Our Vicious Oaths by N.E. Davenport combines a classic enemies-to-lovers romance with a stunning fantasy landscape to equal a truly exceptional book that will enthrall readers from the first page to the last.
A prophecy claims that Kadeesha Mercier, the Aether princess, will one day unite the Six Kingdoms of the realm of Nimani — a prophecy that the powerful men around her are happy to use for their own ends. Kadeesha has no interest in being high queen, though. She wants to continue serving as the general of the Nkita, an all-female squadron that flies on fearsome winged serpents.
Her fate is not her own to decide, since she’s been betrothed to the Hyperion King Rishaud since birth. He’s notoriously cruel and power hungry, and Kadeesha will be his fifth wife, with all four prior wives meeting suspicious, untimely ends.
On her last night of freedom before the wedding, she meets a handsome stranger who brings her untold pleasure, but just like everyone else, he means to use her for his own machinations, to set a trap to assassinate Rishaud.
Malachi, the newly crowned King of the Apollycon Court, is determined to get revenge for the brutal murder of his parents. He plans to take down Kadeesha’s father and Rishaud in a coordinated attack on their wedding, but things don’t go exactly to plan.
With a tenuous truce and a careful bargain, Kadeesha ends up as a hostage in the Apollycon Court. Kadeesha and Malachi have a common enemy in Rishaud and a fierce attraction that prevents them from killing each other, for now.
In a story of scheming and seduction, Kadeesha and Malachi must play dangerous political games to protect their kingdoms and achieve their lofty goals.
Our Vicious Oaths features an all-Black cast of characters, and a found family element that will never stop being my favorite. These characters are detailed and dimensional, and despite the fantasy elements, they feel so real.
Even with the tricky beginnings, Malachi’s protection of Kadeesha’s autonomy throughout the book is absolutely dreamy. These two are vicious, violent, and perfectly matched. Their love story belongs in the romantasy hall of fame for sure.
Sometimes in fantasies with this kind of epic worldbuilding, there simply isn’t time or space for truly fleshed-out spice, but this author somehow manages to make it all work. The romance is passionate and fiery, with sex that is all salacious and delightful.
There is a clear introduction to this complex world that allows readers to immediately find their footing in the political and magical systems involved. The settings are described with so much detail, and the magic is simple but powerful.
The way this plot is structured is genius. It jumps right into the action, but without sacrificing clarity or character development. It had me on the edge of my seat already by chapter three, with lots of high stakes drama and characters that readers will immediately be invested in.
Our Vicious Oaths is a complete, standalone story that ends with a happily ever after. It is gorgeous, captivating, and obsession-worthy. I will be talking about this book for a long time, and I highly recommend it to any romantasy reader.
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