What do you think?
Rate this book
Oathtaker #1
Broken
After a life of death and violence brings her world crashing down, elven Oathtaker Katya Greenleaf must wage her toughest battle yet, one against the demons that haunt her memories and threaten her soul, spirit, and very identity as a warrior.
Katya Greenleaf has given herself over to the thrill of combat countless times during her years as an Oathtaker. Alongside her mentor Shira, she sought out evil - pirates, slavers, dark mages, and demon hordes. Occasionally, she finds comfort in the company of other females encountered in her travels, and despite her mother’s best efforts she has no desire to settle for a traditional elven life and family.
After decades of taking joy from the fight, no matter the odds, Katya leads a group of Oathtakers into disastrous battle, costing the life of everyone around her, including Shira. Katya survives, but with neither body nor spirit intact, haunted by her life of violence and death in the name of her oath.
Now, the red-haired warrior will find her greatest challenge in a battle against a different sort of demon; ones that live in her mind and haunt her sleep.
As she heals, Katya is reminded that there is more to life than blood and iron by a compelling human named Lili, who not only catches Katya’s interest, but forces her to re-think her life and her mission.
With Lili at her side, her beloved falcon Fayne on her shoulder, and healers encouraging her, Katya sets out to re-discover the warrior she once was and finally confront the truths of what happened to her the day the world collapsed around her.
Katya Greenleaf has given herself over to the thrill of combat countless times during her years as an Oathtaker. Alongside her mentor Shira, she sought out evil - pirates, slavers, dark mages, and demon hordes. Occasionally, she finds comfort in the company of other females encountered in her travels, and despite her mother’s best efforts she has no desire to settle for a traditional elven life and family.
After decades of taking joy from the fight, no matter the odds, Katya leads a group of Oathtakers into disastrous battle, costing the life of everyone around her, including Shira. Katya survives, but with neither body nor spirit intact, haunted by her life of violence and death in the name of her oath.
Now, the red-haired warrior will find her greatest challenge in a battle against a different sort of demon; ones that live in her mind and haunt her sleep.
As she heals, Katya is reminded that there is more to life than blood and iron by a compelling human named Lili, who not only catches Katya’s interest, but forces her to re-think her life and her mission.
With Lili at her side, her beloved falcon Fayne on her shoulder, and healers encouraging her, Katya sets out to re-discover the warrior she once was and finally confront the truths of what happened to her the day the world collapsed around her.
214 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 28, 2023
1 person is currently reading
27 people want to read
About the author
J.B. Knowles
1 book6 followersJ.B. Knowles is a lifelong lover of works of fantasy and science-fiction. It was during his high school years when he first created Katya and the Greenleaf family as roleplaying characters. With time and inspiration (and as an escape from the pandemic) J.B. built a full world on paper for Katya in 2021, bringing new life into adventures started over thirty years ago.
An author of several well-received books in the fields of justice and mental health (his day job), J.B. is married with two sons and three dogs who all share a stately old farmhouse in a quiet corner of Canada.
When not writing, J.B. can be found reviewing superhero movies, sampling local craft whiskies and staying up way too late reading comic books and fussing over massive Lego sets.
An author of several well-received books in the fields of justice and mental health (his day job), J.B. is married with two sons and three dogs who all share a stately old farmhouse in a quiet corner of Canada.
When not writing, J.B. can be found reviewing superhero movies, sampling local craft whiskies and staying up way too late reading comic books and fussing over massive Lego sets.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
March 4, 2023
A Joyfully Jay review.
3 stars
Broken is the first book in J.B. Knowles’ Oathtaker series. The idea behind this book was strong enough to make me pick it up, because I’m really interested in a character, usually a someone who isn’t yet a hero, who has gone through hell (and then some). The weight of carrying the world, the loss of friends, the betrayal of those they trust, the self-doubt and the insecurity, and the pain and suffering that they endure in the course of saving the day and killing the unkillable villain cannot help but weigh on their souls and haunt their dreams. Such a person could surely use someone to hold them when they cry, a shoulder to lean on when they’re tired, and a counselor or mind healer to help them through their trauma. Unfortunately, this book is mostly just the surface of the idea and did not have the depth of character exploration that I wanted.
Read Elizabeth’s review in its entirety here.
3 stars
Broken is the first book in J.B. Knowles’ Oathtaker series. The idea behind this book was strong enough to make me pick it up, because I’m really interested in a character, usually a someone who isn’t yet a hero, who has gone through hell (and then some). The weight of carrying the world, the loss of friends, the betrayal of those they trust, the self-doubt and the insecurity, and the pain and suffering that they endure in the course of saving the day and killing the unkillable villain cannot help but weigh on their souls and haunt their dreams. Such a person could surely use someone to hold them when they cry, a shoulder to lean on when they’re tired, and a counselor or mind healer to help them through their trauma. Unfortunately, this book is mostly just the surface of the idea and did not have the depth of character exploration that I wanted.
Read Elizabeth’s review in its entirety here.
March 6, 2023
Striding her way confidently into the world of heroines, Katya Greenleaf is what the world needs right now.
Rebuilding her life and who she is in the town of Fandalore, elf warrior Katya and her falcon Fayne heal from the terrible battle that left her alone while she watched her mentor and friends, fellow Oathtakers, die in front of her.
Left with the trauma and its effects, Katya wonders who she is now as she fights a battle within herself and the strong woman she is at the core. Assisting her with her healing are Athena and Jiris, who guide her through restoring her sense of self both physically and spiritually.
While still fighting with the aftermath of the life-altering trauma she experienced, Katya meets Lili and befriends her. It isn't long before Lili and Katya begin their romance, with Lili showing Katya acceptance, empathy for her journey, and a safe spot as the dreams that haunt Katya go long into the night.
Broken is a great start to the series and an introduction to this strong-willed elf. Written in a way that provokes the reader's imagination but carefully weaves the stories of battle and the aftereffects, JB Knowles does an excellent job of setting the stage.
With a whole new world at our fingertips, I eagerly wait for the next book in the series with the hope of a longer book and more backstories on some of these rich characters in Katya's world.
Rebuilding her life and who she is in the town of Fandalore, elf warrior Katya and her falcon Fayne heal from the terrible battle that left her alone while she watched her mentor and friends, fellow Oathtakers, die in front of her.
Left with the trauma and its effects, Katya wonders who she is now as she fights a battle within herself and the strong woman she is at the core. Assisting her with her healing are Athena and Jiris, who guide her through restoring her sense of self both physically and spiritually.
While still fighting with the aftermath of the life-altering trauma she experienced, Katya meets Lili and befriends her. It isn't long before Lili and Katya begin their romance, with Lili showing Katya acceptance, empathy for her journey, and a safe spot as the dreams that haunt Katya go long into the night.
Broken is a great start to the series and an introduction to this strong-willed elf. Written in a way that provokes the reader's imagination but carefully weaves the stories of battle and the aftereffects, JB Knowles does an excellent job of setting the stage.
With a whole new world at our fingertips, I eagerly wait for the next book in the series with the hope of a longer book and more backstories on some of these rich characters in Katya's world.
May 23, 2024
I rarely give a 5 star review. Not because I’m any expert on fiction but because I always think there are ways to make things better.
This book was a good one. I enjoyed the characters immensely particularly the witch and the falcon. They added some of my own love of animals and their empathy to the story as well as a love for my own profession.
Having met the author and having the privilege of hearing the gist of his own story in my college class, I can’t help but put him in place of his main character Katya. (Hey JB, I have a few questions I’ll be emailing about) I think there is a lot of himself in this story. More than perhaps he’s willing to admit, but to be fair that’s what’s sucked me in the most. I was thrilled with the tale. Having been part of the martial arts myself I’m fairly knowledgeable of the skills used and was surprised at the majority of the accuracy in the hand to hand combat parts.
I thought it was a great story. I think there were moments where it felt corny. Too simplistic sometimes even. I liked the dynamic of the couple, but there were parts that could have lead to better conversation… it also felt like she and Lili rushed into the relationship. It felt like trust was automatic… this might be the case for some, it just didn’t feel real to me… a bit more resistance a slower pace might have been nicer.
Where is lacked a little was grasping the first few chapters about how the timeline was set up. It was a struggle to gather the right information at first to understand where the story was going. It rectified itself in the end, but it took some getting there.
Overall I think it deserved a 3.5 star rating, since there are no half stars I’ll give it a 4 and await the next chapter in this series. I feel since this is his first work of fiction JB can only improve upon his work.
This book was a good one. I enjoyed the characters immensely particularly the witch and the falcon. They added some of my own love of animals and their empathy to the story as well as a love for my own profession.
Having met the author and having the privilege of hearing the gist of his own story in my college class, I can’t help but put him in place of his main character Katya. (Hey JB, I have a few questions I’ll be emailing about) I think there is a lot of himself in this story. More than perhaps he’s willing to admit, but to be fair that’s what’s sucked me in the most. I was thrilled with the tale. Having been part of the martial arts myself I’m fairly knowledgeable of the skills used and was surprised at the majority of the accuracy in the hand to hand combat parts.
I thought it was a great story. I think there were moments where it felt corny. Too simplistic sometimes even. I liked the dynamic of the couple, but there were parts that could have lead to better conversation… it also felt like she and Lili rushed into the relationship. It felt like trust was automatic… this might be the case for some, it just didn’t feel real to me… a bit more resistance a slower pace might have been nicer.
Where is lacked a little was grasping the first few chapters about how the timeline was set up. It was a struggle to gather the right information at first to understand where the story was going. It rectified itself in the end, but it took some getting there.
Overall I think it deserved a 3.5 star rating, since there are no half stars I’ll give it a 4 and await the next chapter in this series. I feel since this is his first work of fiction JB can only improve upon his work.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews