Blurb:

Every oath holds power.

In a land where the Earth spawns terrible beasts capable of moving through all but stone, the Sky bestows power to those bound by Oaths.

As earthbound creatures invade, bringing with them chaos and whispers of a coming war, protector and Overseer Tehran fights to keep his people safe. After losing his best friend to the beasts and with the stability of the region deteriorating, Tehran heads to the Capital to plead for support from the Order of the Sky.

When his friend’s widow stows aboard the transport, determined to hold the Order accountable for the death of her husband, Tehran’s plans are derailed. Torn between upholding his responsibility as an Overseer or honouring his friend’s memory, Tehran must either choose the Oaths that have forged him or trust new bonds to guard the fate of the Mercurial.

Review:

I have to be honest, don’t tell my TBR, but I read this book twice. I couldn’t help myself. I absolutely loved reading the ARC, so when the audiobook came out it was an automatic relisten for me. These characters live with me, in the back of my mind, as I walk through my daily life. The questions Katee poses as we walk with these characters through unfathomable situations brings out a fire in me that has me looking in the mirror at what I truly believe. All set against the stunning backdrop of an intensely volatile and beautiful world. This is an epic adventure you dive into head first, and need never come up for air. 

As the story opens, we meet Knox and Tehran in an outlying community in the Mercurial, struggling to keep communication open with the Order of the Sky. There, we’re met with an unprecedented event, a large Earthbound has made its way to their outcrop. As the earth pools into a liquid state our heroes, one with powers and one who’s lost them, are faced with the harrowing task of saving their people. Without spilling the beans, this plot was unreal. On the surface it seems like a really cool, politically complex story, but I was blown away with its deeper themes and raw emotions. The choices facing these characters at every turn were so difficult, while the plot maintained a nice fluidity and logic to it. And the romantic subplot was thick, but done so well. My heart is so tied to this subplot, I really won’t get over it until I know what happens in Skysworn. This book couldn’t have been more binge worthy, yet you never want it to end. Stein has me hook, line, and sinker. It may be an affront to humanity that we need to wait for book two. It’s really that good.

“Careful Logan. Words hold more power than you know.”

In no small part that’s thanks to its epic worldbuilding foundation with a high fantasy feel. The world has girth, and comes so seamlessly to the reader. It feels multisensory and immersive as you see and experience all that’s going on around you. The Earthbound creatures are a really cool element. These gargantuan beasts swim through the earth via a process of liquefaction no Mercurial fully understands. The magic system of the world functions on oaths spoken in words, which bring power to their oathbound, though some oaths are a bit unpredictable in their outcomes. The politics in this book were fascinating, and danced quite closely with their religious and devotional practices. The dynamics between the seemingly altruistic leadership and its all-trusting people played really well into the story as we start to peel back the layers of its deceptions. The magic of the oaths brings a power balance that deepens these political struggles as well as carries heavy cultural implications. When outside threats oppose these constructs, adapting challenges our characters' own belief structures and what their power actually means.

“He shouldn't need a weapon here–this was his home.”

The relationships between the characters are also challenged by these constructs. Knox, a disavowed Overseer and Overseer Tehran have had a lifelong brotherhood, which for the better part of their lives included Emilia, Knox’s bonded wife. These trio make up the 3 POV’s from which we see the story. I absolutely love these characters, and the connections they share brought an intimacy to the story that felt real, both hopeful and shattering. The strong steadfast men made for characters you could hope for, even in their sometimes great failures. I loved that Emilia was such a brain and fought for every inch of what she believed while embodying a gentle femininity beneath her armor. I didn’t always agree with the choices these characters made, as my heart was as wrenched and beaten as theirs throughout the story, but I could see their intentionality and determination to do what they thought right, even with their inner struggles and oathbound pulls. The cast of side characters brought so much color into full view. Kip and Lohgan were highlights for me. There were so many well fleshed characters rounding out and supporting the main cast. Everyone felt unique and important.

And that’s what I love about Stein’s writing style. It all reads so easy while still feeling rich and descriptive, deep and provoking. All your senses are going as you wrestle with the happenings on page, made even more poignant by Magnus’s voice over. The pacing is perfect in my opinion for the heavier laid romance and political elements. When I read her first novel, Glass Helix, I knew Katee would forever be an autobuy for me. But I didn’t expect this caliber of fantasy in her second book after a near future sci-fi. She’s grown in her writing, if it’s possible, and delivered something we don’t just want, but something we need, showcasing the silver lining in even the darkest of clouds.

“The function of pain is empathy. Accept it; remember it.”

This epic fantasy with strong romantic subplot and some crossover sci-fi world elements is a can't miss. My heart is forever marked with these amazing characters and their gut wrenching tale. With themes of Love, Honor, Loss, Grief, Divine Nature, Bonds and what makes Family, this book will fully entertain while challenging you with profound questions and testing the bounds of your own moral compass.