final stretch didn’t hit with the emotional or narrative punch I expected.
🖤 Final Thoughts
Even with my mixed feelings, I’m genuinely glad I read this especially as an ARC from a Black‑owned bookstore. The magic system is fresh, the atmosphere is rich, and the themes around grief, class, and power are compelling.
If you’re a dark academia girlie, this will absolutely scratch the itch. If you’re here for romance first, just know the romantasy leans more fantasy than swoon.
Genre: fantasy romantasy, dark academia
Tropes: cursed connection, secret societies, classism, touch‑based magic, grief‑powered abilities
ARC Source: gifted by my local Black‑owned bookstore 🖤
🔥 My Thoughts
Divine Oaths starts strong atmospheric, magical, and emotionally grounded but the middle drags and the ending doesn’t quite stick the landing in my opinion. Still, if you love dark academia, magic systems with rules, and romantasy that simmers instead of explodes, this will absolutely hit.
🎹 What Worked for Me
Sianna’s magic
Sianna’s ability is easily the standout: when she touches an object or person, she sees its past, present, and sometimes future.
It’s eerie, intimate, and deeply tied to her trauma the burned fingers, the audition fire, the loss of her parents. It gives the book a haunting emotional core.
The worldbuilding at Westfield
Westfield University is chef’s kiss dark academia.
You’ve got:
- legacy kids dripping in entitlement
- scholarship students fighting for space
- regular admissions kids trying to survive
It’s giving Mean Girls meets secret societies, and the classism is baked into every hallway.
The Jojo + Kasem twist
I loved this reveal. The way Jojo is woven into the curse, the brother dynamic, the secrecy it adds tension without feeling cheap.
The curse mystery
You’re constantly guessing who’s behind what, why the magic is spiraling, and how Sianna’s past ties into the present. It’s action‑packed and layered.
🐌 Where It Fell Short
The pacing in the middle...There’s a lot happening clues, visions, secrets, campus drama but somehow it still feels slow. Like the plot is moving but the story isn’t.
The ending
Not bad… just underwhelming. After all that buildup, all that tension, all those reveals, the final stretch didn’t hit with the emotional or narrative punch I expected.
🖤 Final Thoughts
Even with my mixed feelings, I’m genuinely glad I read this especially as an ARC from a Black‑owned bookstore. The magic system is fresh, the atmosphere is rich, and the themes around grief, class, and power are compelling.
If you’re a dark academia girlie, this will absolutely scratch the itch. If you’re here for romance first, just know the romantasy leans more fantasy than swoon.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
The book has a good concept and may have been better if it was either a longer book or multiple books to help flesh everything out more. The beginning had a strong hook for the story, however after the first few chapters the pacing dipped in the storytelling and then everything seem to happened in the last 50 pages of the book, as though they ran out of time and rushed the ending. In the final parts of the book when all the twists were being revealed it felt very rapid fire and the dialog was full of more tell not show; especially with long monologues from characters, that if the story would have been made longer they could have done more to add to it so the ending didn't feel so rushed.
While the romance felt as though it wasn't meant to be the center of the story it seemed as though the author wasn't sure if they even wanted it at all. It did not feel as though it grew organically what started as a good foundation for friendship suddenly switch to 'I love him/you' and 'I'm connected to him' in the second half of the book that didn't feel completely natural and the 'love triangle' definitely felt forced as the third person did not interact enough with the main character enough to justify them as a viable second option beyond the MC having a crush on them mainly off page at the beginning of the book.
The characters all could have been more fleshed out but especially the side characters. Many of the side characters were not on page long enough to make me feel one way or the other about them as they were mainly used to further a plot point or just have a conversation with the main character to give them info then they were set in a corner till they were needed again to give the MC a new crumb of information. The MC at times felt confusing and I unsure about what they were doing. They would zeroed in on figuring out the 'secrets' and needing to find clues they needed and the next chapter they were 100% checked out of what they were wanting/needing to do and just going through the motions unsure why they were there until something went bump in the night reminding them they were on a deadline. The timeline of how long they were at the school felt very murky in my opinion, sometimes it seemed like were they there for nearly an entire school year then in another conversation/situation it made it seem like it has only been a couple months or one term/semester/etc.
Overall a decent read may have just needed more time to cook and given more pages to grow.
While the romance felt as though it wasn't meant to be the center of the story it seemed as though the author wasn't sure if they even wanted it at all. It did not feel as though it grew organically what started as a good foundation for friendship suddenly switch to 'I love him/you' and 'I'm connected to him' in the second half of the book that didn't feel completely natural and the 'love triangle' definitely felt forced as the third person did not interact enough with the main character enough to justify them as a viable second option beyond the MC having a crush on them mainly off page at the beginning of the book.
The characters all could have been more fleshed out but especially the side characters. Many of the side characters were not on page long enough to make me feel one way or the other about them as they were mainly used to further a plot point or just have a conversation with the main character to give them info then they were set in a corner till they were needed again to give the MC a new crumb of information. The MC at times felt confusing and I unsure about what they were doing. They would zeroed in on figuring out the 'secrets' and needing to find clues they needed and the next chapter they were 100% checked out of what they were wanting/needing to do and just going through the motions unsure why they were there until something went bump in the night reminding them they were on a deadline. The timeline of how long they were at the school felt very murky in my opinion, sometimes it seemed like were they there for nearly an entire school year then in another conversation/situation it made it seem like it has only been a couple months or one term/semester/etc.
Overall a decent read may have just needed more time to cook and given more pages to grow.
September 1, 2026
The premise had SO many things that I love. Dark academia, magic, secret societies, mystery, a university that holds centuries of secrets? Yes, I am HERE FOR IT!!
Sianna Adu’s life changes drastically after suffering a trauma leaves her capable of seeing life lines and catching glimpses of past and future events of those around her. When Kasem Saint James, heir to the mysterious Westfield University, enters her life, her newfound powers pull her into its orbit and the secrets it’s been holding onto for centuries. Between secret societies, ancient magic, a dangerous curse, and a complex connection with Kasem, Sianna has to unravel Westfield’s past before it consumes them.
I liked Sianna’s powers and how they fit into the mystery. Being able to see everyone’s lifelines and their past and future through snippets was a really interesting idea and I thought some of the underlying concepts behind it were really clever. Westfield itself was probably my favorite thing.
There’s a spooky atmosphere to the entire place that made me feel like I needed to know what’s really going on.
My issue was with pacing and the sheer number of things going on at once. I felt that the story was sometimes a bit all over the place and I found myself trying to keep up with the various pieces of the mystery, the history and the relationships. I felt that certain parts of these elements needed a little more room to breathe.
As for the love triangle between Sianna, Kasem and Jojo unfortunately it did nothing for me. I love a love triangle; I'm prepared to buy into them. However, with these three, I was just never able to, and with that in mind I felt a bit like if there was more between the characters it would have bought me in. I wanted to feel the sparks flying and to actually care why they were together but sadly, we just didn’t get there.
Still, I can't deny that the story kept me curious. There were some twists that I genuinely didn't see coming, and I enjoyed piecing together the secrets surrounding Westfield. I just wish the execution had matched the potential of the premise a little more.
Overall, 3.5 stars. I liked the ideas, the atmosphere and the mystery, even if some of the execution didn't quite work for me. That said, I definitely wouldn't rule out reading more from this author. I can see the potential here, and I'd genuinely love to see what they do with their future books 💗
*Thank you to NetGalley and Requited for the ARC*
Sianna Adu’s life changes drastically after suffering a trauma leaves her capable of seeing life lines and catching glimpses of past and future events of those around her. When Kasem Saint James, heir to the mysterious Westfield University, enters her life, her newfound powers pull her into its orbit and the secrets it’s been holding onto for centuries. Between secret societies, ancient magic, a dangerous curse, and a complex connection with Kasem, Sianna has to unravel Westfield’s past before it consumes them.
I liked Sianna’s powers and how they fit into the mystery. Being able to see everyone’s lifelines and their past and future through snippets was a really interesting idea and I thought some of the underlying concepts behind it were really clever. Westfield itself was probably my favorite thing.
There’s a spooky atmosphere to the entire place that made me feel like I needed to know what’s really going on.
My issue was with pacing and the sheer number of things going on at once. I felt that the story was sometimes a bit all over the place and I found myself trying to keep up with the various pieces of the mystery, the history and the relationships. I felt that certain parts of these elements needed a little more room to breathe.
As for the love triangle between Sianna, Kasem and Jojo unfortunately it did nothing for me. I love a love triangle; I'm prepared to buy into them. However, with these three, I was just never able to, and with that in mind I felt a bit like if there was more between the characters it would have bought me in. I wanted to feel the sparks flying and to actually care why they were together but sadly, we just didn’t get there.
Still, I can't deny that the story kept me curious. There were some twists that I genuinely didn't see coming, and I enjoyed piecing together the secrets surrounding Westfield. I just wish the execution had matched the potential of the premise a little more.
Overall, 3.5 stars. I liked the ideas, the atmosphere and the mystery, even if some of the execution didn't quite work for me. That said, I definitely wouldn't rule out reading more from this author. I can see the potential here, and I'd genuinely love to see what they do with their future books 💗
*Thank you to NetGalley and Requited for the ARC*
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Divine Oaths
by Elizabeth Agyemang
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2026
First of all, thank you to Requited for the opportunity to ARC read Divine Oaths.
The premise of this book immediately caught my attention. A girl who can see memories hidden within objects, a mysterious school filled with secrets, secret societies, curses, and a centuries-old mystery? I was so intrigued going in and really wanted to love this one.
Unfortunately, this ended up being a bit of a mixed read for me.
The beginning had so much promise. Sianna’s abilities were fascinating, and I loved the idea of exploring a school where something darker was hiding beneath the surface. The mystery had all the pieces for something I would normally devour, but as the story continued, I found myself struggling to connect with the larger plot. There were so many threads introduced that the story started to feel a little tangled, and I never felt like I fully understood how everything connected.
The characters were also where I struggled the most. I wanted to become attached to them, especially Sianna, but I never quite reached that emotional connection I was hoping for. Some of the bigger moments—betrayals, losses, and relationship developments—didn’t land with the impact I think they were meant to because I needed more time getting to know and understand these characters.
I also wish we had gotten more exploration of the school itself and the curse. The atmosphere was there, and there were moments that felt genuinely intriguing, but I wanted to dive deeper into the darkness, the history, and the consequences of what was happening.
The romance was another area where I struggled. I understood that Sianna cared about Jojo and Kasem, but I wanted more moments showing those connections developing naturally. I found myself more invested in the mystery and friendships than the romantic storyline.
Overall, Divine Oaths had a really interesting foundation and so much potential. While it didn’t fully work for me, I do think readers who enjoy dark academia, magical mysteries, and secret societies may find something to love here.
by Elizabeth Agyemang
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Pub Date: Sept. 1, 2026
First of all, thank you to Requited for the opportunity to ARC read Divine Oaths.
The premise of this book immediately caught my attention. A girl who can see memories hidden within objects, a mysterious school filled with secrets, secret societies, curses, and a centuries-old mystery? I was so intrigued going in and really wanted to love this one.
Unfortunately, this ended up being a bit of a mixed read for me.
The beginning had so much promise. Sianna’s abilities were fascinating, and I loved the idea of exploring a school where something darker was hiding beneath the surface. The mystery had all the pieces for something I would normally devour, but as the story continued, I found myself struggling to connect with the larger plot. There were so many threads introduced that the story started to feel a little tangled, and I never felt like I fully understood how everything connected.
The characters were also where I struggled the most. I wanted to become attached to them, especially Sianna, but I never quite reached that emotional connection I was hoping for. Some of the bigger moments—betrayals, losses, and relationship developments—didn’t land with the impact I think they were meant to because I needed more time getting to know and understand these characters.
I also wish we had gotten more exploration of the school itself and the curse. The atmosphere was there, and there were moments that felt genuinely intriguing, but I wanted to dive deeper into the darkness, the history, and the consequences of what was happening.
The romance was another area where I struggled. I understood that Sianna cared about Jojo and Kasem, but I wanted more moments showing those connections developing naturally. I found myself more invested in the mystery and friendships than the romantic storyline.
Overall, Divine Oaths had a really interesting foundation and so much potential. While it didn’t fully work for me, I do think readers who enjoy dark academia, magical mysteries, and secret societies may find something to love here.
September 3, 2026
A Book I read in One Sitting: My Review of Divine Oaths by Elizabeth Agyemang
When this book arrived, I initially didn’t know what to expect BUT, something spurred me on.
As you can see from the tag line, this is a dark academia novel and as someone who’s currently eating up every dark academia book I lay my hands on 🤣, I definitely went innnnn and started reading IMMEDIATELY!
I was drawn into the story by the fast-paced plot and I just ended up ignoring all my responsibilities 🤣🤣 just to finish reading this book IN ONE SITTING
So, let me tell you about the book. It is the story of Sianna, a former child musical prodigy whose life has taken a different turn after her family dies in a tragedy. She then gets an extraordinary power to see events that have happened in the past and also tell people’s futures. And she uses this skill to make ends meet.
Eventually, she meets Kasem, a grad student at Westfield University (her dream school), who asks her to foretell how he will die and from this moment onwards, Sianna’s life changes because although Kasem’s request weird, she finds that his second offer to her is something she desperately wants.
Now when I tell you that this book is full of drama, secrets, family politics and even betrayalsss!!... you just know that you’ll be suspecting almost everyone while reading. I didn’t even know if I could trust Sianna at some point cause what if she’s your classic unreliable narrator? 🤷🏾♀️
Then you have ghoulish characters in this story, there’s magic, there’s also the character of the school itself that’s full of secrets and murder mysteries. And then time is depicted as unreliable
There are so many moving parts in this story. Certain key moments may feel outdrawn or understated but the most important thing is to see how each part ties together to present a story about a family curse and a high stakes family and legacy politics, all in an academic setting.
I was impressed by how the author skillfully captured these different moving parts in the story.
When this book arrived, I initially didn’t know what to expect BUT, something spurred me on.
As you can see from the tag line, this is a dark academia novel and as someone who’s currently eating up every dark academia book I lay my hands on 🤣, I definitely went innnnn and started reading IMMEDIATELY!
I was drawn into the story by the fast-paced plot and I just ended up ignoring all my responsibilities 🤣🤣 just to finish reading this book IN ONE SITTING
So, let me tell you about the book. It is the story of Sianna, a former child musical prodigy whose life has taken a different turn after her family dies in a tragedy. She then gets an extraordinary power to see events that have happened in the past and also tell people’s futures. And she uses this skill to make ends meet.
Eventually, she meets Kasem, a grad student at Westfield University (her dream school), who asks her to foretell how he will die and from this moment onwards, Sianna’s life changes because although Kasem’s request weird, she finds that his second offer to her is something she desperately wants.
Now when I tell you that this book is full of drama, secrets, family politics and even betrayalsss!!... you just know that you’ll be suspecting almost everyone while reading. I didn’t even know if I could trust Sianna at some point cause what if she’s your classic unreliable narrator? 🤷🏾♀️
Then you have ghoulish characters in this story, there’s magic, there’s also the character of the school itself that’s full of secrets and murder mysteries. And then time is depicted as unreliable
There are so many moving parts in this story. Certain key moments may feel outdrawn or understated but the most important thing is to see how each part ties together to present a story about a family curse and a high stakes family and legacy politics, all in an academic setting.
I was impressed by how the author skillfully captured these different moving parts in the story.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Divine Oaths is the ultimate mash up of dark academia, thriller, and horror! I feel like my month is not compete if I don’t read at least one dark academia book and I’m so glad I requested this title on NetGalley. Thank you Requited for the opportunity to read and review early.
Sianna is a child musical prodigy that experienced traumatic loss before she was to attend college early. As a young adult she is considering facing her past to attend Westfield. Westfield is an old mysterious college on a swamp with lots of secrets and family drama tied to inheritance. She is basically forced to attend after a ominous encounter with Westfield student. Right away Sianna feels the separation and “othering” as a scholarship student. To fit in and solve her problem she make alliances and even rushes a sorority.
The dark academia vibe leans heavily into thriller which kept a great pace the whole story. The end of each chapter had me gasping into the next. I felt like I was collecting so many clues and sure I had enough to solve the mystery, but then there were ghosts. Beware! This story is a little creepy and I should guessed that the eerie halls of Westfield would have its fair share of ghosts.
To add a great layer to the storytelling, Elizabeth weaves in Black American experiences from first generation immigrants and mixed families with ties to the Union and Confederate armies. As a Chicana woman, I definitely feel the tension of belonging to different cultures. In Divine Oaths, Sianna and the cast of characters share their own way of connecting to their Black culture in authentic ways that is read throughout the entire story.
I recommend Divine Oaths for any reader looking for a dark academia read with secret societies, dark hallways, and a seance or two. There is also a really fun love triangle involving the family that owns Westfield! Keep a family tree if you want to catch on to some of the clues earlier in the story!
Sianna is a child musical prodigy that experienced traumatic loss before she was to attend college early. As a young adult she is considering facing her past to attend Westfield. Westfield is an old mysterious college on a swamp with lots of secrets and family drama tied to inheritance. She is basically forced to attend after a ominous encounter with Westfield student. Right away Sianna feels the separation and “othering” as a scholarship student. To fit in and solve her problem she make alliances and even rushes a sorority.
The dark academia vibe leans heavily into thriller which kept a great pace the whole story. The end of each chapter had me gasping into the next. I felt like I was collecting so many clues and sure I had enough to solve the mystery, but then there were ghosts. Beware! This story is a little creepy and I should guessed that the eerie halls of Westfield would have its fair share of ghosts.
To add a great layer to the storytelling, Elizabeth weaves in Black American experiences from first generation immigrants and mixed families with ties to the Union and Confederate armies. As a Chicana woman, I definitely feel the tension of belonging to different cultures. In Divine Oaths, Sianna and the cast of characters share their own way of connecting to their Black culture in authentic ways that is read throughout the entire story.
I recommend Divine Oaths for any reader looking for a dark academia read with secret societies, dark hallways, and a seance or two. There is also a really fun love triangle involving the family that owns Westfield! Keep a family tree if you want to catch on to some of the clues earlier in the story!
September 5, 2026
With its mix of mystery, magic, curses, dark academia, and romance, DIVINE OATHS captured my attention in the first chapter and didn’t let go until the final one. MC Sianna has quite a tragic backstory, and that backstory ties in directly to her present where she decides to finally accept the scholarship to a prestigious university. Though she’s not exactly going there to learn. Instead, she’s going there to unravel a mystery that she inadvertently finds herself right in the middle of.
Going in to this one, I was expecting an academia novel where the main character discovers hidden powers or some such. What I got was so much more than that. I loved Sianna and how she doesn’t let her past control her future, much as it tries to do. I also like that she’s dealing with a “gift” and while she doesn’t yet know how to control it, being at the university around others who are used to the strange and unusual is the best place for her to be.
Aside from being right smack in the middle of a mystery, she also finds herself caught between two brothers. She has feelings for each of them, for various reasons, and me being the love triangle lover that I am, I loved it. She eventually makes her choice of love interest, but it was fun watching her try to decide between them.
I was lucky enough to also get an early listening copy courtesy of @librofm’s influencer program, and I loved the narrator, Heni Zoutomou, so much. Her voices for each character are what I imagined them to sound like in my head as I was reading the physical copy, and she truly did such a fantastic job overall. All told — I loved this book, and it’s definitely one I recommend for lovers of mysteries, secret societies, and university settings.
*Thanks to Toppling Stacks and @readrequited for gifting a copy for the tour!
Going in to this one, I was expecting an academia novel where the main character discovers hidden powers or some such. What I got was so much more than that. I loved Sianna and how she doesn’t let her past control her future, much as it tries to do. I also like that she’s dealing with a “gift” and while she doesn’t yet know how to control it, being at the university around others who are used to the strange and unusual is the best place for her to be.
Aside from being right smack in the middle of a mystery, she also finds herself caught between two brothers. She has feelings for each of them, for various reasons, and me being the love triangle lover that I am, I loved it. She eventually makes her choice of love interest, but it was fun watching her try to decide between them.
I was lucky enough to also get an early listening copy courtesy of @librofm’s influencer program, and I loved the narrator, Heni Zoutomou, so much. Her voices for each character are what I imagined them to sound like in my head as I was reading the physical copy, and she truly did such a fantastic job overall. All told — I loved this book, and it’s definitely one I recommend for lovers of mysteries, secret societies, and university settings.
*Thanks to Toppling Stacks and @readrequited for gifting a copy for the tour!
September 9, 2026
“Even if I tried to see into his future, could I change his fate?”
I was immediately drawn in by the stunning cover, which really sets the tone for the story - equal parts dark and beautiful, and the comparison to Ninth House, which I loved! From the start, I was fully immersed into the book and couldn’t put it down. I always love a dark and brooding atmosphere, with secret societies, underlying magic, and this was the perfect book for that paired with the best time to read a dark academia/back to college kind of story (early fall). It’s very much a slow burn romance, and I would argue the romance plot line comes second to the mystery and magic of it all. There were SO many instances where I would be internally screaming at Sianna for the choices she was making, but honestly - the entire situation was NEVER going to be fair so she was just doing what she thought was right at the time. I can definitely see the similarities to Ninth House to a degree, Divine Oaths has the same dark and moody atmosphere but much more emphasis on the history of the south and how so much strife can be tied back to the Confederacy. I definitely felt the quote “until the true history of Westfield is recognized then we will all be victim to the past” tied into the current political climate of the US, how if we don’t collectively recognize the evil roots this country was built on and fight to actively dismantle those ideas - then we will continue to be victims of the history we fail to acknowledge and change. I will say it pulls a bit YA at times, but not in a way that takes away from the story. Overall, if you like dark academia, magical universities, love triangles, mysteries, wrapped up with some horror elements - this is definitely for you!
Thank you to NetGalley, Requited, and the author for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
3.5 stars
Out Now!
I was immediately drawn in by the stunning cover, which really sets the tone for the story - equal parts dark and beautiful, and the comparison to Ninth House, which I loved! From the start, I was fully immersed into the book and couldn’t put it down. I always love a dark and brooding atmosphere, with secret societies, underlying magic, and this was the perfect book for that paired with the best time to read a dark academia/back to college kind of story (early fall). It’s very much a slow burn romance, and I would argue the romance plot line comes second to the mystery and magic of it all. There were SO many instances where I would be internally screaming at Sianna for the choices she was making, but honestly - the entire situation was NEVER going to be fair so she was just doing what she thought was right at the time. I can definitely see the similarities to Ninth House to a degree, Divine Oaths has the same dark and moody atmosphere but much more emphasis on the history of the south and how so much strife can be tied back to the Confederacy. I definitely felt the quote “until the true history of Westfield is recognized then we will all be victim to the past” tied into the current political climate of the US, how if we don’t collectively recognize the evil roots this country was built on and fight to actively dismantle those ideas - then we will continue to be victims of the history we fail to acknowledge and change. I will say it pulls a bit YA at times, but not in a way that takes away from the story. Overall, if you like dark academia, magical universities, love triangles, mysteries, wrapped up with some horror elements - this is definitely for you!
Thank you to NetGalley, Requited, and the author for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
3.5 stars
Out Now!
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