While I really enjoyed the first book in this trilogy, I'm sad to say the second one wasn't as action-packed as I hoped. This book follows Gal as he's held prisoner by Ettian, and because of that, the conflict is mostly internal (which makes for some delicious angst!) without the same fun external drama of the first book. The friends-to-enemies romantic subplot is fantastic, though, and I'm interested to see where the next book takes the story!

If you’re looking for a friends-to-lovers-to-enemies-to-star-crossed-lovers or looking to fill the void left by Finn and Poe not becoming a canon Star Wars ship — read this book. 

Much like its predecessor Bonds of Brass, Oaths of Legacy is a wildly thrilling and fast-paced sci-fi adventure, and equal parts a heart-wrenching romance torn asunder by bloodrights and galactic war. Emily Skrutskie writes tremendously fun action sequences, 

The best part of Emily Skrutskie’s writing is that she’s deliriously good at world-building, but character development never suffers under the weight of the storytelling. She interweaves Gal and Ettian’s growth, all the while exploring the world around them and how it directly impacts their potential to grow. 

While Bonds of Brass presented the world to us through Ettian’s eyes, now we get to see the complicated mire of emotions that Gal feels for his friend-turned-captor from his point of view. Some of this requires readers to suspend their preconceived notions of what a political captive might endure because Gal is largely allowed to have free reign wherever Ettian and his empire take him. Gal is on the bridge during major battles, boozing it up at events, and wandering around without much supervision. This is a necessity in order to drive the story forward from his point of view, but from a political and militaristic viewpoint — it makes no sense. At all. However, it's easy to overlook because it leads to such fun scenes. 

Wen was a fun character in Bonds of Brass, but now in Oaths of Legacy, she takes control of her own destiny — for the most part. Wen finds herself an unwitting pawn in everyone’s games: Gal uses her to make Ettian’s life more complicated, Ettian uses her as a trusted ally, and the military turns her into their very own weapon. It’s complicated, it’s messy, but ultimately Wen is a driving force in the plot, leading me to believe she might take more of a center stage in the culmination of the trilogy. She goes through huge character evolution, mostly “off-page,” which leads me to believe that we might catch up with her point of view and see how becoming the Flame Knight has impacted her. 

Speaking of Wen, in hindsight, I am deeply confused by other reviewers who indicated that there was a love triangle between Gal, Ettian, and Wen. It’s quite clear that whatever jealousy Gal feels towards Wen is not romantically fueled, but envy tied to Wen’s friendship occupying the place his friendship once held with Ettian. Unless I am grossly misunderstanding the words on the page, Ettian is into Gal, not Wen. All of the romance scenes are reserved for the stolen moments between the two young men as they struggle against the decisions of others that are made for their lives. 

Emily Skrutskie has created a vivid world within The Bloodright Trilogy; one filled with personal turmoil under the weight of the oppressive bonds of duty, the demands of a galaxy at war, and the agony of star-crossed love. The fast-paced battles among the stars are just as compelling as the quiet moments of longing and personal growth. 

The final act of Oaths of Legacy sets up the last book of the trilogy and I am not okay. Skrutskie, I’m begging you, give Gal and Ettian the happily ever after they deserve.

Overall this is a very technically sound book. It falls a little bit into middle book syndrome where everything feels depressing and hopeless, but has enough lifts to keep it from dragging. Ultimately, the feelings on this book will change depending on how the series ends.
I enjoyed it a lot but my one gripe is that Gal's characterization is kind of everywhere. I enjoy messy motivations, but even so he made decisions that didn't make any sense. I still don't fully understand why he changed his mind, even if he does love Ettian. Overall it's a good book, but whether I love it or not will have to do with the way the series ends.

This book picks right up after the plot twist that ended book 1, and this time we're in Gal's head. Poor angsty Gal, who spends most of his time trying not to have all the feelings he's obviously having. Wen remains the best ruttin' character of them all. And of course, just as we think everyone is finally on the same page, we get some last chapter hijinks, setting us up for the final book in the trilogy (which I'm ready to read, right now, please.)

I didn't love the first book, but this one was definitely better. However, I still don't think this series was as enjoyable as The Abyss Surrounds Us. I loved the decision to switch to Gal's point of view; it adds a lot of depth and complexity to his and Ettian's relationship, as well as the plot in general. I also adored Wen, and had fun reading about all of the characters in the book. Overall, it was fun, interesting, but not mind-blowing.

I was so happy to receive an ARC of this book because I absolutely loved the first book Bonds of Brass with all my heart. And I did enjoy this book, though I felt as though it didn’t quite live up to the first one.

1. For much of the book Gal (who narrates this book in first person POV, as opposed to Ettian in the first book) feels like a passive observer. It’s probably intentional because he is a prisoner who can only try to subtly influence things around him, but it’s also a little boring. It feels like there’s too much distance between the narrator and the action, which is the opposite of what first person POV is supposed to accomplish. For the first half of the book, Wen’s plotline is infinitely more interesting than Gal’s.

2. The pace of this book feels slower. During the first book, there is always action, always something exciting happening. In this book, that’s less the case. There is exciting action, but it’s more intermixed with Gal internally monologuing about how bored he is.

Now, that isn’t to say the book is bad by any means. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Here’s some great things in the book:

1. Gal’s moral dilemma. I absolutely love Gal’s struggle between staying true to the values of his mother and helping the Archon resistance, helping the enemy. I think it’s a great continuation of the idealism of the first book. Gal wanted to be an emperor of peace. He knows his mother’s rule relies on violence, but Gal doesn’t like that violence and wants to change things. Now he’s discovered war is a reality and is trying to find a middleground. Along the way he’s also helping to fight against his mother, even as he tries to convince himself it’s all for his own benefit.

2. The final battle. It’s a really exciting and well-written sequence. C’mon it’s a space battle. Those are awesome. And seeing Wen in action as a knight was wonderful.

In conclusion, I really liked this book, though I preferred the first one. Second books are notoriously hard to write, and I’m excited to read the third one when it’s available.

I received an advanced copy for free and am leaving this review by my own choice.

After the reveal at the end of Bonds of Brass, Gal is a prisoner of the newly revealed Archon Emperor. He is kept in luxurious quarters and paraded in platinum cuffs when politically beneficial. The rest of his time is spent pacing, seething, and plotting ways to bring down the usurper from the inside. But are his feelings for the new emperor not as changed as he thinks?

As I was reading I was trying to figure out what it was about this book that made it feel so different from the first in the trilogy (aside from the obvious change of perspective). While the first book was more of an action-adventure-romance, the second was a slower character study of Gal. And that study fell a bit flat.

But before I get to that, what I loved! The few space battles we saw were awesome. Wen shone in this book. Over and over again we saw her resourcefulness, her loyalty to those she loves, and her smarts. We also get to see her struggle and get a little more of a glimpse into who she really is. Her friendship with Gal was fun to read and the two create a great duo.

Now to Gal. Gal is essentially a sheltered child who has been raised with VERY rigid and opinionated parents finally out in the world and seeing opposing viewpoints for the first time. And he just can’t deal.

In Bonds of Brass, I liked seeing his harsh Umber side come out in tense situations and watching how he could manipulate to serve his and Ettian’s needs. I wasn’t completely convinced of the goodness Ettian saw in him, but I easily brushed that off as the stress of their situation and his upbringing as an heir, and an Umber one at that.

Suddenly being in Gal’s head though made all of those things I didn’t like more apparent. And worse, I couldn’t really believe the hate he had for Ettian. It seemed like there was no acknowledgement of the fact that what happened, the “betrayal,” was solely out of need to protect Gal. I wanted more of the soft Gal Ettian loved, more of the internal wrestling between his blood and upbringing vs his love of Ettian, the promises he’d made, and who he knew Ettian to be. Ettian didn’t change… instead he was all but killing himself to keep Gal safe. We really only saw that Gal understood what Ettian had done and given up towards the end of the book. That acknowledgement would have been great from the start. As it was, it felt like too little too late.

Overall, this was a fine book. I enjoyed seeing how the politics and maneuvering played out and I loved watching Wen develop as a character. That last 30%-40% really picked up and helped me bump up my rating. Hopefully in the final book we will get both Ettian and Gal’s perspectives, because I miss Ettian.

I’m very much looking forward to book three and can’t wait to see how everything comes together!

Thanks to NetGallery for the eARC!

I absolutely loved <i>Bonds of Brass</i> and was so excited to jump back into this universe and cast of characters!

To be honest, <I>Oaths of Legacy</i> is a bit of a slow-starter. It's also told exclusively in Gal's POV, which took some getting used to early on after really falling in love with narrator Ettian in book one. Not a whole lot happens in the first 1/3 - 1/2 (up until 40% or so?) of the book, and at least I still wasn't quite sold on the sympatheticness of our new narrator.

However, things pick up in a big way just under half way through, and we're back to the intelligent and intricate plot-workings Skrutskie did so well in the previous installment PLUS more really well-done and complex character development.

I was so invested in this book I read the last +/- half in one long sitting and just couldn't put it down. I cannot WAIT for the final book in this trilogy!

Oaths of Legacy continues the trilogy that began with Bonds of Brass. And you definitely want to read Bonds of Brass first; otherwise all of Gal's scheming doesn't make much sense. Gal and Ettian are best friends, and perhaps something more, at least until the end of the last book, where Ettian decides to reveal himself as the heir of the Archon Empire. Previously, he had been trying to help Gal gain his throne on the Umber empire, keeping him safe, and believing that he would be a better emperor than his mother. Now, Ettian has revealed that he his the rightful emperor of Archon, which makes Gal furious at the seeming betrayal. Therefore, much of Oaths of Legacy seems like an interlude to the next book, with Ettian cementing his rule and Gal furiously working to somehow undermine him, even if it appears that he is helping Ettian.

My review is public on Goodreads but in it I've taken steps to avoid spoilers. Here, I wish to provide feedback that is more compact/to the point that includes all the spoilers.

Contrary to what my rating/GR review may suggest I have vehemently enjoyed both Bonds of Brass and now Oaths of Legacy. When it came to Bonds of Brass I did not enjoy the reveal of Ettian being the Emperor. It felt cheap to reveal something so major after reading from his POV. Oaths of Legacy, for the most part, made me dislike that reveal much less. So kudos for turning that around! I might bring BoB to a 4/5 but I'm waiting for the story's resolution for that.

When it comes to Oaths of Legacy specifically. There was so much happening and yet it felt as if nothing happened at all. Gal watches a lot of things happen but very few actually happen to him. He is so painfully passive as a character. His machinations to escape are... not that much fun and honestly pretty stupid though in line with his age so I wouldn't take any "point" away fro that.

It was Wen that I came to dislike in Oaths of Legacy the most. She was a fantastic character in Bonds of Brass and a fun addition to the group. Here she becomes "The Flame Knight" completely off-screen. She goes through so much and, coming back to my earlier point, we (through Gal) only hear about it at worst or watch it happen at best. Might be overstepping the bound of "feedback" but I would LOVE this book if it were told from Wen's point of view. Not only are her struggles far more interesting than Gal's but her having to decide between where her loyalty truly lies would be much fun to read. Gal could be a scheming mastermind of a prisoner (and he would not need to be locked in a private room as opposed to a cell which was, truthfully, jarring to read) and Ettian a baby in poorly fitting emperor-sized shoes. The fact all of her awesomeness happens mostly 'off-screen' makes Wen tip toe on that Mary Sue line. Her putting on the armor at the end would be an emotional moment if we followed her trials from the start.

I still liked Oaths of Legacy and I can't wait to buy it and add it to my shelf. Whatever the third book will bring cannot come soon enough.

This book is so good. A friend recommended Bonds of Brass a couple of months ago and I tore through it in record time. Gays in space, with cuteness and happiness? Sign me all the way up.

After Bonds of Brass, I was impatiently awaiting the next in the series, and it did not disappoint. This time around, our POV is Gal. This is one thing I loved about both books. Skrutskie does a fantastic job with first-person limited, which allows for in-depth character development. Every single thing is seen by or reacted to by the POV character, whether that's Ettian in book one or Gal here, so this time around we get to see every messy emotion and tension within Gal because we're in his head. I love that Skrutskie also always holds just a little back. We don't know everything Gal knows, we just know everything he's thinking in the moment.

Gal grows and changes a lot in this book and it was handled beautifully. We get to see Ettian's development as well, through Gal's eyes. They are both grappling with trying to be the best leader to their people they can be and.with their feelings for each other.

We also get much more Wen! She flourishes in this book, and it's fun to see that play out.

Skrutskie once again does a great job of making these characters seem real and complex, with true growth, while keeping things fairly light and happy. Their struggle to be together as a couple comes not at all from being gay and very much from extenuating  circumstances, which I love. I want to see so much pining but very little actual misery in my romances, and Skrutskie delivers.

For the classroom, I would definitely recommend this book for high school age and older students, but will not be adding it to my middle grade library because the romance/sexual feelings are strong.

Like last time, the ending was absolutely wild and it left me waiting on pins and needles for the final installment.

This book was fun. It reminded me of a cross between the Red Rising series and Enders Game. It was quick and queer and checked all the boxes. It wasn't heavy and didn't make me think too much, and that's good sometimes! I would recommend and will read whatever comes next! 4 out 5.

I really wanted to love this book. I enjoyed the first one in the series. This book is told through Gal's perspective and to say that he is confused/conflicted is a bit of an understatement. His motivations throughout the book are all over the place. There's not really a linear path from where he starts to where he ends up. I did enjoy Wen's arc and the development of their relationship. I missed Ettian the most, with him only sort of coming and going throughout the story. The politics in this book were entertaining, the action engaging. I just wish Gal's journey made a little more sense. Interested to see how the story continues after this book's ending. Will definitely pick up the next one, eventually.

How is it that this series just keeps getting better with every book?

BONDS OF BRASS was a fantastic novel in its own right, with tons of tense dogfights in space and underdogs accomplishing incredible things and a tense, harrowing will-they-won't-they relationship built on secrets at the center of it all.

But OATHS OF LEGACY ups the ante. A relationship that seemed fairly straightforward and heartwarming takes a drastic, politically charged spin; Gal and Ettian's interactions in this book are nauseatingly tense and frustrating in all the best ways.

Before, when Gal and Ettian went up against the rest of the known universe, it was as a pair, fighting from within the cockpit of a small craft with nothing but the clothes on their backs and each other to keep them from falling apart. Now, in OATHS OF LEGACY, Gal has to struggle with the realities of what it means to be a galactic emperor - from the perspective of someone else that's several steps ahead of him. He has to come to terms with the fact he was betrayed, but betrayed out of a selfishness on Ettian's behalf to keep him alive. He has to learn what he really wants for himself, whether that's galactic domination at the cost of Ettian's empire's defeat, or if he wants something else. <i>Does</i> he want something else? And he has to do it alone.

Gal's character arc in OATHS OF LEGACY is a master class in internal conflict. He really cemented himself as my favorite character in this series, and that's saying something, considering how much I love Ettian to death. Wen, the street rat they save at the end of the first book, really grew on me as well, as she began to take on more of an active role in the story and in Gal and Ettian's lives.

OATHS OF LEGACY is a beautiful story about a beautiful mess. It takes all the best bits of the first installment in the trilogy and dials the tension up to eleven. I am already clinging to the edge of my seat waiting for the third book, and if it's even a tenth as fantastic as OATHS OF LEGACY was, this trilogy will cement itself as something truly incredible.

(Many thanks to the ruttin' fantastic folks over at Del Rey and PRH for the NetGalley ARC!)

Oaths of Legacy
Blood right trilogy book 2
By Emily Skrutskie

304 pages
LGTBQ+ Teen and Young Adult, Space Opera, Science Fiction.
September 14, 2021
Thank you Netgalley and Del Rey publisher for the eGalley of this book free in exchange for an honest review. I own the hardback of Ms. Skrutski’s first book Bonds of Brass (bought it when it came out after watching an interview). When I saw book two was available for review I asked and Might have done a happy dance when I saw it in my inbox.
Book one follows Gal and Ettian as they escape from one world to another trying to reach Gal’s home. But in the end it is Ettian who gets his own crown, the Platinum one of Archon while Gal, heir to the Umber (Brass) empire is forced to kneel.
Book two begins a few weeks after book one. Wen sides with Ettian blowing things up in what could only be described as DC Harlequin fashion (sorry, it’s how I picture her: Harley with a half burned face.) Gal plots and tries to pull strings torn between hate of Ettian and what he represents, and his undying love for his foil and former lover.
This is a middle book. There is a Lot of mental gymnastics, plotting, and entire chapters that happen in Gal’s head. I was not fond of that. However, it is also a politicking space opera, so I expected plotting and twists and turns and some monologuing. I am a sucker for military space operas so I truly enjoyed this novel. There were sections that didn’t make sense from a purely physics point of view, and often it would be explained as “I don’t know how the physics works but ...(magic) it does” I think that plot device might have been used too often. And the knight scene was a little too Gundam, mixed with Legend of the Galactic Heroes (Japanese Anime...). I prefer how David Webber or Peter F Hamilton depict military battles but for sheer teen angsty fun mixed with space fleets and bridge strategy sessions and lots of bored teens getting into trouble this was enjoyable. I am a little perplexed why it took the entire book to settle Gal’s motivation but that’s ok he’s an 18 year old heir to half the galaxy in love with the 18 year old Emperor of the other half and his sworn enemy. That is what a middle book is for, setting up the final book.
Notes: no graphic sex, heavy flirting, death, talk of suicide missions, and torture.

I’ve only been waiting for the Gal POV since forever and it’s been so worth it.

Oaths of Legacy was one of my most anticipated reads this year and it did not let me down. We start off right with a bang like a month after Bonds of Brass ended. Gal is mad and plotting his revenge and he’s telling himself he’s over Ettian. He tries to lead him into several traps, manipulates him and Wen constantly but all his plans end up going exactly the opposite way he’s schemed them. Which somehow brings him closer to Ettian and Wen again. Also, the way you could feel Ettian’s longing for Gal broke my heart a little. Especially since Gal doesn’t go easy on him. I loved all the twists and turns and the pacing of the story. You didn’t have time to breathe at all. I am so thrilled that this book did deliver right on point because I think second books are often quite complicated and can go really wrong. But this was pretty awesome.

Wen is one hell of a battle queen! Yas girl! I absolutely loved the character dynamics, the love and friendship which against all odds just gets stronger and all of the character developments.

That ending though?! She did it again. Don’t be fooled and think there can’t be another one of these evil emotional cliffhangers because this one is just as bad as the first one. I knew it was coming but I wasn’t prepared at all. I need book three right now!

I honestly can’t wait to see what’s in store for the next and final book. I am already so excited! Please go, do yourself a favour and pick up Oaths of Legacy right now! What a great, action filled, emotional rollercoaster ride of a sequel!

This book picks up relatively soon after the events of Bonds of Brass. The switch to Gal's pov is a good choice, it sets this book apart from the first one and adds a lot of context to how Gal thinks and reacted to things in book one. I also think separating Ettian from control of the narrative really made Gal's waffling on how he feels and what he wants more engaging. Much like the first book, this one hits a wham moment near the end that was WILD, and that's a part of Skrutskie's writing that I really enjoy. The plot is slow to start, but quickly speeds up and remains pretty fast-paced throughout the end. A great second entry in this series that lives up to the first and perfectly sets up book three.

I really did miss Ettian and Gal and Wen very much and this book definitely made me fall in love with them even more. The only reason I'm giving this 4 stars instead of 5 is that the pacing was a little slow at some points, but the book more than made with it it through characters interactions. As someone who is very character driven, I appreciated all the introspective moments in Gal's head (the POV change was very much welcome, I wonder if the third book will be alternating POVs, that's what the ending leads me to think anyway) I love that we got to see Gal and Wen's relationship develop as well as continue to see how the relationship with Gal and Ettian developed given the circumstances they were in. Overall, I definitely recommend it.

YES YES YES YES YES! There's no feeling quite like the elation of realizing that your favorite new series of 2020 is just as strong, if not stronger, in its second installment.

Gal, Ettian, and Wen (Wen! My girl!) are back in book 2 of the Bloodright trilogy, and the "friends to lovers to enemies to... ?" trope is in full swing. Considering the big revelation about a certain character at the end of Bonds of Brass, and the change of narrator from Ettian to Gal, this book feels like a totally different beast, in a good way. The characters are the same people we know and love, and the tone and the humor are still there, but enough about Oaths of Legacy is fresh and intriguing to--in my opinion--save this book from falling into the trap of a second book slump. Even better, we get to know Gal and Wen more deeply than we ever did in book 1. As interesting as it is to see the charming and sneaky Gal from Ettian's POV, seeing the inner workings of his mind and his decision making process is perhaps even more fascinating. I'm so excited to see what happens when both boys get to narrate in book 3, considering the events of book 2 (which I won't be spoiling).

Of course, as much as I could gush about this book, I also want to write a fair and honest review, so there are a few things about this book that COULD have potentially dropped it to a 4 star book (but ultimately didn't).

-Because of Gal's POV and the circumstances of Gal's presence in Archon in this book (anyone who read the end of book 1 should know what I mean), we see a ton of Gal and even a solid amount of Wen, but there are some sections with very little Ettian. And also, going from being completely in Ettian's head in book 1 to not being in it at all in this book made him kind of hard to read sometimes. We barely got his POV after book 1's big revelation, and I still feel like I don't fully understand exactly where his mind is at and what he wants.

-Sometimes Gal's "plans" to protect himself and/or get home felt a little all over the place. Like he was constantly changing his strategy and sometimes his new strategy would actively undermine his previous one, so that would confuse me a bit. Of course, it doesn't help that both Gal and Ettian are known unreliable narrators who like to keep some secrets from the readers (as book 1 clearly indicated!)

-NOTE: Some people might think the middle is a little slow, but I was never bored! I actually think book 1 had more "lagging" scenes than book 1 did, but that is purely my opinion and probably based off of the fact that I'm almost never bored in Gal's messy little brain.

My parting thought is: BOOK 3 WHEN? PLEASE EMILY I NEED ANSWERS. PLEASE I'M DYING. YOU CAN'T WRITE A BOOK THIS GOOD AND THEN LEAVE ME HANGING FOR WHO KNOWS HOW LONG UNTIL BOOK 3. I WILL GIVE YOU THIRTY DOLLARS AND MY ETERNAL DEVOTION. PLEASE.

"I can't look at him. I have to look at him. He's a black hole and a burning sun all at once, the gravitational center of everyone in the room. All I want is to escape him, but everything about him makes that impossible."

My favorite friends-to-lovers-to-enemies-to-friends-to-?? ship! I loved being in Gal's head as he struggled with his emotions for Ettion, his loyalties to his people, and everything in between. Rightfully, Gal feels betrayed and is angry at Ettion--the boy he was in love with and slowly letting his guard down with--and it was difficult in the beginning to be in Gal's head as he planned and plotted to undermine Ettion. I love Ettion--he is such a genuine character but it also damages his reputation amongst his people and authority.

Now that Gal is back in Umber, it is only a matter of time before Gal and Ettion clash.