From the Bookshelf of Totally Random Tour…

The Oathbreaker's Shadow (The Knots Sequence, #1)

Amy McCulloch

Find A Copy At

Libraries

Group Discussions About This Book

No group discussions for this book yet.

What Members Thought

May 10, 2012 Emma Pass rated it it was amazing

In Darhan, promises are everything. When you make a vow, it is bound by magic and tied into a promise knot, which you wear until the day you die. Should you break that vow, you become an outcast, scarred and unwanted, doomed to wander the desert where your every move is dogged by a merciless spirit known as a haunt.

Fifteen-year-old Raim has had a promise knot around his wrist since he was born. No-one can tell him why, or what promise was made, but he hardly notices it any more: he’s too busy tr In Darhan, promises are everything. When you make a vow, it is bound by magic and tied into a promise knot, which you wear until the day you die. Should you break that vow, you become an outcast, scarred and unwanted, doomed to wander the desert where your every move is dogged by a merciless spirit known as a haunt.

Fifteen-year-old Raim has had a promise knot around his wrist since he was born. No-one can tell him why, or what promise was made, but he hardly notices it any more: he’s too busy training to be an elite Yun guard, and preparing to make an Absolute Vow to become the protector of his best friend (and future Kahn) Prince Kareh.

But when he makes the vow, another promise – the promise bound into the knot around his wrist – is broken, and Raim is outcast as a traitor. Now he’s thrown into a desperate struggle to survive – and to find out the truth behind the mysterious promise that has changed his life forever…

From the first sentence of THE OATHBREAKER’S SHADOW, I found myself immersed in Raim’s world. The worldbuilding is rich and intricate, yet at no point does it get in the way of the story. Amy McCulloch is well-travelled, and her love of exotic locations shines through as the reader is transported to a realm of nomads and weavers, soldiers and kings, deserts, mountains and hidden cities. The description is so vivid, you can almost feel the sand trickling through your fingers, and the heat of the desert sun pounding onto your head.

Raim is a brilliant character. He is intelligent and spirited, sometimes coming across as older than his fifteen years – but then his is a society in which children are expected to make the transition to adulthood at an early age. He also has a vulnerable side, which makes him empathetic and believable, as, in his quest for the truth, he often finds himself getting into even more trouble than he was in before.

Then there is Wadi, the girl who helps rescue Raim from almost certain death in the desert, and becomes Raim’s main ally in the mysterious city of Lazar. A feisty, take-no-prisoners sort of girl, she is more than a match for Raim, and one of my favourite characters in the book. Prince Kareh is a compelling antagonist, and his transformation from Raim’s childhood friend to tyrant, although not unexpected, is still a shock. This might sound like a cliché, but as the story barreled towards its climax, I literally couldn’t tear my eyes away from the page.

THE OATHBREAKER’S SHADOW will appeal to anyone who’s after a fast-paced, exciting read to help them escape the ordinary world for a while. I can’t wait for the next book in the trilogy!
...more

3 likes · Like · see review

May 10, 2012 Amy McCulloch rated it it was amazing · (Review from the author)

Jun 26, 2013 Sarah marked it as to-read

Shelves: wishlist-to-get

May 24, 2013 Penguin Random House Children's rated it it was amazing

Group Home Bookshelf Discussions

Photos Videos

Send invite Members Polls