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Hunter's Oath (The Sacred Hunt #1)

Michelle West

3.85 · Rating details · 1,279 Ratings · 41 Reviews

Once a year the Sacred Hunt must be called, in which the Hunter God's prey would be one of the Lords or his huntbrother. This was the Hunter's Oath, sworn to by each Lord and his huntbrother. It was the Oath taken by Gilliam of Elseth and the orphan boy Stephen--and the fulfillment of their Oath would prove the kind of destiny from which legends were made.

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Mass Market Paperback, 427 pages

Published October 1st 1995 by DAW Fantasy

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Jun 09, 2010 Althea Ann rated it it was ok

This duology (Hunter's Oath & Hunter's Death) is one story in two books, not really two separate novels.

After reading the Greg Keyes "Kingdoms of Thorn and Bone" books, I was in the mood for some more epic fantasy; however West's books compare very badly to those.

The story starts out with a somewhat promising premise: The Hunter Lords of Breodanir are an elite class, pledged to their hunter god. However, each Lord is oathbound to a Huntbrother, picked from the peasantry, who lives as partner ...more

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Feb 01, 2017 Christine rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy, favorite-authors, owned

It took a full month, but I finally finished this 800-plus page duology. I'm a fairly steady reader, but Michelle West's book series are very extensively-detailed and not light or quick reading. Having already read the Sun Sword series years ago, as well as much of The House War series, I liked the opportunity to see the earlier events in Hunter's Oath and Hunter's Death. This duology was published as two separate books originally, before the other two series, but I had missed it. All of these n It took a full month, but I finally finished this 800-plus page duology. I'm a fairly steady reader, but Michelle West's book series are very extensively-detailed and not light or quick reading. Having already read the Sun Sword series years ago, as well as much of The House War series, I liked the opportunity to see the earlier events in Hunter's Oath and Hunter's Death. This duology was published as two separate books originally, before the other two series, but I had missed it. All of these novels are set in the lands of Essalieyan, Annagar, the North lands, the Free Towns, The Hells, and the "between" worlds like the Gods' halfworld, and the Summer Path and Winter Path. The duology is initially set in the western land of Breodanir, country of the Hunter Lords. There is an element of time travel for one character, Evayne, which ties together the characters' efforts to defeat the Lord of the Hells, and survive the plotting of his minions and himself, throughout all of series. The books are a sort of high fantasy genre, but Michelle West writes with an immediacy that puts you straight into her world, and does not give a feeling of "long ago and far away."

The two stories of the duology set events into motion, in Breodanir, as Hunter Lord Gilliam and his Huntbrother Stephen grow up, and are drawn into perplexing happenings beyond their control. There are similarities to certain Celtic and British mythologies, and I particularly liked how the Firstborn feel a bit like a combination of high elves and fae. There are gods and godborn children, kings and queens, spies and mages. But it's the everyday people who capture the reader's attention and sympathies, such as : Stephen, trying to balance his own bookish and scholarly interests with his duties to the family who saved him as a child; Elsabet, Lord Gilliam's mother, committed to her country's dangerous and deadly way of life, but insightful enough to mourn the loss of those killed during the Hunt; and Kallandras, bard in Averalaan, with a mysterious past and secret abilities.
Best of all, for me, was Jewel, adolescent leader of a street 'den' of young thieves, trying to survive in abject poverty while using her untrained but intriguing seer's gifts, and trying to find security for those she's taken on responsibility for.

This duology is meant to feature Gilliam and Stephen as main chracters, but the multiple storylines take on lives of their own. I'm certain that this is why Ms. West went on to write the next two series, and I remember reading somewhere that she said it was Jewel who started out as a sideline character and then just 'took over' her books. I'm glad of this, but those who read the duology based on Gilliam and Stephen's story may be frustrated by the story diverging in many directions, if they do not wish to go on and read the subsequent series. Other reviewers have noted that Gilliam feels too flat, like a one-dimensional character, but I don't quite agree. He is non-communicative, given both his personality and his function as a Hunter Lord, and plays an important role in the story's concluding events. Stephen is the thoughtful one, and we see plot events unfold more from his perspective, but again, eventually we have multiple characters' perspectives and events expand beyond Breodanir into the other lands. I particularly liked knowing more about certain of the demons, the 'kin,' in this duology. Many things concerning their plotting was gone over in greater detail, which was more peripheral in later books.

Overall: The Sun Sword series is my favorite of Ms. West's books, followed by what I have read of the House series. However, Hunter's Oath and Hunter's Death are also good reading, and add a lot to the totality of the stories in all of the series. Based on quality of writing though, I'd recommend reading The Sun Sword series first. ...more

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Jan 19, 2012 WillowBe rated it really liked it

Shelves: love-friendship-and-duty, tortured-hero-ine

Though written 15 yrs ago, I think this book is perfectly polished as any of the later works,no apologies needed. And I agree with the writer's suggestion to read the House Wars first 3 books first and then go back to Hunter duology.

These two books storylines are mostly quite different from the House Wars that the amount of retread is bearable. I am not a person who reads things more than twice, but I would consider reading this duology again. SO MANY of the things I didn't understand or seemed ...more

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Mar 11, 2013 Furio rated it did not like it

I have mixed feelings about this book.
Many basic ideas are good, even new and original, which, in this genre, is really saying something. The writer is capable of imagining and describing settings in detail and of building proficient emotional climaxes.

Many other things I find lacking.

Breodanir is a small provincial kingdom pervaded by the cult of the Hunter God, a divinity at the same time cruel and generous, which is a clever assumption, mirrored by many existing myths.
In this kingdom women an ...more

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Mar 12, 2012 Ioet rated it really liked it

Shelves: epic, fantasy, hunting

What I really love about Michelle West's writing is that she gets into each character's head so well. While a lot is still clothed in mystery, the switches in perspective shift this story from just another fantasy novel into something deeper and more epic. That very epic sense is what makes HUNTER'S OATH so dense. There were times that I had to pause, take a breath, and learn to savor the story itself.[return][return]Gilliam is a Hunter Lord; Stephen is his Huntbrother. Together, they must parti ...more

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Jul 04, 2011 Phaedra rated it really liked it

Shelves: 2011, print

This was my first time starting the duology that preceeded the Sun Sword books. For some reason I always thought it looked like the story would be boring. And to be honest, it was a little hard to get into but once you knew the characters it became vastly interesting. The addition of Evayne was a little jarring at first, but eventually her story dovetailed with the story of the boys. It was nice seeing 'familiar' faces in this work and it certainly lends flavor and depth to their characters in l ...more

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Mar 06, 2013 Marlie rated it really liked it

This is an easy read, but the universe is very compelling. I'm on a bit of a Sagara kick having discovered that she builds epic universes in a way that I associate with Brandon Sanderson, but is even better at creating characters that draw you in. The villians in this series are a bit on the simplistic side though, but demons usually are...

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Aug 08, 2007 Julie rated it liked it

Shelves: read-in-2007, read-since-august-2006, fantasy-sf

There's really nothing wrong with this book that I can specifically point to, but there is an atmosphere to it that strikes me as cheesy. West isn't writing the same old fantasy novel, but there's something that's just plain goofy about this book. It's probably just me.

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Sep 02, 2008 Felicia rated it it was amazing

Shelves: epic-fantasy

I really loved this book! Michelle West (or Sagara as she writes other books under) is one of my fave authors, and I can't believe I haven't read this before. I'm reading the followup, Hunter's Death right now.

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Jan 22, 2009 Jessica rated it really liked it

Shelves: library-book

Hunter's Oath is the first book in a two-book series by Michelle West. I actually picked this book up and read it several years ago, and then I never managed to find the sequel. At some point, I sort of forgot about the book, but I would see it occasionally at the library and want to pick it up again. I am so glad I finally did. I honestly do not remember liking it this much the first time I read it, but I loved it this time around.
The Hunter Lords of Breodanir have sworn a pact with their god. Hunter's Oath is the first book in a two-book series by Michelle West. I actually picked this book up and read it several years ago, and then I never managed to find the sequel. At some point, I sort of forgot about the book, but I would see it occasionally at the library and want to pick it up again. I am so glad I finally did. I honestly do not remember liking it this much the first time I read it, but I loved it this time around.
The Hunter Lords of Breodanir have sworn a pact with their god. The Hunter God gives his people plentiful food in both the hunt and their farms, but once a year all of the Hunter Lords and their huntbrothers must participate in the Sacred Hunt, where they become the hunted, and one of them will suffer the Hunter's Death. Not too long ago, the King refused to call the Sacred Hunt, and his people were sorely punished for it. When the Prince finally killed the King and became King himself, that year the Sacred Hunt claimed many more than its usual one life. The Hunter God showed his anger, but he also gave back to his people, bringing them out of the famine the old king had left them in. The Hunter Lords know their burden, but they are also given special gifts by the god - they have the ability to communicate with their hunting dogs, to enter the hunter's trance and become more than simply human. Each Hunter Lord must have a huntbrother, someone chosen from the common people at the age of eight - the huntbrothers keep the Lords grounded, and they share a bond that is stronger than any other. The Queen and the Hunter Ladies are the ones that truly run the kingdom, while the King (Master of the Hunt) and his Hunter Lords provide for them.
Stephen was a thief in the King's City until he was chosen by Lord Elseth to become huntbrother to Gilliam, Lord Elseth's son. But Stephen has been marked by the gods for much more. The story continues to get complicated as we learn of the world outside of Breodanir, and of the Darkness that rises. Somehow the Hunter God, and Stephen and Gilliam, are involved in the coming battle, where all of their oaths will be put to the test.
I loved this book, and I am tremendously excited to read the next one, Hunter's Death. The world that West has created is different from many other fantasy worlds, and she does an excellent job of sharing that world with her readers. The characters are also very well written. Even though you want to hit them for making stupid mistakes sometimes, you still love them all the way. This book is highly recommended for anyone who loves fantasy and is looking for an interesting read. ...more

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Jun 15, 2011 Ioet rated it really liked it

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Feb 04, 2015 Tokio Myers rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy-read, ownedbooks

Hunter's Oath follows two boys named Stephen and Gilliam of Elseth. One from the streets (Stephen) and the other born of noble blood (Gilliam), and they are hunters. The Hunters/Huntbrothers go out once a year to go on a hunt (yeah...) were one of them inevitably dies, pleasing the god of the hunt and grants them another year of food. Sounds like hungers games, I know. When all this is going on the book follows another story about a girl named Evayne and Evayne is a seer. Meaning she's a mage, f ...more

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Dec 07, 2010 Emory rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy, favorite-authors, reread-and-or-review, read-a-million-times, reviewed

This was the first of Michelle Sagara's books I ever read. I got it in a box of books from a family friend who was moving. It took me years to find Hunter's Death and the Sun Sword books, but eventually I did.

My only complaint is that this is a hard way to get into the series (and when I say 'series', I mean this duology, the Sun Sword books, and the House War books). One characteristic of these books is the very slow reveal of information. Once you're hooked, and grasp what's going on, it's har ...more

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May 30, 2011 Evie Byrne added it

I don't think I'm going to finish this book. This series came to me as a recommendation, so I know *other* people like it. But for me, it's not working. The main premise, about the Hunt Lords and their bonded Hunt Brothers, is really interesting, but I'm halfway through and this book is just not grabbing me.

It's kinda bad to say that and give no reason, but sometimes it's hard to give a reason. Why do I like some people, and not others? There's a word I use to describe a certain books to myself ...more

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Apr 17, 2008 Crystal rated it really liked it

Shelves: bookcase-3

I devoured this series as whole, so my review of one book has to cover my review of all the books. This is one of my favorite series (and Michelle West is one of my favorite authors). When I finished the series the first time through I was compelled to go back and re-read just the parts that featured my favorite character (Jewel). I keep this series handy, because it's one I reach for time and again when I'm in the mood for a good book. Sometimes I re-read the whole series and other times I just ...more

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May 20, 2015 Alyssa rated it really liked it

If you've read The House War series or the Sun Sword books, this is a prequel series - although chronologically it was released first. I think I actually enjoyed reading it more after reading the house war series, since instead of presenting mysterious characters like Evayne and Kallandras with no explanation, you're actually getting more background on them. Some parts will be repetitive if you've read the house war series first, but I just skimmed those.

One star less because I really hated Gil ...more

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Dec 29, 2014 Jamie rated it really liked it

I loved this, as I have loved all Michelle West books. Between this book and its pair, I love how MW has continued to build up the story. Granted, I started my venture into MW books with The Hidden City. It's one of those times I wish I had known of The Hunter's Oath and the Sun Sword series before I read The Hidden City. I love the books, but you really do need to read all of them to really get an understanding of this world. Each book only develops a small piece of the story, and each piece ov ...more

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Jun 13, 2013 Faith rated it really liked it

Shelves: did-not-finish, fantasy

From what I managed to get through - I think I was about 100 pages from the end when I stopped - it seems like beautifully written classic fantasy, though the magic is a bit mushier than I would like.

Unfortunately, New York City library books can't stay with me in England, so this one had to go back for the moment. I'll definitely return to it, and once I'm done with the duology I think I'll have to go back to House War.

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Aug 06, 2011 Amélie rated it really liked it

Shelves: c-fantasy, c-fantasy-high, a-michelle-sagara-west, m-ebooks, m-paper-book

Intersting but could have been better

The world building was original and intersting and I liked the characters. Nevertheless, I had trouble getting into the book and I only read it because I have read other series set in the same universe figuring the same characters. I found that the second book in the series is more intersting, but that may be because we then see some characters I had already seen in the House War series and whom I like better.

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May 18, 2013 Chris Pacheco rated it really liked it

Recommends it for: patient epic fantasy readers

Recommended to Chris by: goodreads

this book is pretty damned cool. its not boring but its not addictive, so it took me a while to read and i read at least two other books in the mean time. West, Michelle admits that her later books are written better so when im done with this story ill hit them up. I like finding a new great author that i nor anyone i know aware of.

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Nov 05, 2011 Marci Glasgow-Haire rated it really liked it

Good, but not as good as her House Wars series. It does tie in, though, and I was really pleased to discover that I already knew some of the characters. My estimation of Ms. West increased greatly with the reading of this book; it takes great skill to orchestrate different series so they run parallel, but don't give away key plot points or require foreknowledge of either series. Good stuff!

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Aug 22, 2014 Adobe rated it did not like it

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Gilliam is a Hunter Lord; Stephen is his huntbrother. Together, they hunt in the forests of their God, but in return, their God demands the chance to devour one Hunter Lord each year. And he's one of the good Gods.

Hunter's Oath is several different novels spliced together. The first novel is full of generic mythological gods and evil demons who laugh manically as they plot to destroy humanity. This novel is boring. The second novel is a trash-epic fantasy about adopted orphans and castles and ps Gilliam is a Hunter Lord; Stephen is his huntbrother. Together, they hunt in the forests of their God, but in return, their God demands the chance to devour one Hunter Lord each year. And he's one of the good Gods.

Hunter's Oath is several different novels spliced together. The first novel is full of generic mythological gods and evil demons who laugh manically as they plot to destroy humanity. This novel is boring. The second novel is a trash-epic fantasy about adopted orphans and castles and psychic dog packs and wizards and unsophisticated court politics. This novel is thoughtless but satisfying: the intellectual equivalent of spraying EZ-CHEEZ straight into your mouth. The third novel is the disjointed account of a young woman driven to hop-scotch through time, never sure where she will arrive or what she will be forced to do. And this novel is interesting, if jarring: despite acting as an omnipotent deus ex machina for the other characters, Evayne has no control over her travels and no way to change the terrible history she must visit again and again.

If Evayne's third of Hunter's Oath is awkwardly executed, it's at least intriguing. Not so the other two thirds. The generic fantasy bilge is just white noise to be skimmed, but the third with Hunter's Oath's ostensible protagonist, Stephen of Elseth, is more problematic. The tragic paradox driving all of the novel's events is that the Hunter Lords and huntbrothers have great power and freedom in Breodanir -- but at the cost of sacrificing one of their members each year to their God. As you may imagine, this really harshes the Breodani's buzz. So, large swaths of the novel are dedicated to the Breodani bemoaning their fate and their dead fathers/brothers/sons and thinking unkind thoughts about their hungry God et cetera. Which is weird but okay -- it's strange that the Breodani have so many self-doubts about their inculcated culture of human sacrifice, but as their society is consistently portrayed as self-flagellating, I will accept it without too much thought. But. The reason the Breodani put up with their rapacious God is (ostensibly) the great fringe benefits: the land is fertile, the feudal estates are at peace, and all the ruling Hunter Lords get to hunt the rest of the year with their psychic dog packs. Breodani society is built around the hunt.

But. Our Hero Stephen doesn't particularly like hunting: he would rather read books than hunt with Gilliam, and he feels no great connection to Gilliam's hunting pack. Stephen is the reader's main point of view, and he's just not interested in hunting, which flies in the face of both his background, his relationship with Gilliam, and his society. And this disinterest fatally undermines the book, because how can the reader emphasize with the Breodani's (much bemoaned) sacrifice if they can't understand the (tepidly endorsed) benefits? ...more

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Apr 10, 2015 zjakkelien rated it liked it

Shelves: fantasy, read-ebooks

I read West's House war books first (which tell the same story but from a different point of view). Because of that, Hunter's oath feels less polished to me, the writing style is a little more loose. In a way, that makes it easier to read, but to me it also feels less immersive than The hidden city, and I like that immersive quality. It is very nice to read about the familiar characters, though, and to learn a bit more about their backgrounds. Of course I knew this would be about the Hunter Lord I read West's House war books first (which tell the same story but from a different point of view). Because of that, Hunter's oath feels less polished to me, the writing style is a little more loose. In a way, that makes it easier to read, but to me it also feels less immersive than The hidden city, and I like that immersive quality. It is very nice to read about the familiar characters, though, and to learn a bit more about their backgrounds. Of course I knew this would be about the Hunter Lords, but I hadn't realized how much backstory these books provide about Evayne. Storywise I think it makes most sense to start with the Hunter books, but I'm not sure if I would have been pulled in as much as I have if I had.

It's difficult to judge this book on its own, but a few points I like: Michelle West writes good characters. They come alive, even the ones that don't play a huge role (yet). Although there is some traditional division of roles in Hunter society, it's interesting to note that the Ladies do most of the ruling. They do not engage in traditional fighting, but they do wield their own weapons and come to the rescue on one notable occasion. So even though a large part of the story is male-oriented (the hunting, even most of the magery), a world in which women of strength play crucial roles is already emerging. Having started Hunter's death and having read the first House war trilogy, I can only say that this becomes more extensive, even in those societies where women are seen as inferior. Finally, I find West's imagination astonishing. Sure, she uses traditional fantasy elements, but the way in which she uses them really stands out. She creates several societies (ok, in Hunter's oath we mostly see only one), mythologies and magics and forms them into a coherent whole. All the people have backstory, and so does the society as a whole. She creates an incredibly rich world with astonishing detail. Reading this first book now and knowing what is still to come, I am a little awestruck... ...more

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Oct 29, 2014 Gene rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: fantasy, fiction

The first half of this book was painful. I had a hard time keeping the parallel stories straight. I enjoyed and followed the story of the huntbrothers, but I have to admit that I was completely lost with the story of the time-traveling mage.

As the story went on, things came together. The story somewhat congealed and I found the plot. However, the impetus that kicked everything off, still eludes me. I'm also confused on how magic works in this world, and the system(s) of gods muddies the water, t ...more

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Jun 12, 2013 Deirdre rated it liked it

Shelves: 2013-reads, fantasy, female-author, kindle

I've found Michelle West's books difficult going in the past. It's not that I don't like them, I do, I just find them difficult to get througha and I stalled out around 2/3 of the way through the third book. (The Sagara books on the otherhand, I can tear through). It's the density I think - that, and I do find the voice of the characters to be similar. The personalities are very distinct, but the tone isn't.

Anyway, I found this much easier to read. I liked the concept of the Hunters & Huntbr ...more

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Oct 17, 2008 K. Axel rated it it was ok

Shelves: fantasy, partial-review, don-t-own-anymore

Yet another fantasy book, and I mean that quite literally. There isn't a whole lot that makes this book stand out from the others. It is also the first book in a series, a series that I haven't read, and if you like this, there are far too many books set in the same setting. I say far too many because I dont really like the setting. It has far too many characters that the author wants us to care for and it is very plot-driven, when I like character-driven stories. I want to feel something for th ...more

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Jun 16, 2014 Redletalis rated it it was ok

The first book of a duology, it was far too concerned with things that were to happen in the second book compared to what was supposed to be happening in this one.

There are a few good things, but the Time-Travelling-Sorceress-Who-Can’t-Do-A-Thing-About-Anything(TM) was just too annoying, and I don’t even want to start in on the demons who want to take over the world (again).

Full review can be found on my blog:

http://redletalis.wordpress.com/2014/...

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Apr 29, 2011 Jay rated it liked it

While I enjoyed these books okay, I felt they were very juvenile-ly (a word? Probably not but you get the meaning) written. The main reason I would recommend reading this book and it's sequel is so you can then read the Sun Sword series. These two books set the stage and (somewhat) the story line for the Sun Sword series, which I HIGHLY recommend (will also write a review for the first book of that series).

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Sep 27, 2009 Peterwilliam rated it liked it

Reviewed Sacred Hunt duology at Ubiquitous Absence, and also at Speculative Book Review.

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Mar 10, 2013 Kelli rated it really liked it

3.5 stars! At first, I could not keep up. I felt like it was two different books but when all the loose ends came together I enjoyed the story. As always, with Michelle West (Sagara), I loved the character development.

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About Michelle West

Michelle West

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Michelle Sagara West
Michelle Sagara

Michelle is an author, bookseller, and lover of literature based in Toronto. She writes fantasy novels as both Michelle Sagara and Michelle West (and sometimes as Michelle Sagara West). You can find her books at fine booksellers.

She lives in Toronto with her long-suffering husband and her two children, and to her regret has no dogs.

Reading is one of her ...more

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