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Reign of Secrets #5

Oath of Destruction

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Allyssa was raised as royalty. Savenek had been trained as a spy. Alyssa grew up doted on by her parents. Savenek's adoptive father had often shown his love through strict training and discipline. Allyssa died too soon, loved and mourned by her kingdom. Savenek is supposed to take her place, but struggles to win the hearts of the people and parents who don't know him.

When Savenek finally settles in to life at court, Alyssa shows up alive, in time for their seventeenth birthday celebration. Everything in Savenek's life feels like it’s exploding again. While Alyssa has managed to stop the war with Russek and form a powerful alliance, Savenek knows there is a greater danger surrounding them.

As Emperion teeters on the brink of war, a much more personal battle plays out between twin siblings. If Allyssa and Savenek want to save their kingdom from being destroyed, they must learn to work together, trust one another, and rely on each other. When duty, loyalty, and family clash, can there be room for two royal heirs? Especially when one is being a royal pain?


346 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 4, 2018

80 people are currently reading
451 people want to read

About the author

Jennifer Anne Davis

27 books1,068 followers
Jennifer Anne Davis graduated from the University of San Diego with a degree in English and a teaching credential. She is currently a full-time writer. Jennifer is the recipient of the San Diego Book Awards Best Published Young Adult Novel (2013), winner of the Kindle Book Awards (2018), a finalist in the Next Generation Indie Book Awards (2014), and a finalist in the USA Best Book Awards (2014).

Visit Jennifer online at:

www.JenniferAnneDavis.com

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5 stars
410 (57%)
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204 (28%)
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83 (11%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
Profile Image for Willow Anne.
528 reviews92 followers
March 16, 2021
This series is amazing! I'm so glad I stumbled across this author, because all of her books are so captivating that I could barely hold myself back from reading them all in one sitting. I won't get too into the details (since Elisabeth Wheatley sums it up perfectly in her review of this book), but here are some of the highlights.

The outstanding character development was one of my favorite parts of this series. I absolutely loved watching the characters change and grow as individuals over time. Nothing felt rushed, and the development happened really gradually over the course of all 5 books, just as it would in real life. I appreciated this because it truly made the characters come to life, and I became attached to them because of their development. Allyssa's growth as a person was one of my favorite parts of this series, and seeing how those around her were able to assist in that growth was really enjoyable.

The dialogue in all of these books was so. much. fun! I absolutely loved the witty banter that we had between Allyssa and practically everyone else, and it had me cracking up every other minute.

The ending to this series was perfect, and the closure I felt as a reader was just right (although I do hope that Jennifer Anne Davis eventually writes an additional series based off the character introduced at the ending to this novel). Overall, this entire series was so much fun to read, and I would definitely recommend it!


***I would also like to note that I read the True Reign series before I read this one. Without giving too much away, the True Reign books are from the perspective of two important characters in this series, but when they were younger (don't look into it too much though, because it gives away something for the ending of the True Reign series). Those books helps to set the stage for the type of world that these books occur in, and describes how it came into existence. I recommend reading that series first, as it'll help to give you a better understanding of the people and places in this series. However, in my opinion, this series was much better than the previous series, and I enjoyed reading the Reign of Secrets series so much more so than the True Reign series.
18 reviews1 follower
April 13, 2022
The Oath of Secrets was a very exciting and fast pace series. I was sad when it ended, but I am now reading Realm of Knights...starting the second book already!!
Profile Image for Elisabeth Wheatley.
Author 34 books4,586 followers
March 9, 2019
I love this series and I love this author. There are only two or three living authors that can get me to hit “download” just by virtue of their name and Jennifer is one of them. This is a wonderful middle grade/lower YA series. I’d feel comfortable reading it out loud to my family, but also enjoy the reading myself. Highly recommended!

The plot:

Quick, to the point, and set to a relentless pace, this story doesn’t give you any time to get bored. Interspersed with sweet moments, sarcasm, and banter along with complex moral dilemmas, this book is not only fun, but unexpectedly thought provoking.

What gives you the right to take someone’s life? Is preemptive action ever a good thing? When does the next generation need to take control and when do they need to defer?

The characters:

Savenek, my boy. Ah, he reminds me of my younger brothers in a lot of ways. As the book continued from the last book, the awkward and forced language from his perspective mostly went away, so I really think it’s just a matter of practice. Still, nothing that would stop me from recommending this series. And Ari—oh my precious stabbing queen. Trust Davis to write a noblewoman who’s 100% lady and 100% grit.

Allyssa was hardcore as ever. We get to have a bit of sibling sparring and she and Savenek adjust to one another. While their banter is recognizable to many people, I wished we’d had more time (books) to explore and develop it a bit. All the same, we get closure as Allyssa settles into her place in the court and the empire…and her relationship with Kerdan. OH MY GOSH KERDAN! Yes, I am a huge fan.

The villain(s) in this series present interesting conundrums and we really get more into the political aspect of the setting even more than before.

Recommend this book, recommend this series, recommend everything I’ve read by this author. Already on the “to be read to” list for my future children.

Favorite Quotes

Savenek couldn’t believe he’d lost. To his sister. A woman.

“Explain. I did not like hearing from my men that my woman is being married off.”

“At least we can be hopeless romantics together. That is, when we’re not busy with our spies, assassins, and running the kingdom.”
Profile Image for Bethany.
69 reviews4 followers
September 21, 2023
An Excellent Conclusion to the Reign of Secrets Series

All of the events of the previous four books came together flawlessly in this final volume to bring everything to a close.

All of the twists, drama, and suspense in this series leaves the reader ready for more and not wanting to put the books down. I appreciate the way the author tied up the loose ends in this final book, wrapping everything up in a neat little bow. By the end of the book all is as it should be, and (hopefully) the mainland will be completely at peace for many years to come.
Profile Image for Erin Pratt.
13 reviews1 follower
April 24, 2019
Fantastic ending

Can't believe I'm all done with the 8 books in this universe. Overall a good ending, of course I would have loved it to be drawn out even more nut all good things must end!
Profile Image for Vixen.
120 reviews
April 22, 2020
Well.... it’s finally happened.

I’ve finished this series

I’m definitely going to miss the characters and miss looking forward to reading about them.

This book of the series was good and did tie many ends together however I do want another one or a spinoff...



But I know all good things have to come to an end so I won’t keep the hopes up...

Once again recommend this series!
Definitely worth the shot with it being a fun journey and great read.


My favorite being Cage of Darkness of course but I also loved Oath of Deception: Reign of Secrets, Book 4

Who can pass up on some kick ass characters!

Profile Image for Ashlyn.
62 reviews
January 16, 2019
*sighs happily and closes eyes*
Perfect. Just perfect. I loved every second of this book. Knowing that Allyssa's perspective would come back made me eager to keep reading! It started out with Savenek's new life in the castle and hearing about Allyssa and the war from inside. Once Allyssa came back, all would seem well, but no! There's more to it! Intrigue, betrayal, and assassination attempts are just the few elements of this conclusion to an amazing series.
Allyssa and Savenek's brother/sister relationship was so fun. They had the competitive sibling battles and snarky remarks. I laughed out loud quite a few times. They were awesome together.
Odar.... Oh, Odar... Yet again, I don't have anything to say about you. And your snotty parents (even though they came through in the end on helping Allyssa out....still don't like them).
Kerdan, on the other hand, was not disappointing in the least! He comes storming in "like a valiant, pungent, reindeer king," as Olaf from Frozen would say. Darmik said that Savenek and Rema would need to get to know and approve of Kerdan before any wedding plans could take place, and boy, did they get to know him! He was brash, blunt, and brutal (his best qualities ^_^). Rema's face was priceless after meeting him for the first time. Savenek kept saying how he didn't like him due to the fact he was Russek, but slowly he warmed up to him. Allyssa and Kerdan's relationship is the best. Goals, right there.
I loved this ending. Everything was wrapped up perfectly. Definitely will be reading more of Davis' work! :)
Profile Image for Corine.
240 reviews2 followers
June 21, 2019
4.5 stars

This wasn't my favorite of the series, but I thought it was a great ending. The first 50% I had a tough time staying focused, but then Kerdan showed up and I flew through the second half of the book.

Kerdan and Allyssa together were absolute perfection. They have the kind of love that I love to read about. It wasn't just lust or any kind of instalove; instead their relationship is built on friendship, respect and understanding of one another. And that is something I can 100% get behind. And when they do fall for each other, they fall hard. And it's beautiful.
“I have seen far too many people treat Allyssa like a child incapable of taking care of herself. It bothers me. She is smart, strong, and she doesn’t need someone watching over her. As much as I want to protect her, treating her as a submissive woman who is not my equal would be grievous to her.”

Kerdan was capable of showing her this equal love and respect that Odar wasn't. I loved watching Odar grovel though and I felt a little bad for the guy towards the end.

Savanek and Allyssa... I loved these two together. They fell right into their special twin bond and it was amazing. One of the strong points in this series is the relationships between the characters. The family dynamic is so amazing. I loved the protective big brother added to this piece of the story. I'm sad that this series is over and I most definitely see a re-read in the future.
311 reviews3 followers
January 26, 2021
This was a great ending to this series. I loved that it has both siblings points of view. I loved that they acted like siblings. The way they were so competitive and would argue it was like they've been together forever. I could only imagine if their poor parents had to deal with both of them growing up. The fights, trouble and mischief they would cause.
There was kinda a major typo for when the kingdoms did a vote it had said "Rema, Viscor, and the king from Drenton raised their hands." Drenton is actually Karden's Father not one of the kingdoms. Dromien is what it should say but I'm sure most people figured it out.
I also have to say I really didn't like the fact that they kept things from Allyssa all throughout the books and I understand that she is young and she won't be ascend to the throne until she's thirty but they are grooming her for that so they should at some point include her and get her opinion so she can learn. It just bugs me that they don't include her but when they bring back her brother he is included right away and is in charge of the brotherhood. When Allyssa is treated like a child and left in the dark.
And just the last thing Spoiler* 1 why was the epilogue not very long I hate when they are short and two why didn't we hear a name. Like his mothers or her best friends. That's what I thought was going to happen. Grrrrrr
Profile Image for Diana Georgescu.
44 reviews1 follower
December 24, 2024
This book was a pleasant surprise!

I started reading the series because I saw it recommended. I’ll admit that, initially, I wasn’t captivated by the author’s writing style—I found it a bit rushed, predictable, and lacking emphasis on world-building. It somehow gave me the impression that it was more of a book written for younger teens. However, I kept reading when I found out it was written by an indie author.

The story has a lot of potential (though it’s mostly left untapped). After the fourth book, I almost wanted to quit, but I’m glad I didn’t!

I noticed a significant improvement in the writing style, and I discovered the motivations behind the characters' actions. The dialogues were much better (I even laughed a few times), and the relationships between the characters were beautifully developed and believable. I also noticed an improvement in world-building, with much more beautiful descriptions of scenes (especially the battle scenes).

The conclusion, though predictable, was very satisfying. From the second half onward, I literally couldn’t put the book down. I’m really glad I read the final book, as it left me with a wonderful feeling of closure.

At first, I wanted to give it 3 stars, but the fourth star was earned because it made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside☺️
Profile Image for Michelle.
285 reviews43 followers
September 17, 2020
An amazing end to an amazing series! I'm so sad it's over and left with a terrible book hangover. The things I liked, particularly about this book was that it consisted of both Allyssa and Savenek's point of views. After I finished the 3rd book, I wanted to know more about Allyssa and Kerdan's relationship progress, which was focused on, in this book.
Another thing I liked was that, it did not have an all out war, but used good strategy to get rid of the villains.
What I did not like was that, Odar was shown like a complaining, passive person who only does what he is told. In the first book, he was witty, skillful, resourceful, but the minute he stopped being Allyssa's love interest, all those character traits were dropped. It would have helped, if he had retained some of those things.
Apart from that, I loved the whole series and it gave me another reason to fall in love with the author's work. Looking forward to more of her stories.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for brii | brii (three months behind...).
849 reviews1 follower
April 9, 2025
I can't.

Man, oh man. This guy's entire purpose for trying to destroy everyone is because Rema killed the person he wanted to kill first?! And so now she must die?!

I can't. If that's not the worst political plot twist I've ever encountered in my entire flipping life. As if the characters and the romances weren't bad enough, when the plot FINALLY picks up (in book 5 no less!), that's the crap we get?

Needless to say, I didn't love this series. The plot was very surface level and basically shoved all the way to the back burner to make room for teenage romance, which, while occasionally cute, but really just… boring.

Sadly, It wasn't for me. I enjoyed the series that this one stemmed from, so I really anticipated enjoying this one, I'm sad it didn't turn out that way.
Profile Image for Lauren Renee.
70 reviews15 followers
December 5, 2018
The books are never long enough for me 😭 they are action packed and never drawn out but I always want more! I love Jennifer's books, this one is no exception. I love Allysa and Kerdan. I love the relationship between Savenek and Allysa and how it forms so quickly. I'm sad to see their story end but it was a good series. I always seem to actually laugh out loud when I read Jennifer's books. Especially at Kerdans way of being straight forward. And the many awkward moments are pretty funny too. A good adventure all around. I always recommend, especially if you're looking for a fun, action-packed, easy read.
Profile Image for Bullman.
187 reviews2 followers
March 16, 2019
Series ended well

Once again the characters did not disappoint. I only wish (as I've mentioned in the other book reviews for this series) that the verbiage would fit the (assumed) time period and a bit of the writing would have been tighter and didn't leave me asking a question about why the change in perspective. I would recommend this series and consider it a good solid series but just missed 5 stars.
Profile Image for Kevin.
2,663 reviews37 followers
October 23, 2023
I started this series six years ago, so can barely recall all the past characters and events. These last few books deal with the next generation. There are plots, politics, poisonings, war, and romance.
Most everything is wrapped up here, but there's always room for more.
Typos: "allusion of privacy" for "illusion," "Kerdan and her" should be "and she," "laid on her back" should be "lay," "looney" should be "loony," "if we all ban together" should be "band."
Profile Image for Shelby Hayes.
34 reviews
December 9, 2018
I'm so sad to see this series end

Jennifer Anne Davis is one of my favorite authors! This series is absolutely amazing! The characters, the settings, the plot twist. It's a story that will keep you engaged from the first series "True Reign". I can't wait to see what she gives us next.
Profile Image for Chelsie Reid.
222 reviews8 followers
Read
December 19, 2018
I think this was an excellent conclusion to this awesome story. I feel that the chemistry between the characters and their significant others was both humorous and romantic. I also enjoyed the action in the story. I feel that it was nice to see the siblings interact with each other I thought that this was such a wonderful book. My one request is that she continues this epic story.😍
11 reviews
December 31, 2018
One of my favorite series.

This series had my emotions up and down through the whole series. It was like living the story myself. Each book was better than the last. Hopefully Jennifer will start another series soon. She will have a bit to top this though. When I started the series I had no clue that it would end like it did.
Profile Image for Swati.
81 reviews
March 3, 2019
Loved the ending

OMG! This is one of those amazing books that is a brilliant ending. I am sure that the ending will stay with me for a long time. Karden lit up every scene he was in and the romance was beautiful. I also loved how they showed strong brother-sister bond, the regret that Omar feels. It’s a very believable fantasy and you almost feel like you are there! 😁
17 reviews
June 4, 2019
A Heartwarming Fantasy/Adventure

The relationships in this book are what I found so compelling. Each character is written in realistic and multidimensional fashion; they are believable. Their interaction with each other draws you into the story so well, you feel as though you belong.
Profile Image for Kathy Zuercher Diveley.
1,603 reviews11 followers
March 15, 2021
Allyssa and Kerdan

Deceate and treachery are about. The red poison shows up. Odar shows up and wants to reinstate their marriage contract. Telmina and Apethaga are planning to assassinate the rulers of Emporian. They plan a fake wedding to give them more time.
Profile Image for Christa.
144 reviews2 followers
May 15, 2023
I’m not really sure why i didn’t like this book as much as the others. I think bringing all the characters together didn’t seem to flow for me. It was hard to remember why i liked the characters in the other books because they seemed so different here. It was ok
Profile Image for Claudia Micallef.
3 reviews
December 16, 2018
Great wrap up

Good ending to an exciting and easy to read saga. Characters well developed and story line is good. More books like this please!
Profile Image for Nicole .
35 reviews1 follower
January 8, 2019
A great ending and I��m sad it’s over! Hopefully there is a spin off series in the future.
Profile Image for Shannon Heck.
695 reviews
February 24, 2019
Decent

Not my favorite of the series, but it ended on a happy note and everything was nicely wrapped up. Maybe there will be another spin off series!
Profile Image for Vanessa.
33 reviews
March 20, 2019
Satisfying

I am in love with this whole series. I highly recommend them all! Start with The Key you can’t go wrong with Jennifer Anne Davis.
Profile Image for Jennifer.
481 reviews8 followers
April 7, 2019
An end

The final book in the series did not disappoint. It was full of intrigue, surprises, romance, sibling rivalry and a great ending. Well done.
19 reviews
May 2, 2019
Awesome end

I’ve read the entire series. All are page turners. This end was bittersweet because there won’t be any more stories in this series. :(
Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews

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