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atrailofpages's review against another edition
4.0
I love me some pirate books and books set at sea!
Emme never wanted to follow her mother’s footsteps as Arabella the Ruthless, a pirate. Emme just wants to own a sheep farm one day and stay on land, thus she has always declined going to see with her friend Arn any time he has asked her. However, Emme is now dying from Paslkapi, or weary death, and needs the fabled Elmber Nut which is found on the dangerous Island of Iilak which also happens to be the island that Arn is traveling to to get treasure from so she for once decides to join him in the hopes of finding this nut while also trying to not enjoy her time on the seas.
First off, I love books with pirates, books set at sea, they just make me happy and feel comforted. So I of course jumped on the opportunity to read this book! It reminded me at times of Sinbad(the animated film) with the adventure out on the high seas, the sea serpents/monsters, the different islands and pirates, the islands filled with tricks and ghosts, the treasure, it was just fantastic and I felt like was on an adventure with them!
I really liked the characters too. Emme is great! I really appreciated her character. She’s tough, resilient despite her illness, and very caring. Arn is a mixed bag of a pirate
Emme never wanted to follow her mother’s footsteps as Arabella the Ruthless, a pirate. Emme just wants to own a sheep farm one day and stay on land, thus she has always declined going to see with her friend Arn any time he has asked her. However, Emme is now dying from Paslkapi, or weary death, and needs the fabled Elmber Nut which is found on the dangerous Island of Iilak which also happens to be the island that Arn is traveling to to get treasure from so she for once decides to join him in the hopes of finding this nut while also trying to not enjoy her time on the seas.
First off, I love books with pirates, books set at sea, they just make me happy and feel comforted. So I of course jumped on the opportunity to read this book! It reminded me at times of Sinbad(the animated film) with the adventure out on the high seas, the sea serpents/monsters, the different islands and pirates, the islands filled with tricks and ghosts, the treasure, it was just fantastic and I felt like was on an adventure with them!
I really liked the characters too. Emme is great! I really appreciated her character. She’s tough, resilient despite her illness, and very caring. Arn is a mixed bag of a pirate
k_l_smith's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
calliemclayauthor's review against another edition
5.0
So unique! I haven’t read many pirate books but this was great! Victoria McCombs’s writing is so crisp and easy to read and the magic is mysterious and interesting. The ending chilled me. I can’t wait for books 2 & 3!
drpepperismytruelove16's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
ashwee0955's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
mq1ne's review
3.0
This was actually really interesting , with it being dual POV , i found it such an easy and quick read.
The element of secrets really spiced things up , with the threat of death , everyone was wary and took multiple risks. It was very heartening to see a dash of romance sprinkled in this , but the main plot was still the secrets and finding out about things. I loved the found family in this , the ending made me need the second book , i can’t wait
The element of secrets really spiced things up , with the threat of death , everyone was wary and took multiple risks. It was very heartening to see a dash of romance sprinkled in this , but the main plot was still the secrets and finding out about things. I loved the found family in this , the ending made me need the second book , i can’t wait
lisamcc514's review
5.0
HUGE thank you to Victoria McCombs and Book of Matches Media for sharing this e-ARC with me. The following review reflects my honest reading experience.
I am a massive fan of pirate adventure stories so I knew I had to get my hands Oathbound. This book was seriously so good!
Oathbound has everything! There’s pirates, sea monsters, mermaids, mysterious ships, rival crews, ghosts, treasure, romance, and major suspense plus some seriously high stakes. This with a super mysterious and eerie story had me totally hooked! I was on the edge of my seat! McCombs did such a great job with the world building and creating such a eerie and mysterious atmosphere. This was one of my favorite parts of Oathbound. I loved how spooky and creepy parts were. Especially the black ship slowly stalking the Royal Rose. It was so creepy to imagine the ship getting closer and closer. I could totally see the scene in my mind! I also loved watching Emme grow more comfortable on the ship and start to love the sea. It’s actually funny how much I enjoy these types of stories and scenes because in real life I am petrified of the ocean. It’s so fun to read these scenes like these in Oathbound because I get to live vicariously through the characters and experience the ocean without actually having to go.
The ending of Oathbound was so intense and SO. GOOD. I thought I knew what was going to happen, but I was so surprised. There were so many great twists. And that cliffhanger?!?! I need book two!!
Here are some other miscellaneous things that I really loved and have to mention. . .
-The tattoos!!
-All the different supernatural-esc monsters and creatures the crew encountered.
-The relationships between the characters. Especially Emme + Emeric, Emme + Arn, and Arn + his crew members.
As you can tell, I highly recommend Oathbound. I loved this story and all the twists. I cannot wait for the sequel!
I am a massive fan of pirate adventure stories so I knew I had to get my hands Oathbound. This book was seriously so good!
Oathbound has everything! There’s pirates, sea monsters, mermaids, mysterious ships, rival crews, ghosts, treasure, romance, and major suspense plus some seriously high stakes. This with a super mysterious and eerie story had me totally hooked! I was on the edge of my seat! McCombs did such a great job with the world building and creating such a eerie and mysterious atmosphere. This was one of my favorite parts of Oathbound. I loved how spooky and creepy parts were. Especially the black ship slowly stalking the Royal Rose. It was so creepy to imagine the ship getting closer and closer. I could totally see the scene in my mind! I also loved watching Emme grow more comfortable on the ship and start to love the sea. It’s actually funny how much I enjoy these types of stories and scenes because in real life I am petrified of the ocean. It’s so fun to read these scenes like these in Oathbound because I get to live vicariously through the characters and experience the ocean without actually having to go.
The ending of Oathbound was so intense and SO. GOOD. I thought I knew what was going to happen, but I was so surprised. There were so many great twists. And that cliffhanger?!?! I need book two!!
Here are some other miscellaneous things that I really loved and have to mention. . .
-The tattoos!!
-All the different supernatural-esc monsters and creatures the crew encountered.
-The relationships between the characters. Especially Emme + Emeric, Emme + Arn, and Arn + his crew members.
As you can tell, I highly recommend Oathbound. I loved this story and all the twists. I cannot wait for the sequel!
morgangiesbrecht's review
4.0
I never knew I needed a pirate fantasy story in my life, but apparently I did, and what a ride! The last pirate story I remember reading besides Treasure Island was as a child…something about mice on a pirate ship of dogs escaping to a pirate ship of cats…so this was certainly something new!
It took me a bit to ease into the world of pirates and swashbuckling, but once I got there, I was invested.
The characters were my favourite part: sweet, sassy, determined Emme; sensitive, thoughtful, caring Arn; comic relief Emric. They have their flaws and shadowed pasts, but I was rooting for them all throughout. I really liked the dynamics of Arn’s crew, and the bad guys of this book had me shuddering.
The romance is pretty light and sweet, and there’s a hint of things to come. At one point, I was a little worried about Ontario, Arn, and Emme turning into a potential love triangle, but thankfully I was wrong.
All in all, I’m looking forward to continuing this series and want to check out some of Victoria’s other books!
It took me a bit to ease into the world of pirates and swashbuckling, but once I got there, I was invested.
The characters were my favourite part: sweet, sassy, determined Emme; sensitive, thoughtful, caring Arn; comic relief Emric. They have their flaws and shadowed pasts, but I was rooting for them all throughout. I really liked the dynamics of Arn’s crew, and the bad guys of this book had me shuddering.
The romance is pretty light and sweet, and there’s a hint of things to come. At one point, I was a little worried about Ontario, Arn, and Emme turning into a potential love triangle, but thankfully I was wrong.
All in all, I’m looking forward to continuing this series and want to check out some of Victoria’s other books!
bndugan's review
5.0
WOW. This was amazing. I've been trying to get back into YA and fantasy, and this book was perfect for that. It had a great pace, and the characters were well-developed. I loved Emme and how soft yet fierce she is. Arn was like a cinnamon roll but deadly at times! But he really is such a good boy (but an idiot as well!)
There was a lot of action in this. (Little romance but the action made up for it!) It had me flipping pages so quickly to see what else could go wrong in their adventure.
And that ending! I'm so happy that I have the next book in my possession.
There was a lot of action in this. (Little romance but the action made up for it!) It had me flipping pages so quickly to see what else could go wrong in their adventure.
And that ending! I'm so happy that I have the next book in my possession.