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Kingdom of Runes #1
Oath Taker
Light magic is forbidden.
Dark magic spells death.
Haven has both.
After the Prince of Penryth saved her from captivity, seventeen-year-old Haven Ashwood spends her days protecting the kind prince and her nights secretly fighting the monsters outside the castle walls.
When one of those monsters kidnaps Prince Bell, Haven must ally with Archeron Halfbane and his band of immortals to rescue her friend.
Her quest takes her deep into the domain of a warped and vicious queen where the rules are simple: break her curse or die.
Lost in a land of twisted magic and fabled creatures, Haven finds herself unprepared, not just for the feelings she develops for Archeron, but for the warring powers raging inside her.
Her rare and forbidden type of magic may be their only hope . . . but mixing light and dark comes with a steep price.
Haven’s soul.
Faced with impossible love, heartbreaking betrayals, and a queen intent on destroying the realm, only one thing remains certain.
Haven must shatter the curse or it will devour everything she loves.
Welcome to the Kingdom of Runes where immortals and humans clash, light and dark magic reign, and mythical creatures lurk in the shadows. If you like fierce heroines, enemies-to-lovers romance, wild plot twists, and endearing characters that stay with you long after you reach the end, you need to discover the book readers are calling dark fantasy at its best. Just make sure to clear out some space on your calendar first!
Oath Taker was previously published in the boxed set Shattered Worlds under the name Curse Breaker. This is a revised second edition. The Kingdom of Runes series is upper/mature YA and contains mild cursing and adult situations, including romance.
Dark magic spells death.
Haven has both.
After the Prince of Penryth saved her from captivity, seventeen-year-old Haven Ashwood spends her days protecting the kind prince and her nights secretly fighting the monsters outside the castle walls.
When one of those monsters kidnaps Prince Bell, Haven must ally with Archeron Halfbane and his band of immortals to rescue her friend.
Her quest takes her deep into the domain of a warped and vicious queen where the rules are simple: break her curse or die.
Lost in a land of twisted magic and fabled creatures, Haven finds herself unprepared, not just for the feelings she develops for Archeron, but for the warring powers raging inside her.
Her rare and forbidden type of magic may be their only hope . . . but mixing light and dark comes with a steep price.
Haven’s soul.
Faced with impossible love, heartbreaking betrayals, and a queen intent on destroying the realm, only one thing remains certain.
Haven must shatter the curse or it will devour everything she loves.
Welcome to the Kingdom of Runes where immortals and humans clash, light and dark magic reign, and mythical creatures lurk in the shadows. If you like fierce heroines, enemies-to-lovers romance, wild plot twists, and endearing characters that stay with you long after you reach the end, you need to discover the book readers are calling dark fantasy at its best. Just make sure to clear out some space on your calendar first!
Oath Taker was previously published in the boxed set Shattered Worlds under the name Curse Breaker. This is a revised second edition. The Kingdom of Runes series is upper/mature YA and contains mild cursing and adult situations, including romance.
369 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 19, 2019
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40849 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 960 reviews
June 2, 2019
I’ve seen a lot of books blurb for fans of Sarah J Maas, but this is one of the first that I really felt resonate with me as a book written like a Maas fantasy.
Haven is bodyguard to Prince Bellamy, having sworn her life to him after he pulls her from slavery. They love each other like siblings, and when he is stole by the evil Shade Queen, she vows to bring him home.
When the daughter of the Shade Queen was killed by a human prince, she cursed the humans and every noble born with magic could be claimed by her as the Curseprice.
Haven has to team up with the Sun Lord Archean to get Bellamy back.
There’s a nice contrast between Archeron, who is on the good side of the Sun Lords, but not very nice or patient with Haven, and then there is Stolas who is a bad guy Noctis, does bad things like stealing Bellamy, but also is helping Haven out.
There’s no info dump with the world building, so for a good part of the book I didn’t really know what was going on, but I sure did like it.
It’s enjoyable reading and I’m ready for book two. It does end with a cliffhanger, so be warned.
Recommended for fans of Sarah J Maas. Free on kindle unlimited.
Haven is bodyguard to Prince Bellamy, having sworn her life to him after he pulls her from slavery. They love each other like siblings, and when he is stole by the evil Shade Queen, she vows to bring him home.
When the daughter of the Shade Queen was killed by a human prince, she cursed the humans and every noble born with magic could be claimed by her as the Curseprice.
Haven has to team up with the Sun Lord Archean to get Bellamy back.
There’s a nice contrast between Archeron, who is on the good side of the Sun Lords, but not very nice or patient with Haven, and then there is Stolas who is a bad guy Noctis, does bad things like stealing Bellamy, but also is helping Haven out.
There’s no info dump with the world building, so for a good part of the book I didn’t really know what was going on, but I sure did like it.
It’s enjoyable reading and I’m ready for book two. It does end with a cliffhanger, so be warned.
Recommended for fans of Sarah J Maas. Free on kindle unlimited.
June 30, 2019
2.5 stars... So let me start off by saying this cover looks amazing. I was a goner as soon as I saw it. As for the story.. Well... I feel like this is an intense spin off and all the world building and back story was done in the original series. I mean what was happening in the story was good but I could barely follow how this world has gotten here. I, personally, just needed more. Each individual scene wasn't too hard to picture but my OCD needed some 'splainin.
Character wise we have multiple viewpoints in the story most of which are our FMC Haven, and the princeliness, Bell. Bell is a weak character on all fronts, despite his terror during the events of his chapters I really couldn't muster up much emotion for him. Haven on the other hand, I'm just really confused about. For one, she has this terrifying backstory that really is a story all in itself that we only got bits and pieces of and most of which really didn't makes sense. Apparently somewhere during her young life she was a slave.. I'm not sure exactly where that fit in but yea. There just really isn't any explanation as to why this happened or even much detail as to how she escaped and ended up the head body guard for the prince.. Next Have is written as a bad A, I mean everything points to her being bad A, the way she holds herself, her confidence, her demeanor, even her thoughts, and yet.. she spends the entire book getting her butt handed to her. She has the cockiness and the drive but not the ability. I would even say she comes across over cocky at times. For me it was frustrating to have her written as so awesome but never winning or holding qualities I would view as a heroine.
The goal for the book seems to be save Bell, for Haven at least. Everyone else's goal looks to be break the curse and then save Bell. Instead of teaming up and working with these Light warriors Haven seems to spend almost all of her time getting on everyone's nerves. Our other characters also seem to have a lot of unexplained backstories as well.. Like the one dude seems to be mated to the Skeleton Queen? I still don't understand that.
Finally we end with Haven having very few days to escape the Netherworld and save Bell, but she is also supposed to be learning to use her magic.. This magic she has is not explained well. Apparently mortals are born with the "magic door" shut but for some reason hers is open.. and it can be light or dark? or only dark? and the dark magic is going to kill her? BUT WHY!!?? I need an intense review of the magical world building here so that I can better understand this.
This whole story seems like it might be on the verge of something great but for some reason I just can't seem to grasp all of it and beat it into cohesion. This is one of those books that I desperately wish I had BR so someone else could hold my hand through it and explain whats happening. Maybe it was just over my head?
Character wise we have multiple viewpoints in the story most of which are our FMC Haven, and the princeliness, Bell. Bell is a weak character on all fronts, despite his terror during the events of his chapters I really couldn't muster up much emotion for him. Haven on the other hand, I'm just really confused about. For one, she has this terrifying backstory that really is a story all in itself that we only got bits and pieces of and most of which really didn't makes sense. Apparently somewhere during her young life she was a slave.. I'm not sure exactly where that fit in but yea. There just really isn't any explanation as to why this happened or even much detail as to how she escaped and ended up the head body guard for the prince.. Next Have is written as a bad A, I mean everything points to her being bad A, the way she holds herself, her confidence, her demeanor, even her thoughts, and yet.. she spends the entire book getting her butt handed to her. She has the cockiness and the drive but not the ability. I would even say she comes across over cocky at times. For me it was frustrating to have her written as so awesome but never winning or holding qualities I would view as a heroine.
The goal for the book seems to be save Bell, for Haven at least. Everyone else's goal looks to be break the curse and then save Bell. Instead of teaming up and working with these Light warriors Haven seems to spend almost all of her time getting on everyone's nerves. Our other characters also seem to have a lot of unexplained backstories as well.. Like the one dude seems to be mated to the Skeleton Queen? I still don't understand that.
Finally we end with Haven having very few days to escape the Netherworld and save Bell, but she is also supposed to be learning to use her magic.. This magic she has is not explained well. Apparently mortals are born with the "magic door" shut but for some reason hers is open.. and it can be light or dark? or only dark? and the dark magic is going to kill her? BUT WHY!!?? I need an intense review of the magical world building here so that I can better understand this.
This whole story seems like it might be on the verge of something great but for some reason I just can't seem to grasp all of it and beat it into cohesion. This is one of those books that I desperately wish I had BR so someone else could hold my hand through it and explain whats happening. Maybe it was just over my head?
February 5, 2021
THE CURSEPRICE
Forged in heartbreak, set in bone, cast in blood, carved in stone. A thousand years will my curse reign, unless I have these six things:
The tears of a fairy from a wood so deep.
The fig of a vorgrath from his mate’s keep.
The scale of a selkie burnished gold.
The bone of a wood witch a century old.
The midnight sliver of a Shade Queen’s horn.
The sacrifice of two lovers torn.
I see heartbreak in the future.. Beauty and the Beast style.
I loved the setting and all the different elements, I just wish the MC would have been a bit older, and that there had been more focus on both world and character building (which we might get since this is a series).. Granted, a lot of teenagers make silly mistakes, I just feel like we only got to se Haven making mistakes, and never any wise decisions. Also, her language, thoughts and actions made her seem far younger than 17, in my opinion, which bothered me a bit.
I also wish I didn't read the blurb, because it practically gives away everything. The first part of the book was quite slow, and having read the blurb- and therefore knowing what was to come, it made the book lack surprising momentums and revelations. The ending also made the book feel a bit unfinished?
It is clear this author has had a lot of inspiration, and one of the reasons I chose to pick it up was the description "Perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas", but at times I felt it was too similar to a lot of the books I've already read. I will however keep reading the series, as this book was fairly entertaining.
update: gave up on the series after the second book.
"Hello, Beastie"
November 30, 2020
DNF @ 51%
Lmao this book is so... not good. I was thinking of giving this 1.5 stars but I literally couldn't think of one thing I liked about it. Rant incoming.
So Oath Taker has been marketed for fans of Sarah J. Maas, and while I did love ACOTAR (particularly #2, obviously) I ended up DNFing the Throne of Glass series after book 5. So while I can appreciate some of the tropes SJM employs, I wouldn't say I'm absolutely obsessed with everything she writes. So maybe that's why I had such trouble with this book? But I doubt it. This one just sucked.
Haven is a super-badass-strong-female-character™ who fights! And has weird pink hair! And a mysterious yet harrowingly tragic backstory! Anyway, she's the guardian and BFF of Prince Bell who's set to inherit the throne of a kingdom. I don't know which kingdom, and I don't care. His dad, the king, is an asshole of mustache twirling proportions with absolutely no redeemable qualities. Same with his mistress. Anyway, Bell gets kidnapped by some evil queen or something and Haven will stop at nothing to try to get her friend back.
In this world, mortals are capable of magic but usually it's pretty weak and lame. Then there are the Solis, a race of immortals who are super badass, super magical warriors. But they are arrogant and left the human mortals to defend themselves against dark beasts sent by the Noctis, another immortal race. But Archeron, a Solis, is enslaved to Bell's father and must do his will. Haven and Archeron, along with 3 other Solis (where the heck they come from I have no idea) head into the Noctis' realms to rescue Bell. Or at least that's what I think is going on.
The world building is pretty flat and generic. There is tons of info dumping in the first part of the book and I don't fully understand everything with all the different mortal kingdoms, what the deal is with the Noctis, etc. It seems like Audrey Grey is trying to set up a love triangle and a villain(?) as one of the love interests, but I'm like wading through shit to try and get to it and it ain't worth it.
The worst part of this book by far is the fact that Haven is a terrible character. She's abrasive, petulant, childlike and doesn't think before she speaks. Some people say that this is excusable since it's YA and made for a younger audience. Sorry, but that ain't it chief. There are so many great YA books- The Book Thief, Harry Potter, The Winternight Trilogy- that all feature younger characters that are still intelligent and well written. When I was 13, 14, 15+ I didn't need characters to act like absolute idiots so that they could appeal to me. That's just fake ass news.
Haven, for being a supposedly great fighter, seems pretty incompetent. She sets out to rescue Bell by herself with absolutely no plan, and then when she gets called out for not planning she whines like a child and is sad she needs to send her wittle horsie named Lady Pearl back. Thanks, I hate it. When she's not acting the fool, she's gawking over Archeron's hawt bod despite the fact that she "really doesn't like him." (This is NOT enemies to lovers, okay??) I'm assuming that Archeron is being set up to be a potential love interest but honestly if I were him I'd leave her to die out there. She's so embarrassing and for all the tough talk can't back it up at all. I don't know how the Solis put up with her- they are just playing babysitter to Haven's idiot self.
Bell is the most whiny, wimpy, simpering prince character I've had the misfortune of reading about. I don't care about his chapters and how he's scared. It's not interesting and he sucks. I hope he gets the magic sucked out of him by the evil queen and dies. I kind of started to understand his dad's hatred of him lmao
I'm also currently reading LOTR so since I'm reading some good freakin' content maybe the awfulness of this book is just really standing out against the greatness that is LOTR. But yeah either way this is still a dumb book.
I was told that apparently this book is really not good but in the next books things become infinitely better, but when I want 2 of the main characters to fall off a cliff, even if it does get better I'm going to have to say it's a no from me dawg. I have too much on my tbr for lukewarm SJM inspired content.
Lmao this book is so... not good. I was thinking of giving this 1.5 stars but I literally couldn't think of one thing I liked about it. Rant incoming.
So Oath Taker has been marketed for fans of Sarah J. Maas, and while I did love ACOTAR (particularly #2, obviously) I ended up DNFing the Throne of Glass series after book 5. So while I can appreciate some of the tropes SJM employs, I wouldn't say I'm absolutely obsessed with everything she writes. So maybe that's why I had such trouble with this book? But I doubt it. This one just sucked.
Haven is a super-badass-strong-female-character™ who fights! And has weird pink hair! And a mysterious yet harrowingly tragic backstory! Anyway, she's the guardian and BFF of Prince Bell who's set to inherit the throne of a kingdom. I don't know which kingdom, and I don't care. His dad, the king, is an asshole of mustache twirling proportions with absolutely no redeemable qualities. Same with his mistress. Anyway, Bell gets kidnapped by some evil queen or something and Haven will stop at nothing to try to get her friend back.
In this world, mortals are capable of magic but usually it's pretty weak and lame. Then there are the Solis, a race of immortals who are super badass, super magical warriors. But they are arrogant and left the human mortals to defend themselves against dark beasts sent by the Noctis, another immortal race. But Archeron, a Solis, is enslaved to Bell's father and must do his will. Haven and Archeron, along with 3 other Solis (where the heck they come from I have no idea) head into the Noctis' realms to rescue Bell. Or at least that's what I think is going on.
The world building is pretty flat and generic. There is tons of info dumping in the first part of the book and I don't fully understand everything with all the different mortal kingdoms, what the deal is with the Noctis, etc. It seems like Audrey Grey is trying to set up a love triangle and a villain(?) as one of the love interests, but I'm like wading through shit to try and get to it and it ain't worth it.
The worst part of this book by far is the fact that Haven is a terrible character. She's abrasive, petulant, childlike and doesn't think before she speaks. Some people say that this is excusable since it's YA and made for a younger audience. Sorry, but that ain't it chief. There are so many great YA books- The Book Thief, Harry Potter, The Winternight Trilogy- that all feature younger characters that are still intelligent and well written. When I was 13, 14, 15+ I didn't need characters to act like absolute idiots so that they could appeal to me. That's just fake ass news.
Haven, for being a supposedly great fighter, seems pretty incompetent. She sets out to rescue Bell by herself with absolutely no plan, and then when she gets called out for not planning she whines like a child and is sad she needs to send her wittle horsie named Lady Pearl back. Thanks, I hate it. When she's not acting the fool, she's gawking over Archeron's hawt bod despite the fact that she "really doesn't like him." (This is NOT enemies to lovers, okay??) I'm assuming that Archeron is being set up to be a potential love interest but honestly if I were him I'd leave her to die out there. She's so embarrassing and for all the tough talk can't back it up at all. I don't know how the Solis put up with her- they are just playing babysitter to Haven's idiot self.
Bell is the most whiny, wimpy, simpering prince character I've had the misfortune of reading about. I don't care about his chapters and how he's scared. It's not interesting and he sucks. I hope he gets the magic sucked out of him by the evil queen and dies. I kind of started to understand his dad's hatred of him lmao
I'm also currently reading LOTR so since I'm reading some good freakin' content maybe the awfulness of this book is just really standing out against the greatness that is LOTR. But yeah either way this is still a dumb book.
I was told that apparently this book is really not good but in the next books things become infinitely better, but when I want 2 of the main characters to fall off a cliff, even if it does get better I'm going to have to say it's a no from me dawg. I have too much on my tbr for lukewarm SJM inspired content.
Read
May 19, 2022Dnfing this (again) at 31%
I really want to like this book but i can't get into it properly right now. I'll probably go back to it in a few months and see if I can make it past those first 100 pages.
I really want to like this book but i can't get into it properly right now. I'll probably go back to it in a few months and see if I can make it past those first 100 pages.
April 25, 2022
✅ Gorgeous cover
🆗✅ Pace / Action
🆗 World-building
🆗 Plot
🆗❌ Characters
❌ Unclear curse and magic
The idea of a girl discovering that she possesses magical powers and allying herself with an ancient magical being to defeat an evil queen is nothing new or original, but I thought that it could still be a good read according to all the good reviews... Sadly, it was underwhelming.
Honestly, the blurb gives away most of the story. There are no big surprises or unexpected parts in the plot. Haven has been rescued from a dark past by prince Bellamy when they were nine. Now they are in their late teens and she needs to rescue him from the Shade Queen. She manages to integrate a group of four Solis (almost immortal and kind of super-soldier with magical powers) that wish to break the curse.
The first thing that bothered me is how vague the curse is. It is still not clear what exactly happened or what exactly is part of the curse... We know it’s bad, but I still have trouble understanding the chronology of it and the different parties involved.
The main problem of this book for me was the world-building and lack of backstories. We do not know much about the different kingdoms and their interactions or about the runestones and power stones... New characters are just thrown into the story without any explanation regarding their motivation and their plan and we just have to accept that they are now part of the story.
The characters were also quite simple. What you see is what you get. No surprises or revelations to unsettle the story. Everything falls smoothly and easily into place, almost too smoothly and easily. The obstacles are easily overcome and even when the author tried to create a desperate situation, somehow I just knew that everything would be okay. More than that, I knew exactly how it would happen. This story was quite predictable.
The fact that Haven is quite annoying did not help either, while her priority is saving the prince, everyone else's priority is breaking the curse, and instead of teaming up and trying to truly work together, they are traveling together and Haven is annoying the Solis every chance she gets. No teamwork at all, even though she would benefit from their help. I know this is a YA, and Haven is still a teenager, but she felt very juvenile, and she annoyed me a little bit because of that. There is also the fact that there are hints of a tragic back story, but no real details or explanations! Apparently, she was a slave sometimes when she was younger, but we don't really see how that fits into the story, or how it shaped her besides the fact that she feels like she owes her freedom to Bell and is very devoted to him.
Bell, the prince was also very weak and underdeveloped. I honestly don't care about him. At all.
The Solis had the potential to be quite interesting, but they don't have any backstories, and information about them are just dropped amidst the action, and very rarely explained.
I think that I will still read the second book. Maybe I will have a happy surprise and if not at least there is action.
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🆗✅ Pace / Action
🆗 World-building
🆗 Plot
🆗❌ Characters
❌ Unclear curse and magic
The idea of a girl discovering that she possesses magical powers and allying herself with an ancient magical being to defeat an evil queen is nothing new or original, but I thought that it could still be a good read according to all the good reviews... Sadly, it was underwhelming.
The Curseprice Forged in heartbreak, set in bone, cast in blood, carved in stone. A thousand years will my curse reign, unless I have these six things:
The tears of a fairy from a wood so deep.
The fig of a vorgrath from his mate’s keep.
The scale of a selkie burnished gold.
The bone of a wood witch a century old.
The midnight sliver of a Shade Queen’s horn.
The sacrifice of two lovers torn.
Honestly, the blurb gives away most of the story. There are no big surprises or unexpected parts in the plot. Haven has been rescued from a dark past by prince Bellamy when they were nine. Now they are in their late teens and she needs to rescue him from the Shade Queen. She manages to integrate a group of four Solis (almost immortal and kind of super-soldier with magical powers) that wish to break the curse.
The first thing that bothered me is how vague the curse is. It is still not clear what exactly happened or what exactly is part of the curse... We know it’s bad, but I still have trouble understanding the chronology of it and the different parties involved.
The main problem of this book for me was the world-building and lack of backstories. We do not know much about the different kingdoms and their interactions or about the runestones and power stones... New characters are just thrown into the story without any explanation regarding their motivation and their plan and we just have to accept that they are now part of the story.
The characters were also quite simple. What you see is what you get. No surprises or revelations to unsettle the story. Everything falls smoothly and easily into place, almost too smoothly and easily. The obstacles are easily overcome and even when the author tried to create a desperate situation, somehow I just knew that everything would be okay. More than that, I knew exactly how it would happen. This story was quite predictable.
The fact that Haven is quite annoying did not help either, while her priority is saving the prince, everyone else's priority is breaking the curse, and instead of teaming up and trying to truly work together, they are traveling together and Haven is annoying the Solis every chance she gets. No teamwork at all, even though she would benefit from their help. I know this is a YA, and Haven is still a teenager, but she felt very juvenile, and she annoyed me a little bit because of that. There is also the fact that there are hints of a tragic back story, but no real details or explanations! Apparently, she was a slave sometimes when she was younger, but we don't really see how that fits into the story, or how it shaped her besides the fact that she feels like she owes her freedom to Bell and is very devoted to him.
Bell, the prince was also very weak and underdeveloped. I honestly don't care about him. At all.
The Solis had the potential to be quite interesting, but they don't have any backstories, and information about them are just dropped amidst the action, and very rarely explained.
I think that I will still read the second book. Maybe I will have a happy surprise and if not at least there is action.
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May 24, 2019
A lyrical, sweeping fantasy that will take you on a beautiful adventure in a world where danger and romance lurk at every corner.
I have a big soft spot for Stolas so I hope Haven gives him a chance!
I have a big soft spot for Stolas so I hope Haven gives him a chance!
April 13, 2021
I don’t want to give the wrong impression, so let me start by saying that I really enjoyed this book for the most part. Given that their writing styles are similar, I think the comparisons of Oath Taker to Sarah J. Maas’ books are fair, and I believe this was definitely a reason that I enjoyed this book as much as I did given that I am a huge fan of Sarah J. Maas.
I have to give major props to Audrey Grey; her world-building is unbelievably expansive and detailed. However, for me personally, the extensive world-building often times was difficult to keep up with while reading in the sense that we got a lot of info dumps, and often one right after the other. It was just a lot. I’m sure as one continues the series that all of this world-building falls into place easier, but I did want to note that it was a little overwhelming in the first book.
Somewhat related to the world-building, there were many things thrown at the reader in regards to the world and/or the characters where it felt half-explained or completely out-of-the-blue. I want to elaborate, as well, that when I say things sometimes felt half-explained, it didn’t come across as if it were for the purpose of withholding information to build tension for the reader; it really just came across like these matters weren’t even being questioned within the story as they should be. If I’m being honest, this was truly my biggest gripe with Oath Taker; that I have so many questions about the world and characters but I don’t even know what those questions are.
As for the characters… they’re okay so far. I’m not particularly in love with any of them yet, but I like them well enough that I care about where the story will take each of them. However, I am not particularly excited about the direction the romance aspect of the story seems to be going in. It seems like Grey is setting things up for a love triangle scenario between Haven, Archeron and Stolas, and I’m just not here for it. I don’t entirely hate love triangles, but this one feels particularly off because Archeron’s interest in Haven truly felt rather abrupt considering he spends the majority of the novel barely tolerating her. I was very taken aback at this sudden change, as suggested to have occurred by another character, just because I don’t feel like we got to see Haven and Archeron bond on a personal level all that much. But, you know what, I’ll bite because at least this potential set-up means more Haven and Stolas, and more Stolas is what I’m really after.
Oath Taker was my first go at a book by Audrey Grey, so I’m not sure if this is a common occurrence in her books, but I do want to talk about the plot progression a bit. Normally, I wouldn’t be especially irritated if a main conflict in any one book in a fantasy series isn’t resolved right away because, duh, it’s a series, it could take some time. However, the combination of this book not only ending without having resolved the main conflict of rescuing Prince Bell, but also ending at a middle-of-nowhere part of the story was…weird. For me, the abrupt ending kind of just heralded back to the flow of the whole book because it all read very choppily and incomplete from a structural standpoint.
At the end of the day, I enjoyed the writing style, I care enough about the characters, and I am curious enough to see where the story leads that I will definitely continue with this series!
I have to give major props to Audrey Grey; her world-building is unbelievably expansive and detailed. However, for me personally, the extensive world-building often times was difficult to keep up with while reading in the sense that we got a lot of info dumps, and often one right after the other. It was just a lot. I’m sure as one continues the series that all of this world-building falls into place easier, but I did want to note that it was a little overwhelming in the first book.
Somewhat related to the world-building, there were many things thrown at the reader in regards to the world and/or the characters where it felt half-explained or completely out-of-the-blue. I want to elaborate, as well, that when I say things sometimes felt half-explained, it didn’t come across as if it were for the purpose of withholding information to build tension for the reader; it really just came across like these matters weren’t even being questioned within the story as they should be. If I’m being honest, this was truly my biggest gripe with Oath Taker; that I have so many questions about the world and characters but I don’t even know what those questions are.
As for the characters… they’re okay so far. I’m not particularly in love with any of them yet, but I like them well enough that I care about where the story will take each of them. However, I am not particularly excited about the direction the romance aspect of the story seems to be going in. It seems like Grey is setting things up for a love triangle scenario between Haven, Archeron and Stolas, and I’m just not here for it. I don’t entirely hate love triangles, but this one feels particularly off because Archeron’s interest in Haven truly felt rather abrupt considering he spends the majority of the novel barely tolerating her. I was very taken aback at this sudden change, as suggested to have occurred by another character, just because I don’t feel like we got to see Haven and Archeron bond on a personal level all that much. But, you know what, I’ll bite because at least this potential set-up means more Haven and Stolas, and more Stolas is what I’m really after.
Oath Taker was my first go at a book by Audrey Grey, so I’m not sure if this is a common occurrence in her books, but I do want to talk about the plot progression a bit. Normally, I wouldn’t be especially irritated if a main conflict in any one book in a fantasy series isn’t resolved right away because, duh, it’s a series, it could take some time. However, the combination of this book not only ending without having resolved the main conflict of rescuing Prince Bell, but also ending at a middle-of-nowhere part of the story was…weird. For me, the abrupt ending kind of just heralded back to the flow of the whole book because it all read very choppily and incomplete from a structural standpoint.
At the end of the day, I enjoyed the writing style, I care enough about the characters, and I am curious enough to see where the story leads that I will definitely continue with this series!
November 22, 2019
Okay, buying Kindle Unlimited was SUCH a good idea! I really enjoyed Audrey Grey's book Winter and I really wanted the second one, but it is not out for a while, so I thought I would give this one a try. But BOY!!!! I like this one even better than Winter (although I loved that one too). This story has stayed with me, even though it took me a while to read it (I was in Paris). But I kept wanting to know what happened next! I enjoyed the characters. I thought it was a fresh fantasy, different than a lot of the ones I have been reading lately.
At first Haven bugged, but now I thoroughly like her. She is brash and brave and at times it seems selfish, but she has a good heart.
And Archeron!
At first Haven bugged, but now I thoroughly like her. She is brash and brave and at times it seems selfish, but she has a good heart.
And Archeron!
September 10, 2019
I really liked this one. Towards the end it gets a little too "Haven is soooooo special" but I'm digging everything else, especially the supporting cast. There's not a lot of romance to speak of, but it is definitely touched on. I don't love that there is potential for a triangle. I'll have to see how the author handles it before I make my judgement. I also feel like there's still some murky areas for me, like the magic system and me not quite seeing how the world all fits together, but I like curses, I like fantasy adventuring, I like the idea of dark and light magics, and I like stories featuring beings akin to angels and demons or seelie and unseelie. This book gave me all of that plus more, like a slight beauty and the beast vibe in the best way possible. I'm such a sucker for a beauty and the beast retelling y'all! Ready for book 2!
September 10, 2019
4.5 Havenly Stars
I found another book that I started about 4 hours ago and couldn't put it down until I was finished.
This book was amazing and I fell in love with all of the characters. Haven is kick-ass even though there are a few times I could have wrung her neck with her stupid decisions.
I need to start the next book immediately to find out what is going to happen next...romance in the next one? Figure out what Haven is? Find out where she came from?
So many questions that need answers!
I found another book that I started about 4 hours ago and couldn't put it down until I was finished.
This book was amazing and I fell in love with all of the characters. Haven is kick-ass even though there are a few times I could have wrung her neck with her stupid decisions.
I need to start the next book immediately to find out what is going to happen next...romance in the next one? Figure out what Haven is? Find out where she came from?
So many questions that need answers!
Want to read
August 21, 2021Tbh, I didn’t even read the synopsis. I saw some NSFW fanart on Instagram (@emilia.mildner) and instantly jumped over to Goodreads to add it.
April 30, 2019
I was lucky and received an early e-copy of this book and loved every minute of it.
If you're looking for a super quick read that's face paced, full of danger, some angst, and etc. I definitely recommend this one!
Haven is a pretty bad assed character who has a dark past. She was very easy to relate too and wasn't all "oh I'm the chosen one everyone should love me" like we see frequently happen. She has no idea she has light and dark magic or magic in general and when she finds out she has no idea what to do. Haven also tends to run into trouble without thinking of the consequences once or twice, and we all know we do that as well. She owes her life to Prince Bell and this whole book is her trying to fulfill her duty in protecting him.
I'm really hoping to learn more about the Solis and Noctis and other creatures as the series moves on! The creatures we all ready saw in this book were definitely interesting.
This book was definitely a quick and fun read for me and I definitely recommend it! It releases May 23rd!
If you're looking for a super quick read that's face paced, full of danger, some angst, and etc. I definitely recommend this one!
Haven is a pretty bad assed character who has a dark past. She was very easy to relate too and wasn't all "oh I'm the chosen one everyone should love me" like we see frequently happen. She has no idea she has light and dark magic or magic in general and when she finds out she has no idea what to do. Haven also tends to run into trouble without thinking of the consequences once or twice, and we all know we do that as well. She owes her life to Prince Bell and this whole book is her trying to fulfill her duty in protecting him.
I'm really hoping to learn more about the Solis and Noctis and other creatures as the series moves on! The creatures we all ready saw in this book were definitely interesting.
This book was definitely a quick and fun read for me and I definitely recommend it! It releases May 23rd!
July 8, 2020
This book was so fun to read. I loved the world, characters and story. The prince, Bell, won my heart right away. He's so sweet and vurnerable, I wanted to reach into the pages and give him a hug. There is just the right balance of charm, action, banter and simmering romance. Can't wait to read the next book!
November 20, 2019
This book really suprised me. I was honestly not expecting to love this as much as I did, but here I am, so invested into this story!
So firstly, I really really enjoyed the plot of Oath Taker. While I know some people felt this book tried really hard to recreate a new version of successful books, I actually didn’t mind the familiarity of it. With that being said though, I definitely felt that this book was original and unique while still having that same lovable feel of a classic fantasy novel.
Now, I absolutely loved these characters!!!! I really enjoyed following our main female lead Haven. She is such a feisty and independent character that really commanded this book. I did feel as though there were times where Haven was a little whiney and her age really showed. As for Bell, I really enjoyed his character as well! He is that classic sweet and kind Prince character who nobody believes in, but his story and journey through this book was so interesting and unique it made me absolutely love him! My favorite character in this book though was definitely Archeron. I absolutely love characters like this that are super sarcastic and snarky while having complete composure and that stone cold exterior. I definitely really want to know more about his past and delve deeper into his character. I was also very surprised by Stolas. At first he was just another *evil* character, but after the ending of this book, I am so intrigued by his character and fell in love with his snarky/flirtatious personality and im definitely interested to know more about his story. (Also I know that Archeron is currently my favorite character but Stolas definitely has the chance to take that title, I mean come on, “Hello, Beastie.”)
As for romance, there wasn’t really much of it in this book, but the authour definitely set up a bass for potential romance in the coming books. (There were signs of a potential love triangle, maybe even love square? But honestly I’m not made.)
Overall, I am so excited to start reading the sequel to this book! I really love where the plot is going and can’t wait to see how things end up!!
So firstly, I really really enjoyed the plot of Oath Taker. While I know some people felt this book tried really hard to recreate a new version of successful books, I actually didn’t mind the familiarity of it. With that being said though, I definitely felt that this book was original and unique while still having that same lovable feel of a classic fantasy novel.
Now, I absolutely loved these characters!!!! I really enjoyed following our main female lead Haven. She is such a feisty and independent character that really commanded this book. I did feel as though there were times where Haven was a little whiney and her age really showed. As for Bell, I really enjoyed his character as well! He is that classic sweet and kind Prince character who nobody believes in, but his story and journey through this book was so interesting and unique it made me absolutely love him! My favorite character in this book though was definitely Archeron. I absolutely love characters like this that are super sarcastic and snarky while having complete composure and that stone cold exterior. I definitely really want to know more about his past and delve deeper into his character. I was also very surprised by Stolas. At first he was just another *evil* character, but after the ending of this book, I am so intrigued by his character and fell in love with his snarky/flirtatious personality and im definitely interested to know more about his story. (Also I know that Archeron is currently my favorite character but Stolas definitely has the chance to take that title, I mean come on, “Hello, Beastie.”)
As for romance, there wasn’t really much of it in this book, but the authour definitely set up a bass for potential romance in the coming books. (There were signs of a potential love triangle, maybe even love square? But honestly I’m not made.)
Overall, I am so excited to start reading the sequel to this book! I really love where the plot is going and can’t wait to see how things end up!!
September 1, 2021
Oath Taker was so much fun to dive into. I definitely have zero regrets with this being my first September book. Right from the very first page, I feel like so much was happening and I couldn't wait to see what was going to come my way next.
Especially after meeting all the different characters. I really liked getting to know the good, the bad, and all the betrayals and magic in between. Throughout the book, I kept getting vibes - like, Maleficent, shadowhunters, and weirdly enough some beauty and the beast. Please don't ask me why I got so many Disney vibes but I think that's why I sort of fell in love with everything and devoured it all.
Other than that, I have so many questions about the rune magic and the people talking towards the end of the book. I seriously can't wait to dive into the sequel to get some answers and more magical adventures!
Let's go!
Especially after meeting all the different characters. I really liked getting to know the good, the bad, and all the betrayals and magic in between. Throughout the book, I kept getting vibes - like, Maleficent, shadowhunters, and weirdly enough some beauty and the beast. Please don't ask me why I got so many Disney vibes but I think that's why I sort of fell in love with everything and devoured it all.
Other than that, I have so many questions about the rune magic and the people talking towards the end of the book. I seriously can't wait to dive into the sequel to get some answers and more magical adventures!
Let's go!
September 7, 2021
Rereading the series in anticipation of Dark Bringer!
After this reread I don't like Acheron one bit and that ending was quite abrupt? Felt like there should have been more to this. Still very enjoyable.
Oath Taker is a fun start to the Kingdom of Runes series. When Prince Bell is taken by evil monsters, Haven is determined to get him back even if it means allying with the asshole Archeron Halfbane. They'll have to learn to trust each other if they have any hope of ending the curse.
This was such a cool world. I love the Noctis, Solis and human cultures. I want to learn more about them all and how exactly the Noctis were banished. I love Haven's humor and snarky banter. I love how she gets under Archeron's skin, though I was not a fan of Archeron himself. He's such an asshole and for literally no reason. I definitely did not see any of the romantic vibes between these two that I supposedly got the first time reading this, but that's okay because I am all about Stolas, no contest. I want more of him!!
Rep: female MC w/ PTSD, BIPOC achillean (gay coded) male MC, side WLW couple, blind male side character.
CWs: Blood, death, injury/injury detail, kidnapping, mental illness (PTSD), violence. Moderate: past mentions of child abuse, child death, torture and slavery; cursing, emotional abuse, gaslighting, sexism.
___________________________________________________________
In the Kingdom of Penryth, Haven Ashwood serves as the Companion Guard to Crown Prince Bellamy Boteler. The Kingdom is suffering from a years long curse and on Prince Bell's birthday, he is discovered to be a lightbringer, a rare magical mortal. Unfortunately, this dooms and he is taken by the Shade Lord and brought to the Shade Queen to be sacrificed. Haven hasn't had anyone until Bell took her in and she is determined to bring him back, even if the only way to do that is to break the curse.
Haven sets off on a whirlwind adventure full of magic, epiphanies and mythical creatures. I really enjoyed this story and the ending has me even more intrigued than when I started. Oath Taker is a bit slow in the beginning due to all the world building, but I loved getting to know Haven and Bell. Haven like hardly sleeps in this book, I think she really deserves a nap after all this stress.
Somewhere in the middle, there's a bit of a Beauty & the Beast retelling which completely surprised me, but I cannot wait to see where it will go. The overall themes of Dark vs Light are quite complicated and I'm eager to see what Haven will bring to the conflict being .
The ending felt quite abrupt as well, but I am eagerly anticipating book 2. I really enjoyed seeing Haven get under Archeron Halfbane's skin. It was just so easy for her. I think the romance between the two was pretty light as of now, but I'm wondering if I should be shipping these two or Haven & Stolas, the Shade Lord. I got some intense Rhysand--ACOTAR-- vibes from Stolas and I'm enjoying what I've seen. I would really like to know more though. The hint is not enough, because I still don't trust him!
I really enjoyed the rune magic and can't wait to see more of it as well. I don't completely understand what each different type of magic is, but the explanations that were given made sense so far. Haven definitely bonded with the group of Solis she set out with and I really hope they'll actually become friends. I also want more of the seer!
After this reread I don't like Acheron one bit and that ending was quite abrupt? Felt like there should have been more to this. Still very enjoyable.
Oath Taker is a fun start to the Kingdom of Runes series. When Prince Bell is taken by evil monsters, Haven is determined to get him back even if it means allying with the asshole Archeron Halfbane. They'll have to learn to trust each other if they have any hope of ending the curse.
This was such a cool world. I love the Noctis, Solis and human cultures. I want to learn more about them all and how exactly the Noctis were banished. I love Haven's humor and snarky banter. I love how she gets under Archeron's skin, though I was not a fan of Archeron himself. He's such an asshole and for literally no reason. I definitely did not see any of the romantic vibes between these two that I supposedly got the first time reading this, but that's okay because I am all about Stolas, no contest. I want more of him!!
Rep: female MC w/ PTSD, BIPOC achillean (gay coded) male MC, side WLW couple, blind male side character.
CWs: Blood, death, injury/injury detail, kidnapping, mental illness (PTSD), violence. Moderate: past mentions of child abuse, child death, torture and slavery; cursing, emotional abuse, gaslighting, sexism.
___________________________________________________________
In the Kingdom of Penryth, Haven Ashwood serves as the Companion Guard to Crown Prince Bellamy Boteler. The Kingdom is suffering from a years long curse and on Prince Bell's birthday, he is discovered to be a lightbringer, a rare magical mortal. Unfortunately, this dooms and he is taken by the Shade Lord and brought to the Shade Queen to be sacrificed. Haven hasn't had anyone until Bell took her in and she is determined to bring him back, even if the only way to do that is to break the curse.
Haven sets off on a whirlwind adventure full of magic, epiphanies and mythical creatures. I really enjoyed this story and the ending has me even more intrigued than when I started. Oath Taker is a bit slow in the beginning due to all the world building, but I loved getting to know Haven and Bell. Haven like hardly sleeps in this book, I think she really deserves a nap after all this stress.
Somewhere in the middle, there's a bit of a Beauty & the Beast retelling which completely surprised me, but I cannot wait to see where it will go. The overall themes of Dark vs Light are quite complicated and I'm eager to see what Haven will bring to the conflict being .
The ending felt quite abrupt as well, but I am eagerly anticipating book 2. I really enjoyed seeing Haven get under Archeron Halfbane's skin. It was just so easy for her. I think the romance between the two was pretty light as of now, but I'm wondering if I should be shipping these two or Haven & Stolas, the Shade Lord. I got some intense Rhysand--ACOTAR-- vibes from Stolas and I'm enjoying what I've seen. I would really like to know more though. The hint is not enough, because I still don't trust him!
I really enjoyed the rune magic and can't wait to see more of it as well. I don't completely understand what each different type of magic is, but the explanations that were given made sense so far. Haven definitely bonded with the group of Solis she set out with and I really hope they'll actually become friends. I also want more of the seer!
May 16, 2020
”Haven Ashwood knew one thing for certain: she was going to get Bell back, even if she had to burn down the Netherworld to do it ”
Whoever said this book was perfect for fans of Sarah J Maas were spot on! I got huge TOG vibes from this book. A bad ass MC, a prince, Magic she doesn’t know she has and can’t control. It was perfect.
The world building? Absolutely beautiful! It was dark, unique and so detailed that I felt like I could picture everything perfectly. The magick (that’s how it’s spelled in the book) was pretty cool and I was so interested in seeing what elder Haven was capable of!!
I’m a little confused about Haven/Archean/Stolas but I guess we are supposed to be? Haha it seems like Haven is connected to one and connected to the others magick? I guess I’ll learn more in the next book but this series is seriously awesome!!
Oh and there’s a founding family in this book that are amazing! Everyone should read this book ASAP! On to book two.
5/5 🌟’s
Whoever said this book was perfect for fans of Sarah J Maas were spot on! I got huge TOG vibes from this book. A bad ass MC, a prince, Magic she doesn’t know she has and can’t control. It was perfect.
The world building? Absolutely beautiful! It was dark, unique and so detailed that I felt like I could picture everything perfectly. The magick (that’s how it’s spelled in the book) was pretty cool and I was so interested in seeing what elder Haven was capable of!!
I’m a little confused about Haven/Archean/Stolas but I guess we are supposed to be? Haha it seems like Haven is connected to one and connected to the others magick? I guess I’ll learn more in the next book but this series is seriously awesome!!
Oh and there’s a founding family in this book that are amazing! Everyone should read this book ASAP! On to book two.
5/5 🌟’s
September 3, 2019
The story was weird. Haven was this badass character at the beginning and then she was not. She was always whining about her runestones and it got annoying. Bellamy was just a dull character through out, I wish his capture would have toughened him up a little bit but that did not happen.
I am confused as to who is the love interest in this book as well, Acheron and Stolis seem to mean the same thing to Haven that I thought this might be a reverse harem but on checking it isn't. I'm not one for love triangles, I find it tedious and boring so I hope book 3 answers that question.
I am confused as to who is the love interest in this book as well, Acheron and Stolis seem to mean the same thing to Haven that I thought this might be a reverse harem but on checking it isn't. I'm not one for love triangles, I find it tedious and boring so I hope book 3 answers that question.
June 14, 2019
I really wanted to like this but absolutely nothing is drawing me into this book. This keeps being touted as a book similar to a Sarah Maas book but I really do not see much of similarity at all. The why of everything is pretty confusing and the MC likes to do stupid stuff for reasons... I'm going to just stop now, this is not working for me at all.
September 21, 2019
This book was good! It has very many similarities to ACOTAR, but there’s enough differences for it to be able to stand on its own as well.
The quest they’re on is interesting and you can see the start of a love triangle forming. I wish the romance was somewhat more prevalent, but the rest of the plot is entertaining enough so I’m still a big fan.
The quest they’re on is interesting and you can see the start of a love triangle forming. I wish the romance was somewhat more prevalent, but the rest of the plot is entertaining enough so I’m still a big fan.
March 14, 2020
2.5 stars
things happened way too fast without any development, which left me constantly confused. kinda just felt like a knock off throne of glass but without the beautiful character development(or beautiful characters, for that matter...) that SJM focuses on. could barely get myself to finish... probably much better suited for a young reader. Would probably be a good introduction to fantasy also.
things happened way too fast without any development, which left me constantly confused. kinda just felt like a knock off throne of glass but without the beautiful character development(or beautiful characters, for that matter...) that SJM focuses on. could barely get myself to finish... probably much better suited for a young reader. Would probably be a good introduction to fantasy also.
May 15, 2021
very generously rounding up to 3 stars.
Well, I want to say I loved this, but no, I didn't. There were a lot of places that bored me (I went grocery shopping, watched Food Network & cleaned the bathroom rather than keep reading this book!). It was bad enough for me that I almost quit. My struggle was real, as I don't force myself to read books I'm not enjoying to some degree. It took me way longer to read this than it should have, since I'm a speed reader & it was a rainy Saturday, & my day off. This book did not pull me in enough to keep wanting to read until around 75%. That's a slow flow with no pull for me. The last 25% was great, enough to pull my star rating from a 2 (my standard for books I've finished & disliked) to a 3. Enough to put me on the fence about continuing with book 2 when it releases. A lot of reviewers are comparing this to Sarah J. Maas' work, but I only saw a few similarities. I would say Maas definitely was an influence on the writing style to a small degree. There was some good parts to the world building & some not so good parts. I kept feeling confused like I missed a prequel or something -until I got to about the 50% point. I even tried to see if there was something on the author's Amazon page to double check about the prequel. There was a lot of descriptions of stuff that really pushed this over the edge of nearly being too descriptive for things that didn't matter to the story. There was also a lot of repetitiveness to the story. Like the author needed to push (or force) the ideas onto the reader to make sure we get it. Between the too descriptive parts & repetitiveness, this could have been pared down & maybe would have helped the flow a bit.
My biggest gripe, the point of view changes from random chapters, with NO warning. These would have been easy to label at the chapter # area. A new chapter starts & it takes a few sentences in to figure out we changed from Haven to Bell or someone else. It didn't change from chapter to chapter either, so that was where it led to issues for me. Sometimes I'd have to backtrack to figure out what happened.
The heroine, Haven was not a great character IMO, at some points she's just too much -either direction, whether it's emotions, protectiveness, impulsiveness or just being an idiot (or the opposite of those things). Just an over the top character that ends up feeling forced. I just couldn't care about her like I did with the Maas' heroine. I was also sick of the Rose colored hair references, like a reader will forget about her unusual hair color all the way thru the book that I never really saw anybody but her seem to care about her hair color.
Archeron & Stolas, being portrayed as the opposites, a good & evil male leads, or are they? These 2 characters are one of a few places I see a similarity to Maas' series. Stolas is supposed to be the bad guy or villain (I'm assuming), since the book sort of lends to him being a bad guy, by his title and all that netherworld stuff & all the innuendos to his character (like in Maas' series). But he was the actual reason I kept reading at all. I liked him, a lot! The snippets where he pops into the story are the redeeming qualities of the whole book for me & what kept me reading. I wish there had been more Stolas & less Archeron. Where Stolas is riveting as a character, Archeron is such an @ss. I don't like Archeron at all, right from when he first shows up in the beginning. I don't see a "love" interest in him for Haven at all (that the secondary characters mention). I wouldn't have my feelings hurt if he's either killed off in the next book or is shown to be the total villain instead of Stolas.
At this point, I'm on the fence about reading book 2 when it comes out. I'm interested in more Stolas, he would be my deciding factor I think. But otherwise, I don't know, Haven & Archeron have left me disinterested. I'll guess I'll see what I decide after seeing what other reviewers say at the time book 2 releases.
Well, I want to say I loved this, but no, I didn't. There were a lot of places that bored me (I went grocery shopping, watched Food Network & cleaned the bathroom rather than keep reading this book!). It was bad enough for me that I almost quit. My struggle was real, as I don't force myself to read books I'm not enjoying to some degree. It took me way longer to read this than it should have, since I'm a speed reader & it was a rainy Saturday, & my day off. This book did not pull me in enough to keep wanting to read until around 75%. That's a slow flow with no pull for me. The last 25% was great, enough to pull my star rating from a 2 (my standard for books I've finished & disliked) to a 3. Enough to put me on the fence about continuing with book 2 when it releases. A lot of reviewers are comparing this to Sarah J. Maas' work, but I only saw a few similarities. I would say Maas definitely was an influence on the writing style to a small degree. There was some good parts to the world building & some not so good parts. I kept feeling confused like I missed a prequel or something -until I got to about the 50% point. I even tried to see if there was something on the author's Amazon page to double check about the prequel. There was a lot of descriptions of stuff that really pushed this over the edge of nearly being too descriptive for things that didn't matter to the story. There was also a lot of repetitiveness to the story. Like the author needed to push (or force) the ideas onto the reader to make sure we get it. Between the too descriptive parts & repetitiveness, this could have been pared down & maybe would have helped the flow a bit.
My biggest gripe, the point of view changes from random chapters, with NO warning. These would have been easy to label at the chapter # area. A new chapter starts & it takes a few sentences in to figure out we changed from Haven to Bell or someone else. It didn't change from chapter to chapter either, so that was where it led to issues for me. Sometimes I'd have to backtrack to figure out what happened.
The heroine, Haven was not a great character IMO, at some points she's just too much -either direction, whether it's emotions, protectiveness, impulsiveness or just being an idiot (or the opposite of those things). Just an over the top character that ends up feeling forced. I just couldn't care about her like I did with the Maas' heroine. I was also sick of the Rose colored hair references, like a reader will forget about her unusual hair color all the way thru the book that I never really saw anybody but her seem to care about her hair color.
Archeron & Stolas, being portrayed as the opposites, a good & evil male leads, or are they? These 2 characters are one of a few places I see a similarity to Maas' series. Stolas is supposed to be the bad guy or villain (I'm assuming), since the book sort of lends to him being a bad guy, by his title and all that netherworld stuff & all the innuendos to his character (like in Maas' series). But he was the actual reason I kept reading at all. I liked him, a lot! The snippets where he pops into the story are the redeeming qualities of the whole book for me & what kept me reading. I wish there had been more Stolas & less Archeron. Where Stolas is riveting as a character, Archeron is such an @ss. I don't like Archeron at all, right from when he first shows up in the beginning. I don't see a "love" interest in him for Haven at all (that the secondary characters mention). I wouldn't have my feelings hurt if he's either killed off in the next book or is shown to be the total villain instead of Stolas.
At this point, I'm on the fence about reading book 2 when it comes out. I'm interested in more Stolas, he would be my deciding factor I think. But otherwise, I don't know, Haven & Archeron have left me disinterested. I'll guess I'll see what I decide after seeing what other reviewers say at the time book 2 releases.
August 28, 2019
Fast paced and keeping me on the edge magical adventure.
She is sworn to protect the Prince but who she really is. Is the darkness in the forest too scary and can she break the curse.
Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Now I'm off to book 2
She is sworn to protect the Prince but who she really is. Is the darkness in the forest too scary and can she break the curse.
Thoroughly enjoyed this book. Now I'm off to book 2
May 7, 2020
Ok I really tried to really like this after so many bigger it up.. and by the end of the book I did enjoy it.. I just feel like so much happened straight away before I was even given time to understand what was happening, who was who and where it was all leading.. but I'm going to continue and see where it goes..as like I said I was enjoying it by the end
August 24, 2021
I found myself torn after finishing this read. There are positives and negatives like with any read but I went back and forth so many times I have whip lash this morning. So here is the best I can do....
World build:
For me, it seemed all over the place. There are physical places in this world yet I feel like I know none of them. We traveled around so much I could never feel a firm grasp on the setting/world. Multiple species which is wonderful, however again they pop in so quickly and are gone without much introduction. I would rate the world build a 2.5.
Storyline:
Too much going on at one time. We change POVs or a least seem too more than necessary. The flip flopping left me feeling as if I know the characters maybe 40% (that is being generous for some). There is no prominent MC. Some characters are introduced but there is absolutely no chemistry and no love story. Not even a cloud of possible smoke. Not even a sniff of burning embers. Not a single kiss or hell a butt grab...which I would have settled for. There is not even a lingering look. I think you get my point. Storyline is a 2 for me.
FMC:
Haven is the only clear character in the read. Her backstory in murky, I wish Grey had opened up a bit more into that. Her loyalty is flawless. She has some sass to her which I enjoyed. She has potential to be bad ass, but fell short in that area. She just needs some more information leaked and most definitely a romance to spice this up a bit. Haven gets a 4
MC:
There is none.
Secondary characters:
Would be everyone else from a Sun Lords, to a Shadow Lord, to a best friend that is a Prince.... but none of them were developed to the point of having a significant attachment for me. Characters, storyline, and world build were too broad for me. However I would give them a 3.
I will certainly continue the series because there is such potential here. Hoping for a bit more in book 2.
Happy reading,
DD💕
World build:
For me, it seemed all over the place. There are physical places in this world yet I feel like I know none of them. We traveled around so much I could never feel a firm grasp on the setting/world. Multiple species which is wonderful, however again they pop in so quickly and are gone without much introduction. I would rate the world build a 2.5.
Storyline:
Too much going on at one time. We change POVs or a least seem too more than necessary. The flip flopping left me feeling as if I know the characters maybe 40% (that is being generous for some). There is no prominent MC. Some characters are introduced but there is absolutely no chemistry and no love story. Not even a cloud of possible smoke. Not even a sniff of burning embers. Not a single kiss or hell a butt grab...which I would have settled for. There is not even a lingering look. I think you get my point. Storyline is a 2 for me.
FMC:
Haven is the only clear character in the read. Her backstory in murky, I wish Grey had opened up a bit more into that. Her loyalty is flawless. She has some sass to her which I enjoyed. She has potential to be bad ass, but fell short in that area. She just needs some more information leaked and most definitely a romance to spice this up a bit. Haven gets a 4
MC:
There is none.
Secondary characters:
Would be everyone else from a Sun Lords, to a Shadow Lord, to a best friend that is a Prince.... but none of them were developed to the point of having a significant attachment for me. Characters, storyline, and world build were too broad for me. However I would give them a 3.
I will certainly continue the series because there is such potential here. Hoping for a bit more in book 2.
Happy reading,
DD💕
Read
January 16, 2020Decided to DNF at 50 pages. I'm sure it's a great story and will be back to re-read it whole but, it did not pick up on me this time, hence no rating.
This is totally to be blamed on my mood and not a book, as you can see other's reviews.
This is totally to be blamed on my mood and not a book, as you can see other's reviews.
June 6, 2021
Hmmm ...hm.
January 19, 2020
https://celebrityreaders.com/2020/01/...
It was a great journey for Haven, Bell and the side characters. Very action packed, fast paced and had great POV’s. The world building was excellent but kinda got in the way of the story at times. While there is only a hint of romantical emotions in this story I am still reading the next one. This reminds me of The Dragons of Spring Dawning series, a series which I loved.
Haven is young and her age shows. She is rebellious, stubborn and believes that her BF Prince Bell and her will live happily ever after when he grows up to be the the king. I love her growth in this first book. She quickly learns the hard way that saving Prince Bell is not as easy as she thought it would be. Her journey is difficult and she meets an amazing cast of characters along the way. They each make their own unique impression but there are too many to go in to detail on every one.
Archeron is a bit older and jaded since he is basically a slave to the king, but he is able to manipluate him into joining Haven on her journey with the premise that if he succeeds in rescuing Prince Bell he will be free from his ah, service. Their journey is a bit rocky since they don’t really know each other that well. An attraction blossoms despite the danger and it’s very slow but develops. We are kinda left with a cliffy but I really enjoyed this one.
It was a great journey for Haven, Bell and the side characters. Very action packed, fast paced and had great POV’s. The world building was excellent but kinda got in the way of the story at times. While there is only a hint of romantical emotions in this story I am still reading the next one. This reminds me of The Dragons of Spring Dawning series, a series which I loved.
Haven is young and her age shows. She is rebellious, stubborn and believes that her BF Prince Bell and her will live happily ever after when he grows up to be the the king. I love her growth in this first book. She quickly learns the hard way that saving Prince Bell is not as easy as she thought it would be. Her journey is difficult and she meets an amazing cast of characters along the way. They each make their own unique impression but there are too many to go in to detail on every one.
Archeron is a bit older and jaded since he is basically a slave to the king, but he is able to manipluate him into joining Haven on her journey with the premise that if he succeeds in rescuing Prince Bell he will be free from his ah, service. Their journey is a bit rocky since they don’t really know each other that well. An attraction blossoms despite the danger and it’s very slow but develops. We are kinda left with a cliffy but I really enjoyed this one.
June 7, 2019
I read this entire book in a day. No lie. I could NOT put it down guys! It was one of those that just sucks you right into the world. I love good high fantasy type read and it was exactly what I needed.
This book checked all the boxes for me. It was high energy, super packed with action and character development, and just enough angst to swoon my romance filled heart.
I LOVED Haven. I liked that she had a past. I loved who she was as a characters and her sense of self. As she developed through the book I absolutely fell in love with her even more. A girl who acts first and thinks second when it comes to doing what she believes in.
The authors also does a fantastic job crafting a world that you instantly want to know more about. By the end of it, I was dying or more and excited for the next book. I hope we find out more about the different backgrounds and so much more of the possible romance. I mean, I am a romance junkie.
But either way,
I am hooked.
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