What do you think?
Rate this book
The Knots Sequence #1
The Oathbreaker's Shadow
Fifteen-year-old Raim lives in a world where you tie a knot for every promise that you make. Break that promise and you are scarred for life, and cast out into the desert.
Raim has worn a simple knot around his wrist for as long as he can remember. No one knows where it came from, and which promise of his it symbolises, but he barely thinks about it at all—not since becoming the most promising young fighter ever to train for the elite Yun guard. But on the most important day of his life, when he binds his life to his best friend (and future king) Khareh, the string bursts into flames and sears a dark mark into his skin.
Scarred now as an oath-breaker, Raim has two options: run, or be killed.
A gripping YA action-adventure fantasy, the first part of a planned duology.
Raim has worn a simple knot around his wrist for as long as he can remember. No one knows where it came from, and which promise of his it symbolises, but he barely thinks about it at all—not since becoming the most promising young fighter ever to train for the elite Yun guard. But on the most important day of his life, when he binds his life to his best friend (and future king) Khareh, the string bursts into flames and sears a dark mark into his skin.
Scarred now as an oath-breaker, Raim has two options: run, or be killed.
A gripping YA action-adventure fantasy, the first part of a planned duology.
416 pages, Hardcover
First published June 4, 2013
46 people are currently reading
6488 people want to read
About the author
Amy McCulloch
13 books817 followersAmy McCulloch is a Chinese-White author, born in the UK, raised in Ottawa, Canada, now based in London, UK. She has written several novels for children and young adults, and been published in over fifteen different languages. Her debut adult novel, BREATHLESS, releases in 2022.
Before becoming a full-time writer, she was editorial director for Penguin Random House Children’s Books. In 2013, she was named one of The Bookseller‘s Rising Stars of publishing.
When not writing, she loves travelling, hiking and mountaineering. In September 2019, she became the youngest Canadian woman to climb Mt Manaslu in Nepal – the world’s eighth highest mountain at 8,163m (26,781ft). Other addictions include coffee, ramen and really great books.
Before becoming a full-time writer, she was editorial director for Penguin Random House Children’s Books. In 2013, she was named one of The Bookseller‘s Rising Stars of publishing.
When not writing, she loves travelling, hiking and mountaineering. In September 2019, she became the youngest Canadian woman to climb Mt Manaslu in Nepal – the world’s eighth highest mountain at 8,163m (26,781ft). Other addictions include coffee, ramen and really great books.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 207 reviews
June 10, 2013
I have only one word to describe The Oathbreaker’s Shadow. Painful. It’s a rare book I would compare to an instrument of torture, but there are so many things wrong with this, between the massive infodumps, the meandering story, the loose plot threads that go nowhere, the poorly thought out magic system, the fast and loose characterizations, the blatant cultural (mis)appropriation, I am not exaggerating when I say I literally felt like I was being tortured every time I read one more agonizing word of this. And you know what the worst part was? There was actually a three or four chapter stretch in the middle when I thought the book was actually improving - well, thanks for the false hope.
Obviously, to say I didn’t enjoy The Oathbreaker’s Shadow in the least would be a massive understatement. First of all, the world building was just awful. I usually refrain from making direct comparisons between one book and another because I feel every book should stand or fall on its own, but in this case I just can’t help but compare Amy McCulloch’s fantasy debut with another Central Asian inspired fantasy, Elizabeth Bear’s Range of Ghosts. In this case, I think it’s warranted because both books borrow heavily from Mongol culture as a starting point, and just having read both its readily apparent what the dos and do nots of writing this type of book is:
Do - creatively weave the cultural elements into the narrative, so the whole thing feels authentic and interesting.
Do not - litter the story with catchphrases (yurt anyone?) and foreign sounding names while following every new character or setting with a two or three paragraph description explaining the cultural significance (hint: it’s headache inducing, but more importantly, boring).
Do - develop an understanding of the culture, so the things you talk about, the nomadic lifestyle, the horse culture, the significance of living on the steppes, resonates.
Do not - start writing until you get a handle on the material, or like this book you’ll end up having your characters living in a village when they’re supposed to be nomads and the description of the capital reading like it was copied from the Wikipedia entry of Ulaanbaatar (hint: it annoys people who know better).
Anyway, I like my world building to read like a homage, not a poorly done ripoff, and unless you’re intentionally looking for a book in which one third of the story is literally just that (ripoff, not homage), The Oathbreaker’s Shadow is a chore to read.
Then again, the actual story isn’t any better. You know how the hook is about the titular oathbreaker Raim needing to figure out what his broken oath is? Well, forget that, cause we never find out. And if that wasn’t bad enough, the summary gives away the entire first third of the book, though either way it drags hard thanks to McCulloch’s need to include explanations for literally everything. Sure, there is actually a point to oathbreaking and the stigma attached, but it hardly makes any sense. Then again, very little about The Oathbreaker’s Shadow makes any sense. The villain, for example, umm WTF? Talk about weird character development. Seriously, the climatic action scenes are almost comical given how these characters were developed earlier and I didn't get the point of Raim's pet bird at all. The only chapters I actually liked were the desert scenes once Raim is forced to flee for his life, because I thought McCulloch did a good job with the harshness and the desperate struggle to survive, but you know everything that happened afterwards just led back to those problems I mentioned and that for me just felt like the book equivalent of watching a boring ten hour movie, finally getting somewhere, and then immediately being jabbed in the eye with a hot fire poker.
Honestly, the only good thing about The Oathbreaker’s Shadow is the cover. Whoever designed that deserves every bit of credit for this book’s success. What’s inside the cover though? Pure torture.
Obviously, to say I didn’t enjoy The Oathbreaker’s Shadow in the least would be a massive understatement. First of all, the world building was just awful. I usually refrain from making direct comparisons between one book and another because I feel every book should stand or fall on its own, but in this case I just can’t help but compare Amy McCulloch’s fantasy debut with another Central Asian inspired fantasy, Elizabeth Bear’s Range of Ghosts. In this case, I think it’s warranted because both books borrow heavily from Mongol culture as a starting point, and just having read both its readily apparent what the dos and do nots of writing this type of book is:
Do - creatively weave the cultural elements into the narrative, so the whole thing feels authentic and interesting.
Do not - litter the story with catchphrases (yurt anyone?) and foreign sounding names while following every new character or setting with a two or three paragraph description explaining the cultural significance (hint: it’s headache inducing, but more importantly, boring).
Do - develop an understanding of the culture, so the things you talk about, the nomadic lifestyle, the horse culture, the significance of living on the steppes, resonates.
Do not - start writing until you get a handle on the material, or like this book you’ll end up having your characters living in a village when they’re supposed to be nomads and the description of the capital reading like it was copied from the Wikipedia entry of Ulaanbaatar (hint: it annoys people who know better).
Anyway, I like my world building to read like a homage, not a poorly done ripoff, and unless you’re intentionally looking for a book in which one third of the story is literally just that (ripoff, not homage), The Oathbreaker’s Shadow is a chore to read.
Then again, the actual story isn’t any better. You know how the hook is about the titular oathbreaker Raim needing to figure out what his broken oath is? Well, forget that, cause we never find out. And if that wasn’t bad enough, the summary gives away the entire first third of the book, though either way it drags hard thanks to McCulloch’s need to include explanations for literally everything. Sure, there is actually a point to oathbreaking and the stigma attached, but it hardly makes any sense. Then again, very little about The Oathbreaker’s Shadow makes any sense. The villain, for example, umm WTF? Talk about weird character development. Seriously, the climatic action scenes are almost comical given how these characters were developed earlier and I didn't get the point of Raim's pet bird at all. The only chapters I actually liked were the desert scenes once Raim is forced to flee for his life, because I thought McCulloch did a good job with the harshness and the desperate struggle to survive, but you know everything that happened afterwards just led back to those problems I mentioned and that for me just felt like the book equivalent of watching a boring ten hour movie, finally getting somewhere, and then immediately being jabbed in the eye with a hot fire poker.
Honestly, the only good thing about The Oathbreaker’s Shadow is the cover. Whoever designed that deserves every bit of credit for this book’s success. What’s inside the cover though? Pure torture.
March 13, 2014
I know it is often a part of a fantasy review, but it's so true. An original and unique magic system in a book is like finding a wonderful new spice in a dish. It gives the tale a unique flavor.
This is a tale of friendship and loyalty and betrayal. Of power and outcasts. It's a good solid story. I recommend it.
This is a tale of friendship and loyalty and betrayal. Of power and outcasts. It's a good solid story. I recommend it.
June 9, 2013
3.5 stars - I struggled with the book at first because I was bored with all of the history that McCulloch felt the need to lay out all at once and frustrated with way too many characters for me to keep track of that I had to keep looking back. But the story picked up about the halfway point, and I found myself really liking it. I am, however, frustrated that I still have so many questions, but I am eager for the next one to come out.
First of all, I think the concept is really interesting. However, I'm left to rely on pure faith alone on how the oath making and breaking system works. If it's based on Sola's beliefs, then something like a piece of string or hair seems kind of silly for me. And with all that background that McCulloch laid out so quickly, I would have thought she would have explained how that tradition came to be. That doesn't come until much, much later.
The other thing was the book's summary established that Raim was going to break his oath and be considered a traitor. But we don't even get to that until about a third of the way through. It just seemed like there was so much reading involved up until that point, but not much has happened.
The other thing that frustrated me about this book was with all the set up, I thought I would have had a better idea of what was going on as I was reading. But that wasn't the case. There were some many times that I had to stop and think, "Wait a minute, what just happened?" and I would have to go back and try to figure out if I had missed something. Only, I hadn't. It just wasn't explained until later or it wasn't explained at all. Take for instance around Chapter 20. My mind was reeling on what was going on and how in the world that can happen. It wasn't until near the end of Chapter 28 when Draikh rehashed what had happened did I really understand.
Major Spoiler Alert - (for reasoning and later memory refresher)
Also, Raim was on this quest to find out the mystery behind the original knot. Only Instead, we're distracted by a ton of other scenarios that I'm not really sure where to follow here on out -
Having said that, I really think that story has a lot of potential. I liked Raim, although I think he was way too naive (can a guy be such?) and was way too trusting, and his faith in people and the good caused him to make too many stupid mistakes. However, I can't fault him for being the way he was. And I'm always down for books that have tough heroines that do not take nonsense from anyone, especially overly buffed guys who think it's their job to protect everyone.
I was really caught up with the second half of the story. I enjoy reading about kingdoms or tribes or other groups of people traveling through the land, battling not only their enemies, but also nature itself. And I really do believe that once they reach Lazar, it wasn't exactly what I was expecting, and I was very interested in the stories that they had to tell. It really put a lot of things into perspective for me, but at the same time, it did open up more questions, as I have too many of them at the moment.
I mean, it wasn't hard to guess who we should be suspicious of and who will have more important roles than they first appeared to. And even though I predicted some of the things that would happen and could feel the build up to that point, I was still caught up when McCulloch did reveal whatever that certain surprise was supposed to be.
The last several chapters were very climatic, and I was really swept up to the story. However, I thought everything was rushed, hitting you all at once, that the end felt like the aftermath of a battle. You step back, see all the casualties and loose ends that are lying around, and you have to wonder, "Where do we go from here?" A few off the top of my head I'm excited about the next book coming out, not because McCulloch left a cliff-hanger ending for us (no, it wasn't what I would call a cliff-hanger), but more because I'm really curious about finding answers to my questions. Either way, I hope I don't have to wait a year for the sequel.
First of all, I think the concept is really interesting. However, I'm left to rely on pure faith alone on how the oath making and breaking system works. If it's based on Sola's beliefs, then something like a piece of string or hair seems kind of silly for me. And with all that background that McCulloch laid out so quickly, I would have thought she would have explained how that tradition came to be. That doesn't come until much, much later.
The other thing was the book's summary established that Raim was going to break his oath and be considered a traitor. But we don't even get to that until about a third of the way through. It just seemed like there was so much reading involved up until that point, but not much has happened.
The other thing that frustrated me about this book was with all the set up, I thought I would have had a better idea of what was going on as I was reading. But that wasn't the case. There were some many times that I had to stop and think, "Wait a minute, what just happened?" and I would have to go back and try to figure out if I had missed something. Only, I hadn't. It just wasn't explained until later or it wasn't explained at all. Take for instance around Chapter 20. My mind was reeling on what was going on and how in the world that can happen. It wasn't until near the end of Chapter 28 when Draikh rehashed what had happened did I really understand.
Major Spoiler Alert - (for reasoning and later memory refresher)
Also, Raim was on this quest to find out the mystery behind the original knot. Only Instead, we're distracted by a ton of other scenarios that I'm not really sure where to follow here on out -
Having said that, I really think that story has a lot of potential. I liked Raim, although I think he was way too naive (can a guy be such?) and was way too trusting, and his faith in people and the good caused him to make too many stupid mistakes. However, I can't fault him for being the way he was. And I'm always down for books that have tough heroines that do not take nonsense from anyone, especially overly buffed guys who think it's their job to protect everyone.
I was really caught up with the second half of the story. I enjoy reading about kingdoms or tribes or other groups of people traveling through the land, battling not only their enemies, but also nature itself. And I really do believe that once they reach Lazar, it wasn't exactly what I was expecting, and I was very interested in the stories that they had to tell. It really put a lot of things into perspective for me, but at the same time, it did open up more questions, as I have too many of them at the moment.
I mean, it wasn't hard to guess who we should be suspicious of and who will have more important roles than they first appeared to. And even though I predicted some of the things that would happen and could feel the build up to that point, I was still caught up when McCulloch did reveal whatever that certain surprise was supposed to be.
The last several chapters were very climatic, and I was really swept up to the story. However, I thought everything was rushed, hitting you all at once, that the end felt like the aftermath of a battle. You step back, see all the casualties and loose ends that are lying around, and you have to wonder, "Where do we go from here?" A few off the top of my head I'm excited about the next book coming out, not because McCulloch left a cliff-hanger ending for us (no, it wasn't what I would call a cliff-hanger), but more because I'm really curious about finding answers to my questions. Either way, I hope I don't have to wait a year for the sequel.
February 9, 2015
Fantasy Review Barn
A person’s word is all they have. Never has this been truer than in the world of The Oathbreaker’s Shadow. The nomadic group central to the story doesn’t just believe in keeping promises, they enforce it. Each promise made requires a knot to be tied; a magical binding with grave consequences if broken. Before a certain age breaking a promise results in a painful lesson. But lessons are for children and there comes a point where the consequences are much more dire. Breaking a promise is the very definition of taboo in this land, even if done inadvertently.
Raim is a young man training to be Yun, an elite warrior and likely bodyguard to his best friend in the world, heir to the throne Khareh. But on what should be his most proud day something terrible happens. A promise is broken without any knowledge of what it contained and suddenly Raim is the run. Forced into the desert he fights to figure out how he was cursed by an action he had no knowledge of and zero ideas of what he could possible do about it.
This is a story about unintended consequences; at least it wants to be. In actuality it is a cool premise that unfortunately begs to have holes poked through it. Because everything this society believes in will start tearing apart due to the actions of a few; and the frailty of this system is an indictment that the society shouldn’t have lasted with it for so long. Arbitrary age restrictions could be explained away on their own but they are only the start of me outthinking things.
Raim’s broken promise, a promise made when he was a baby, should have never been possible. This is the catalyst of the story but and therefore is completely intentional but still should be impossible by the rules as they are lain out. Once the consequences are made clear, especially the titular ‘Shadow,’ I was able to guess (correctly) the other major plot points coming down the pipe. The rise of a villain, the discovery of a new magic, I was not surprised by a major plot point past the first third of the book.
Despite having serious issues making any sort of logistical sense out of these details the author really manages to hide these flaws with a quick paced, entertaining plot and some engaging characters. Raim looks to be building toward a redemption arc but things do not turn out to be that simple. He is joined on his journey by Wadi, member of another nomadic group that wanders an even harsher land. At first their connection is confused but eventually it comes out that she too is bound by promises not necessarily her own. And McCulloch is not afraid to shock a reader; violence and death are no stranger in this world.
If I could pick a highlight it is in fact the ethical and moral implications of a promise based society. When right and wrong sit on a sliding scale I find myself intrigued. Karen Millar wrote a tale where the ‘moral path’ was often the opposite of what we would expect due to a divine mandate. The affect is the same here; any promise broken results in exile. This means a promise made under duress, or through lust, or under the influence potentially sets the moral course for a person’s life. Some very questionable promises come into play for some characters; up to and including a promise of death.
This is a smart, fun book that excels when it is clicking. As long as a reader is not prone to overthinking things I have no problem recommending it. And there is always a possibility, as this is the first of a duology, that many of my concerns will be answered in due time.
3 Stars
Copy for review received through NetGalley
A person’s word is all they have. Never has this been truer than in the world of The Oathbreaker’s Shadow. The nomadic group central to the story doesn’t just believe in keeping promises, they enforce it. Each promise made requires a knot to be tied; a magical binding with grave consequences if broken. Before a certain age breaking a promise results in a painful lesson. But lessons are for children and there comes a point where the consequences are much more dire. Breaking a promise is the very definition of taboo in this land, even if done inadvertently.
Raim is a young man training to be Yun, an elite warrior and likely bodyguard to his best friend in the world, heir to the throne Khareh. But on what should be his most proud day something terrible happens. A promise is broken without any knowledge of what it contained and suddenly Raim is the run. Forced into the desert he fights to figure out how he was cursed by an action he had no knowledge of and zero ideas of what he could possible do about it.
This is a story about unintended consequences; at least it wants to be. In actuality it is a cool premise that unfortunately begs to have holes poked through it. Because everything this society believes in will start tearing apart due to the actions of a few; and the frailty of this system is an indictment that the society shouldn’t have lasted with it for so long. Arbitrary age restrictions could be explained away on their own but they are only the start of me outthinking things.
Raim’s broken promise, a promise made when he was a baby, should have never been possible. This is the catalyst of the story but and therefore is completely intentional but still should be impossible by the rules as they are lain out. Once the consequences are made clear, especially the titular ‘Shadow,’ I was able to guess (correctly) the other major plot points coming down the pipe. The rise of a villain, the discovery of a new magic, I was not surprised by a major plot point past the first third of the book.
Despite having serious issues making any sort of logistical sense out of these details the author really manages to hide these flaws with a quick paced, entertaining plot and some engaging characters. Raim looks to be building toward a redemption arc but things do not turn out to be that simple. He is joined on his journey by Wadi, member of another nomadic group that wanders an even harsher land. At first their connection is confused but eventually it comes out that she too is bound by promises not necessarily her own. And McCulloch is not afraid to shock a reader; violence and death are no stranger in this world.
If I could pick a highlight it is in fact the ethical and moral implications of a promise based society. When right and wrong sit on a sliding scale I find myself intrigued. Karen Millar wrote a tale where the ‘moral path’ was often the opposite of what we would expect due to a divine mandate. The affect is the same here; any promise broken results in exile. This means a promise made under duress, or through lust, or under the influence potentially sets the moral course for a person’s life. Some very questionable promises come into play for some characters; up to and including a promise of death.
This is a smart, fun book that excels when it is clicking. As long as a reader is not prone to overthinking things I have no problem recommending it. And there is always a possibility, as this is the first of a duology, that many of my concerns will be answered in due time.
3 Stars
Copy for review received through NetGalley
June 15, 2013
Eh?!
This is hurting my head.
Like, giving me an actual migraine. Or what I think a migraine feels like. I've never had one before or I did and I just couldn't identify it. When DOES a headache turn into a migraine? Is there a significant and distinguishable margin, like you coalesce from one range of pain into another much more terrible one? Or is it just more cool to say you've got a migraine? I'm not good at biology. The only thing I've figured out by far is that migraine gives you that weird pin-in-your-brains-and-eyeballs feeling, but then if you jump into a pool at the wrong angle, and water goes up your nostrils at an even worse angle you get that feeling as well. Which makes you want to rip out your eyes.
This book didn't make me want to rip out my eyes but it definitely bored me with its endless and clunky info-dump, cookie-cutter characters, late beginning, lame dialogues, unrealistic relationship, and world-building & its telling that could have done with a bit more emotion and feeling. Moreover, one scene jumps straight into another and when its time to get back, dude, it beams out of the sky. No guiding smoothly or amalgamating the story sequences.
I'm going to try and relax.
I'm going to ALOOOHHHAAA!!!
Aloha, baby! Do it with me! Two simple steps. Wave your hands and shake your ass. To the right! To the left!
Do it alone if you're shy!
Or do it with me!
It's fun either way.
This is hurting my head.
Like, giving me an actual migraine. Or what I think a migraine feels like. I've never had one before or I did and I just couldn't identify it. When DOES a headache turn into a migraine? Is there a significant and distinguishable margin, like you coalesce from one range of pain into another much more terrible one? Or is it just more cool to say you've got a migraine? I'm not good at biology. The only thing I've figured out by far is that migraine gives you that weird pin-in-your-brains-and-eyeballs feeling, but then if you jump into a pool at the wrong angle, and water goes up your nostrils at an even worse angle you get that feeling as well. Which makes you want to rip out your eyes.
This book didn't make me want to rip out my eyes but it definitely bored me with its endless and clunky info-dump, cookie-cutter characters, late beginning, lame dialogues, unrealistic relationship, and world-building & its telling that could have done with a bit more emotion and feeling. Moreover, one scene jumps straight into another and when its time to get back, dude, it beams out of the sky. No guiding smoothly or amalgamating the story sequences.
I'm going to try and relax.
I'm going to ALOOOHHHAAA!!!
Aloha, baby! Do it with me! Two simple steps. Wave your hands and shake your ass. To the right! To the left!
Do it alone if you're shy!
Or do it with me!
It's fun either way.
January 23, 2019
This is a rough book to fairly rate, but my review falls somewhere on the lower side of the 3-star range. It's just that this book is all over the place, and that makes it hard to really 100% comprehend everything that's laid out. McCulloch should get credit for creating a magic system that is actually fascinating. The concept of promise knots, and the events that unfold if you break one, are solidly interesting. The execution and explanation of this magic system? Not so much. For as long as it took to set things up, and all the info dumps that were present, I really felt lost for a long time in this story. The magic system is there, but it's not well explained, and that's frustrating.
The other part of this book that was rough for me was the lack of character development. I'm a very character driven reader, and I like to feel like my protagonists are learning and growing. I didn't feel that way during my read, although I admit that I did like Raim overall. I just felt like he spent so long trying to find the secret behind his knot, and then right when he was close the book went on all sorts of tangents. It just didn't flow, and Raim just didn't grow, and that made it hard for me to really connect with this story.
I think there's a lot of good things in The Oathbreaker's Shadow. I think that the premise overall is solid and that, with a little bit more love, this book could have been great. I am actually interested to see what happens next, to be honest.
The other part of this book that was rough for me was the lack of character development. I'm a very character driven reader, and I like to feel like my protagonists are learning and growing. I didn't feel that way during my read, although I admit that I did like Raim overall. I just felt like he spent so long trying to find the secret behind his knot, and then right when he was close the book went on all sorts of tangents. It just didn't flow, and Raim just didn't grow, and that made it hard for me to really connect with this story.
I think there's a lot of good things in The Oathbreaker's Shadow. I think that the premise overall is solid and that, with a little bit more love, this book could have been great. I am actually interested to see what happens next, to be honest.
July 19, 2014
The Oathbreaker’s Shadow is a book written by one of the country’s most renowned and talented editors, Amy McCullough of Harper Voyager. That’s right; adviser has become applicant in a bold move that surely places a lot of pressure on her shoulders to perform. You see, over the years Amy has worked on books by George R.R. Martin, Robin Hobb and Raymond E. Feist, and leads the editing process on work by new and upcoming stars such as Blake Charlton, James Smythe and Janet Edwards too! Her job revolves around being in regular contact with these kinds of authors: advising them of their grammar, characters, plots and even marketing prowess.
So, when I heard that she had written a book I was really interested to see how she, as an ‘industry expert’, performed. I doubt I was the only one either; you know the authors under her watch are going to be checking out the ‘bosses’ work. Anyway, here’s the blurb:
---
Fifteen-year-old Raim lives in a world where you tie a knot for every promise that you make. Break that promise and you are scarred for life, and cast out into the desert.
Raim has worn a simple knot around his wrist for as long as he can remember. No one knows where it came from, and which promise of his it symbolises, but he barely thinks about it at all – not since becoming the most promising young fighter ever to train for the elite Yun guard. But on the most important day of his life, when he binds his life to his best friend (and future king) Khareh, the string bursts into flames and sears a dark mark into his skin.
Scarred now as an oath-breaker, Raim has two options: run, or be killed.
---
So, yes, when we meet our protagonist, Raim, he is unbearably close to fulfilling his destiny and becoming a Yun Warrior. Since he was a young man he has been best friends with the future king and should he become a Yun Warrior he is expected to be the closest bodyguard to the King – so everything looks rather rosy for him. I wouldn’t say that Raim is ‘cocky’ about that fact, he is actually quite humble, but there is certainly a confidence about him and he has great ambitions and expectation in regards to how his life will play out. So, when it happens, when Raim is shown to have broken a promise and has his future fall from one of guaranteed respect to one of being loathed and wanted dead, it is a truly emotional path that we must follow him on; breaking a promise in the society that McCulloch has created truly is akin to being a spy or murder in our own.
The setting of The Oathbreaker’s Shadow is one that a couple of years ago – when the book was released – felt very unique, but today is starting to feel more familiar. This isn’t a bad thing at all, McCulloch’s novel being set in a hybrid-desert society (with strong Persian and Mongolian influences, I would suggest) feels very much like Arabian Nights and it wouldn’t be a huge jump to say that Raim shares many traits with characters from such tales, such as Aladdin. What separates Amy’s setting from the numbers that are filtering in is both the beauty of the description that she offers and its seeming authenticity. Without going into Jordan-esque detail, Amy creates vivid images of the scenery and landmarks you’d expect to see in the aforementioned movies or the Prince of Persia games.
We’ve covered it a little already, but to give some more details on the magic system: as the blurb says, the novel is set in a world where promises can be magically bound by the tying of a knot. Let us say you promise me you will never hurt my family – we cement this promise by performing a quick ritual and tying a knot that you shall wear as a reminder of your promise to me. Where it gets interesting is that if you were to break this promise – perhaps attacking my son – you’d end up with a large scar on your person and a shadow would appear behind you, haunting you, letting everyone know that you’re an Oathbreaker.
I felt this was a great concept, even more so when you consider that the book is for Young Adults. The question of who you make a promise to, what you promise and when – if ever – you can make a promise that will destroy your life, should you break it, is an interesting one that is likely to resonate with younger and older people a-like. All the best Young Adult novels provide a moral dilemma such as this and I think Amy’s encouraging a younger reader to reflect upon their opinions of trust and truth makes this Young Adult more than just a ‘pop’ novel.
I will skip ahead a little, so as not to spoil what happens once Raim breaks this unknown promise. Raim is away from the town and determined to find out what this promise was, who he made it to and get a solution as to how he can prove it wasn’t his fault, that there has been a mistake of some kind. With trust and truth being the main themes of the novel there is plenty of lies and betrayals along Raim’s journey after he has made his decision to get to the bottom of what has gone on. It is a journey that is full of adventure, packed with interesting characters and loaded with revelations that are likely to shock and surprise its young adult audience (less so those adults who have read novels such as A Game of Thrones!).
Overall, The Oathbreaker’s Shadow is an absolutely fantastic debut and I can say without a doubt it was one of the finest debuts of 2013. My hope is that once this ‘duology’ is complete, Amy takes an even bolder step to writing a longer novel with a deeper, more complex plot aimed at adult fantasy readers. I think that if she chooses to shed the YA genre’s constraints and can combine her literary and descriptive abilities with a complex plot we’ll all be treated to her full abilities as a writer. That said, this adult can’t fricken wait for the sequel!
So, when I heard that she had written a book I was really interested to see how she, as an ‘industry expert’, performed. I doubt I was the only one either; you know the authors under her watch are going to be checking out the ‘bosses’ work. Anyway, here’s the blurb:
---
Fifteen-year-old Raim lives in a world where you tie a knot for every promise that you make. Break that promise and you are scarred for life, and cast out into the desert.
Raim has worn a simple knot around his wrist for as long as he can remember. No one knows where it came from, and which promise of his it symbolises, but he barely thinks about it at all – not since becoming the most promising young fighter ever to train for the elite Yun guard. But on the most important day of his life, when he binds his life to his best friend (and future king) Khareh, the string bursts into flames and sears a dark mark into his skin.
Scarred now as an oath-breaker, Raim has two options: run, or be killed.
---
So, yes, when we meet our protagonist, Raim, he is unbearably close to fulfilling his destiny and becoming a Yun Warrior. Since he was a young man he has been best friends with the future king and should he become a Yun Warrior he is expected to be the closest bodyguard to the King – so everything looks rather rosy for him. I wouldn’t say that Raim is ‘cocky’ about that fact, he is actually quite humble, but there is certainly a confidence about him and he has great ambitions and expectation in regards to how his life will play out. So, when it happens, when Raim is shown to have broken a promise and has his future fall from one of guaranteed respect to one of being loathed and wanted dead, it is a truly emotional path that we must follow him on; breaking a promise in the society that McCulloch has created truly is akin to being a spy or murder in our own.
The setting of The Oathbreaker’s Shadow is one that a couple of years ago – when the book was released – felt very unique, but today is starting to feel more familiar. This isn’t a bad thing at all, McCulloch’s novel being set in a hybrid-desert society (with strong Persian and Mongolian influences, I would suggest) feels very much like Arabian Nights and it wouldn’t be a huge jump to say that Raim shares many traits with characters from such tales, such as Aladdin. What separates Amy’s setting from the numbers that are filtering in is both the beauty of the description that she offers and its seeming authenticity. Without going into Jordan-esque detail, Amy creates vivid images of the scenery and landmarks you’d expect to see in the aforementioned movies or the Prince of Persia games.
We’ve covered it a little already, but to give some more details on the magic system: as the blurb says, the novel is set in a world where promises can be magically bound by the tying of a knot. Let us say you promise me you will never hurt my family – we cement this promise by performing a quick ritual and tying a knot that you shall wear as a reminder of your promise to me. Where it gets interesting is that if you were to break this promise – perhaps attacking my son – you’d end up with a large scar on your person and a shadow would appear behind you, haunting you, letting everyone know that you’re an Oathbreaker.
I felt this was a great concept, even more so when you consider that the book is for Young Adults. The question of who you make a promise to, what you promise and when – if ever – you can make a promise that will destroy your life, should you break it, is an interesting one that is likely to resonate with younger and older people a-like. All the best Young Adult novels provide a moral dilemma such as this and I think Amy’s encouraging a younger reader to reflect upon their opinions of trust and truth makes this Young Adult more than just a ‘pop’ novel.
I will skip ahead a little, so as not to spoil what happens once Raim breaks this unknown promise. Raim is away from the town and determined to find out what this promise was, who he made it to and get a solution as to how he can prove it wasn’t his fault, that there has been a mistake of some kind. With trust and truth being the main themes of the novel there is plenty of lies and betrayals along Raim’s journey after he has made his decision to get to the bottom of what has gone on. It is a journey that is full of adventure, packed with interesting characters and loaded with revelations that are likely to shock and surprise its young adult audience (less so those adults who have read novels such as A Game of Thrones!).
Overall, The Oathbreaker’s Shadow is an absolutely fantastic debut and I can say without a doubt it was one of the finest debuts of 2013. My hope is that once this ‘duology’ is complete, Amy takes an even bolder step to writing a longer novel with a deeper, more complex plot aimed at adult fantasy readers. I think that if she chooses to shed the YA genre’s constraints and can combine her literary and descriptive abilities with a complex plot we’ll all be treated to her full abilities as a writer. That said, this adult can’t fricken wait for the sequel!
December 27, 2014
Amy McCulloch's "The Oathbreaker's Shadow" sets up as an interesting story and magic system, before going off the rails.
The likeable main character Raim, is training to be a member of the Yun, the elite warriors for the Khan. His best friend, is Khareh, the son of the Khan, but while Raim likes Khareh, he is blind to his implied faults, which McCullouch implies to the reader. Raim and Khareh want to swear oaths to each other when they are of age.
Promises to each other are imbued with power. When two people make a promise and tie a knot to each other, the promise is wrapped in magic. Break the promise, and magic is angrily released. The oathbreaker is scarred and the person exiled to the desert. In addition, the person is haunted by a spirit of the person who was wronged by the promise breaker.
Raim, who is an orphan, has a promise bracelet on his arm tied with a knot, but he is an orphan and no one knows what was promised.
So McCulloch sets up a promising story and challenge for Raim to find out the meaning of the promise bracelet.
Enter a Sage from the desert, who promises that he can teach anyone to be a Sage with awesome power and the inevitable is bound to occur.
But whether its because McCulloch has to spend a lot of time doing info dumps or the long buildup to the first big event in the novel, I found myself skimming nearly 40% of the book at the outset.
The action did not really pick up until I was around 60% through with the story, and then, I have to say that Raim seemed less engaging and interesting.
Yes its a coming of age story and the petulant youngster who must master magic and come to be a man and potential hero is a standard trope in fantasy, but I found Raim's eventual awakening just not that engaging.
So I skimmed a lot of the beginning of the book and was not enthralled with the more action packed late middle and end.
That is not good.
The likeable main character Raim, is training to be a member of the Yun, the elite warriors for the Khan. His best friend, is Khareh, the son of the Khan, but while Raim likes Khareh, he is blind to his implied faults, which McCullouch implies to the reader. Raim and Khareh want to swear oaths to each other when they are of age.
Promises to each other are imbued with power. When two people make a promise and tie a knot to each other, the promise is wrapped in magic. Break the promise, and magic is angrily released. The oathbreaker is scarred and the person exiled to the desert. In addition, the person is haunted by a spirit of the person who was wronged by the promise breaker.
Raim, who is an orphan, has a promise bracelet on his arm tied with a knot, but he is an orphan and no one knows what was promised.
So McCulloch sets up a promising story and challenge for Raim to find out the meaning of the promise bracelet.
Enter a Sage from the desert, who promises that he can teach anyone to be a Sage with awesome power and the inevitable is bound to occur.
But whether its because McCulloch has to spend a lot of time doing info dumps or the long buildup to the first big event in the novel, I found myself skimming nearly 40% of the book at the outset.
The action did not really pick up until I was around 60% through with the story, and then, I have to say that Raim seemed less engaging and interesting.
Yes its a coming of age story and the petulant youngster who must master magic and come to be a man and potential hero is a standard trope in fantasy, but I found Raim's eventual awakening just not that engaging.
So I skimmed a lot of the beginning of the book and was not enthralled with the more action packed late middle and end.
That is not good.
February 15, 2013
Recommended for fans of: YA Fantasy
The premise for this fantasy novel is unique and I love the idea that there are real consequences to breaking a promise. You are immediately thrown into Raim’s world, and McCulloch’s world building is fantastic. I also like how severe and unwavering Raim’s society is. They have rules for a reason and breaking those rules means banishment. Even Raim’s status can’t save him. It’s a set up for a fast-paced, suspenseful story.
The premise for this fantasy novel is unique and I love the idea that there are real consequences to breaking a promise. You are immediately thrown into Raim’s world, and McCulloch’s world building is fantastic. I also like how severe and unwavering Raim’s society is. They have rules for a reason and breaking those rules means banishment. Even Raim’s status can’t save him. It’s a set up for a fast-paced, suspenseful story.
August 5, 2013
I really loved The Oathbreaker's Shadow. It really feels like an epic fantasy with a rich and complex world, all without being bogged down by tiresome commentary or exposition. Raim’s world is fully realized without sacrificing the plot’s pacing, the story is exciting and imaginative, and the ending left me wanting to read the next book immediately to find out what happens. The Mongolian influence also sets it apart from other epic fantasy stories. I think it would appeal to fans of George R.R. Martin, Diana Wynne Jones’s Christopher Chant series, Philip Pullman, and the Kushiel Trilogy.
Past the first few chapters, which establishes Raim in the context of his community, family, and friendship with Khareh, the story is a fast-paced adventure that doesn’t stop until Raim figures out the truth about the promise he doesn’t remember making. His quest takes him from the harsh, unforgiving landscape of the desert, where he travels with the Alashan, connects with Draikh (Khareh’s spirit), and meets Wadi, and then to Lazar.
The last third is really exciting and sets the stage for the following book, which I can't wait to get my hands on!
Past the first few chapters, which establishes Raim in the context of his community, family, and friendship with Khareh, the story is a fast-paced adventure that doesn’t stop until Raim figures out the truth about the promise he doesn’t remember making. His quest takes him from the harsh, unforgiving landscape of the desert, where he travels with the Alashan, connects with Draikh (Khareh’s spirit), and meets Wadi, and then to Lazar.
The last third is really exciting and sets the stage for the following book, which I can't wait to get my hands on!
June 12, 2013
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!
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!
March 9, 2015
Read all my reviews on http://urlphantomhive.booklikes.com
On one hand, I wanted to say I haven't quite read a book like this one before. The magic is really complicated and different from usual. On the other hand however, a lot of the critical plot points were not so original at all.
In this clan-based nomadic society promises are for real. For as you break a promise (and thus the knot that binds you to the person you promised to) you'll be tormented by that person's shadow (a piece of their soul) and exiled. So, better to keep your promises.
Raim is best friends with the heir to the throne and besides training to be his bodyguard. When a promise is broken he has had since he was a baby (although that's impossible since a promise made by a child is not binding) with dead parents, he has to flee as everyone thinks he's betrayed the heir.
The first part of this book was really boring, it just couldn't keep my interest. And I tried. But there is so much exposition thrown at you that I felt at the same time overwhelmed by the infodump and underwhelmed by the story. Not everything made sense to me either. Afterwards there is more action and the story moves forward a bit, but still nothing came as a surprise. Well, perhaps one person's transformation into the great villain of the story did come completely out of the blue.
All this said and done, near the end I was actually quite enjoying myself with the book even though I can't put my finger on why exactly. I did really like the idea of the promise knots even though I didn't completely understand why so many people were gambling with their lives. Even if you plan to keep your promise, people in this book make promises (with this kind of consequences) far too easily. So much so, that I might even check out the second book some day.
The Oathbreaker's Shadow is the first book in the Knots Sequence series. The second book is The Shadow's Curse.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
On one hand, I wanted to say I haven't quite read a book like this one before. The magic is really complicated and different from usual. On the other hand however, a lot of the critical plot points were not so original at all.
In this clan-based nomadic society promises are for real. For as you break a promise (and thus the knot that binds you to the person you promised to) you'll be tormented by that person's shadow (a piece of their soul) and exiled. So, better to keep your promises.
Raim is best friends with the heir to the throne and besides training to be his bodyguard. When a promise is broken he has had since he was a baby (although that's impossible since a promise made by a child is not binding) with dead parents, he has to flee as everyone thinks he's betrayed the heir.
The first part of this book was really boring, it just couldn't keep my interest. And I tried. But there is so much exposition thrown at you that I felt at the same time overwhelmed by the infodump and underwhelmed by the story. Not everything made sense to me either. Afterwards there is more action and the story moves forward a bit, but still nothing came as a surprise. Well, perhaps one person's transformation into the great villain of the story did come completely out of the blue.
All this said and done, near the end I was actually quite enjoying myself with the book even though I can't put my finger on why exactly. I did really like the idea of the promise knots even though I didn't completely understand why so many people were gambling with their lives. Even if you plan to keep your promise, people in this book make promises (with this kind of consequences) far too easily. So much so, that I might even check out the second book some day.
The Oathbreaker's Shadow is the first book in the Knots Sequence series. The second book is The Shadow's Curse.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!
February 10, 2015
In THE OATHBREAKER'S SHADOW, Amy McCulloch develops a fascinating land where promises are bound with string and breaking them makes you an exile, followed by an angry shadow. Raim has had a promise string around his wrist since he was born, and the day he comes of age, he breaks that promise. How can he be forgiven if he does not know who he wronged? Why is his shadow different?
These two questions are a fraction of what drives the plot. There is a lot happening in THE OATHBREAKER'S SHADOW, from culture clash to dawning romance to magic lessons to the rise of a tyrant. It makes for a complex, layered reading experience, but also means that THE OATHBREAKER'S SHADOW ends without finishing much of what it began. There is a cliffhanger, meaning that we must wait for THE SHADOW'S CURSE for resolution (unless we're willing to special order it from the UK.)
Some things will be far more obvious to the reader than they are to Raim, who doesn't have a devious bone in his body. That straightforward loyalty gets him into trouble, even as it sometimes saves him. At the same time, it makes him a very likeable protagonist. He's a sweet boy, one who takes a lot of guilt on himself even as he tries to clear his name. I also liked that despite his martial training, his fighting prowess is overshadowed by Wadi, a girl from the desert tribes he meets in exile.
This is a fascinating fantasy debut. It has a slower pace, really delving into the different locations and the people there. I enjoyed it, because there worldbuilding is there to back the style up and make it interesting. At the same time, it does seem a little strange sometimes that Raim doesn't have more drive, particularly when it comes to the secrets of his oath. I look forward to reading THE SHADOW'S CURSE for the second half of the story. I hope McCulloch ends things as strong as she started them.
These two questions are a fraction of what drives the plot. There is a lot happening in THE OATHBREAKER'S SHADOW, from culture clash to dawning romance to magic lessons to the rise of a tyrant. It makes for a complex, layered reading experience, but also means that THE OATHBREAKER'S SHADOW ends without finishing much of what it began. There is a cliffhanger, meaning that we must wait for THE SHADOW'S CURSE for resolution (unless we're willing to special order it from the UK.)
Some things will be far more obvious to the reader than they are to Raim, who doesn't have a devious bone in his body. That straightforward loyalty gets him into trouble, even as it sometimes saves him. At the same time, it makes him a very likeable protagonist. He's a sweet boy, one who takes a lot of guilt on himself even as he tries to clear his name. I also liked that despite his martial training, his fighting prowess is overshadowed by Wadi, a girl from the desert tribes he meets in exile.
This is a fascinating fantasy debut. It has a slower pace, really delving into the different locations and the people there. I enjoyed it, because there worldbuilding is there to back the style up and make it interesting. At the same time, it does seem a little strange sometimes that Raim doesn't have more drive, particularly when it comes to the secrets of his oath. I look forward to reading THE SHADOW'S CURSE for the second half of the story. I hope McCulloch ends things as strong as she started them.
November 25, 2012
A wonderful, rich YA epic fantasy with a Mongolian influence with great characters and a message of the value of promises and the consequences of breaking them. Full review/blurb pending.
Read
November 7, 2016An exciting YA fantasy adventure set in a vivid and fascinating world. I loved the magic in this novel. I’d recommended to fans of Zoë Marriott.
June 1, 2016
Wow. That was a wild ride.
Review to come.
Review to come.
July 7, 2014
Amy McCulloch has created a very interesting world where promises made have much higher consequences than we are used to. Promises are made by tying knots and if your break your word you are not only scarred for life but also followed around by a shadow that shows the whole world you are an oathbreaker. Oathbreaker's are ostracised by the rest of society and forced out into the desert alone as exiles. If they manage to survive the journey there is one place they can go but they will never be allowed to return to their friends or family again.
Raim has had a knot tied to his wrist for as long as he can remember but he has no knowledge of the promise that was made for him to receive it. Whatever it was the promise was made well before he came of age though so he is sure that nothing will come of it. All of his life Raim has wanted to become an elite soldier and join the Yun, he has trained continuously and now that he is about to turn 16 he must face the final challenge to be accepted as one of their warriors. When Raim makes a special promise to his best friend, prince Khareh, it causes the unthinkable - the knot on his wrist bursts into flames and the scars that form show the world that Raim is an oathbreaker. He only has two choices: stay and risk execution or run in the hope of finding a way to clear his name.
I really enjoyed the world building, Amy McCulloch has such a descriptive writing style that I could almost see events playing out in front of my eyes like I was watching a movie. You almost feel the heat of the desert and Raim's desperation as he is forced to leave everything he has ever known behind him. As much as I loved the world I do think there were times when the story was bogged down in so much detail that the plot suffered for it. The story is quite slow because of this and there were times when I just wanted something exciting to happen. Considering how much information we are actually given about the world I'm surprised by how many questions I still have and how confused I am by certain aspects of the broken promises and sage magic. I'm hoping that things will start to make more sense when I read the sequel though.
I felt it was a little too easy to guess who was going to be the "bad guy" of the story, I had a very bad feeling about that particular character from the moment we met them and I was actually disappointed when my feelings were proved correct. I'm still not convinced by how quickly they were able to seize power though, it's hard to say too much without giving spoilers but I think because so much of their story happened off centre stage I didn't feel very connected to what had happened with them.
I really liked Raim's character and enjoyed seeing him come to terms with what had happened to him. He is very determined to find a way to clear his name so that he can go back home and take up his position as Khareh's protector and continue is Yun training. I also really liked Wadi, it's nice to come across strong female characters who are capable of standing up for themselves and it's quite clear that Raim needed her help to survive in the desert.
Although I had a few issues with The Oathbreaker's Shadow it is still an enjoyable story, just a little slower paced than I expected it to be. Be warned that it does have a killer cliffhanger ending though and if I'm honest there is very little resolution to anything at the end of this book so it really feels like one very large book that has been split into two. This would have really annoyed me if I'd read this book a year ago but since the sequel, The Shadow's Curse, is already available it isn't the end of the world.
Raim has had a knot tied to his wrist for as long as he can remember but he has no knowledge of the promise that was made for him to receive it. Whatever it was the promise was made well before he came of age though so he is sure that nothing will come of it. All of his life Raim has wanted to become an elite soldier and join the Yun, he has trained continuously and now that he is about to turn 16 he must face the final challenge to be accepted as one of their warriors. When Raim makes a special promise to his best friend, prince Khareh, it causes the unthinkable - the knot on his wrist bursts into flames and the scars that form show the world that Raim is an oathbreaker. He only has two choices: stay and risk execution or run in the hope of finding a way to clear his name.
I really enjoyed the world building, Amy McCulloch has such a descriptive writing style that I could almost see events playing out in front of my eyes like I was watching a movie. You almost feel the heat of the desert and Raim's desperation as he is forced to leave everything he has ever known behind him. As much as I loved the world I do think there were times when the story was bogged down in so much detail that the plot suffered for it. The story is quite slow because of this and there were times when I just wanted something exciting to happen. Considering how much information we are actually given about the world I'm surprised by how many questions I still have and how confused I am by certain aspects of the broken promises and sage magic. I'm hoping that things will start to make more sense when I read the sequel though.
I felt it was a little too easy to guess who was going to be the "bad guy" of the story, I had a very bad feeling about that particular character from the moment we met them and I was actually disappointed when my feelings were proved correct. I'm still not convinced by how quickly they were able to seize power though, it's hard to say too much without giving spoilers but I think because so much of their story happened off centre stage I didn't feel very connected to what had happened with them.
I really liked Raim's character and enjoyed seeing him come to terms with what had happened to him. He is very determined to find a way to clear his name so that he can go back home and take up his position as Khareh's protector and continue is Yun training. I also really liked Wadi, it's nice to come across strong female characters who are capable of standing up for themselves and it's quite clear that Raim needed her help to survive in the desert.
Although I had a few issues with The Oathbreaker's Shadow it is still an enjoyable story, just a little slower paced than I expected it to be. Be warned that it does have a killer cliffhanger ending though and if I'm honest there is very little resolution to anything at the end of this book so it really feels like one very large book that has been split into two. This would have really annoyed me if I'd read this book a year ago but since the sequel, The Shadow's Curse, is already available it isn't the end of the world.
July 26, 2013
Initial thoughts: 4-5 stars. Fantastic debut for author Amy McColloch. Loved the world, the characters, the story. Suitable for middle grades and up. Well done.
The review: I really enjoyed The Oathkeeper’s Shadow. Right away, I was transported to a world where one’s word carries a lot of weight. No broken promises here. A broken oath is a heinous crime and the oathbreaker is subjected to either death or excommunication.
In addition, an oathbreaker is followed by a shadow, usually the spirit of an ancestor who nags the oathbreaker. When people see the shadow, they shun the oathbreaker.
The world of The Oathkeeper’s Shadow is a fascinating place. The setting is somewhere out on the steppes where the people live a difficult and nomadic life. Each person is expected to contribute to the welfare of the clan. Once a person has outlived their usefulness, they go to the desert to die. Children are not raised by their parents. Instead, surrogates raise the children so that the parents can contribute to the clan.
The clan is ruled by a khanate and our main character Raim is best friends with Khareh, the heir to the khanate. Raim is almost of age, and he will soon take his Yun warrior test and become the protector of Khareh.
As Raim takes his oath to protect Khareh, something happens and Raim carries a scar that marks him as an oathbreaker. Raim must run away to save his life and ends up in the desert. After walking in the desert for a while, he comes across the Alushan, a hardy tribe who have amazing desert survival skills. The Alushan transport oathbreakers to the town of Lazar.
Raim travels with the Alushan and learns more about himself and his abilities. The journey itself is difficult, fraught with obstacles and some scary critters. Raim is easy to like – he’s brave and loyal and just a nice guy. Khareh, on the other hand, is quite ruthless and Raim has difficulty reconciling Khareh his best friend with Khareh, the power hungry boy.
I loved the magic in this book. It was so unique and original. It's a great coming of age/journey book that should appeal to middle grades and up.
The Oathkeeper’s Shadow is a wonderful debut book by author Amy McCullough. I can’t wait to get my hands on the next book in the series.
Thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday Canada for a review copy of this book.
The review: I really enjoyed The Oathkeeper’s Shadow. Right away, I was transported to a world where one’s word carries a lot of weight. No broken promises here. A broken oath is a heinous crime and the oathbreaker is subjected to either death or excommunication.
In addition, an oathbreaker is followed by a shadow, usually the spirit of an ancestor who nags the oathbreaker. When people see the shadow, they shun the oathbreaker.
The world of The Oathkeeper’s Shadow is a fascinating place. The setting is somewhere out on the steppes where the people live a difficult and nomadic life. Each person is expected to contribute to the welfare of the clan. Once a person has outlived their usefulness, they go to the desert to die. Children are not raised by their parents. Instead, surrogates raise the children so that the parents can contribute to the clan.
The clan is ruled by a khanate and our main character Raim is best friends with Khareh, the heir to the khanate. Raim is almost of age, and he will soon take his Yun warrior test and become the protector of Khareh.
As Raim takes his oath to protect Khareh, something happens and Raim carries a scar that marks him as an oathbreaker. Raim must run away to save his life and ends up in the desert. After walking in the desert for a while, he comes across the Alushan, a hardy tribe who have amazing desert survival skills. The Alushan transport oathbreakers to the town of Lazar.
Raim travels with the Alushan and learns more about himself and his abilities. The journey itself is difficult, fraught with obstacles and some scary critters. Raim is easy to like – he’s brave and loyal and just a nice guy. Khareh, on the other hand, is quite ruthless and Raim has difficulty reconciling Khareh his best friend with Khareh, the power hungry boy.
I loved the magic in this book. It was so unique and original. It's a great coming of age/journey book that should appeal to middle grades and up.
The Oathkeeper’s Shadow is a wonderful debut book by author Amy McCullough. I can’t wait to get my hands on the next book in the series.
Thank you to NetGalley and Doubleday Canada for a review copy of this book.
March 16, 2014
2.5 Stars
I was so excited to read this book. It has such a unique concept and setting, so I was all pumped to start reading. Not 10 chapters later I was already struggling to keep going...
I don't even know what was really the problem. Yes the pace was really slow at the start (Read 80%) but it's not like nothing at all was happening. The writing was excellent and Raim was alright for the most part. I guess it was just a combination of all the little things that started bothering me.
The slow pacing, some of Raim's actions and his naive take on things, Khareh, Edrene, Wadi. Ok, so I guess the biggest problem was I just didn't like most of the characters. I think the only one I cared about was Dharma and she wasn't in it for that long. Because of my inability to care much about any of them or connect to any of them, I just found the whole book dragged for entirely too long. Even when we got to the good part (After the 80% mark) I couldn't really muster that much enthusiasm. It was more of a FINALLY! Let's get on with it! Which really shouldn't be the kind of feeling you are supposed to get out of it.
The plot while being unique with it's believes of oaths and shadows, was still quite predictable. Nothing was truly a surprise, everything left me with a 'right, that's what I thought' feeling throughout the whole book, even during it's 'big reveal' moment, which honestly wasn't big at all.
So yeah, if you look at it objectively, there is nothing majorly wrong with the book and it should have been awesome, but once you put all those little things together, well it was a struggle to get through it. Sad, because I really liked the concept of this book. If you go in knowing is going to be a slow steady pace with a nice enough plot, you'll enjoy it much more than I did.
I was so excited to read this book. It has such a unique concept and setting, so I was all pumped to start reading. Not 10 chapters later I was already struggling to keep going...
I don't even know what was really the problem. Yes the pace was really slow at the start (Read 80%) but it's not like nothing at all was happening. The writing was excellent and Raim was alright for the most part. I guess it was just a combination of all the little things that started bothering me.
The slow pacing, some of Raim's actions and his naive take on things, Khareh, Edrene, Wadi. Ok, so I guess the biggest problem was I just didn't like most of the characters. I think the only one I cared about was Dharma and she wasn't in it for that long. Because of my inability to care much about any of them or connect to any of them, I just found the whole book dragged for entirely too long. Even when we got to the good part (After the 80% mark) I couldn't really muster that much enthusiasm. It was more of a FINALLY! Let's get on with it! Which really shouldn't be the kind of feeling you are supposed to get out of it.
The plot while being unique with it's believes of oaths and shadows, was still quite predictable. Nothing was truly a surprise, everything left me with a 'right, that's what I thought' feeling throughout the whole book, even during it's 'big reveal' moment, which honestly wasn't big at all.
So yeah, if you look at it objectively, there is nothing majorly wrong with the book and it should have been awesome, but once you put all those little things together, well it was a struggle to get through it. Sad, because I really liked the concept of this book. If you go in knowing is going to be a slow steady pace with a nice enough plot, you'll enjoy it much more than I did.
January 20, 2017
2.5 Stars
I wanted to like this book more than I did. I really have to admit that I probably gave it more credit/rated it higher because I REALLY like desert fantasy books.
I thought the world-building is better than the story/characters. But really it's the writing that is probably the worst element.
The info-dumping is very confusing. She tries so hard not to info dump-- to put the info in story related ideas but it's just so disjointed and confusing. Once the action gets going, things get better, but there are things that over explained and things that aren't explained at all.
The beginning of this book is SLOW. The whole first third of the book is summarized by the blurb. I think the book would be better by cutting a lot of these beginning chapters.
Raim is annoying, but probably a realistically written 15 yr old. He doesn't think through the consequences of his actions. He misses things that are obvious to the reader. It's a little obnoxious to read. At least he shows a little growth by the end.
Khareh is a really weird character. Like how does he end up His character build up in the beginning is all wrong.
I like Wadi.
The ending was a total wtf is going on moment.
Overall I feel this book is a poorly constructed. I had fun reading it in the middle/end part. It's very actiony and easy to get caught up in what is going on.
I wanted to like this book more than I did. I really have to admit that I probably gave it more credit/rated it higher because I REALLY like desert fantasy books.
I thought the world-building is better than the story/characters. But really it's the writing that is probably the worst element.
The info-dumping is very confusing. She tries so hard not to info dump-- to put the info in story related ideas but it's just so disjointed and confusing. Once the action gets going, things get better, but there are things that over explained and things that aren't explained at all.
The beginning of this book is SLOW. The whole first third of the book is summarized by the blurb. I think the book would be better by cutting a lot of these beginning chapters.
Raim is annoying, but probably a realistically written 15 yr old. He doesn't think through the consequences of his actions. He misses things that are obvious to the reader. It's a little obnoxious to read. At least he shows a little growth by the end.
Khareh is a really weird character. Like how does he end up His character build up in the beginning is all wrong.
I like Wadi.
The ending was a total wtf is going on moment.
Overall I feel this book is a poorly constructed. I had fun reading it in the middle/end part. It's very actiony and easy to get caught up in what is going on.
August 6, 2016
An exciting debut that mixed several fantasy tropes but with a unique magic system and a desert landscape managed to enthrall me thoroughly. A debut that is very indicative of the author's imagination and I'll be very much excited for the sequel.
May 4, 2013
A richly detailed YA fantasy with a heroic, sympathetic hero we can cheer for. Excellent world building! Well done, Amy!
June 22, 2021
4.8
I CAN'T WAIT TO READ THE SECOND BOOK. 😜!!!
"The Oathbreaker's Shadow" is a stunning story. The paving was quick and moved this book along which was nice. Raim is a very likable hero and I couldn't help but root for him. My favorite character in the end tho was Wadi. She kicks butt, is very determined and is smart.
**
OVERVIEW
"Fifteen-year-old Raim lives in a world where you tie a knot for every promise that you make. Break that promise and you are scarred for life, and cast out into the desert.
Raim has worn a simple knot around his wrist for as long as he can remember. No one knows where it came from, and which promise of his it symbolises, but he barely thinks about it at all—not since becoming the most promising young fighter ever to train for the elite Yun guard. But on the most important day of his life, when he binds his life to his best friend (and future king) Khareh, the string bursts into flames and sears a dark mark into his skin.
Scarred now as an oath-breaker, Raim has two options: run, or be killed."
POSITIVE ELEMENTS
Raim works very hard and is determined to clear his name. Wadi reaches out to Raim when no one else will.
SPIRITUAL ELEMENTS
Multiple mentions of different gods/goddesses. Mentions of prayers and thanking those gods/goddesses. After a person breaks a promise, they are haunted by the spirit of the one who they promised it to.
VIOLENCE
Raim and Wadi are both skilled fighters. Several fights. Mentions of blood, pain and death. Several people are killed. One girl falls off a cliff and another has her eyes removed. Some of the spirits haunting people are very brutal. Raim is attacked by fly-like parasites and nearly dies. Pain described.
SEXUAL CONTENT
Two kisses (both with little detail).
LANGUAGE
"D--n" said three times.
DRUGS/ALCOHOL
Alcohol is drunk at a party. Raim takes some without knowing what it is and mentions feeling "funny".
OTHER NOTES
My only complaint is that sometimes something would happen so fast I had to go back and re-read what had happened. However, it wasn't enough to take away from the story and this is certainly a book I'd suggest to anyone who loves adventure and desert landscapes.
**
I CAN'T WAIT TO READ THE SECOND BOOK. 😜!!!
"The Oathbreaker's Shadow" is a stunning story. The paving was quick and moved this book along which was nice. Raim is a very likable hero and I couldn't help but root for him. My favorite character in the end tho was Wadi. She kicks butt, is very determined and is smart.
**
OVERVIEW
"Fifteen-year-old Raim lives in a world where you tie a knot for every promise that you make. Break that promise and you are scarred for life, and cast out into the desert.
Raim has worn a simple knot around his wrist for as long as he can remember. No one knows where it came from, and which promise of his it symbolises, but he barely thinks about it at all—not since becoming the most promising young fighter ever to train for the elite Yun guard. But on the most important day of his life, when he binds his life to his best friend (and future king) Khareh, the string bursts into flames and sears a dark mark into his skin.
Scarred now as an oath-breaker, Raim has two options: run, or be killed."
POSITIVE ELEMENTS
Raim works very hard and is determined to clear his name. Wadi reaches out to Raim when no one else will.
SPIRITUAL ELEMENTS
Multiple mentions of different gods/goddesses. Mentions of prayers and thanking those gods/goddesses. After a person breaks a promise, they are haunted by the spirit of the one who they promised it to.
VIOLENCE
Raim and Wadi are both skilled fighters. Several fights. Mentions of blood, pain and death. Several people are killed. One girl falls off a cliff and another has her eyes removed. Some of the spirits haunting people are very brutal. Raim is attacked by fly-like parasites and nearly dies. Pain described.
SEXUAL CONTENT
Two kisses (both with little detail).
LANGUAGE
"D--n" said three times.
DRUGS/ALCOHOL
Alcohol is drunk at a party. Raim takes some without knowing what it is and mentions feeling "funny".
OTHER NOTES
My only complaint is that sometimes something would happen so fast I had to go back and re-read what had happened. However, it wasn't enough to take away from the story and this is certainly a book I'd suggest to anyone who loves adventure and desert landscapes.
**
December 15, 2024
Revised review, having read both volumes of this two-part novel:
I have updated my rating from three to four stars. The complete novel is better than the first book promised.
In reading The Oathbreaker's Shadow, and in fact through most of The Shadow's Curse, I deplored several of Raim's decisions. But the ending proves him to have been wiser than he seemed.
I appreciate the fact that there is no love triangle. It is very clear who belongs with Raim. This is not about a knight rescuing a helpless damsel (though there's some value to that theme) nor about the modern reversals of damsels rescuing men. Both Raim and his love have to be wise and valiant and apparently "destiny" favors them.
The second volume seemed long at almost 450 pages and dragged for me about 2/3 in. I wanted to be done with it. But then it got better and better, more suspenseful, and I kept reading because I needed to know what would happen.
One complaint: I think it's unrealistic that so many of the elite soldiers in this story are women. I'm not saying women shouldn't be in the modern military (where modern weapons make a big difference) and it's a fact that women archers on horseback were effective warriors in ancient Scythia (in a somewhat similar culture to the one in the book). But I'm tired of all these modern fantasy books showing lots of women being amazingly effective with sword and dagger and unarmed combat against men. There are a FEW women Rangers and a FEW women SEALS - they're exceptional.
I really liked the ending and how it ties in to the beginning.
Now I have to make a hard decision - do I keep the first volume, hoping to acquire my own copy of the second someday, or do I give it away? (I will at least return the second volume to the library!) Until I finished I was sure I would give the first away, but now I'm not sure. Time will tell.
_____________________________________
Original review (before reading the second volume): My rating is tentative since The Oathbreaker's Shadow is really only half a novel.
I have mixed feelings about this YA fantasy. It entertained me and I really care about some of the characters. The culture is well portrayed and fascinating, but also kind of annoying: why do they have to make such a big deal about oaths? It often made me think of the Old Testament warning against making foolish vows, though the religion scantily portrayed in the book is quite different.
The result of my mixed feelings is that I will almost certainly eventually give away the nice trade paperback copy of this book which I bought at a library sale, but I've also ordered the second (and thankfully last) volume by ILL, because I MUST know what happens.
I have updated my rating from three to four stars. The complete novel is better than the first book promised.
In reading The Oathbreaker's Shadow, and in fact through most of The Shadow's Curse, I deplored several of Raim's decisions. But the ending proves him to have been wiser than he seemed.
I appreciate the fact that there is no love triangle. It is very clear who belongs with Raim. This is not about a knight rescuing a helpless damsel (though there's some value to that theme) nor about the modern reversals of damsels rescuing men. Both Raim and his love have to be wise and valiant and apparently "destiny" favors them.
The second volume seemed long at almost 450 pages and dragged for me about 2/3 in. I wanted to be done with it. But then it got better and better, more suspenseful, and I kept reading because I needed to know what would happen.
One complaint: I think it's unrealistic that so many of the elite soldiers in this story are women. I'm not saying women shouldn't be in the modern military (where modern weapons make a big difference) and it's a fact that women archers on horseback were effective warriors in ancient Scythia (in a somewhat similar culture to the one in the book). But I'm tired of all these modern fantasy books showing lots of women being amazingly effective with sword and dagger and unarmed combat against men. There are a FEW women Rangers and a FEW women SEALS - they're exceptional.
I really liked the ending and how it ties in to the beginning.
Now I have to make a hard decision - do I keep the first volume, hoping to acquire my own copy of the second someday, or do I give it away? (I will at least return the second volume to the library!) Until I finished I was sure I would give the first away, but now I'm not sure. Time will tell.
_____________________________________
Original review (before reading the second volume): My rating is tentative since The Oathbreaker's Shadow is really only half a novel.
I have mixed feelings about this YA fantasy. It entertained me and I really care about some of the characters. The culture is well portrayed and fascinating, but also kind of annoying: why do they have to make such a big deal about oaths? It often made me think of the Old Testament warning against making foolish vows, though the religion scantily portrayed in the book is quite different.
The result of my mixed feelings is that I will almost certainly eventually give away the nice trade paperback copy of this book which I bought at a library sale, but I've also ordered the second (and thankfully last) volume by ILL, because I MUST know what happens.
April 3, 2018
I believe that I believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe that I believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe that I believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe that I believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe that I believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe that I believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe that I believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe that I believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe that I believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe that I believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe that I believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe that I believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe that I believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe that I believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe that I believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe that I believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe that I believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe that I believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe that I believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe that I believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe that I believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe that I believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe that I believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe that I believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe that I believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe that I believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe that I believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe that I believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe that I believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe that I believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe that I believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe that I believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe that I believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe that I believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe that I believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe that I believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe that I believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe that I believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe that I believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe that I believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe that I believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe that I believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe that I believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe that I believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe that I believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe that I believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe that I believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe that I believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe that I believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe that I believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe that I believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe that I believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe that I believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe that I believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe that I believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe that I believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe that I believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe that I believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe that I believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe that I believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe that I believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe that I believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe that I believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe that I believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe that I believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe that I believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe that I believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe that I believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe that I believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe that I believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe that I believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe that I believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe that I believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe that I believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe that I believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe that I believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe that I believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe that I believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe that I believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe that I believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe that I believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe that I believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe that I believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe that I believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe that I believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe that I believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe that I believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe that I believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe that I believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe that I believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe that I believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe that I believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe that I believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe that I believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe that I believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe that I believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe thatI believe that
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 28, 2019
This book is a slog to get through. Especially the first third, which just expands on the synopsis written on the back.
Once I finally got through that first third, the story got a lot more interesting. The whole book is based on such a cool premise, it’s hard to separate the author’s bad story-telling choices from the potential this story has, and because of this, I’d have a hard time recommending the series to anyone.
Once I finally got through that first third, the story got a lot more interesting. The whole book is based on such a cool premise, it’s hard to separate the author’s bad story-telling choices from the potential this story has, and because of this, I’d have a hard time recommending the series to anyone.
February 24, 2015
Originally on The Fictional Reader
I requested this book on Netgalley immediately after reading the synopsis. When I got approved, I was so excited! The premise sounds amazing to me and I had quite high expectations by then. I must say that I was not disappointed.
In the beginning of the novel, I was quite confused. There were a number of names of people, places and tribes and I didn’t really know anything about the world beforehand. So all the names that were thrown at me dazed me a bit. The first like 20-25% of the book is what I would call build-up. You need the back-stories and the information about the tribes to understand the rest of the book, so it is definitely necessary, but it can feel a bit confusing or dry at times.
After those chapters with build-up though, the story really picked up for me. Soon, Raim was marked as an oath-breaker and had to choose: run or be killed. This is where things got very interesting and where characters started showing their “true selves”. The plot really progressed from there on and soon Raim was seeing places he’d never seen before -and maybe wished he’d never see again. I really loved his on-the-run story, it was very thrilling and suspenseful!
We got to meet new characters as well form that point on. My favorite so far is Wadi. That girl is fierce! She’s from a different tribe than Raim is, and her tribe will guide the oath-breakers to Lazar. Since they live in the desert, she is a survivor, a fighter. But she is intelligent as well! I truly thought she was an amazing character. We got to meet other characters as well, and some, let’s say changes, in other characters but I don’t want to spoil anything for you so I’ll just talk about Raim.
Raim really develops as a character in this story. He gets branded as an oath-breaker, the very people he despises and instead of having a future as a Yun warrior -something he has always dreamed of- he now has to live as an outcast. So he has to adapt: not only his survival skills, but also his very beliefs. It was really interesting and enjoyable to see him grow. The most pronounced quality Raim has is loyalty: loyalty to his best friend, and everyone he considers as family. His love for his little sister, Dharma, was incredibly adorable to read about.
Overall, I really enjoyed reading this novel and I would definitely pick up and read the sequel!
I requested this book on Netgalley immediately after reading the synopsis. When I got approved, I was so excited! The premise sounds amazing to me and I had quite high expectations by then. I must say that I was not disappointed.
In the beginning of the novel, I was quite confused. There were a number of names of people, places and tribes and I didn’t really know anything about the world beforehand. So all the names that were thrown at me dazed me a bit. The first like 20-25% of the book is what I would call build-up. You need the back-stories and the information about the tribes to understand the rest of the book, so it is definitely necessary, but it can feel a bit confusing or dry at times.
After those chapters with build-up though, the story really picked up for me. Soon, Raim was marked as an oath-breaker and had to choose: run or be killed. This is where things got very interesting and where characters started showing their “true selves”. The plot really progressed from there on and soon Raim was seeing places he’d never seen before -and maybe wished he’d never see again. I really loved his on-the-run story, it was very thrilling and suspenseful!
We got to meet new characters as well form that point on. My favorite so far is Wadi. That girl is fierce! She’s from a different tribe than Raim is, and her tribe will guide the oath-breakers to Lazar. Since they live in the desert, she is a survivor, a fighter. But she is intelligent as well! I truly thought she was an amazing character. We got to meet other characters as well, and some, let’s say changes, in other characters but I don’t want to spoil anything for you so I’ll just talk about Raim.
Raim really develops as a character in this story. He gets branded as an oath-breaker, the very people he despises and instead of having a future as a Yun warrior -something he has always dreamed of- he now has to live as an outcast. So he has to adapt: not only his survival skills, but also his very beliefs. It was really interesting and enjoyable to see him grow. The most pronounced quality Raim has is loyalty: loyalty to his best friend, and everyone he considers as family. His love for his little sister, Dharma, was incredibly adorable to read about.
Overall, I really enjoyed reading this novel and I would definitely pick up and read the sequel!
June 20, 2013
Kat's Review
I love supporting Canadian authors, so I jumped at the chance to review a copy of this book. The cover is incredible, and the synopsis intrigued me. It sounded like such an adventurous story, the type I would want my sons to read when they're old enough.
Ms. McCulloch builds a complex world that requires quite a bit of investment on the part of the reader, particularly for the first third of the book. This could get a bit tedious for some readers, but I think that it makes sense as the book goes on. The main character, Raim, has been bound to keep a promise he didn't make, and when he somehow breaks that promise, he's exiled from everything he knows. After learning some valuable lessons among the group of other oath breakers he's condemned to live with in exile, Raim decides to return to his people, beginning his dangerous desert adventure to go back home.
There's a lot of magic and mysticism in this novel, and a cast of many, many characters. I enjoyed the struggle and the push and pull between loyalty, duty, and staying true to what's right. I think the book could have been shorter, and sometimes felt that there were unnecessary scenes or perhaps too much description or passages of information that could have been better integrated into the story. Still, I was compelled to keep reading and I'm intrigued to see where the story goes from here. Without the need to world-build quite so much in the sequel, I'm anticipating a tighter, more fast paced read. I'm looking forward to it.
Rating: A Good Read
Despite some long descriptions and a lot of world-building, there's a classic David and Goliath type story at work here that has a lot of promise. I'm looking forward to the sequel.
I received a complimentary copy of this title from NetGalley & the publisher in return for an honest review.
I love supporting Canadian authors, so I jumped at the chance to review a copy of this book. The cover is incredible, and the synopsis intrigued me. It sounded like such an adventurous story, the type I would want my sons to read when they're old enough.
Ms. McCulloch builds a complex world that requires quite a bit of investment on the part of the reader, particularly for the first third of the book. This could get a bit tedious for some readers, but I think that it makes sense as the book goes on. The main character, Raim, has been bound to keep a promise he didn't make, and when he somehow breaks that promise, he's exiled from everything he knows. After learning some valuable lessons among the group of other oath breakers he's condemned to live with in exile, Raim decides to return to his people, beginning his dangerous desert adventure to go back home.
There's a lot of magic and mysticism in this novel, and a cast of many, many characters. I enjoyed the struggle and the push and pull between loyalty, duty, and staying true to what's right. I think the book could have been shorter, and sometimes felt that there were unnecessary scenes or perhaps too much description or passages of information that could have been better integrated into the story. Still, I was compelled to keep reading and I'm intrigued to see where the story goes from here. Without the need to world-build quite so much in the sequel, I'm anticipating a tighter, more fast paced read. I'm looking forward to it.
Rating: A Good Read
Despite some long descriptions and a lot of world-building, there's a classic David and Goliath type story at work here that has a lot of promise. I'm looking forward to the sequel.
I received a complimentary copy of this title from NetGalley & the publisher in return for an honest review.
July 8, 2013
What if there was a way that all your promises could be kept, that if anyone broke a promise they made to you, you would know? What if the person that betrays your trust would be haunted by your ‘haunt’ for the rest of their lives and even get an ugly scar in the process? Would you do it? Would you be ok with them being exiled out of the community? If yes, then let me ask you this: What if you made a promise you couldn’t remember and at anytime you could break it? Would you want to live in a world like this?
This is the fantasy world of Raim, a trained fighter and best friend of the prince Khareh. When things go horribly wrong, Raim has to accept the cards he has been dealt and try to survive while keeping his most sacred promise – protect Khareh at all costs and not break his trust.
The Oathbreaker’s Shadow turns out to be one hell of a fantasy thrill ride, with a very believable world. Not once did I roll my eyes, it all made sense and it all felt very real. The world is so richly described that at times I wished that I could be in it. Sure there were a few critters and people that I would not like to encounter, but they just made this story that much more interesting.
Raim was a character I could sympathize with and I enjoyed his morals and the growth of his character. Khareh intrigues me, I have so many questions about this character and I can’t wait to find out what the story behind the story is. Then there are a whole host of other characters that I thought were interesting and introduced well throughout the novel.
The cover and the title are very fitting and they definitely drew me to the novel and this is a series that I would follow and an author I would keep an eye on. So if you love a great fantasy novel, I suggest checking this one out!
This is the fantasy world of Raim, a trained fighter and best friend of the prince Khareh. When things go horribly wrong, Raim has to accept the cards he has been dealt and try to survive while keeping his most sacred promise – protect Khareh at all costs and not break his trust.
The Oathbreaker’s Shadow turns out to be one hell of a fantasy thrill ride, with a very believable world. Not once did I roll my eyes, it all made sense and it all felt very real. The world is so richly described that at times I wished that I could be in it. Sure there were a few critters and people that I would not like to encounter, but they just made this story that much more interesting.
Raim was a character I could sympathize with and I enjoyed his morals and the growth of his character. Khareh intrigues me, I have so many questions about this character and I can’t wait to find out what the story behind the story is. Then there are a whole host of other characters that I thought were interesting and introduced well throughout the novel.
The cover and the title are very fitting and they definitely drew me to the novel and this is a series that I would follow and an author I would keep an eye on. So if you love a great fantasy novel, I suggest checking this one out!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 207 reviews