Annika, a conduit mage, sees the loves of her life fall before her in battle and must do all she can to save herself. As a result, her powers creates the accidental destruction of the realm’s lost ridge, allowing the evil that lives beyond it to enter into their kingdom. Struck with grief and despair, Annika fakes her death in an effort to hide her powers so she never has to Anchor to another soul again. When a disturbance brings along a dragon and its rider, Annika’s world turns upside down and she must choose to let her suffering drown her or rise to the occasion to save the realm from the Lich King.
This book comes right out the gate with intense world building, inventive creatures, and unique magic systems. I was immediately trying to learn all of the magical beings and terms that I was unfamiliar with. Luckily this book provides the reader with a beautiful map showcasing the land, an extensive glossary in the back, and footnotes to guide the reader. This book as a whole is fast pace, and thrown right into the chaos in the first few chapters. I was constantly hooked and never knew how the story would unfold.
While this is heavy in fantasy, there is a beautiful, unconventional love story intertwined. Will they or won’t they? Annika struggles to determine which male would make the best match, but also contemplates why can’t she have both? To make the decision more difficult, as a conduit mage, Annika needs an Anchor to control her powers, as it is unsafe to be without an Anchor. Her magic craves the bonds between both males, and coupling is the safest, least painful way to join with an Anchor. Will she choose her Anchor based on love or necessity? We see how the love triangle plays out and from multiple points of view as this book is told from Annika, Ormond, and Alaric. The book also had beautiful chapter designs, each specially drawn for the character you are reading at the time. There are also character drawings throughout the chapters that I loved.
An important part of this story is how various characters struggle with unsurmountable grief and choosing to fight instead of succumbing to darkness. I really appreciated having a story include complex emotions like this, as it brings transparency of real life struggles people face every day. It made the characters more realistic and relatable, making me love and appreciate them more.
This story ends on a massive cliffhanger and I can’t believe I have to wait to see how this all unfolds. I highly recommend this story if you are interested in high fantasy, unique world building, and a story that keeps the reader on their toes. This is not for readers looking for a light read as there are heavy topics discussed within the pages.

Honestly such a good book. Originally, I was a little confused by all of the terms being used and the way the magic worked. E.g. aether and an Anchor bond (maybe just find a way to make this more obvious?) However, apart from that I found very little negative about it. I had a notes app that I was taking notes on what to review but shortly got too engrossed and forgot about it lol. The chemistry between the two males leads and Ani was perfection and so was Vahin being all protective. Honestly loved it so much and will definitely read the next when it’s out.

(That cliffhanger was criminal but i’m so hooked)

Oath of Betrayal is a fantasy with a why chose romance. I have to say that the start of the book felt like I was dropped in the middle of the book and was not enjoyable to me. In all fairness, the first four chapters were a bit hard to get through. After chapter four though, things did pick up. I highly enjoyed the slovic lore and think there was some excellent world building in this book. I did love how the female main character, Annika, was written. I particularly loved interactions with Annika and the dragon Vahin as I personally think of dragons as just big puppy dogs as well. I will say the development of sudden romantic feelings between Orm & Alaric seemed a bit random as they’d known each other for so long and felt a little forced. However things do end with quite the cliffhanger that left me wanting more!

I was drawn to this book because of the cover…I think it is beautifully done and it compliments the title beautifully. Well done to the publisher and author for their choice.

The story follows the heroine, grief stricken after losing her anchors for her magic, and her strive for redemption and purpose. Honestly, there was a lot of information dropped in the reader’s lap very quickly…and it took time to figure out what was going on. After that, the pace of the book and storyline was a bit all over the place. I didn’t connect with the characters like I would like. I am sure others will enjoy this dark fantasy book but it was not for me.

Thank you.

Slow start in the first few chapters, but that is where we meet Annika, Ormund and Alaric and a bit of backstory. I did think that we were starting mid chapter and maybe a prologue would have helped to understand the situation and lands, but like I wrote, it’ll get better after the first few chapters, hang in there!!

The rest of the book flows well and adds action, conflicted feelings, dragons, Necromancy, bad guys, good guys and love. It’s a slow build up when it comes to the romance, but there are little moments that tide you over. Not many side characters to steal the show, but they add a bit of life, as it feels like a longer book.

This book ends in a cliffhanger that was, obviously, going to happen, but it makes me want to immediately dive into the next book to see what Orm, Ari and Vahin do.

Oath of Betrayal follows Annika, a conduit maged who faked her death and is tormented by the grief of the loss of her two bonded lovers. Fate comes into play when dragon rider, Orm, and dark far, Alaric, stumble across the mage in hiding. After a strange soul connection and learning of her abilities, Orm and Alaric track down Ani to use her as the ultimate weapon in the war against the Lich King. This is the first book in a fantasy why choose romance series with dragons, monsters, soul bonds, and war.
This book started off in the thick of battle. While it did capture my attention, I have to admit it was a bit hard to digest at the beginning with all the terms, names, and just initial world building. After getting the hang of everything it became easier. Ani is a strong FMC who truly just wants to help people, and she’s a serious bad ass when it comes to her magic. Orm is a cold commander but is an absolute simp for Ani. Alaric is cheeky and a tortured soul that I’m dying to know more about. & who doesn’t love an exasperated soul bonded dragon who’s tired of having to take care of his riders?
Over all I enjoyed this book but I also felt like something was missing for me. It was medium paced in my opinion, some parts were over really quick that seemed important but others seemed to lag that could’ve been brushed over. I love soul bonds but I think there was a lack of build up, she just kind of automatically seriously considered if not agreed to bond with three others after suffering grief for over a decade. There were two open door scenes but I’d still rate it two chili peppers. The plot captured my attention and provides intrigue and mystery so I do plan on reading the next one. Especially to find out Orm and Ari’s reaction to that cliff hanger with Ani.

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for allowing me to read this arc!

From the very first pages, we are introduced to Annika, a powerful yet tormented mage who is grappling with the devastating loss of the men who anchored her magic. Faking her own death for solace, she retreats to a secluded town, hoping to find peace. Yet, as is the nature of fantasy, peace is fleeting. A chance encounter with a dragon, a being deeply tethered to her fate, shatters her carefully constructed facade, propelling her into a world filled with political intrigue and dark forces.
The story thrives on Annika's internal conflict, as she wrestles with her burgeoning powers and the weight of her past. Her reluctance to be controlled again by the Lord Commander, who sees her as a weapon, is palpable. Their complex relationship adds layers to the narrative, as does the introduction of the dark fae necromancer whose intentions remain shrouded in mystery. Nikitin excels at developing multi-dimensional characters whose motivations clash in thrilling ways, especially as the plot unfolds and stakes escalate.
Nikitin's writing is descriptive and evocative, vividly portraying both the breathtaking landscapes and the terrifying threats that loom over Annika’s world. The dragon—an ancient and formidable creature—becomes a symbol of Annika's own struggle: a fierce protector yet a reminder of her vulnerabilities. Their bond forces her to confront not only her grief but also a yearning for a connection that transcends the pain of loss.
Overall, Oath of Betrayal is a gripping and beautifully crafted fantasy novel that offers a fresh take on familiar tropes. Olena Nikitin has created a world that is as enchanting as it is treacherous, filled with characters that are as flawed as they are fierce. This book is a must-read for those seeking an immersive experience that balances heart-pounding action with profound emotional exploration.

3/5⭐️

Thank you to Netgalley and the author for providing me with this arc!


I really wanted to love this book but unfortunately it wasn’t exactly what I’d hoped it would be :(. I absolutely loved the authors writing, and enjoyed following Annika on her journey and the characters she met along the way. I think what I couldn’t really grasp was the world building, I got really confused at times and felt like it may have been alot of info dumping at certain points in the story. However the glossary at the end was soo helpful on the authors part, it definitely helped me understand the terms better! Overall, while I struggled with this book at times, I can still say it was a great read and will most likely continue reading this series!!🫶🏽

*Oath of Betrayal* by Olena Nikitin is a captivating slow-burn, why-choose fantasy romance that had me hooked from the very beginning. I loved how the story masterfully weaves together Annika’s journey of self-discovery and empowerment, especially after the loss of her magic anchors. The introduction of Slavic mythology added a fascinating layer to the world-building, making the lore rich and immersive—something I hadn't encountered much in fantasy before, and it was super cool to read about!

The dynamic between Annika, the commander, and the necromancer kept me on the edge of my seat, and I appreciated how the story didn’t rush their relationships, letting the tension build naturally. The blend of magic, dragons, and the looming threat of war made for an exciting, unpredictable read. While the book leaves you craving more answers, it’s definitely a journey worth taking if you’re a fan of slow-burn, why-choose romances with a fresh mythological twist.

#OathOfBetrayal #FantasyRomance #SlavicMythology

This book had me drawn in right from the beginning. It opens with a battle and it gives clear understanding of what’s to come for our FMC. Hiding out from the world after great loss and suffering. Things take a turn when she comes across a dragon (Vahin) who wants to show her EPIC power to the Lord of the Dragon Riders.

Our FMC is a strong one which I LOVE. No damsel in distress here. Annika and her chemistry with the two MCs Ormond/Alaric is *chefs kiss*

Character development, plot, world building, chemistry, fantasy, is ALL on point Olena Nikitin did her thing making sure she hit the mark with every aspect in this book.

The plot was not lost in this book and the romance — M/F M/F/M and M/M — is hotter than ever. We were left on a bit of a cliffhanger but I’m anxiously waiting to see what’s to come!!

If you enjoy spicy dark romance, dragons, mages, epic fantasy, why choose. You’ll love this!!

I’m so excited to read the rest of the series and this book is honestly worthy of a reread it’s THAT GOOD!!!

This is an ARC read via NetGalley 🤍—Reviews/Opinions are honest and my own. I will review on TIKTOK after release date- @abbi.dawn2

oath of betrayal is teeming with epic high fantasy elements, detailed and engaging world-building and an interesting magic system that feels distinctive. with an engaging introduction of slavic mythology (that left me reading about it until midnight), a mature-aged female main character and a “why choose” romance, i was enamoured!

the world-building is fantastic.

as mentioned, it’s details are charming as we’re introduced to an immersive, rich world where dragons soar with bonded riders, where magic floats and dark forces are threatening to destroy the kingdom. i loved the unique and interesting connection between conduit mages and their bonded anchors. the way dragons bonded to certain bloodlines. the looming, threatening presence of the lich king and his undead minions.

whilst initially engaging, the anticipation to know more wore off. i wanted (and awaited) a deep and fast-action narrative filled with rich character development, an intense and titillating romantic entanglement, and amazing emotional depth. instead, everything unfolded in slow-motion and started to become repetitive—the action was decent but filtered; the romance between ani, orm and ari was a real slow burn built on lack of communication and baseless assumptions. i had to skim the last 27%!!

i do have to make an honourable mention to some side characters. vahin (orm’s dragon) is essentially a fantasy version of an indoor cat, with wings and scales. he purrs and demands head scratches!! bryna is an absolute delight—a promiscuous half-orc who runs the local blacksmith and katja, the no-nonsense herbalist who was such a good friend to annika.

annika “ani” diavellar
for the last decade, ani has been living in isolation and seclusion. acting as the town mage who protects the village’s inhabitants from demons. she’s been mourning the losses of her anchors whose deaths have defined her existence. the world has known annika diaveller to have died from a wlok with her two anchors, arno and talmund. her tragic backstory left me excited to see how she comes to terms with their deaths and eventually overcomes her feelings as she learns to love (and trust) the new men in her life.

i feel that ani’s character development was hindered by the forced use of the geas. i understand the reasons for its need at the time, but the geas was too convenient in absolving the threatening presence of her rejecting an anchor bond, of diminishing her unresolved feelings towards arno and tal’s deaths. once ani’s long-term sadness for her anchors returned, she was too calm in forgiving orm and alaric. she basically shrugged her shoulders and said “okay”.

a “why choose” romance
i don’t usually read “why choose” and reverse harem romances. there’s usually one man who stands out and sometimes the interactions from others feel forced. i always wind up rooting for one man and it’s just too difficult to settle on who’s the most suitable!

i was keen to see how ani’s love for both men would unfold. the way ani was drawn towards orm and alaric was not equally handled, and her budding relationships with both men felt imbalanced albeit authentic. ani and alaric’s connection felt more like friends with some flirting, built on magic synergy whereas the true romance seemed to be centred on orm. the dialogue was monotonous towards the end, as it had transitioned from humorous, budding exchanges to lacking emotion and any meaningfulness.

orm and alaric are soul brothers having known each other for such a long time. as soon as orm and alaric started to express the briefest mention of romantic feelings, i almost dropped my kindle in defeat. the sudden attraction between orm and alaric was so outta pocket and not on my bingo sheet! the supposed connection they shared with annika (and each other) was unconvincing and unsupported by earlier chapters.

The cover and description immediately pulled me in and I just had to read this book.
It started off great with building a world that was extremely interesting. I enjoyed the book, and the only issues I had were the book's dialogue became repetitive. Now, this is probably just a me thing because that's one thing I am very sensitive too. The romance too was a little to "instant lovey" without being instant. Not sure how to explain that. However, overall I enjoyed it.

What I loved the most about this book is the slavic mythology, along with the world building.

The book is about Annika who is tormented by guilt and grief, and her power crippled after losing her bonded mates, she feigned her death and sought refuge in a secluded town. After a chance encounter with a dragon exposes her power to its riders, she escapes without revealing her identity, but the relentless Commander of the Dragon Riders tracks her down, determined to make her his weapon. Ormond will sacrifice everything to defend his kingdom, even if it means bonding with a broken mage-unless Alaric, his dark fae necromancer, claims her first. Under the Commander's touch, Annika's magic rekindles, but she resists until a sudden attack unveils a devastating truth: when your enemy is the Lich King, death is not the worst that could happen. Desperate to survive, she needs to ground her power with an anchor.

What you'll get with this book is magic, dragons, a strong FMC and a why choose trope, which I am a fan of. However the cliffhanger ending is a real trauma, how on earth will I be able to wait for the second book?!

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the ARC

I've followed Olena on instagram for a while and seen all the glimts of this novel. I read slavic mythology and immediately put it on my tbr. And let me tell you, it did not disappoint! I was so immersed in the world - fantastic worldbuilding! It was such a fascinating world and magic system and great characters. I didn't think I'd love a why-choose with a dragon romance this much. I applaud the author for her amazing novel.

I am so sorry to say this because I was really looking forward to reading this book but I had to quit and stop reading at page 40. It could be completely a me thing because I struggle to concentrate sometimes but the beginning of the book was so confusing to me. There was so much information thrown at me but none of it had context or explained what things were after if named a item/place/magic system etc so even by the time I’d gotten to page 40 I still had no idea what anything was!
I hope I can pick it up again in the future but for now I will have to stop reading unfortunately.

This book is the first in a new series, The Cursed Bonds by Olena Nikitin, which I believe is a duology.

There is a lot of world building in this novel which is helped by a glossary. First, we get the back story of Annika, a conduit mage who lost her Anchors 10 years prior to the storyline of this book. Then we meet Ormond, commander of the dragon riders and Alaric, a dark fae necromancer.

Their relationships develop and are tested by the monsters at the edge of their lands; we see how they each struggle with baggage from their past and how they help each other in the present.

It was nice to see a head strong, more mature female main character that has a second chance for connection. A grumpy/possessive male character and a flirty/troubled fae combined with a supportive dragon round out the main characters. The unique magic and dragons plus other creatures make for an interesting world.

There is a cliff-hanger and I am looking forward to the sequel to see how the resolution plays out.

I was given a copy by the publisher via NetGalley (thank you!) and all opinions are my own.

Oh well not what I expected but that's not a bad thing. I think for me hardest part was the fact initially she's absolutely devoted to two other males who perish and then after ten years hiding our female protagonist seems almost instantly attracted to the Dragon at his rider. . I just don't honestly know if I'm happy about that or somewhat saddened I feel that the author's has much more to give so I will continue reading her work.
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair

I really enjoyed this book. I liked the characters. Especially the MFC Annika. The fact that she is older and not 19 was really nice. I liked the magic system and it has dragons. Who doesn’t love a story with dragons.

I really look forward the reading the next book in the series.

Thank you to NetGalley, Olena Nikitin, Victoria Editing NetGalley Co-op, and Viper Dawn Press for the arc

Thank you to Viper Dawn Press for giving me the opportunity to read the ARC of Oath of Betrayal by Olena Nikitin. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. It pulls you in right from chapter one.
There is wonderful world building throughout the book, and the magic system is great. There are fae, dragons, and magic, so what is not to love. There is also enemies-to-lovers, and so much tension between the three main characters, MFM, I couldn’t put it down.
Annika is a fierce, headstrong FMC. Alaric is a mischievous flirt and a dark fae, he brings a lot of humor to the story. Orm is the Lord Commander of the Dragon riders and I really enjoyed how he slowly softened throughout the book. And I can’t forget Vahin, the protective, but sweet dragon.
I cannot wait to read book two of The Cursed Bonds series to see what happens next.

I was initially drawn to *Oath of Betrayal* because the premise seemed right up my alley—an older female protagonist, a mysterious past, and a world teetering on the edge of destruction. The book starts off strong, introducing us to Annika, a conduit who has been living in seclusion for the past ten years after faking her own death. She’s mourning the loss of her two anchors, and this grief defines her existence. I was immediately invested in her story, eager to see how she would navigate this world of dragons, dark elves, and ancient magic.

The beginning of the book set up an intriguing fantasy world. Annika’s connection to Vahin, the dragon, his rider Orm, and the dark elf mage Alaric promised a complex, multi-layered relationship dynamic. I was particularly excited to see how the relationship between these very different characters would unfold. The kingdom they live in is under constant threat from the Lich King, and Annika might be the key to saving them all. This set-up had so much potential, and I was hopeful for a story filled with rich character development and emotional depth.

Unfortunately, as I got further into the book, my enthusiasm started to wane. By the time I reached 74%, I just couldn’t bring myself to continue. The dialogue became repetitive and bland, and the relationships that I was so eager to see develop fell flat. There was little to no growth between the characters, and their interactions started to feel more like filler than meaningful exchanges.

One of the biggest issues for me was the lack of believable romantic development. The sudden shift where Orm and Alaric develop feelings for each other after years of being close felt completely out of the blue and wasn’t supported by what had been shown earlier in the story. Their relationship, along with the supposed connection they both shared with Annika, felt forced and unconvincing. I needed more emotional build-up to buy into these relationships, but it just wasn’t there.

In the end, I had to DNF the book. It started off with so much promise, but it just couldn’t maintain the momentum. I wanted to love this story, but the lack of character development and the stagnant plot made it hard to stay engaged. If you’re looking for a fantasy novel with deep character relationships and a compelling narrative, *Oath of Betrayal* might not be the one. It had the potential to be great, but it just didn’t come together for me.