Title: Oath Taker (Kingdom of Runes #1)

Author: Audrey Grey

Pub. Date: May 23, 2019

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

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.

Haven must shatter the curse, or it will devour everything she loves. 

This will be a spoiler free review.

I’m kicking myself for not having already bought book 2 – Curse Breaker. I read this book in a handful of hours and I’m dying to know what happens next.

“Perfect for fans of Sarah J. Maas and Emily R. King, this first book in a dark and action-packed new series is impossible to put down!”

Honestly, anything that says “for fans of SJM” I’m probably going to buy it, read it and love it. Oath Taker was no exception. I didn’t really have high expectations going into this book – the only other book I’ve read by this author is Our Dark Stars. I enjoyed that book but it’s a science fiction and co-written.

I can say that I’m a solid Audrey Grey fan and cannot wait to read her other books.

I really loved the world she created in this book. She takes some Norse Mythology and kind of shapes it to her vision and other aspects of the world are clearly inspired by aspects of our world. So, while it feels unique, it also feels familiar. I liked that I didn’t have to really learn this new world, and I kind of understood it.

I’m also a sucker for “light v. dark” stories, and this is very much that. I also really enjoyed the cast of characters and how individual they all were. Haven is reckless, bad ass, and fiercely loyal. She also not without fault and sometimes her choices have pretty bad consequences. She acts rashly and then guilt often eats at her. She also seems to have a hard time admitting her emotions other than rage, and her vocabulary consists of a lot of curse words that she flings at those she doesn’t like. But everything she does is ultimately because she just wants what’s best for her best friend Bellamy.

Bellamy (Bell) is the Prince of Penryth, and really not who is father wants running the kingdom. He very much would rather have his head stuck in a book (honestly, same) than learn to wield a sword and run a kingdom. Personally, Bell was probably my least favorite character. He seems kind of useless, but I’m here for loyalty and friendships, so he gets a pass. He just kind of seems like the character that would die first in a horror movie. But I guess I’ll have to wait and read the next books to find out.

As for Archeron and Stolas…they’re like opposites of the same coin. Archeron is the sun while Stolas is the night and both are fascinated and infuriated by Haven. She likes neither of them and wastes no time telling them…repeatedly. They’re both moody and powerful and a bit condescending. Oh, and inhumanly gorgeous.

I really cannot wait to find out if they both like Haven – basically who is going to play out the enemies – to – lovers plot that is coming. I haven’t decided who I like more. I’m torn.

Before I end this review, I will say that this book sort of reminded me of the Throne of Glass Series but also mixed with the Court of Thorns and Roses series. I didn’t mind this, but I was able to pick up on some similarities. But that also being said, it’s a high fantasy, got to save the world before it ends, chosen one with magic going on a journey fantasy. And when you read as many of those as I do, they all end up sharing ideas and end up having similarities. They didn’t stop me from loving this book and I’ll be purchasing book 2 soon!

“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 is out, so you can pick up your copy and start reading about Haven and all the insane and kind of unfortunate stuff she goes through.