Reviews

The Oathbound by Mercedes Lackey

meganagain's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

2.5

milesofmyles's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

skycrane's review against another edition

3.0

This feels much more like a collection of stories than a novel. It follows Tarma and Kethry as they establish themselves as a mercenary duo through a series of difficult or interesting jobs. Some of them were quite fun to read, but in my opinion the last couple bring the book down; they aren't that long, but still felt like a real slog to get through. The nature of magic gets explored in more detail, and it really demystifies the world. The sword Need in particular goes from feeling like a powerful eldritch artefact with a mind of its own to an appliance with a few basic functions.

I've read other novels from this era of fantasy (though to be fair, not many), but even among them this feels like a real throwback to the early days of the genre. I think that's probably deliberate, this is after all a take on the classic sword and sorcery adventure but from a female perspective. Some elements feel dated in a way that's almost kind of gross, like the "justice" the heroes enact on the bandit leader in Chapter 8. Also, basically every female character named or mentioned has been raped. The book is basically about women protecting women, or at least taking revenge on their killers. Still not really sure what to think about that.

badmiracle's review against another edition

adventurous medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

peashooterpatty's review against another edition

adventurous emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

halemke's review against another edition

adventurous dark

3.5

getevied's review against another edition

adventurous medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I enjoyed the episodic nature of the story, and the classic fantasy elements. Can't go past a cozy inn! Yes there are multiple instances of SA that seem to be brushed past, but considering the age of the book I'd say it was well ahead of its time. 

slpchristy's review

adventurous dark emotional fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.25

kraley's review against another edition

2.0

I wish that they had hired an editor when they joined together these short stories. It was weird how every few chapters she would reintroduce the characters and tell us what a Kyree was. A good editor could have smoothed this into a cohesive story, but as is, it is too disjointed. Tarma and Kethry rock though.

bluestjuice's review against another edition

3.0

Not bad. A very woman-centric book, in not a very subtle way, which I found distracting and jarring at times. Thematically, it's a nice idea, but not the best implementation. The plot itself is okay but fairly episodic, eventually building up to a finale that does a better job of supporting the theme than telling a fabulous story. That said, the characterization was strong throughout, and it was an enjoyable if somewhat fluffy read.