What do you think?
Rate this book
The Royal Rose Chronicles #1
Oathbound
Beware the waters. The dangerous deep brings ruin to all.Emme has spent her life avoiding anything to do with pirates. But the fates are cruel, and now a hidden sickness leads her to partner with pirates for the one thing that can save her—a cure on an island none are certain exists.The pirate captain’s secrets are darker than the deep and threaten to kill them all. His obligations are tinged with betrayal, for his oathbind must be fulfilled. To ignore it is to invite peril of unimaginable destruction.As the adventure unfolds, the sea takes more than she expects and the sea gives more than he wants.
371 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 15, 2022
58 people are currently reading
4021 people want to read
About the author
Victoria McCombs
13 books677 followersBest-selling author of Oathbound and Mortal Queens from Enclave Publishing.
Victoria McCombs is the author of The Storyteller’s Series, The Royal Rose Chronicles, and the fae dynasty duology, with hopefully many more to come. She survives on hazelnut coffee, 20-minute naps, and a healthy fear of her deadlines, all while raising four wildlings with her husband in Omaha, Nebraska.
Victoria McCombs is the author of The Storyteller’s Series, The Royal Rose Chronicles, and the fae dynasty duology, with hopefully many more to come. She survives on hazelnut coffee, 20-minute naps, and a healthy fear of her deadlines, all while raising four wildlings with her husband in Omaha, Nebraska.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 287 reviews
September 15, 2022
About this book:
“Beware the waters. The dangerous deep brings ruin to all.
Emme has spent her life avoiding anything to do with pirates. But the fates are cruel, and now a hidden sickness leads her to partner with pirates for the one thing that can save her—a cure on an island none are certain exists.
The pirate captain’s secrets are darker than the deep and threaten to kill them all. His obligations are tinged with betrayal, for his oathbind must be fulfilled. To ignore it is to invite peril of unimaginable destruction.
As the adventure unfolds, the sea takes more than she expects and the sea gives more than he wants.”
Series: Book #1 in the “The Royal Rose Chronicles” series.
Spiritual Content- Mentions of prayers & praying (some to the Sea King and one to the Fates, but for most of the prayers, who they are praying to is not mentioned); Mentions of sins (including Arn’s plans to commit more sins); A mention of “whatever afterlife awaited” for someone who died; A couple mentions of miracles; A mention of a building’s ceilings looking like a cathedral and that the devil himself would think twice about entering;
*Note: A magic boot that talks to people; Using & mentions of magical weapons/items; Receiving visions (nightmares) of terrible things from someone who uses dark magic & this darkness being able to make people go crazy (more in the Negative Content section, the characters wonder what someone did to be tormented so) & herbs that help keep away evil spirits (called enchantments by Arn who makes them for his crew); When someone dies, their body is slid into the sea (and it’s said “we give this body back to the sea and to King Valian. May ye find peace in your next life.” For a later funeral, the people’s belonging are sent into the sea and the “waters shared a piece of their souls”); Fighting a ghost (up to semi-detailed); Fighting a person with devilish magic and strength (up to semi-detailed); *Spoiler* ; Many, many mentions of the devil, making a deal with the devil, and a devil’s ship haunting people (using dark magic that gives people nightmares/visions of terrible things, up to semi-detailed); Many, many mentions of ghosts (including a rumor of a man who gave up his mortality to become a ghost); Many mentions of a Sea King (treated as a god that people mention believing/not believing in and praying to), thanking him, & being blessed by him; Mentions of a healing nut; Mentions of the Fates & them being cruel; Mentions of devilish gleams, grins & good looks; A couple mentions of a story about a group of pirates that either live in the stars or in the dolphins; A mention from Emme that the Fates, the gods, the Sea King Valian or whoever controlled the world is dark and twisted to do something to the crew; A mention of the evil in someone’s heart; A mention of hypnosis.
Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘bejabbers’, a ‘bloody’, an ‘idiot’, a ‘shut up’, two ‘what in the name of the dark seas’s, three ‘stupid’s, three forms of ‘what the devil’, four ‘blimey’s, four ‘stars and seaweed’s, five forms of ‘stars’, and fourteen forms of ‘blast’; Cursing based off of the Sea god/King: a ‘for King Valian’s sake’, a ‘who in King Valian’s name’, and three forms of ‘By Valian’s Crown’; Many mentions of curses (said, but not written out, including ones said by Emme and Arn); Some eye rolling & sarcasm; Fighting fantasy creatures & killing them (including shooting and pushing them into a fire, up to detailed); Cutting a man’s head off (barely-above-not-detailed); *Spoiler* ; Lots of Pain, Injuries and Major Injuries, Blood/Bleeding, Fighting, Shooting/Harming others, Passing out, Nearly Dying, & Killing (semi-detailed to detailed); Seeing others harmed & killed (up to detailed); Being kidnapped, threatened, & held at knife-point (up to semi-detailed); Nightmares/Visions of horrible deaths, dead bodies, & illusions that mess with a person’s mind (including one that tries to drown a person, semi-detailed); Getting tattoos & pain (barely-above-not-detailed); Arn justifies some of his actions (lying and killing) based on the person his actions are towards (such as lying to a man that isn’t honorable so it doesn’t weigh on his conscience or willing to kill someone who wronged him or hurt someone in his crew); Emme doesn’t like killing and when Arn asks if it’s okay that he kills a fantasy creature, she says yes because it’s more beast than human (she struggles with killing for a large part of the book but decides she needs to protect herself and not have to be saved); Arn is drunk at the opening chapters & takes another swig of his flask even though he’s being reminded why he often avoids getting drunk; Many, many mentions of deaths, killing, almost being killed, bodies, hiding bodies, blood/bleeding, injuries, & pain (up to semi-detailed); Many, many mentions of fighting, fights/battles/attacks, weapons, gunfire, aiming to kill, & self-defense (up to semi-detailed); Many, many mentions of fantasy creatures, how they eat humans, bones, & fighting and killing the creatures (up to semi-detailed); Many, many mentions of nightmares/visions of horrible deaths, bones, bodies (up to semi-detailed); Many, many mentions of taverns, alcohol, drinking, drunks, hangovers, & being sober; Many, many mentions of tattoos (looked upon as normal for pirates and giving courage to the wearer and others to fear them), getting tattoos, & piercings; Many mentions of drowning, those who have drowned, thinking someone has drowned, & their bodies (up to semi-detailed); Many mentions of how a man kills the people that own him money (up to semi-detailed); Many mentions of threats, traps, & tricks; Many mentions of lies, lying, & keeping secrets; Mentions of fires, burns/injuries, pain, pushing people/creatures into the fire & the smell of burning flesh (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of a story of a group of pirates eating the bones of those they’ve killed (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of a death from an illnesses (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of a man’s lover being killed in front of him & his reaction (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of killing (teasing/not serious); Mentions of kidnappings; Mentions of revenge & wanting to chop off a man’s limb; Mentions of mutiny; Mentions of slavery & being sold as a slave; Mentions of robbing/stealing, smuggling, & cheating; Mentions of poisons & being poisoned; Mentions of hatred; Mentions of gossip & rumors; Mentions of throwing up; A few mentions of gambling; A mention of war; A mention of tobacco; A mention of urine.
Sexual Content- Five almost kisses (two semi-detailed and two border-line semi-detailed // detailed), two head/forehead kisses, a barely-above-not-detailed kiss, and a border-line barely-above-not-detailed // semi-detailed kiss; Imagining a man kissing another girl (barely-above-not-detailed); Recalling almost kisses & nearness; Touches, Embraces, Dancing, Hand Holding, & Nearness (up to semi-detailed); Blushes; Noticing & Smelling (barely-above-not-detailed); Emme wonders if she’ll die without being kissed; Arn thinks his devilish good looks must have swayed Emme & that he knew that one day she wouldn’t be able to resist; Mentions of women being kidnapped to breed (the men think they’ve being fair to the women as she gets to pick her husband); Mentions of kisses & kissing; Mentions of blushes & liking someone; Mentions of jealousy; A few mentions of lovers; A few mentions of wondering what a man did to a woman for her father to be upset and chasing him (nothing sexual happened, a slight misunderstanding); A few mentions of men saying that doing something with “earn them many ladies” at the port; A couple mentions of a lad and lass going to a room together at night (nothing sexual happened, but teasing happens from another man); A couple mentions of Arn not liking how a man leers at Emme; A couple mentions of flirting; A mention of a couple kissing; A mention of Arn spending the night in Emme’s bed when he was sick/healing (prior to the book starting); Some love, falling/being in love, & the emotions;
*Note: A handful of mentions of Emme’s figure (from her and Arn, barely-above-not-detailed); A mention of a woman’s long legs.
-Emme Salinda, age 18
-Arn Mangelo, age 21
1st person P.O.V. switches between them, Emric (once), & Ontario (once)
Fantasy
304 pages
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Pre Teens- One Star
New Teens- One Star
Early High School Teens- Two Stars
Older High School Teens- Two Stars (and a half)
My personal Rating- Two Stars
{ These ratings are for all content in this book, a person or family’s sensitivity to the topic of magic is not accounted for in these ratings. }
Let’s first get it out of the way: There’s no Christian faith shown in this novel. Enclave Publishing seems to publish more clean fiction (typically Young Adult Fantasy) written by Christian authors, but I haven’t heard of a strong faith theme in any of their books. (If you know of one, please let me know.)
There’s magic and dark magic, lots of fighting and killing—and some of it’s cleaner than some other books I’ve reviewed on here, the chopping of limbs and killing others were written in a blunt fashion that if the reader dwells on it for longer than a moment, harsh unwanted images may come to mind and sadden or upset the reader.
There is a sea king/sea god mentioned often (both as a god figure and as a fill-in for a curse) and whether people believe in his existence, but I could not find it to be an allegory for God based on different comments. The devil (little ‘d’) is mentioned just as often—if not a bit more—because of swearing and calling other people the devil.
I wasn’t sure what to think about Arn. Our first introduction of him is a rare moment (according to Emme) of him being drunk. Which didn’t endear him to me at all. I never rooted for them to be together and I can’t imagine that changing even if I read the next book in the series. He was more of a controlling-type of protective towards Emme and him begging her to join his trip—that she had been vocal about not joining in the past—so that he could feel comfort by her being with him, made my opinion of him continue to lower. None of their romantic parts felt right to me, from their terribly timed almost kisses (and there was quite a few of those) to him saving her from something he started then receiving her thanks. He kept a major secret and lies to her, but her peace offering was that she was keeping a secret as well—which wasn’t even on the same level (his affects everyone, hers only affects her). I really wasn’t a fan of him or the romance elements.
If the topic of magic bothers you, then this book probably isn’t for you. For me, it was more of the parts with dark magic sending visions (nightmares) of horrible deaths, bones, and bodies to people and tormenting their minds that I didn’t like reading about. Along with the creating of “enchantments” (made with herbs and cloths) that were supposed to help keep said visions away…which it’s unclear if those worked or not (leaning towards not), but Arn put a lot of stock in them for his crew.
Those more major issues aside: There were more than a few moments that Emme and Arn did somethings that were just plain dumb. The pacing was odd at times. I was enjoying the beginning (let’s say the first third) because it was very clean compared to past secular pirate-themed books I’ve read, but as the story progressed, there was more and more parts I was feeling uncomfortable with reading. While there were a couple parts I would be interested in learning more about, I’m uncertain if I’ll continue with the series as the rest of the books release.
Link to review:
Coming soon.
*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.
“Beware the waters. The dangerous deep brings ruin to all.
Emme has spent her life avoiding anything to do with pirates. But the fates are cruel, and now a hidden sickness leads her to partner with pirates for the one thing that can save her—a cure on an island none are certain exists.
The pirate captain’s secrets are darker than the deep and threaten to kill them all. His obligations are tinged with betrayal, for his oathbind must be fulfilled. To ignore it is to invite peril of unimaginable destruction.
As the adventure unfolds, the sea takes more than she expects and the sea gives more than he wants.”
Series: Book #1 in the “The Royal Rose Chronicles” series.
Spiritual Content- Mentions of prayers & praying (some to the Sea King and one to the Fates, but for most of the prayers, who they are praying to is not mentioned); Mentions of sins (including Arn’s plans to commit more sins); A mention of “whatever afterlife awaited” for someone who died; A couple mentions of miracles; A mention of a building’s ceilings looking like a cathedral and that the devil himself would think twice about entering;
*Note: A magic boot that talks to people; Using & mentions of magical weapons/items; Receiving visions (nightmares) of terrible things from someone who uses dark magic & this darkness being able to make people go crazy (more in the Negative Content section, the characters wonder what someone did to be tormented so) & herbs that help keep away evil spirits (called enchantments by Arn who makes them for his crew); When someone dies, their body is slid into the sea (and it’s said “we give this body back to the sea and to King Valian. May ye find peace in your next life.” For a later funeral, the people’s belonging are sent into the sea and the “waters shared a piece of their souls”); Fighting a ghost (up to semi-detailed); Fighting a person with devilish magic and strength (up to semi-detailed); *Spoiler* ; Many, many mentions of the devil, making a deal with the devil, and a devil’s ship haunting people (using dark magic that gives people nightmares/visions of terrible things, up to semi-detailed); Many, many mentions of ghosts (including a rumor of a man who gave up his mortality to become a ghost); Many mentions of a Sea King (treated as a god that people mention believing/not believing in and praying to), thanking him, & being blessed by him; Mentions of a healing nut; Mentions of the Fates & them being cruel; Mentions of devilish gleams, grins & good looks; A couple mentions of a story about a group of pirates that either live in the stars or in the dolphins; A mention from Emme that the Fates, the gods, the Sea King Valian or whoever controlled the world is dark and twisted to do something to the crew; A mention of the evil in someone’s heart; A mention of hypnosis.
Negative Content- Minor cussing including: a ‘bejabbers’, a ‘bloody’, an ‘idiot’, a ‘shut up’, two ‘what in the name of the dark seas’s, three ‘stupid’s, three forms of ‘what the devil’, four ‘blimey’s, four ‘stars and seaweed’s, five forms of ‘stars’, and fourteen forms of ‘blast’; Cursing based off of the Sea god/King: a ‘for King Valian’s sake’, a ‘who in King Valian’s name’, and three forms of ‘By Valian’s Crown’; Many mentions of curses (said, but not written out, including ones said by Emme and Arn); Some eye rolling & sarcasm; Fighting fantasy creatures & killing them (including shooting and pushing them into a fire, up to detailed); Cutting a man’s head off (barely-above-not-detailed); *Spoiler* ; Lots of Pain, Injuries and Major Injuries, Blood/Bleeding, Fighting, Shooting/Harming others, Passing out, Nearly Dying, & Killing (semi-detailed to detailed); Seeing others harmed & killed (up to detailed); Being kidnapped, threatened, & held at knife-point (up to semi-detailed); Nightmares/Visions of horrible deaths, dead bodies, & illusions that mess with a person’s mind (including one that tries to drown a person, semi-detailed); Getting tattoos & pain (barely-above-not-detailed); Arn justifies some of his actions (lying and killing) based on the person his actions are towards (such as lying to a man that isn’t honorable so it doesn’t weigh on his conscience or willing to kill someone who wronged him or hurt someone in his crew); Emme doesn’t like killing and when Arn asks if it’s okay that he kills a fantasy creature, she says yes because it’s more beast than human (she struggles with killing for a large part of the book but decides she needs to protect herself and not have to be saved); Arn is drunk at the opening chapters & takes another swig of his flask even though he’s being reminded why he often avoids getting drunk; Many, many mentions of deaths, killing, almost being killed, bodies, hiding bodies, blood/bleeding, injuries, & pain (up to semi-detailed); Many, many mentions of fighting, fights/battles/attacks, weapons, gunfire, aiming to kill, & self-defense (up to semi-detailed); Many, many mentions of fantasy creatures, how they eat humans, bones, & fighting and killing the creatures (up to semi-detailed); Many, many mentions of nightmares/visions of horrible deaths, bones, bodies (up to semi-detailed); Many, many mentions of taverns, alcohol, drinking, drunks, hangovers, & being sober; Many, many mentions of tattoos (looked upon as normal for pirates and giving courage to the wearer and others to fear them), getting tattoos, & piercings; Many mentions of drowning, those who have drowned, thinking someone has drowned, & their bodies (up to semi-detailed); Many mentions of how a man kills the people that own him money (up to semi-detailed); Many mentions of threats, traps, & tricks; Many mentions of lies, lying, & keeping secrets; Mentions of fires, burns/injuries, pain, pushing people/creatures into the fire & the smell of burning flesh (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of a story of a group of pirates eating the bones of those they’ve killed (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of a death from an illnesses (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of a man’s lover being killed in front of him & his reaction (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of killing (teasing/not serious); Mentions of kidnappings; Mentions of revenge & wanting to chop off a man’s limb; Mentions of mutiny; Mentions of slavery & being sold as a slave; Mentions of robbing/stealing, smuggling, & cheating; Mentions of poisons & being poisoned; Mentions of hatred; Mentions of gossip & rumors; Mentions of throwing up; A few mentions of gambling; A mention of war; A mention of tobacco; A mention of urine.
Sexual Content- Five almost kisses (two semi-detailed and two border-line semi-detailed // detailed), two head/forehead kisses, a barely-above-not-detailed kiss, and a border-line barely-above-not-detailed // semi-detailed kiss; Imagining a man kissing another girl (barely-above-not-detailed); Recalling almost kisses & nearness; Touches, Embraces, Dancing, Hand Holding, & Nearness (up to semi-detailed); Blushes; Noticing & Smelling (barely-above-not-detailed); Emme wonders if she’ll die without being kissed; Arn thinks his devilish good looks must have swayed Emme & that he knew that one day she wouldn’t be able to resist; Mentions of women being kidnapped to breed (the men think they’ve being fair to the women as she gets to pick her husband); Mentions of kisses & kissing; Mentions of blushes & liking someone; Mentions of jealousy; A few mentions of lovers; A few mentions of wondering what a man did to a woman for her father to be upset and chasing him (nothing sexual happened, a slight misunderstanding); A few mentions of men saying that doing something with “earn them many ladies” at the port; A couple mentions of a lad and lass going to a room together at night (nothing sexual happened, but teasing happens from another man); A couple mentions of Arn not liking how a man leers at Emme; A couple mentions of flirting; A mention of a couple kissing; A mention of Arn spending the night in Emme’s bed when he was sick/healing (prior to the book starting); Some love, falling/being in love, & the emotions;
*Note: A handful of mentions of Emme’s figure (from her and Arn, barely-above-not-detailed); A mention of a woman’s long legs.
-Emme Salinda, age 18
-Arn Mangelo, age 21
1st person P.O.V. switches between them, Emric (once), & Ontario (once)
Fantasy
304 pages
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Pre Teens- One Star
New Teens- One Star
Early High School Teens- Two Stars
Older High School Teens- Two Stars (and a half)
My personal Rating- Two Stars
{ These ratings are for all content in this book, a person or family’s sensitivity to the topic of magic is not accounted for in these ratings. }
Let’s first get it out of the way: There’s no Christian faith shown in this novel. Enclave Publishing seems to publish more clean fiction (typically Young Adult Fantasy) written by Christian authors, but I haven’t heard of a strong faith theme in any of their books. (If you know of one, please let me know.)
There’s magic and dark magic, lots of fighting and killing—and some of it’s cleaner than some other books I’ve reviewed on here, the chopping of limbs and killing others were written in a blunt fashion that if the reader dwells on it for longer than a moment, harsh unwanted images may come to mind and sadden or upset the reader.
There is a sea king/sea god mentioned often (both as a god figure and as a fill-in for a curse) and whether people believe in his existence, but I could not find it to be an allegory for God based on different comments. The devil (little ‘d’) is mentioned just as often—if not a bit more—because of swearing and calling other people the devil.
I wasn’t sure what to think about Arn. Our first introduction of him is a rare moment (according to Emme) of him being drunk. Which didn’t endear him to me at all. I never rooted for them to be together and I can’t imagine that changing even if I read the next book in the series. He was more of a controlling-type of protective towards Emme and him begging her to join his trip—that she had been vocal about not joining in the past—so that he could feel comfort by her being with him, made my opinion of him continue to lower. None of their romantic parts felt right to me, from their terribly timed almost kisses (and there was quite a few of those) to him saving her from something he started then receiving her thanks. He kept a major secret and lies to her, but her peace offering was that she was keeping a secret as well—which wasn’t even on the same level (his affects everyone, hers only affects her). I really wasn’t a fan of him or the romance elements.
If the topic of magic bothers you, then this book probably isn’t for you. For me, it was more of the parts with dark magic sending visions (nightmares) of horrible deaths, bones, and bodies to people and tormenting their minds that I didn’t like reading about. Along with the creating of “enchantments” (made with herbs and cloths) that were supposed to help keep said visions away…which it’s unclear if those worked or not (leaning towards not), but Arn put a lot of stock in them for his crew.
Those more major issues aside: There were more than a few moments that Emme and Arn did somethings that were just plain dumb. The pacing was odd at times. I was enjoying the beginning (let’s say the first third) because it was very clean compared to past secular pirate-themed books I’ve read, but as the story progressed, there was more and more parts I was feeling uncomfortable with reading. While there were a couple parts I would be interested in learning more about, I’m uncertain if I’ll continue with the series as the rest of the books release.
Link to review:
Coming soon.
*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.
August 26, 2020
I'm the author so I'm biased! But oh my gosh I loved writing this book!!! This was the sort of book that I stayed up late writing, couldn't get out of my head, words flowed onto the paper, and I felt so deeply in my heart. I'm so proud of how this book turned out, and I hope you all love it, too.
November 30, 2024
3.5⭐️
Well-written magical pirate tale with an interesting plot and appealing characters Perhaps if I found pirates more appealing, I would have rated it higher.
I have read books with pirates before, but they have regarded pirating in a negative light. Oathbound, for much of the story, seems to view it as simply another occupation. Toward the middle of the story, some negative themes regarding pirating come into the story, but I can’t tell if redemption in this area is going to be part of the next installments or not. [Edit to add: The FMC does not have a high regard for pirating at the beginning of the story, but this is set up as something that looks like it needs redeeming—that something is wrong about her view because it stems from a poor relationship with her mother.]
My library only has this first book, and if KU doesn’t have them, I won’t pursue them. However, I enjoyed it enough to want to see Emme and Arn through if I can get my hands on the next installments either free or at a very good price.
Well-written magical pirate tale with an interesting plot and appealing characters Perhaps if I found pirates more appealing, I would have rated it higher.
I have read books with pirates before, but they have regarded pirating in a negative light. Oathbound, for much of the story, seems to view it as simply another occupation. Toward the middle of the story, some negative themes regarding pirating come into the story, but I can’t tell if redemption in this area is going to be part of the next installments or not. [Edit to add: The FMC does not have a high regard for pirating at the beginning of the story, but this is set up as something that looks like it needs redeeming—that something is wrong about her view because it stems from a poor relationship with her mother.]
My library only has this first book, and if KU doesn’t have them, I won’t pursue them. However, I enjoyed it enough to want to see Emme and Arn through if I can get my hands on the next installments either free or at a very good price.
December 19, 2021
Did someone say YA pirate fantasy? This book is one of my favourite genres ever so it honestly couldn't go wrong! I loved it so much!
There's so much mystery and eeriness about this story. It's dark and it's terrifying and it's deadly and it's intense. It's such an adventure to follow the characters and watch them grow over the course of the story.
Victoria McCombs has done a fantastic job with the pacing. I was always on the edge of my seat and that last 20% was intense in the best way possible! I'm already so excited to read the rest of the series one day!
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher and was not required to write a positive review.
There's so much mystery and eeriness about this story. It's dark and it's terrifying and it's deadly and it's intense. It's such an adventure to follow the characters and watch them grow over the course of the story.
Victoria McCombs has done a fantastic job with the pacing. I was always on the edge of my seat and that last 20% was intense in the best way possible! I'm already so excited to read the rest of the series one day!
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher and was not required to write a positive review.
December 30, 2021
I love me a spooky tale! I don’t read a lot of pirate adventure books, so this was a refreshing read, that reminded me warmly of Treasure Island, while still being very original in the characters and story. It’s an exciting adventure through perilous seas and on dangerous islands in search of not only treasure, but freedom and a future. There is a bit of magic, some ghosts, and a cast of colorful characters.
Arn, a charming pirate captain with his fair share of secrets, is hopelessly in love with Emme, but she is so desperate for a cure to her fatal illness that she doesn’t even notice for a good while. He is such a softhearted soul it is hard to imagine him as a cutthroat pirate; he defies the usual pirate tropes to offer a strange mix of desperation conflicting with his desire to be an honest man - at least for a pirate - worthy of Emme’s affection..
However, the number of times these two people who obviously like each other had a kiss interrupted…this romance definitely takes it’s time! But you will have to read it yourself to see if the kiss happens!
I’d have to say Emric was my favorite character; his arc was really intriguing, complex, and had some fun twists! Plus he added some tension with Emme and the pirate crew. I also loved all of the stories about the other pirates, like Arabella the Ruthess and the Nightlock Thieves. The scenes with the black ghost ship were definitely always a highlight while reading!
My favorite part was the hidden pass filled with mermaids, but I won’t tell you why! That secret is too spoilery…
There are plenty of piratey twists, schemes, and reckless behavior, all with a spirit of adventure.
This spooky yet cozy pirate tale is a fun, easy read for young adult readers and perfect for lovers of the Pirates of the Carribean. But be warned! It is the first book in a series, so be prepared to eagerly await book two upon finishing it!
Arn, a charming pirate captain with his fair share of secrets, is hopelessly in love with Emme, but she is so desperate for a cure to her fatal illness that she doesn’t even notice for a good while. He is such a softhearted soul it is hard to imagine him as a cutthroat pirate; he defies the usual pirate tropes to offer a strange mix of desperation conflicting with his desire to be an honest man - at least for a pirate - worthy of Emme’s affection..
However, the number of times these two people who obviously like each other had a kiss interrupted…this romance definitely takes it’s time! But you will have to read it yourself to see if the kiss happens!
I’d have to say Emric was my favorite character; his arc was really intriguing, complex, and had some fun twists! Plus he added some tension with Emme and the pirate crew. I also loved all of the stories about the other pirates, like Arabella the Ruthess and the Nightlock Thieves. The scenes with the black ghost ship were definitely always a highlight while reading!
My favorite part was the hidden pass filled with mermaids, but I won’t tell you why! That secret is too spoilery…
There are plenty of piratey twists, schemes, and reckless behavior, all with a spirit of adventure.
This spooky yet cozy pirate tale is a fun, easy read for young adult readers and perfect for lovers of the Pirates of the Carribean. But be warned! It is the first book in a series, so be prepared to eagerly await book two upon finishing it!
April 20, 2022
Well, that was definitely super pirate-y! I honestly haven't read a ton of pirate books and only partially like stuff like Pirates of the Caribbean, but I'm always up for a good adventure story and pirate stories seem to always offer that. Also, after having tried to read a certain, popular, pirate book last year *cough*Fable*cough* only to get bored and DNF it, I was hoping this Oathbound might be better.
The first thing that grabbed me was the characters. They're all distinct, with a certain vivacity to many of them that I liked.
I thought the main conflicts were interesting. Emme has an unspecified "illness" that she needed to find a cure for, and that intertwined with Arne's goal of finding a treasure at the same island as the mythical cure.
The world building I think was my favorite thing. So many creative creatures and lands, which of course, contributed to the adventure. And the concept of "oathbinding" was an interesting element. I was wondering at first why that was the title of the book, but I realized why by the end.
The ending was a little bit of a cliffhanger, but not in an annoying way. It mainly just left me wanting to know what will happen next.
There wasn't a lot that I outright disliked except that there was quite a lot of violence (nothing that triggered anxiety, thankfully, but still a large quantity of violence.) There were also certain darker elements that, again, didn't "bother" me, but were a little reminiscent of the darker things in Pirates of the Caribbean (mainly, Emme thinking she saw her dead mother, whose description was a bit like the zombie pirates of PotC), which were my least favorite parts of those movies. And, of course, pirates don't always do all the most morally correct things. These pirates *did* have better morals than many, but still not totally great. Also, I think I ended up liking Emme and Arne better as friends than a romantic couple, though I'm glad at the same time that their romance remains pretty innocent.
This also seems to be one of Enclave's books that (unless I missed something, or something changes in the second book) is a good story written by a Christian vs. being a Christian fiction book. I don't necessarily mind that, but sometimes I do wish that there would be some way to know that that's the case ahead of time so I know whether to be looking for such themes or not? Otherwise, I'm looking for Christian themes and am just a smidgen sad when I don't find any. (This is even while being glad that it's cleaner, and still has more redemptive themes than a book written by a secular author.) *shrug*
Anyway, I did generally enjoy the adventure, the mystery, and characters of this story, enough so that I do want to know what happens in the second book. It's not necessarily a 5 star read for me, though, since, again, while I like a pirate adventure, it's also not one of my absolute favorite things ever, for the reasons mentioned above. I think I'm going with 3.5 stars rounded to 4 until such time as Goodreads gives us half stars.
As a side-note, I'll also say that I liked Victoria McCombs' writing style enough that I'll probably check out her other books at some point and see if I might like them better, since I believe they're about things other than pirates.
Content Advisory:
Lindsey from the blog "Books for Christian Girls" has already put together a thorough content review, so I'm just going to link to that: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
The first thing that grabbed me was the characters. They're all distinct, with a certain vivacity to many of them that I liked.
I thought the main conflicts were interesting. Emme has an unspecified "illness" that she needed to find a cure for, and that intertwined with Arne's goal of finding a treasure at the same island as the mythical cure.
The world building I think was my favorite thing. So many creative creatures and lands, which of course, contributed to the adventure. And the concept of "oathbinding" was an interesting element. I was wondering at first why that was the title of the book, but I realized why by the end.
The ending was a little bit of a cliffhanger, but not in an annoying way. It mainly just left me wanting to know what will happen next.
There wasn't a lot that I outright disliked except that there was quite a lot of violence (nothing that triggered anxiety, thankfully, but still a large quantity of violence.) There were also certain darker elements that, again, didn't "bother" me, but were a little reminiscent of the darker things in Pirates of the Caribbean (mainly, Emme thinking she saw her dead mother, whose description was a bit like the zombie pirates of PotC), which were my least favorite parts of those movies. And, of course, pirates don't always do all the most morally correct things. These pirates *did* have better morals than many, but still not totally great. Also, I think I ended up liking Emme and Arne better as friends than a romantic couple, though I'm glad at the same time that their romance remains pretty innocent.
This also seems to be one of Enclave's books that (unless I missed something, or something changes in the second book) is a good story written by a Christian vs. being a Christian fiction book. I don't necessarily mind that, but sometimes I do wish that there would be some way to know that that's the case ahead of time so I know whether to be looking for such themes or not? Otherwise, I'm looking for Christian themes and am just a smidgen sad when I don't find any. (This is even while being glad that it's cleaner, and still has more redemptive themes than a book written by a secular author.) *shrug*
Anyway, I did generally enjoy the adventure, the mystery, and characters of this story, enough so that I do want to know what happens in the second book. It's not necessarily a 5 star read for me, though, since, again, while I like a pirate adventure, it's also not one of my absolute favorite things ever, for the reasons mentioned above. I think I'm going with 3.5 stars rounded to 4 until such time as Goodreads gives us half stars.
As a side-note, I'll also say that I liked Victoria McCombs' writing style enough that I'll probably check out her other books at some point and see if I might like them better, since I believe they're about things other than pirates.
Content Advisory:
Lindsey from the blog "Books for Christian Girls" has already put together a thorough content review, so I'm just going to link to that: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
February 8, 2022
An epic, swashbuckling tale with deep world-building and raw, gripping characters. Can't wait to see what happens next!
May 31, 2023
A-MAZE-ING
I have potentially found my new favorite book boyfriend, who is somehow a wholesome murderer…? 😅 What I mean is he’s a pirate who doesn’t kill for the fun of it. Watching Arn fall in love with Emme and Emme fall in love with Arn was so so precious, and THE SLOW BURN 🤌🏼🤌🏼🤌🏼
But as much as I loved Arn and Emme, Emeric has my heart 🫶🏼. He reminded me a lot of myself and he was just such a stereotypical older brother to Emme. They had such a unique relationship that was just so wholesome. And he was such a goofy ball 🤪. The amount of match-maker comments he made to Arn and Emme made me happy as the official match-maker of my friend group 🫡.
And one other thing that I really enjoyed was McCombs’ use of a ticking clock. Throughout the story there’s so many different things that the crew has “x” amount of time to complete and it made the reading experience so so thrilling.
I have potentially found my new favorite book boyfriend, who is somehow a wholesome murderer…? 😅 What I mean is he’s a pirate who doesn’t kill for the fun of it. Watching Arn fall in love with Emme and Emme fall in love with Arn was so so precious, and THE SLOW BURN 🤌🏼🤌🏼🤌🏼
But as much as I loved Arn and Emme, Emeric has my heart 🫶🏼. He reminded me a lot of myself and he was just such a stereotypical older brother to Emme. They had such a unique relationship that was just so wholesome. And he was such a goofy ball 🤪. The amount of match-maker comments he made to Arn and Emme made me happy as the official match-maker of my friend group 🫡.
And one other thing that I really enjoyed was McCombs’ use of a ticking clock. Throughout the story there’s so many different things that the crew has “x” amount of time to complete and it made the reading experience so so thrilling.
January 29, 2022
The high seas could only bring ruin. Beware. I wasn't a pirate. I wasn't my mother.
Pirates, sea monsters, ghost ships, mermaids, mysterious islands, mutiny, this book has everything a high seas adventure needs and then some. Cursed treasure? Check. Life-altering stakes? Check. Surprisingly soft romance? Also check. (Arn and Emme are so cute? I can't even?)
I had so much fun reading this book, it was just genuinely a good time. Every other scene had me delightedly giggling as some new piece was added to the epic puzzle. The magic system (what little we see of it in this first book) was SO cool! I'm so fascinated to explore more of the world in the next book!
There were times where the pacing felt a little strange, and the writing style wasn't always my favorite, but I fell in love with the characters and the world. It was just fun, and for that it gets four stars from me! I'm excited for the next one!
**I received a copy of this book from the publisher. A positive review was not required. All opinions are my own.**
Pirates, sea monsters, ghost ships, mermaids, mysterious islands, mutiny, this book has everything a high seas adventure needs and then some. Cursed treasure? Check. Life-altering stakes? Check. Surprisingly soft romance? Also check. (Arn and Emme are so cute? I can't even?)
I had so much fun reading this book, it was just genuinely a good time. Every other scene had me delightedly giggling as some new piece was added to the epic puzzle. The magic system (what little we see of it in this first book) was SO cool! I'm so fascinated to explore more of the world in the next book!
There were times where the pacing felt a little strange, and the writing style wasn't always my favorite, but I fell in love with the characters and the world. It was just fun, and for that it gets four stars from me! I'm excited for the next one!
**I received a copy of this book from the publisher. A positive review was not required. All opinions are my own.**
July 12, 2024
3.5 Stars ✨
"𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙚𝙖 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙖 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙬𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙜𝙚𝙩 𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙩, 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙙𝙚 𝙖𝙣 𝙝𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚. 𝙄'𝙙 𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙚𝙣𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙚𝙖. 𝙄 𝙧𝙚𝙛𝙪𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙢𝙮𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛."
YA Fantasy
I tried this book a while back and just wasn’t in a Pirate mood I guess, so I put it off for later. I’m glad I didn’t give up on it totally because, it turned out to be a pretty good read.
I love Victorias writing, it seems to come so effortless to her. It was very atmospheric and moved at a just the right pace to keep me going. I found the characters to be likable and the romance was a slow burn. The content was clean, but it did have a good bit of violence- but nothing major in my opinion. Even though this is classified as a “Christian Fiction” I would like to mention, there aren’t really any faith elements in it - other than maybe forgiveness and doing the (most of the time) right thing.
Overall, I thought it was a fun book full of action, self reflection, sea creatures and treasure. The cliffhanger was totally jaw dropping, and unexpected. Definitely will be continuing the series. Would recommend.
"𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙚𝙖 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙖 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙬𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙜𝙚𝙩 𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙩, 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙙𝙚 𝙖𝙣 𝙝𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚. 𝙄'𝙙 𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙚𝙣𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙚𝙖. 𝙄 𝙧𝙚𝙛𝙪𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙢𝙮𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛."
YA Fantasy
I tried this book a while back and just wasn’t in a Pirate mood I guess, so I put it off for later. I’m glad I didn’t give up on it totally because, it turned out to be a pretty good read.
I love Victorias writing, it seems to come so effortless to her. It was very atmospheric and moved at a just the right pace to keep me going. I found the characters to be likable and the romance was a slow burn. The content was clean, but it did have a good bit of violence- but nothing major in my opinion. Even though this is classified as a “Christian Fiction” I would like to mention, there aren’t really any faith elements in it - other than maybe forgiveness and doing the (most of the time) right thing.
Overall, I thought it was a fun book full of action, self reflection, sea creatures and treasure. The cliffhanger was totally jaw dropping, and unexpected. Definitely will be continuing the series. Would recommend.
May 2, 2022
This book is literally a perfect pirate adventure. If you’re looking for a sweeping friends-to-lovers romance with a “Pirates of the Caribbean” vibe, then this is the book for you!
September 10, 2023
*screeches* EXCUSE ME??? THE TWISTS AT THE END???
March 21, 2022
Oathbound is the first book of The Royal Rose Chronicles. It follows the POVs of the two main characters, Esme, a pirate's daughter who wants nothing to do with that life, and Arn, her friend who happens to be a pirate.
The story is written with loads of beautiful narrations, lush descriptions and just the right pirate-like atmosphere. The main characters are enjoyable to boot, and their adventures were enjoyable and plenty. However, some of their reactions and decisions were questionable. The twists, in the end, were predictable as well.
Nevertheless, and even though the romance is lukewarm and overplayed the game of will-they-won't-they, the book has a fast pace and a compelling story that will have me coming back to read the sequel.
The story is written with loads of beautiful narrations, lush descriptions and just the right pirate-like atmosphere. The main characters are enjoyable to boot, and their adventures were enjoyable and plenty. However, some of their reactions and decisions were questionable. The twists, in the end, were predictable as well.
Nevertheless, and even though the romance is lukewarm and overplayed the game of will-they-won't-they, the book has a fast pace and a compelling story that will have me coming back to read the sequel.
February 28, 2022
This was such a fun read! Not only was the writing style easy to follow, the way the universe was laid out was creative and kept me wanting to know more about the characters involved in the story. Arn was a charming male lead and his laid back personality was the perfect foil to Emme’s distrustful and more serious nature.
My favorite parts of this novel were for sure the sea creatures. There are a number of them featured in the story and I liked that they were an important part of the central conflict and not just thrown in to help build up the setting. Their introductions were exciting and completely raised the stakes and the suspense for the characters as they raced the seas in search of a mysterious island filled with great treasures. The action scenes involving these creatures were fast-paced and so exciting. I could totally see this novel being made into a film!
There was a great variety in the genres this book presented. It is YA fantasy and a pirate adventure, but there was also plenty of romance, suspense, and even a touch of horror to be found in its pages. The friends-to-lovers trope was written at a medium burn pacing which felt appropriate in the context of the dangerous adventures that the protagonists constantly found themselves facing. I loved all of the supporting characters, and the final chapters had such a big twist that I never saw coming! This is the start of a new series and I already can’t wait to find out how everyone will react once all of the secrets are out in the open.
Thank you to the author for a gifted ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.
My favorite parts of this novel were for sure the sea creatures. There are a number of them featured in the story and I liked that they were an important part of the central conflict and not just thrown in to help build up the setting. Their introductions were exciting and completely raised the stakes and the suspense for the characters as they raced the seas in search of a mysterious island filled with great treasures. The action scenes involving these creatures were fast-paced and so exciting. I could totally see this novel being made into a film!
There was a great variety in the genres this book presented. It is YA fantasy and a pirate adventure, but there was also plenty of romance, suspense, and even a touch of horror to be found in its pages. The friends-to-lovers trope was written at a medium burn pacing which felt appropriate in the context of the dangerous adventures that the protagonists constantly found themselves facing. I loved all of the supporting characters, and the final chapters had such a big twist that I never saw coming! This is the start of a new series and I already can’t wait to find out how everyone will react once all of the secrets are out in the open.
Thank you to the author for a gifted ARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.
July 8, 2024
3.5 stars.
The writing was excellent. I was immersed in the story and I found the characters fun and true to human nature.
This book gets a mediocre rating simply because the storyline was not my favorite. The adventure of the story is quite interesting, but pirates can be a little too weird.
I would love to read more of the author's works and see what they're like, because the writing was very good.
The writing was excellent. I was immersed in the story and I found the characters fun and true to human nature.
This book gets a mediocre rating simply because the storyline was not my favorite. The adventure of the story is quite interesting, but pirates can be a little too weird.
I would love to read more of the author's works and see what they're like, because the writing was very good.
May 16, 2022
Story Content: 8/10 Faith Content: 1/3 faith is briefly mentioned (also contains violence)
Oathbound is a fantasy book following Emme, the daughter of a famous pirate. She has sworn never to go to sea, but when she develops a deadly disease, she accepts the offer of her friend Arn to join a pirate ship. He wants to search for treasure, but Emme hopes she will also find a cure for her sickness.
The story was magical, creepy and spooky. I appreciated the character growth and the character dynamics. I also enjoyed all the twists and turns in the plot, which made it difficult to predict.
The story contained some faith, which had Christian parallels, but the faith elements were mainly in the background. I would like to see this developed much more in the next book.
The story was written in first-person and marketed as a Young Adult novel. It did not have any swearing or sex scenes, but it did have a fair amount of violence. I did not enjoy reading those scenes. For me, the violence was too much and too gory.
I am interested to see how the story will develop and whether there will be a clear Christian message in the second book.
I gave it 7/10
Oathbound is a fantasy book following Emme, the daughter of a famous pirate. She has sworn never to go to sea, but when she develops a deadly disease, she accepts the offer of her friend Arn to join a pirate ship. He wants to search for treasure, but Emme hopes she will also find a cure for her sickness.
The story was magical, creepy and spooky. I appreciated the character growth and the character dynamics. I also enjoyed all the twists and turns in the plot, which made it difficult to predict.
The story contained some faith, which had Christian parallels, but the faith elements were mainly in the background. I would like to see this developed much more in the next book.
The story was written in first-person and marketed as a Young Adult novel. It did not have any swearing or sex scenes, but it did have a fair amount of violence. I did not enjoy reading those scenes. For me, the violence was too much and too gory.
I am interested to see how the story will develop and whether there will be a clear Christian message in the second book.
I gave it 7/10
November 16, 2024
Oathbound Review 🏴☠️
I really came into this wanting to love this book… I truly did. But unfortunately, I can’t say this book was a win for me.
I do want to preface this review by saying it is strictly based on a Christian perspective and this rating is in accordance with my rating system in my bio.
My major problem with this book is that there is no Christian themes, messages, or anything. At all. On the contrary; there was a lot of un-Biblical and immoral action performed by main characters, including (but not limited to) drunkenness, cussing (not the words, but people who cussed [i.e. “Emme swore under her breath…”]), curses, oaths, murders, thievery, lying, and more. What else can we expect from pirates, right? My problem is that these actions were not expressly painted as bad things by the author, it was very morally grey. Neither good or bad, mainly left to the audience to decide for themselves. I take issue with “morally grey” characters because we readers are left rooting for characters that are doing fundamentally wrong things, we are left to create our own moral boundaries, and in real life there is no such thing. There is right or wrong, and, even in literature, we ought to call out those things which are wrong and bring them to light, not tolerate or romanticize them. At one point, I even started to feel a sense of empathy for these characters, but at the same time I knew I shouldn’t be empathetic towards them because they were doing wrong things and at the end of the day you reap what you sow, and all their bad choices where bound to end up with bad consequences. It left me in a battle between my own convictions and that lowered my enjoyment of the story even more.
The whole time I was entertained by the story, it being a fantasy pirate story and all, but I was not inspired, edified, encouraged or educated — which are important things I look for in books I look to revisit or series I continue on. Overall, this was a very dark story, with a mediocre center plot but not much else. I was left with the question: Why should I continue reading this series?
I also have the sense that this author is trying to put a clean spin in a lot of popular secular fantasy tropes. I am not opposed to that, but I think it is important to include depth to a story by including good subtle messages that can stay in the hearts of your readers. That’s what makes a good book not merely memorable, but truly impactful. That’s also, sadly, what this book severely lacked.
2.5 stars that meet the sea (rounded down) 🌊 💫
I really came into this wanting to love this book… I truly did. But unfortunately, I can’t say this book was a win for me.
I do want to preface this review by saying it is strictly based on a Christian perspective and this rating is in accordance with my rating system in my bio.
My major problem with this book is that there is no Christian themes, messages, or anything. At all. On the contrary; there was a lot of un-Biblical and immoral action performed by main characters, including (but not limited to) drunkenness, cussing (not the words, but people who cussed [i.e. “Emme swore under her breath…”]), curses, oaths, murders, thievery, lying, and more. What else can we expect from pirates, right? My problem is that these actions were not expressly painted as bad things by the author, it was very morally grey. Neither good or bad, mainly left to the audience to decide for themselves. I take issue with “morally grey” characters because we readers are left rooting for characters that are doing fundamentally wrong things, we are left to create our own moral boundaries, and in real life there is no such thing. There is right or wrong, and, even in literature, we ought to call out those things which are wrong and bring them to light, not tolerate or romanticize them. At one point, I even started to feel a sense of empathy for these characters, but at the same time I knew I shouldn’t be empathetic towards them because they were doing wrong things and at the end of the day you reap what you sow, and all their bad choices where bound to end up with bad consequences. It left me in a battle between my own convictions and that lowered my enjoyment of the story even more.
The whole time I was entertained by the story, it being a fantasy pirate story and all, but I was not inspired, edified, encouraged or educated — which are important things I look for in books I look to revisit or series I continue on. Overall, this was a very dark story, with a mediocre center plot but not much else. I was left with the question: Why should I continue reading this series?
I also have the sense that this author is trying to put a clean spin in a lot of popular secular fantasy tropes. I am not opposed to that, but I think it is important to include depth to a story by including good subtle messages that can stay in the hearts of your readers. That’s what makes a good book not merely memorable, but truly impactful. That’s also, sadly, what this book severely lacked.
2.5 stars that meet the sea (rounded down) 🌊 💫
February 15, 2022
PIRATES. Seriously, what more do I need to say?
McCombs takes you on a thrilling adventure, at turns both magical and chilling! Including slow burn friends to lovers romance and found family, this book is full of secrets and mystery, grief and love, friendship and betrayal. I am excited to dive further into this world McCombs has created, one that includes both the breathtaking beauty found in mermaid mourning songs and the chilling danger of vicious sirens and ghosts. And that ending…well…leave it to say I ended this one with my mouth agape. I’m ready for the sequel!
McCombs takes you on a thrilling adventure, at turns both magical and chilling! Including slow burn friends to lovers romance and found family, this book is full of secrets and mystery, grief and love, friendship and betrayal. I am excited to dive further into this world McCombs has created, one that includes both the breathtaking beauty found in mermaid mourning songs and the chilling danger of vicious sirens and ghosts. And that ending…well…leave it to say I ended this one with my mouth agape. I’m ready for the sequel!
January 8, 2023
I loved the first part of Oathbound by Victoria McCombs. I was just swept away by the fantastical nature of it. Pirates and magical items and mythical creatures! It was a lot of fun. But as the tale progressed, it became darker and darker. There was a lot of killing, and that just took away from everything for me. Overall, a novel well-written. But I didn't care for then lack of morality.
February 28, 2022
Gorgeously atmospheric with plenty of twists and turns, OATHBOUND is a delightful, high-stakes pirate adventure filled with magic, danger, intrigue, and a touch of romance to balance it all out. Emme and Arn were a wonderful pair — the former is a fierce and strong heroine, while the latter wants to appear fierce and strong in order to camouflage his soft and squishy interior 🥰
There is plenty of action and danger to be found on these high-seas, and Emme and Arn find themselves in the thick of it on more than one occasion. The pacing is swift and tense at times, giving readers just the right amount of suspense to keep them on their toes. The ending definitely alludes to much more to come, and I will certainly be checking out the sequel once it’s available.
Overall, a good series starter, and I look forward to seeing these characters again in the next book.
*Many thanks to Book of Matches Media and Victoria McCombs for providing an arc for the tour.
There is plenty of action and danger to be found on these high-seas, and Emme and Arn find themselves in the thick of it on more than one occasion. The pacing is swift and tense at times, giving readers just the right amount of suspense to keep them on their toes. The ending definitely alludes to much more to come, and I will certainly be checking out the sequel once it’s available.
Overall, a good series starter, and I look forward to seeing these characters again in the next book.
*Many thanks to Book of Matches Media and Victoria McCombs for providing an arc for the tour.
March 7, 2022
A swashbuckling tale of family, secrets and sacrifice on the high seas.
Emme never wanted to go to sea until it was her only chance for survival. But now that it is her only chance she must face her heritage and her fears.
A fast paced adventure, with likable characters, and an engaging plot. I liked how the plot kept moving, with great interaction throughout that helped keep it from feeling episodic. Arn is caught in an impossibly difficult situation and finding the treasure is his only hope of freeing himself, but will it cost him the loyalty of his crew?
Overall, this was an excellent first installment in a new swashbuckling series, high in adventure, with fantasy elements, in a coming of age tale. It will be exciting to see where this series goes.
Recommended Audience: Older teens.
*Mentions of the sea god, no Christian content that I can recall.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Emme never wanted to go to sea until it was her only chance for survival. But now that it is her only chance she must face her heritage and her fears.
A fast paced adventure, with likable characters, and an engaging plot. I liked how the plot kept moving, with great interaction throughout that helped keep it from feeling episodic. Arn is caught in an impossibly difficult situation and finding the treasure is his only hope of freeing himself, but will it cost him the loyalty of his crew?
Overall, this was an excellent first installment in a new swashbuckling series, high in adventure, with fantasy elements, in a coming of age tale. It will be exciting to see where this series goes.
Recommended Audience: Older teens.
*Mentions of the sea god, no Christian content that I can recall.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
February 27, 2022
Oathbound is book one from The Royal Rose Chronicles. The story is told from two POV’s: Emme and Arn.
When we meet Emme, she’s a young woman that hates the sea and longs for a quiet life, recovering the lost sheep farm she grew up in. On the other hand, Arn is the captain of the Royal Rose, living a pirate life. Although their friendship seems unlikely, they became friends and kept it going through the years. They both have secrets that loom over their lives: Emme has a mortal illness that can only be cured by taking a medicine made from an Elmber Nut that grows in the Island of Iilak. Arn is oathbound to Admiral Bones, having stricken a loan to pay his crew and for provisions. If he doesn’t pay it, he and his crew will loose their lives. His only hope is the mythical treasure of Barnacle Be’s that is also on the Island of Iilak. These quests bring Emme and Arn together, sailing the high seas, where many dangers await them.
I simply loved this book!
The characters are complex, detailed and with a past that still haunts them. The book world is well built. Love all the lore, the magic, the adventures, the fast pace that totally suits the story and that keeps us gripped.
There are so many beautiful details from the flag of the Royal Rose to the meaningful tattoos on Emme.
Speaking of Emme, she has an amazing character growth, finding her sea legs and finding so much more about herself, her family and Arn.
And let me tell you about the two final chapters that are told from two different POV’s than Emme’s and Arn’s: Major Plot Twists!!!! I was totally blown away!!! So, so good!! I need book two like right now!!
If you are looking for an amazing high seas adventure, you can’t miss Oathbound!!
When we meet Emme, she’s a young woman that hates the sea and longs for a quiet life, recovering the lost sheep farm she grew up in. On the other hand, Arn is the captain of the Royal Rose, living a pirate life. Although their friendship seems unlikely, they became friends and kept it going through the years. They both have secrets that loom over their lives: Emme has a mortal illness that can only be cured by taking a medicine made from an Elmber Nut that grows in the Island of Iilak. Arn is oathbound to Admiral Bones, having stricken a loan to pay his crew and for provisions. If he doesn’t pay it, he and his crew will loose their lives. His only hope is the mythical treasure of Barnacle Be’s that is also on the Island of Iilak. These quests bring Emme and Arn together, sailing the high seas, where many dangers await them.
I simply loved this book!
The characters are complex, detailed and with a past that still haunts them. The book world is well built. Love all the lore, the magic, the adventures, the fast pace that totally suits the story and that keeps us gripped.
There are so many beautiful details from the flag of the Royal Rose to the meaningful tattoos on Emme.
Speaking of Emme, she has an amazing character growth, finding her sea legs and finding so much more about herself, her family and Arn.
And let me tell you about the two final chapters that are told from two different POV’s than Emme’s and Arn’s: Major Plot Twists!!!! I was totally blown away!!! So, so good!! I need book two like right now!!
If you are looking for an amazing high seas adventure, you can’t miss Oathbound!!
April 8, 2024
A BIT SOFT.
BLOG || INSTAGRAM
I don’t know that I’ve ever called a pirate, high seas adventure fantasy, soft. But that’s the only word that keeps triggering in my mind after finishing. I don’t fully think it was a bad thing for me, just different. Nobody wanted to unalive anybody and I had a hard time grasping that ideal with the way the story is set up.
The romance is super soft, minimal angst, added in with some drama. Once I got that vibe I thought it was cute. Emme and Arn were clearly into each other and they learned to work together and solve problems with the rest of the crew.
For the plot, it’s a typical pirate adventure with mysterious sea creatures, ship battles and hidden treasure. I still had a good time reading it and didn’t have any noticeable issues. It’s a solid younger YA read and I do have plans to continue the series and see some other points of view.
Audiobook note: I thought the narrators voice overall was great. BUT this is dual POV between Arn and Emme and the voice did not change enough between the chapters that I felt confused at times as to whose POV I was listening to.
Overall audience notes:
- YA Fantasy Romance
- Language: very little
- Romance: kisses
- Violence: moderate
- Trigger/Content Warnings: loss of life, loss of a parent, creature attacks, murder, alcohol consumption
BLOG || INSTAGRAM
I don’t know that I’ve ever called a pirate, high seas adventure fantasy, soft. But that’s the only word that keeps triggering in my mind after finishing. I don’t fully think it was a bad thing for me, just different. Nobody wanted to unalive anybody and I had a hard time grasping that ideal with the way the story is set up.
The romance is super soft, minimal angst, added in with some drama. Once I got that vibe I thought it was cute. Emme and Arn were clearly into each other and they learned to work together and solve problems with the rest of the crew.
For the plot, it’s a typical pirate adventure with mysterious sea creatures, ship battles and hidden treasure. I still had a good time reading it and didn’t have any noticeable issues. It’s a solid younger YA read and I do have plans to continue the series and see some other points of view.
Audiobook note: I thought the narrators voice overall was great. BUT this is dual POV between Arn and Emme and the voice did not change enough between the chapters that I felt confused at times as to whose POV I was listening to.
Overall audience notes:
- YA Fantasy Romance
- Language: very little
- Romance: kisses
- Violence: moderate
- Trigger/Content Warnings: loss of life, loss of a parent, creature attacks, murder, alcohol consumption
April 6, 2023
Loved this book so much! For some reason, this was exactly what I wanted to read the last few days (must've been in a piratey mood XD), and I didn't want to put it down at all. I love Emme and Arn, and I completely did not see that ending twist coming (I silent-screamed when I read it XD). Highly recommend, and I'm so excited to see where the rest of the story goes! <33
Also, the cover is stunning, and the chapter headings are wonderful. Can't wait to be able to flip through this book as a hard copy! <33
~I received an arc of this book from the publisher and was not required to leave a positive review.~
Also, the cover is stunning, and the chapter headings are wonderful. Can't wait to be able to flip through this book as a hard copy! <33
~I received an arc of this book from the publisher and was not required to leave a positive review.~
August 3, 2022
It’s a cute romance, I really liked it up until the last few chapters where a bunch of things happened for the sake of the next book, which felt forced, and unneeded, since I’m already interested in the next book. I enjoyed it though and I recommend!
September 20, 2024
I’m so mad. Because I don’t even like this book, it was annoying, but I am dying to know what happens in the next one
January 22, 2023
"𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙚𝙖 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙖 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙬𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙜𝙚𝙩 𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙩, 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙙𝙚 𝙖𝙣 𝙝𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙩 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚. 𝙄'𝙙 𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙩 𝙚𝙣𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙚𝙖. 𝙄 𝙧𝙚𝙛𝙪𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙡𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙢𝙮𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛."
Ahoy! The first book in The Royal Rose Chronicles is a YA Fantasy that will have you sailing for the horizon and embarking on epic voyages. Emme's mother was a pirate, taken by the sea; after her mother's death, Emme vowed to never follow in her mother's footsteps. Avoiding life as a pirate went well until Arn, Emme's old friend, made an appearance asking for her help.
The stakes are high since this voyage presents Emme and Arn with a solution to their problems. It isn't smooth sailing for this ship, as the crew are met with many challenges including mermaids and their luring songs.
The story is told from Emme and Arn's POV, giving us a glimpse into both their stories. There are bonus chapters of certain characters which adds to a minor cliffhanger. Emme's character underwent an epic transformation. There is a touch of spookiness which I enjoyed and would like to know more of. A main focus of the story is oaths taken and kept and McCombs describes creative ways of how the oaths are etched into the skin. Breaking an oath has deadly consequences.
"𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙖𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙥𝙞𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙨 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙪𝙨𝙪𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙝𝙤𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙚𝙖, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙀𝙢𝙢𝙚."
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys YA Fantasy or Pirate Fantasy. There is a steady pace with enough twists that will have the reader hooked. I enjoyed this book and I am eager to continue the series. I need to know what happens next. McCombs writes beautifully and makes the pirate life come alive through her descriptions.
Thank you to MTMC Tours and the author for gifting me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Ahoy! The first book in The Royal Rose Chronicles is a YA Fantasy that will have you sailing for the horizon and embarking on epic voyages. Emme's mother was a pirate, taken by the sea; after her mother's death, Emme vowed to never follow in her mother's footsteps. Avoiding life as a pirate went well until Arn, Emme's old friend, made an appearance asking for her help.
The stakes are high since this voyage presents Emme and Arn with a solution to their problems. It isn't smooth sailing for this ship, as the crew are met with many challenges including mermaids and their luring songs.
The story is told from Emme and Arn's POV, giving us a glimpse into both their stories. There are bonus chapters of certain characters which adds to a minor cliffhanger. Emme's character underwent an epic transformation. There is a touch of spookiness which I enjoyed and would like to know more of. A main focus of the story is oaths taken and kept and McCombs describes creative ways of how the oaths are etched into the skin. Breaking an oath has deadly consequences.
"𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙖𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙥𝙞𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙨 𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙪𝙨𝙪𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙝𝙤𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙚𝙖, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙀𝙢𝙢𝙚."
I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys YA Fantasy or Pirate Fantasy. There is a steady pace with enough twists that will have the reader hooked. I enjoyed this book and I am eager to continue the series. I need to know what happens next. McCombs writes beautifully and makes the pirate life come alive through her descriptions.
Thank you to MTMC Tours and the author for gifting me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
August 31, 2024
Now this is how you write a pirate book! Ms. McCombs’s books are quickly moving their way up to my favorite books of the year so far. I’m so glad I ordered the next in the series already. This dark, gritty book is action packed and has a great romance. It doesn’t have any faith content, but is a great alternative to those looking for age appropriate YA books without the spice.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Content: I give this a PG-13 rating. Content: a character curses, but the words aren’t actually written; there’s a tavern and characters drink alcohol; a character is drunk; talk of gambling; lots of drinking, but it’s said they are the soberest crew someone has seen and they’re not allowed to be drunk during the day; violence, blood and murder; a woman was forced to become someone’s wife and produce their children; two people were lovers; a reference to the devil, dark magic and ghosts; a woman had a “lover;” the word “bloody” is used as a curse word; two characters have to pretend to be renting a room and the owner makes crude jokes about them enjoying their time together; characters are in a tavern and there are prostitutes.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Content: I give this a PG-13 rating. Content: a character curses, but the words aren’t actually written; there’s a tavern and characters drink alcohol; a character is drunk; talk of gambling; lots of drinking, but it’s said they are the soberest crew someone has seen and they’re not allowed to be drunk during the day; violence, blood and murder; a woman was forced to become someone’s wife and produce their children; two people were lovers; a reference to the devil, dark magic and ghosts; a woman had a “lover;” the word “bloody” is used as a curse word; two characters have to pretend to be renting a room and the owner makes crude jokes about them enjoying their time together; characters are in a tavern and there are prostitutes.
January 18, 2023
Oathbound was SO MUCH FUN! Pirates, action, adventure, ghosts, treasure.. what’s not to love?! I adored both Emme and Arn as main characters and instantly rooted for them! Both characters were beautifully developed and it was such a joy seeing them grow and progress throughout the novel. The plot was so faced paced and I was invested the entire time. I mean.. who doesn’t love a good pirate tale?😍 I would highly recommend this book for all fantasy fans who want a fun, thrilling, swashbuckling story! I also know the second book is out.. so I’m going to need to get that REAL QUICK.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 287 reviews