An Oath of the Blood by Valerie Zambito : Review
“One will be betrayed, one will be lost, one will be gravely injured and one will die.”
Following the destruction of the magical Kingdom of Pyraan, four powerful shifters and a Draca Cat who have lost everything must travel to the lands from which they were once banished with news of an oncoming war against an old enemy and an army which has been in the makings for over three hundred years.
In a race against time, Beck, Kiernan, Rogan, Airron and Bajan must battle against darkness and the stigma of their powers to save a people they hardly know but are forever sworn to protect.
Valerie Zambito’s An Oath of the Blood is an engaging and imaginative tale. With interesting and dynamic characters exploring magic, prophesy, friendship, love, betrayal and war An Oath of the Blood is a compelling fast-paced tale.
An Oath of the Old Blood is the first book in the Island Shifters series, and the novel goes to set the stage for future books, showing us mythologies, powers,lands and people which we only get to see a glimpse of, but all of which have stories which could be told and expanded upon.
I found this to be a light and enjoyable read. There were parts — the ending in particular which seemed overly rushed but for the majority of the story there was a good balance between getting a feel of what was happening, and having things happen at quick pace which gave it an action-packed feel and will keep readers eagerly flipping the page to find out what happens next.
While I haven’t read it, the second book in the Island Shifters series was released earlier this year. I recommend getting An Oath of the Mage to read once you’ve finished this one.
Thank you Valerie for giving your book in exchange for an honest review.
Rebecca Lovatt
Rebecca created The Arched Doorway back in 2011 as an outlet for her thoughts on the books she reads. She spends her time as a freelance editor and reviewer. Her first anthology, Neverland's Library, came out in 2014 from Ragnarok Publications. Rebecca primarily reads historical and epic fantasy novels, such as those by Brandon Sanderson, Robert Jordan, Christian Cameron and Terry Brooks. She lives in Toronto, ON with her two snakes and hundreds of books.
One Comment
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What a great freaking book! I have to say it has been a very long time since I read a book and got goose bumps!I really enjoyed this. What a great story with such interesting and fresh characters. I knew after the first few pages that I was going to love it. The dynamics between the characters was just perfect. I have not enjoyed a book this much since I read my first books by R.A. Salvatore.This story has everything! It made me laugh, pissed me off, frustrated me, gave me hope then shattered it, tickled my romantic nerves and made me remember the feeling of first love, and damn near made me cry! Almost…I’m not metro.I felt as though this book was everything that a good fantasy novel should be. I honestly can’t find one negative thing to say about it. Again, what a great story, and I would highly recommend this to anyone who likes fantasy, or heck, just likes a well written book!<SPOILER BELOW>The part that gave me goose bumps was the end when Starr screamed out Ravener’s name. Oh! There they are again…goose bumps. And the water shifters…brilliant! The Draca cats are awesome!I must say that I was hoping for a more drawn out battle between Adrian and Beck, even if it had ended as it did, just before Adrian got the better of Beck or something. But I was still elated when I was finished and can’t wait to read the next book of the series.