Oath Sworn by Kristen BanetMy rating: 5 of 5 stars
Another bullseye from Kristen Banet
This book is a cracking urban fantasy book, the first in a new series, by Kristen Banet. I have to be honest here and say that I’ve never read a book by this author that I haven’t loved. Kristen Banet knows how to write about strong women, without them becoming two dimensional. It takes real skill to avoid shortcuts when creating a fictional universe but this author has that in spades.
The book is about Jacky Leon, a werecat. Jacky has been a werecat for 10 years and lived alone for 6 of those years. Werecats are loners by nature and create and hold territory by themselves. They defend that territory with their strength and fierceness. They are incredibly protective of what they own. They also hold incredibly tightly to their oaths. This means when an 11 year old human daughter of the local Alpha werewolf turns up at her door asking for protection, by treaty and Duty she is bound to protect her, from all the supernatural shenanigans going on around Dallas.
This Duty would normally be relatively simple, keeping humans away from supernatural wars is written into Law and therefore Carey should be safe with Jacky, 2 hours away from where a werewolf war is going on. As this happens in the first section of the book, it should be obvious that this doesn’t happen.
I love the intricate web of Laws that are set up to determine the actions of the supernatural community. These Laws are slowly revealed as the book progresses in a natural way, that also informs the reader.
I really like that Jacky is not only an outsider within the supernatural community as a whole, but also with her werecat ‘family’. She is lonely and isolated, but also strong and protective. I love that her werecat instincts run parallel to her human ones to protect a child. Her situation explains why she bonds so hard to Carey.
Being dragged into this supernatural mayhem allows the author to gradually expand the reader’s knowledge about the supernatural community at large, as well as learning about Jacky’s true depths. We learn about her fears and pain as well as her loneliness. I love that Jacky isn’t the perfect warrior, but is determined to do the best that she can do to protect Carey.
This is not a book with any romance. This is about Duty, family and Law. It is about people and what they are prepared to do to protect what they believe in and those they care about. It’s a book that I devoured in one sitting and I loved every page.
If you love a book about a strong woman who isn’t afraid to show her fears, but continue on doing what she believes to be right, then this is the book for you. If not, find another book, there are lots out there!
I can’t wait for the next in the series. As this one just came out, I’m sure I’ll have to wait a while, but I know that the wait will be worth it.
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