. Our Vicious Oaths by N.E. Davenport

Review:
N.E. Davenport returns with a vengeance—literally—in Our Vicious Oaths, a sharp, high-octane fantasy that combines political intrigue, brutal action, and emotional depth. The novel picks up with a protagonist driven by vengeance, navigating a volatile world full of dangerous magic, secrets, and betrayal. It’s a strong follow-up that expands on Davenport’s talent for creating morally complex characters and immersive worldbuilding.

The action scenes are some of the best aspects of the book—tense, vivid, and cinematic. The political dynamics add richness to the narrative, and the protagonist’s internal conflict provides a compelling emotional core. Davenport doesn’t shy away from exploring themes of power, loyalty, and the cost of ambition.

That said, the novel can feel overstuffed at times. With so many moving pieces—conflicts, characters, plotlines—some arcs feel underdeveloped or rushed, especially near the climax. There were also moments when the dialogue felt more like exposition, disrupting the otherwise strong pacing. Readers unfamiliar with the previous book may find themselves overwhelmed by the density of information.

Still, Our Vicious Oaths is a bold, intense, and satisfying read that solidifies Davenport’s place in the fantasy genre. It balances action and emotion while leaving enough unanswered questions to keep readers eagerly awaiting what comes next.

Rating: 4.5/5

A thoroughly enjoyable romantasy standalone with morally grey characters, well-written spice, and entertaining personalities. With one of my favorite tropes, I flew through it and thoroughly enjoyed every page.

Thank you to Netgalley for sending me this arc for an honest review.

This book was on my radar from the moment i saw the beautiful cover and character art. The premise was intriguing, exciting, i simply could not resist a Dark romantasy novel with Black faes.

Upon the first chapter we meet Kadeesha, a fae princess and warrior facing looming threats over her father's kingdom, a father who had been grooming her since childhood to marry a king from another kingdom, with the belief that this marital contract will come with high economic benefits and ultimately a fruitful alliance.

Outside of the southern lands we have a shadow king named Malachi, young around the same age as Kadeesha, harboring power only elders have been able to. At a very young age he lost his parents, murdered by a rogue group that's been conspiring against them. Malachi has it out for every monarch, council member responsible for this heinous betrayal, he wants power, he is hungry for it but he also wants loyalty and most of all vengeance.

At Kadeesha's wedding to King Rishaud, a massacre occurs, killing numerous council members of her court , royal bloodlines and her father. Upon Rishaud's escape, Malachi and Kadeesha make a bargain. She is to come back to his kingdom with him behaving as his war prize to antagonize Rishaud and bait him. The unexpected happens while the two monarchs, Kadeesha and Malachi are busy crafting their ploy amidst their differences.

The world and magic system were interesting, very intricate. The customs, the cultures and relationships between kingdoms, the architecture, the cruelty and political machinations were the highlight of this book. Kadeesha is an awesome character, with a tongue of fire, she always had a retort ready everytime Malachi's arrogance came forth. Malachi 's wit, his magic, the way he carries himself definitely had me blushing. My issue with him is that his character and Kadeesha's felt a bit one dimensional. It was anger and aggression almost all of the time, with the occasional humour between those they consider kins. They felt very formulaic with not enough depth. Yes there were moments where vulnerabilities were exposed yet still i craved softness to balance it all out, everytime you feel like the story is leaning there, we are pulled back and anchored with the usual rigidness both of them are accustomed to.

The sex scenes were numerous, fair warning this is a fast burn, the dirty talking is excellent, if you enjoy that sort of thing you will have a great time here. But as far as romance goes, we don't really get intimacy from them, outside of their sexual endeavors in the bedroom. Aside from both of them enjoying each other's warmth and compatibility in bed i cannot come up with a single thing they learned about each other that made them want to be life partners. I kept waiting for those deep explorations and conversations, for them to drop their guards down, it barely happens and the little we got was not enough for me to be convinced that their erotic chemistry was sufficient to justify having a romantic relationship. I think there could've been a decent balance of spice and romance.

There's a plot twist around 70% into the book that almost pulled me out of the story. This is not the author's fault, this is a me thing. Maybe it could've worked for me if the love interests connected a bit more.

I will definitely read other works by this authors. This book was just not for me, but i know there is a demographic for it out there that will thoroughly enjoy it!

Happy reading!

✦ 𝓞𝓾𝓻 𝓥𝓲𝓬𝓲𝓸𝓾𝓼 𝓞𝓪𝓽𝓱𝓼 ✦

𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿: N.E. Davenport
𝗦𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀: Standalone
𝗣𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀: 528
𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗿𝗲: adult dark romantasy

𝓥𝓘𝓑𝓔𝓢
✦ powerful magic
✦ enemies-to-lovers
✦ political intrigue
✦ fmc is a warrior-princess
✦ mmc is a vengeful king

𝓣𝓗𝓞𝓤𝓖𝓗𝓣𝓢
In the mood for a captivating fae story with a spicy romantic plot that is a standalone? This dark romantasy has everything: prophecy, shadow daddy, banter, political/court intrigue, magic, and an epic battle scene at the end. You will find 𝓚𝓪𝓭𝓮𝓮𝓼𝓱𝓪 is ruthless, cunning and kind. You will find 𝓜𝓪𝓵𝓪𝓬𝓱𝓲 is powerful, funny and loyal. I cringed for a second because the story had a surprise pregnancy which is not my favorite trope BUT it was done well and turned out well. Dark romantasy lovers, if you’re looking for a well-crafted absorbing read, then add this one to your tbr today!!
Rating: 4.5/5

✦ Thank you @netgalley , @harpervoyagerus , @Avonbooks , and @nia.davenport for the gifted eARC!

I liked the general ideas of the plot. I can't imagine the amount of work put on to bring all the plotlines together.

It just wasn't for me. I struggled with the dialogue between characters and some of the terms used. I pictured a more medieval setting, but the conversations and descriptions were very modern day. It kept a disconnect for me as a reader.

I just didn't connect with the story as much as I hoped.

Thank you to Harper Voyager and NetGalley for this e-arc!

In summary: yall, buy this book 😂request it at your library, do some bartering, idk idk, JUST GET IN HERE.

When I tell you, I was kicking my feet this WHOLE book. This book is so, SO unapologetically Black. To the point that - to be honest - I was in the group chat saying "yall, this is tradpubbed??" because I usually tend to only find this level of authenticity in indie books.

That being said, Malachi and Kadeesha, I love you both. Their dynamic was amazing. The enemies to lovers, the matching each others' freaks, I have NO notes for this book. If you love powerful women, morally grey men who would burn down the world for her, fae, magic systems, and again POWERFUL WOMEN because I know the babes are gonna love Malachi BUT KADEESHA DOES NEED HER FLOWERS, PREORDER THIS BOOK. Get your library to order this book. Ask for it for your birthday idk but this is THE Black fantasy book of the year to me. I can't WAIT to read more.

Harper Voyager, if you see this - this book needs merch, it needs a fandom, midnight release parties, literally everything you have - should absolutely be put into this and N.E. writing fantasy.

I wanted to enjoy this book. The plot sounded great. A princess forced into a political marriage and goes out for one last night of debauchery that turns into her sleeping with her biggest enemy.
But this just wasn’t it. Maybe this just wasn’t a book for me. I’m not a fan of the good guy being okay with excessive torture. And complimenting her friend on being a great torturer. I’m also all for woman empowerment, but the first interaction between the FMC and MMC was odd, the FMC walks up to the MMC and basically said “Let’s f*ck.” And so they did. The spice was okay. Nothing extraordinary.
I also don’t stand beside sleeping with someone just to use them. The MMC knew exactly who he was sleeping with. He didn’t sleep with her for information, just to sleep with her. Cool let’s sleep with a mark so I can say I slept with her before I assassinate her. Idk. Doesn’t make sense to me.
The world building is a little confusing as well.
I just didn’t love this. I know others who will.
DNFed.
Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for the arc.

I truly enjoyed this book ! All black fae ? Sign me up !

This book had me on the edge of my seat wanting to know what happened next . Reading the action scenes made me feel like I was watching a movie !

Kadeesha was a strong FMC fighting for her independence. while staying true to herself and her beliefs , refusing to let the confines of her Aether society bind her to play small when she is both a great warrior and woman. Which is a powerful combination her enemies would soon learn. Malachi was book HUSBAND. He was unapologetically ruthless , cunning and confident. He didn’t shy away from his dark side. In fact he wore it like a second skin and that made him all the better . He sought revenge for tragedies of his past but never let that blindside him. The two of them were a match made in heaven and a force to be reckoned with.

Side characters like Yashira and the little doses we got of Nychelle also stole the show for me.

This story was gripping and a whole lot of fun to get lost in. I love the effort the author took into her world building and the intricate details she provided within it. The politics and fight for power were so well thought out as well. I will say that I wasn’t expecting all the spice that we got but it didn’t take anything away from the story so that was good.

Thank you to the author , Netgalley and Avon/Harper voyager for the E-Arc in exchange for an honest review.

I did really like the strong fmc in this book. However, that was about it. The world building was very confusing to me. It felt like modern times but also ancient, but then they are in a club? I just couldn’t understand it enough to get into the book. The naming of the creatures really threw me off too. I think other people may like this book, but it just wasn’t for me.

Princess Kadeesha is a force to be reckoned with—sexy, fierce, and unapologetically badass. As the Archprincess of the Aether Kingdom, she's set to marry Hyperion ruler, King Rishaud, whose arrogance and power-thirst make him anything but worthy of her. But fate has other plans. On the eve of her wedding, Kadeesha shares a steamy, soul-shattering night with a mysterious stranger—no promises, no expectations. A wild, passionate encounter that burns through her in ways she never expected.

The twist? On her wedding day, she learns that her passionate, forbidden lover was none other than King Malachizrien, the ruthless ruler of the Apollyon Court, and her sworn enemy. The plot thickens as she’s kidnapped and taken to the Apollyon Court, now a war prize—and hostage.

What follows is a delicious, enemies-to-lovers saga that will keep you on the edge of your seat. The chemistry between Kadeesha and Malachizrien is absolutely explosive. It’s a tantalizing game of power, betrayal, and undeniable attraction. Every interaction crackles with tension, and just when you think you know where it's headed, NE Davenport pulls you deeper into a story that’s far more complex than you could imagine.

And the spice? It is insatiable. The kind of heat that has you blushing and turning pages faster than you can keep up. It’s more than just chemistry—it’s a raw, unrelenting pull that will leave you breathless.

This book is EVERYTHING—epic in scope, rich in emotional depth, and unflinchingly bold in its romance. It’s hands-down one of the best reads of the year, and NE Davenport’s first book won’t be her last for me. If you’re craving a story that’s as thrilling as it is steamy, one that will have your heart racing and your mind spinning, you won’t want to miss this one.

Ms. Davenport, you’ve crafted an absolute masterpiece. Thank you for sharing your incredible story with the world—it's a gift that will stay with me for a long time.

A massive, heartfelt THANK YOU to Harper Voyager for blessing me with an advanced copy of this epic, unforgettable book! I’m beyond grateful and completely hooked.

Apollyon King Malachi has sworn revenge against all who had a hand in the destruction and killing of his kingdom and people.
Aether Princess Kadeesha never wanted her arranged marriage to High King Richaud but bound to duty she had no choice but to stay the course. During the wedding ceremony truths were exposed that sent Richaud on a war path.
Now Malachi and Kadeesha must work together to take down Richaud

The banter between Malachi and Kadeesha was perfection 🤌🏾✨. Their back and forth had me rolling my eyes and kicking my feet 🙄🤣

Those two are so well balanced they don’t even realize how perfect they are for one another. He’s her outlet for darkness and she reins in his rage ☯️. I actually think, had their upbringings and life experiences been different they would be the same person.

Did I just unlock a mini trope 🤔 I love to see women taking over negotiations 💗. Girl boss moment for Kadeesha and Auntie Nychelle 💪🏾 💅🏾

Speaking of Auntie Nychelle. She is EVERYTHING 👑 ❤️. From raising Malachi to being a force to be reckoned with. Her name is known no matter what kingdom you’re from. Feared and respected? She’s THAT girl…uh Fae. She’s That Fae.

The steam besties 🥵 the steam. I was squirming! I may have read a couple scenes more than once 👀. New book boyfriend 😻

*cries in to do list* This book was so good I literally accomplished nothing while I was reading. The author crafted an expansive world, with detailed imagery.

I will definitely be doing a reread to see things in a new light and pick up on things I didn’t catch the first time ⏪️

I have sooo much more I want to say but this was a great read. A definite recommendation

4 stars.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an ARC of this book. I am leaving this review voluntarily and all thoughts are my own.

What a fun read! I really enjoyed this book and especially all the court politics and maneuvering. It was done really well and it was so interesting to read. I also (for the most part - I'll get back to that) liked our main characters and thought they complemented each other nicely and had a lot of good interactions throughout. Many of the spicy scenes for example were really fun even though they were mostly very carnal and lust-driven instead of romantic. I don't mind that, but I will say that one of my favorite scenes was actually when they were finally a bit more intimate and vulnerable with each other and you could at last feel a slight change in their dynamic.

I did have a small issue with something though... For all his talk of consent, I do think Malachi pushes it a little bit with Kadeesha on a few occasions. Yes, he knows that she wants him but she still expresses that she doesn't want to give him her orgasm, and yet he says it doesn't matter and continues. Now I understand that it's also about the power play and how she doesn't want to give into him and so on. I totally get that. But as someone who cares deeply about consent and is very attentive of it in spicy books, the vibe just felt a little... off. Especially since he just spoke about only taking willing and enthusiastic lovers. I'm just not the biggest fan of the "she says no but because he knows she wants him, and because apparently she wants to be dominated even though she specifically says she doesn't, he doesn't listen"-trope. Consent needs to be clear, and the reason for her wanting to stop is irrelevant - it doesn't matter that she is horny. If she for any reason (any reason at all) indicates she doesn't want to continue, that's it. It was only a few scenes where I got the ick a little bit, and luckily most of the time they were just hot and fun. But it's still something that didn't completely sit right with me.

The vast majority of the book felt nicely paced and very natural, but there were just a few scenes near the end where it felt like something was missing a little bit. I won't go into spoilery details (you can check out my review on Goodreads here if you want that https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/7419115393), but a few scenes felt rushed, and I feel like we were missing either a scene or at least some reactions from the characters. It was all just a little sudden.

But then it evened out again, and the ending was just so good! The fight scenes were great and I loved finally getting to see her use her magic more. It was such a cool battle and both her and Malachi were amazing. So all in all an enjoyable read!

✨"Say please," the bastard drawled, his warm breath skirting over her sex. "And none of the gods are between your legs right now, love. They’re a realm away. Your gods have no stake in this matter. Don’t call out to them. Call out to me."✨

I needed this read. It was a true escape for me and don’t know if I have the words to do it justice.

Our Vicious Oaths is a steamy romantasy novel set in a realm of warring Fae. The chemistry between the FMC and MMC,Kadeesha and Malachi, is electric from the moment their paths cross. I think that is why it makes it the perfect enemies to lovers set up. Like you get the hate but you are really rooting for them to collide one way or another.

The world building was fantastic and I felt as though I was transported while reading the story. This is a standalone book, but as with all good books, they’re never long enough for me. I was left wanting more. Not because there were any loose ends, but because I had fallen in love with the realm and the characters.

The spice level was off the charts. The combat was intense. The pacing was never slowed or dull. Definite five star read.

I am absolutely obsessed with this book. It was so much fun! I am so impressed with the depth of world building and character development that Davenport managed to fit into this standalone novel.

This story had all the great elements of an enemies-to-lovers romantasy while still feeling very unique.The chemistry between Kadeesha and Malachi was so good! This book is definitely spicy but not at the expense of the story. It felt very well balanced. Kadeesha's struggles to overcome the misogyny of the Southern fae culture to be the leader and warrior she knew she could be were well done and relatable.

I would highly recommend this book to all lovers of romantasy!

Thanks to NetGalley, Harper Voyager, and N.E. Davenport for the ARC!

My favorite kind of FMC is the kind who doesn’t need you and will remind you of that. The kind who isn’t going to let the MMC handle her, but rather handle HIM. The kind with opinions and feelings that aren’t dainty, cute, and agreeable all the time.
Kadeesha is all of those things and more 💖

I’m not normally a standalone girly, but Our Vicious Oaths packs so much into it that I didn’t feel lacking when I finished it. The world building hits hard from page one, the characters feel fleshed out and multidimensional.

This book has so many things I absolutely love:
- dual pov
- a fiercely strong fmc that can stand on her own BEFORE the mmc comes into the picture
- animal companions 💖
- enemies to lovers
- forced proximity

I’d happily read another five books about these two 💕🤭

Thank you to N.E. Davenport, NetGalley, and HarperCollins for allowing me early access to this great story.

Aether Princess Kadeesha is a formidable opponent to equally formidable King Malachizrien. Both in a kingdom long war they play their hands well and wield their power even better.

Tropes: Enemies to Lovers, Fast burn, Dual POV, Magic

The start of this book was a bit slow for me. Most of chapter one did not endear me to the story however by the end of the chapter and into the rest of the book I was captivated by Kadeesha and her fierceness, but also her duty and her power. She was made to be a queen though her father and her kingdom was unaware.

Malachizrien is a King with a big vendetta and a long kill list. He is smart and ruthless. That often means he is a man who knows his way around a bedroom chamber. Targeting Kadeesha has been a ploy from the start but it quickly morphed into something else altogether. Something that burned brighter than the sun.

I was enrapt with this story and devoured it as the dark shadows of Malachi would have enjoyed.

I'm getting a physical arc of this one, which is my preference, so I'll be reviewing it elsewhere when I finish reading!

Thank you, N.E. Davenport, Avon and Harper Voyager & NetGalley for an advanced copy 💕

If you enjoy a fast paced, spicy fae romantasy then you will love this book. BONUS POINTS *feral shadow daddy*

Extra bonus points: funny & lovable side characters, yes please!

Kadeesha (FMC) is a complete bad-ass and puts up with nothing. Her quick wit and strength will have you at awe.

Malachi (MMC) is vicious, feral and unforgiving. But he sure knows how to worship when needed.

The two together 🔥

Overall, I rate this book 3.5 stars. While I found it enjoyable and engaging, it did not offer anything new to the fae romantasy book world. Also, given that it was a standalone novel, the pacing felt somewhat rushed. Regardless, my positive experience with the book prompted me to round up to 4 ⭐️

okay I actually finished the first read of this book maybe 2 days after I got it - because I couldn't stop reading it. and then I went back and read slower one more time. I was fortunate enough to be able to have an ARC, so I'm going to say what I need to say and try to avoid spoilers.

This is a book that had me feeling a lot of types of ways. I felt frustrated on Kadeesha's behalf as all of the cough MEN cough do what men in power tend to do - diminish powerful and capable women. Kadeesha is the perfect example of a strong FMC who really fought to get somewhere and was ultimately dismissed by some of the people who should have been in her corner. Malachi on the other hand GOOD LORTTTT I cannot get enough of him. I was feeling him for SURE and how their enemies story went. SHEESH. But he's also a complex yet not overly complex MMC that you really root for after a while. The plot moves at a great pace, it was never so quick I wished there had been more time spent and it was never so slow I was bored. The other characters, especially the parents, are not one dimensional and they add a lot of value to how you understand Kadeesha and Malachi, as well as their motivation. Overall if you love romance, fantasy, action, badass characters, good writing - you will like this one! One last note. There is something so satisfying in reading pieces of Black culture in a fantasy world; it's like being seen and knowing that we exist throughout every world not just this one. It's pretty cool.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an early copy of this book!

Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5 stars

Thoughts on the book:

I picked up this book pretty much solely because I enjoyed N. E. Davenport's "The Blood Trials". So I went into this book not even reading the summary. Welp, I did not expect this to be as spicy as it is. If you don't like spice in your books, I would maybe avoid this. Sex is an important part of this story and there are pageeeeees of explicit sex scenes. You could skip those scenes, but it adds to the dynamic of the main couple. So... Do with that information what you will.

Anyways, the plot itself is very good. I loved this story, especially given the fact that it is a stand alone romantasy. (How often do you find stand alone fantasy novels these days??!?!?! It's so rare.) The world isn't hard to understand (it's very familiar) and everything wraps up well at the end. I think the author does a great job with world building, relationship building, and character development. And yes, while there are a lot of sex scenes, I feel like it makes sense to the story. I do wish that there was a map included in the arc, but totally understand that it probably isn't ready yet! I did get a little confused on where certain groups of people came from, but not super important to the story. The pacing is wonderful (though I definitely skipped a few sex scenes because it got a little repetitive). Everything came together at the right moment, whether it be the relationships between people, the prophecy, etc.

Overall, I loved this book and can't wait to see what else this author writes!