Oath Sworn

by Meg MacDonald

One man’s oath. One boy’s sacred duty. One enemy bent on their destruction.

Soldier and statesman, Aralt syr Tremayne has finally laid to rest the ghosts of his past. He could no more have prevented the death of the Kavistra’s sons than the death of his own brother.

Now, the grave has given one of them up.

Aralt’s world is thrown into tumult when Lian Kynsei, last of a soul-touched clan and scion of a religious dynasty, returns and Aralt is oath sworn to protect the boy’s interests. But Lian is also a traumatized boy whose secrets rival Aralt’s own.

And neither of them are telling the truth.

Oath Sworn begins the Wolf's Oath trilogy, a gothic gaslamp fantasy filled with unforgettable characters and a richly-drawn world where skyships sail above tidal extremes, and crystal swords are tuned to their owner’s souls. Follow this riveting adventure as one man is forced to choose between duty and his lust for revenge.

ebook

First published December 1, 2018

About the author

Meg Mac Donald lives in Michigan where she chases dreams and searches for woolly mammoths. She is always on the look out for police telephone boxes.

A writer from a young age, her short fiction and poetry has appeared in Weird Tales, three Darkover anthologies including Masques of Darkover, The Temporal Logbook, and other anthologies. Her Doctor Who fiction has appeared in the online zines Inferno Fiction and Cosmic Masque.

OATH SWORN is her debut fantasy novel and the first in the Wolf's Oath series. #SPFBO6

Reviews

[Corey · Rating 5 out of 5]

With Oath Sworn, Meg MacDonald has created an intriguing fantasy world full of adventure, mystery, fantastic and dreadful creatures, and a young boy you just can't quite figure out. Unfortunately for Aralt Syr Tremayne, neither can he. If you are looking for a fluffy fantasy novel that you can lose yourself in without sophisticated thought - this is not the book for you. Oath Sworn is masterfully written in its intelligence and requires the reader to fully engage his/her mind and delve deep into a knowledge of language, including Scottish slang because there is a lot to be found here. MacDonald's writing style is reminiscent of Classic Literature, and she weaves a beautiful story without the unnecessary fluff found in many fantasy novels today. This is not Young Adult Fiction. The story is written from Aralt's perspective so the reader will come to understand the entirety of the world and its inhabitants from his point of view. This does mean that you will be left without fully understanding every detail of this enormous fantasy world by the end of the first book. The biggest questions surround the mystery of Lian Kynsei, one of the Soul-Touched, who has been missing for three years. Navigating the emotion surrounding the return of Aralt's ward is something the reader gets to experience through his eyes. Lian is a fascinating character who is at once childish and reckless yet wise and mystical and Aralt, well, he doesn't really know what to make of Lian. Danger lurks around every corner following Lian's return and the entire world is holding its breath in hope as they are plunged into unease with the return of a terrible evil. Meanwhile, Aralt is charged with protecting this beacon of hope while facing a dark figure from his own past. Is it coincidence? This first book in a trilogy introduces the reader to unique cultures and religion, weapons and political machinations, and perhaps just a wee bit of magic -- or is it a divine power? You'll have to read to find out.

[Polly Rapp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Relationships can be complicated. Oath Sworn is the fascinating tale of one such, and readers who enjoy detailed character development--and rich world-building--should enjoy it. Aralt and Lian have each suffered tragedies that shape their emotional responses to each other, and watching them negotiate the new dimensions of their relationship is variously painful, funny, and touching. The glimpses we get of their common enemy, lonn Tirehl, add tension and cultural color--with his fanatical adherence to a nasty god, fueled also by a drug addiction, he's pretty creepy. There are plenty of perils along the way, plus a romantic subplot that shows a different side of Aralt, and MacDonald's fantasy setting of foreign cultures, crystal swords, gaslight and airships, and a healthy dose of the supernatural is richly drawn. I like the way the Kynseis' faith is depicted, though Aralt's experiences have caused him to step away from it. The book's many allusions to events in the past and/or outside the scope of this story can sometimes be a little baffling, but the central plot is engaging, especially once their journey back to Aralt and Lian's homelands begins. Once you get to know these two--and the surrounding characters--you'll want to read more. This is a world well worth exploring. Good thing there is more on the way!

[Mark Gardner · Rating 5 out of 5]

The start of something truly special.

Oath Sworn starts a bit slow, but this is a necessity to lay the foundation on which an epic noblebright series is built. From flying ships to crystal swords that sing with sorrow and jubilation, the world of Aralt and Lian is a masterpiece that yearns to be told again and again.

A richly woven tapestry of history, religion, and good old fashioned gas lamp fantasy, Oath Sworn is a tale of tales for athe ages. Exciting chapters flow with a beautiful prose that is accessible to readers young and old alike. New readers will marvel at the mastery and majesty of the author, and seasoned readers will find that they’ve reunited with a tale that is familiar, but told in a way that only Meg Mac Donald could tell.

I long for the continuation of the Wolf’s Oath series, and know that new installments will be as riveting as this introduction. Five out of five stars is an easy rating to grant, and I have no doubt that more tales from the author will quickly become a reader’s favorite.

[Julia Sarene · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started Oath Sworn by Meg MacDonald years ago, for SPFBO, but despite enjoying it, I set it aside because it - sadly! - got cut, and I needed to finish those still in the running.
I finally got around to starting it over and finishing it, and as I expected, I should have done so earlier!

This is a gaslamp fantasy with plenty of politics, religions, intrigue - and airships!

This book does not hold your hand. It's complex and it has a bit of a slow start, which I didn't mind because I liked the tone and world enough to be hooked early on. You aren't told everything, and either you catch things and keep going, or you're gonna be lost. For me it worked really well, I felt I always knew enough to be engaged, but had enough mysteries and unknowns to want to read on and learn more!

The main characters are Aralt, who swore to protect the boy Lian with his life, but lost him three years ago, presumed dead. Lian suddenly reappears, but we've no idea what happened to him in the meantime, and he's changed from the naive boy he was. He's very mystical, sometimes young and U secure, but also at other times wise beyond his years and somewhat uncanny.
Aralt on the other hand had his own tragic past, which he's not yet really dealt with. He's decidedly not in the right state to have such a close connection to a kid, but there's no choice in it for either of them.
Their complicated relationship which was once formed on love & loyalty, but is now strained by barely knowing each other anymore and the things they went through was really well handled, and gave great depth to the story.

I loved the Scottish inspired backdrop! The landscape, the kilts, some of the culture and the language, you ken?
It felt well done for me, and added to the flavour and world instead of feeling off. One character's dialogue was a bit overdone, and I had a bit of a problem understanding him, but in a way that didn't feel too dissimilar to how I feel when I'm talking to someone with a heavy dialect in real life, so while I would have preferred that one toned down a bit, it was at least realistic.

The world has plenty of cool ideas to discover, and I'm very much looking forward to seeing more of it in the next books!

[Megan Tee · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was fairly decent. The story managed to grip me at certain sections and having me feeling something for them. There was some growth which to me is rare in many books nowadays.

The story just took too long to get going or really good. But when it does it really had me to continue reading it. The beginning had caught my attention, giving a sense of anticipation. And I did hope for something more to have explained what was going on there.

I feel as though there were too little explanations. The world didn’t really come alive and I was mostly really confused as to the terms, and the background. And the characters too, for the most part as there wasn’t enough exposition on them. And what they were. Or at least having their characters' motivation defined early.

Although later on, I managed to grasp the plot, even as I feel that it could have been made more prominent in the beginning. And the first chapter to be a little more to the point.

Overall, it had managed to intrigue me enough to finish it. Although I would have liked it to have been clearer and more straightforward.

[Megan Q. · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fabulous fantasy begins! Oath Sworn is all the things I enjoy reading; intelligently written, beautifully-described, sometimes humorous. The beginning gradually builds the stage for the epic story to come and then the momentum rolls on full steam ahead! Eagerly looking forward to the second book, Blood Sworn!

[Helena George · Rating 4 out of 5]

So I've never read a steampunk book before, so I /think/ this was steampunk?? Had a fantasy feel to it, but there were some gas lamps and plumbing and airships, so I guess that's steampunk?? But also unique creatures and musical weapons and basically a super unique story world! (Okay, I just looked up Meg's website, and it's "gaslamp fantasy" so how cool is that??)

Anywho, I met the author at Realm Makers, we got lost in the hotel, and she basically sold me her book. I barely even read the back, cuz I was like "she's a nice lady, her little description sounded cool, guess I'm gonna read it." And yeah, it was great!

I loved the characters. They were very well written, and a nice motley group. It was fun watching them argue, care for each other, encourage and scold each other.... Also, all the Scottish flair. YES TO THE KILTS. I need more fantasy (or gaslight fantasy) characters in kilts!! Also, the MC was always "going for a run" and I loved that. As a runner, I always appreciate it when characters go running as a way to calm down and get away from things and keep fit and all that fun stuff.

It was a tad slow to start. The prologue was gripping, then it kind of takes a while to get to where the plot begins. And when it does, hold on to your hat, mate, cuz you're going on a ride. Some conversations did seem to drag on a bit. Like, it really showed the relationships with the characters, but at the same time, I'm sitting in my seat impatiently, like "Come on, just get to the point!!"

Also, there was some language. Nothing horrible (and no taking of God's name), but a fair bit of "bloody" and "arse" and "damn." Kind of going with the Scottish feel (plus lots of soldiers and army folks, not to mention stressful situations), so the language kinda makes sense, but at the same time, I'm not a fan of reading it all. Then it gets stuck in my head, and those aren't words I'd prefer to use myself.

If you're looking for something out of the ordinary, definitely give Oath Sworn a try! Enjoy the amazing worldbuilding, the characters, the plot...you won't be disappointed!

[L.K. Evans · Rating 4 out of 5]

Convoluted is the main word I would use to describe this book, and its characters are why I couldn’t put it down.

The reason I say it’s convoluted is because the sheer number of people, places, and world-specific terminology tossed our way in the first few pages without much explanation really threw me very far back from connecting with this book, and I was running to catch up. Add that to the brief, short descriptions and I never once felt completely grounded in this book or felt I handle a strong handle on who or what everything was. Now, that said, after I finished the book, I re-read the prologue and it made perfect sense, which is odd because even by the end I felt I wasn’t as rooted in the book as I normally prefer.

The book’s plot reduced from a cup to a teaspoon is about Aralt protecting his kervallys, Lian, from a big baddie. I reduce it so because there’s a lot of details that really matter, and I’m not at all good at giving a good recap of books without spoilers. Read the blurb, which has been done better than I could ever attempt to do, and honestly is needed in order to understand what you’re reading, because like I said, there’s not a lot of bother with explanations. You pick it up as you go along, or maybe it was too subtle for me. The fact that I was taught reading via speed reading, I often miss clues or hints that are offered as a quick explanation. Not to mention my limited imagination. A slower reader might not have a single problem.

So, after all that, you might be asking why I gave it four stars and why I didn’t set it aside. The main reason in Aralt, and the second reason is his connection to Lian. I will always, ALWAYS, be drawn to books where two characters share a deep connection, such as telepathy in this case. I will forever be hooked by a character who has endured pain and suffering, such as both Lian and Aralt suffered. This book gave me both, and I enjoyed it because of Aralt’s painful, tragic past, and because he shares an incredibly deep and complicated bond with Lian. Those moments when they struggled with their past and each other were wonderful, and I read on because I had to know what was going to happen between them, to them, and to learn what had already transpired in their past. MacDonald artfully gave us tasty bits throughout, but I feel way more is to come in the next books.

As for the world, it felt fleshed out. Religion and politics are prevalent but don’t weigh the story down. The writing, for me (and I can’t believe I’m going to say this), needed more description and to slow down the important scenes. When shit hit the fan, I wish it would’ve taken longer to unravel. However, I love the bits of information we gain along the way instead of having one huge dump. I willingly followed the carrot, just waiting to catch it. Love that!

So overall, I would recommend this book, and more importantly, I would recommend taking your time in reading it.

[Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid Fantasy

I really enjoyed this book, it is a fantasy novel with a good plotline. A holy/royal family was seemingly destroyed, only to have a young member return three years later. His troubled sworn brother now has to help him find his way
I do wish the author had added a glossary, it took me a minute to figure things out from context clues.