The Oathbound definitely reads a lot better after having read the short story “Sword Sworn.” I vaguely remember flailing upon reading the info dumps of the beginning of The Oathbound the first time I read it. Having full context of how Tarma and Kethry met and teamed up really does help. Not that it makes Kethry’s info dump about sorcery any better… my brain hurts trying to parse it all. The Oathbound also very much reads like a series of short stories, strung together by time rather than an overarching storyline.
Both Tarma and Kethry have been raped. Joy. That’s only two of the Valdemar heroines, so far in the chronological order… however, most of the Valdemar books have had male protagonists so far and of those, only Vanyel was raped. So that, ya know, great.
I think Need is an interesting magical item. Made more interesting by a previous-in-the-chronology short story where she helps a trans woman and actually transforms her body. I think Need’s neat.
Was really expecting the thing with Kavin and Wethes to last longer. Highly unsatisfying, to be honest. You’d think a thing Kethry was dreading would have taken more time to get over, but apparently not. Just a hurdle to get over on her path to more power, really. I guess.
The Oathbound is basically a string of short stories about Kethry, Tarma, and Warrl stretched along the timeline from shortly after Tarma and Kethry met. As such, we get descriptions of them over and over. Need gets a side eye from pretty much everyone because apparently sorcerers just don’t bother with blades at all. I personally find all this repetition tiring and honestly, uninteresting. That’s not to say the stories themselves aren’t interesting, just the repetition of the descriptions. Kethry and Tarma’s chosen occupation lends well to short stories.
It’s not entirely great, though, when you get the story from earlier chapters retold by Tarma and Kethry. And the one from a mere two chapters earlier, too. Just… why? This book is arranged in chapters, not actually short stories in their own rights, so why retell the story we already read? Could have been solved by simply relaying that the ladies told the priest they’re talking to the real story. I’m heartily rolling my eyes and skimming this entire section.
Hey guys, did you know that Warrl is as tall as Tarma’s waist? Did you? Did you? — an example of the massive amount of sarcasm I’m having 84% through the book when this fact is reiterated… for at least the forth time.
I honestly feel like The Oathbound is middling, at best. It largely skirts around the action until the last few chapters. There are a few endings that could have been handled better… both Tarma and Kethry need some therapy, especially after what happened at the hands of their demon… Jesus that was a thing and a half. I honestly don’t know how to feel about it. It feels like it’s just being swept under the rug… I don’t know.
The Oathbound is not the best and not the worst.
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