Review of 'Oathtaker'
In the past, I must admit to being a fan of the fantasy genre, growing up reading The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy. As I have gotten older, my tastes have shifted to military espionage and historical fiction. Recently I broke away from my current reading list and discovered a wordsmith of impeccable talent, and I invite other readers to make the same discovery.
Author Patricia Reding’s Oathtaker is a brisk read, despite its 500+ page-count. The action is intense and begins right out of the gate. Excellent characterizations, with some very evil antagonists balanced by vulnerable heroes, Oathtaker is an impressive and ambitious debut in a genre that continues to enjoy a surge of popularity.
Mara and Dixon are Oathtakers, caring for the twin daughters of one of the Select, the ruling class of Oosa. Clearly not set on Earth (or any version of Earth familiar to this reader), this world is orbited by three moons, with a backdrop of forests, sanctuaries and palaces. You can see the locales easily in your mind’s eye based on Reding’s superb window-dressing. Incidentally, the artwork on the cover of the book establishes a solid feel for the environment her characters live in.
Honor and commitment, in spite of personal sacrifice, is the theme of Oathtaker. Reding fleshes this out well, calling attention to the various Oathtakers’ duties as they care for their charges. This world is filled with ‘attendant magic’, as well as oral histories and traditions that go to great lengths to establish the story’s societal hierarchy.
Oosa has a rustic feel. Technology is practically non-existent, and in its place we are introduced to the intangible mysticism that is the foundation of great fantasy and mythic story-telling. While I resist comparisons to other authors, doing so in this case might help put the story in the proper frame of reference. Patricia Reding has a voice similar to Ursula K. Le Guin, of Wizard of Earthsea fame, and Oathtaker has the same sylvan feel. In like manner, the book reflects a majesty that can be found in Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia, and like those books, Oathtaker is an allegory to the Christian faith.
Reding is an idealist, and populates her world with characters readers can easily identify with. On the flip side, Oosa’s quasi-governmental/religious structure is meticulously detailed—an aspect of the story drawn, no doubt, from Reding’s background as an attorney. The main characters seem ready to kill each other at the beginning of the story, but personalities like these are bound to—well, you’ll just have to see for yourself, but I think most readers will catch on to how things eventually develop.
Props to Reding for building tension as the book progresses. I was perched on the edge of my seat while reading the climactic ending (on one occasion I stretched my lunch hour a little longer to absorb the action). I give her 5 out of 5 for her antagonists’ malevolent intentions. Lillith is especially diabolical, using her feminine wiles and seduction (tastefully done) to achieve her goals. Mara is the other side of the coin, young, idealistic, and virtuous, with a strong commitment to honor and integrity, and the character attributes of each are beautifully crafted.
To find out more, you'll just have to get a copy of the book for yourself. It's available in a handsome paperback version, as well as Kindle edition, and the second, soon-to-be published book in the series, Select, is already receiving 5-Star reviews from readersfavorite.com. I understand that Oathtaker is being considered by Wind Dancer Films for production as a television/movie feature, and the book has already garnered numerous awards from literary sources.
Read Oathtaker. I heartily recommend it. It's a complex but vastly entertaining story of good versus evil. This is undoubtedly just the beginning for Patricia Reding's writing career. Personally, I'd like to see what she does with historical fiction. She certainly has the chops for something along that line, and I doubt we've seen the limits to Trish's creative abilities.
Author Patricia Reding’s Oathtaker is a brisk read, despite its 500+ page-count. The action is intense and begins right out of the gate. Excellent characterizations, with some very evil antagonists balanced by vulnerable heroes, Oathtaker is an impressive and ambitious debut in a genre that continues to enjoy a surge of popularity.
Mara and Dixon are Oathtakers, caring for the twin daughters of one of the Select, the ruling class of Oosa. Clearly not set on Earth (or any version of Earth familiar to this reader), this world is orbited by three moons, with a backdrop of forests, sanctuaries and palaces. You can see the locales easily in your mind’s eye based on Reding’s superb window-dressing. Incidentally, the artwork on the cover of the book establishes a solid feel for the environment her characters live in.
Honor and commitment, in spite of personal sacrifice, is the theme of Oathtaker. Reding fleshes this out well, calling attention to the various Oathtakers’ duties as they care for their charges. This world is filled with ‘attendant magic’, as well as oral histories and traditions that go to great lengths to establish the story’s societal hierarchy.
Oosa has a rustic feel. Technology is practically non-existent, and in its place we are introduced to the intangible mysticism that is the foundation of great fantasy and mythic story-telling. While I resist comparisons to other authors, doing so in this case might help put the story in the proper frame of reference. Patricia Reding has a voice similar to Ursula K. Le Guin, of Wizard of Earthsea fame, and Oathtaker has the same sylvan feel. In like manner, the book reflects a majesty that can be found in Lewis' Chronicles of Narnia, and like those books, Oathtaker is an allegory to the Christian faith.
Reding is an idealist, and populates her world with characters readers can easily identify with. On the flip side, Oosa’s quasi-governmental/religious structure is meticulously detailed—an aspect of the story drawn, no doubt, from Reding’s background as an attorney. The main characters seem ready to kill each other at the beginning of the story, but personalities like these are bound to—well, you’ll just have to see for yourself, but I think most readers will catch on to how things eventually develop.
Props to Reding for building tension as the book progresses. I was perched on the edge of my seat while reading the climactic ending (on one occasion I stretched my lunch hour a little longer to absorb the action). I give her 5 out of 5 for her antagonists’ malevolent intentions. Lillith is especially diabolical, using her feminine wiles and seduction (tastefully done) to achieve her goals. Mara is the other side of the coin, young, idealistic, and virtuous, with a strong commitment to honor and integrity, and the character attributes of each are beautifully crafted.
To find out more, you'll just have to get a copy of the book for yourself. It's available in a handsome paperback version, as well as Kindle edition, and the second, soon-to-be published book in the series, Select, is already receiving 5-Star reviews from readersfavorite.com. I understand that Oathtaker is being considered by Wind Dancer Films for production as a television/movie feature, and the book has already garnered numerous awards from literary sources.
Read Oathtaker. I heartily recommend it. It's a complex but vastly entertaining story of good versus evil. This is undoubtedly just the beginning for Patricia Reding's writing career. Personally, I'd like to see what she does with historical fiction. She certainly has the chops for something along that line, and I doubt we've seen the limits to Trish's creative abilities.
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