The Oathbound (Vows and Honor, Book 1)

This is a strong female-centric book set in the bigger Velgrath world in which the Valdemar saga is set. One of the things I loved most about the saga is the diversity of the cast of characters. In Oathbound, the women have agency, rather than having been relegated to damsels in distress or gratuitously sexualized. Tarma and Kethry are a warrior and a mage respectively, Tarma also a woman of color. Also wonderful is that the two women are not pitted against one another but are supportive and close. In keeping with diversity, there is a positive representation of an asexual character. There are those that take issue of the off-the-page rapes, including those of a child, and the violence against other women. I understand that, but I also don’t have a problem with that as it is not used as a gratuitous element, but as a character-defining element in the cases of Tarma and Kethry, as well as an accounting of just how villainous the antagonists are. I found the story deeply engaging, troubling moments and all. There were themes of strength and support, of loyalty and love, of sacrifice for the greater good.

Tarma and Kethry are two of Lackey's more memorable characters, conceived in a time when sword and sorcery was one of the popular flavors within the fantasy genre. They were first given life in short stories that were published in Marion Zimmer Bradley's Sword and Sorceress anthologies, and a few of those stories have been incorporated into this novel. As such, this book tends to be slightly episodic in nature, particularly through the central portion of it, and it's fairly evident where a few of the short stories were pasted in, likely with only light edits to keep it consistent with the timeline of the rest of the novel. Still, these two women are interesting enough characters to be worth reading even in short snippets, and I enjoyed revisiting this tale of their early days together. Both women are presumably somewhere in their early to mid 20s when this book starts, though their exact ages are never given. While young, they both have already been through a lot in life and their experiences have made them somewhat older than their years. Mature, practical, and intelligent, they complement one another well and would at time seem to be a nearly unbeatable team. Still, they have their weaknesses and shortcomings just like everyone does, and one thing that makes this book more than just a series of short stories cobbled together into a novel is the fact that there is a continuing thread of narrative built around how they grow as individuals and as a team. While they seem to be a natural fit with one another, they find in time that they must still work on their relationship at times in order to ensure that they both remain equal partners and that neither one overly shelters or cossets the other. Besides seeing how Tarma and Kethry manage to gel together as a team, in reading this from the perspective of knowing how events play out in later years in the various regions of Velgarth, I was struck by how essential many of the things that happen with them are to enabling the things that are to come in the world. There are so many things that happen to them or because of them that if they hadn't happened, or had turned out differently, it would have had major ramifications for the story down the line. Several key pieces of the puzzle that is the Valdemar/Velgarth saga are introduced here, so pay attention, for things that don't seem important at the time can prove to be critical later on. But then, that's true of most all of these early books in the saga. Overall I feel this book has aged well and is still as enjoyable today as it was back when it first came out. I'd certainly recommend it to anyone who enjoys old school fantasy, particularly of the sword and sorcery variety, and also to those who like reading about strong female protagonists. I would recommend either picking up a copy of Oathblood which has the story of how Tarma and Kethry first met or finding that story in some other form to read before you start this book. It's certainly not necessary to do so, but it is nice to have that background if you can. I give this book somewhere between 3½ and 4 stars probably, rounding up to give it the benefit of the doubt, for it definitely isn't the best of the most exciting of the saga for all that it is quite good. Certainly you don't want to miss this one if you're reading the rest.

I have been reading Mercedes Lackey for years and don't know how I missed these three books. She has built up such a world and allowed us to see it from all sides. I decided I was going to reread the whole collection in timeorder, and I am loving old favorites as well as new finds like this. I am going to have a great summer.

I read a "dead tree" copy of this years ago (not long after it was first published), and rediscovered it recently when the Kindle edition went on sale. Rather episodic in nature (much like Ms. Lackey's Tarma and Kethry stories in the "Sword and Sorceress" anthologies), this covers the adventures of this female adventuring pair from shortly after they combine forces until shortly before they join Idra's Sunhawks. If you stick around for the sequel, Oathbreakers (Vows and Honor Book 2) , you'll be rewarded with a more unified plot, plus a bit of romance, as Kethry finally finds a "man of good will" to become not only her husband, but the father of the children who will eventually form the core of Tarma's rebuilt Clan. An enthralling mini-series set in the world of Ms. Lackey's Valdemar novels, featuring fantasy heroines who get the job done without any "chicks in chainmail."

I stumbled across Tarma and Kethry in high school and recently picked up the series 15 years later to re-read. I knew I enjoyed these as a teenager but wasn't sure they'd hold up to the passage of time. Instead, they were as uplifting and hopeful as they'd been for me years ago. Tarma and Kethry are somewhat predictable feminist heroines today but well before their time when they were originally published. This book is slightly predictable (it's standard issue fantasy) but the strong focus on women's friendships and a generally positive outlook on adventure kept me enraptured all the way through. Great for fans of Dungeons and Dragons, V.S. Schwab, Game of Thrones (with a break from the violence), and maybe even Outlander.

lost the book years ago. Enjoyed rereading it

Once again Mercedes has delivered a great book. Fills in a few of the blanks of Tarma and Kethry's history that have been hinted at in her other novels.

Received in Perfect condition. I could not be any happier! -Mrs. Jenkinson

sentimental, romantic, suitable for teenagers...

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