10.4.2021 | Monday

The Oathbound

category: Book Reviews
tag(s):
0 Comments

The Oathboundtitle: The Oathbound
author: Mercedes Lackey
series: Vows and Honor #1
published: 5 July 1988
publisher: DAW
genre(s): fantasy
pages: 302
source: bought
format: eBook
buy/shelve it: Amazon | B&N | BookBub | StoryGraph | Goodreads

rating: five-stars | series rating: five-stars

the blurb

Tarma witnessed her clan's murder and, swearing vengeance, became a master warrior. Kethry fled her forced "marriage" and became an adept--pledging her power to the greatest good. When Kethry obtains a magical sword which draws her to others in need, the two vow to avenge the wrongs done to womanhood.


my review

This is a strong female-centric book set in the bigger Velgrath world in which the Valdemar saga is set. Parts of it originally appeared as previously published short stories, but here they’ve been rewritten to be part of a bigger story.

One of the things I loved most about the saga is the diversity of the cast of characters. In Oathbound, the women have agency, rather than having been relegated to damsels in distress or gratuitously sexualized. Tarma and Kethry are a warrior and a mage respectively, Tarma also a woman of color. Also wonderful is that the two women are not pitted against one another but are supportive and close. In keeping with diversity, there is a positive representation of an asexual character.

There are those that take issue of the off-the-page rapes, including those of a child, and the violence against other women. I understand that, but I also don’t have a problem with that as it is not used as a gratuitous element, but as a character-defining element in the cases of Tarma and Kethry, as well as an accounting of just how villainous the antagonists are.

I found the story deeply engaging, troubling moments and all. There were themes of strength and support, of loyalty and love, of sacrifice for the greater good.

About Mercedes Lackey

Mercedes entered this world on June 24, 1950, in Chicago, had a normal childhood and graduated from Purdue University in 1972. During the late 70’s she worked as an artist’s model and then went into the computer programming field, ending up with American Airlines in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In addition to her fantasy writing, she has written lyrics for and recorded nearly fifty songs for Firebird Arts & Music, a small recording company specializing in science fiction folk music.

::spread the love::

Leave a Reply