I think it could be a very good book but it fell flat for me. The world building and lack of character definition really was just underwhelming for me. It seemed as though the author wanted her to be a badass fmc but it just didnt match the little bit of back story we are given. I just didnt connect with the story or the characters.

You'll be captivated by Blood Oath's dark, action-packed fantasy from the very first page. Kayla Cunningham tells a gripping tale with a protagonist you can't help but cheer for, complex worldbuilding, and terrifying trials. Allyria is fiery, imperfect, and determined, which is exactly what fantasy readers want for in a strong female heroine. High stakes, emotional depth, and the perfect amount of romance are all present in this book, which also has horrific tournaments, forbidden magic, and simmering tensions with the mysterious Death Dealer. An exciting beginning to a series that makes you want more.

This book wastes no time throwing you into a dark, magic-hating world with real consequences. I love a strong female lead, and Allyria does not disappoint. She’s tough, conflicted, and easy to root for. The plot moves quickly from her near-execution to deadly training and high-stakes tournaments, with plenty of action and tension along the way. It leans on some familiar fantasy tropes but does them well. An enjoyable read.

It showed promise at the start, but then about 30% in I felt like there was spoiler after spoiler with increasing pov changes. It was just not for me.

3.75 ⭐ rounded up!

This totally pulled me in with its worldbuilding. The different races, magical creatures, and landscapes made everything feel so vivid and alive. I loved Allyria as the FMC. Her character development felt real and earned, and I was rooting for her the whole way through.

The magic system was another thing that really stood out to me. It felt fresh and different from a lot of what I’ve read lately. It was detailed enough to be intriguing but still mysterious in all the right ways.

That said, the romance didn’t quite hit for me. There were moments of chemistry and potential, but by the end it felt like it got fast tracked. I wanted more buildup and emotional payoff. It just didn’t feel like they had enough time together for where it ended.

Still, this was a super engaging read with a lot of heart and imagination. I’m definitely interested in reading what happens next!

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for an ARC!

I was rooting for Allyria from the first chapter. This story was gritty and full of suspense and slow burn tension. I was hooked from the first page and could not stop reading. Danger and magic abound and I ate up the world Kayla created.

I really wanted to like this book. The premise sounded right up my alley, and I had high hopes going in. However, I found myself struggling with the format—it felt disjointed and made it hard for me to stay engaged. Despite my efforts, I couldn’t seem to connect with the characters or get invested in their stories. Unfortunately, I have to DNF. it just didn’t click for me.

I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley.

I enjoyed this book. The world building was descriptive. Sometimes too much description, in my opinion. It may contribute to later in the story, next book, or what have you though, so I wasn't too bothered by it. It certainly didn't stop me from thoroughly enjoying the story. Character development was thought out and there were a few twists.

I will recommend this book to friends/family. There were a few flaws, but overall this was a very enjoyable read with an engaging storyline and likeable characters.

I recently picked up Blood Oath, the first book in Kayla Cunningham’s Storm Breaker series, and I was genuinely impressed. This dark fantasy novel pulled me in right from the start with its high-stakes premise: Allyria, a seventeen-year-old girl, is sentenced to death for helping a supposed witch, only to be offered a twisted second chance—swearing a blood oath to serve the Death Dealer, the king’s feared assassin. From there, things only get more intense.

What really stood out to me was the world-building. Cunningham paints a vivid picture of a harsh society where magic is feared and brutally suppressed. There’s a haunting beauty to the setting, and I found myself wanting to know more about its history and the mysterious politics of the immortal rulers.

Allyria herself was a highlight. I loved her determination and how she keeps pushing forward, even when everything is stacked against her. Her voice felt authentic—strong, but not without vulnerability. Watching her grow was one of my favorite parts of the book.

The magic system was intriguing, too. It’s not fully explained early on, which actually worked for me. There’s an eerie, ancient quality to it, and I liked piecing things together alongside the characters. Plus, the tension between those who fear magic and those who wield it added a great layer of conflict.

If I had one minor critique, it’s that some of the darker scenes—particularly the interrogations—dragged on a bit for my taste. There were moments where I felt like the pacing could have picked up. Also, I wish we got a bit more depth from the Death Dealer early on, though I assume that’s something that will develop as the series continues.

Overall, Blood Oath was a gripping read with an original spin on familiar fantasy elements. If you enjoy high-stakes plots, morally gray characters, and dark, immersive worlds, I’d definitely recommend giving this one a try. I’m already looking forward to the next book in the series.

The story grabbed me from the beginning and never let go. The worldbuilding is very well done and you can easily imagine the different places and their atmosphere and the emotions of the characters. The characters are written in an engaging, interesting and complex way and are not immediately obvious. Allyria is a well written FMC who has a strong personality and doesn't let things get her down. The plot is so intriguing and compelling that I couldn't put the book down. I can't wait to read the next book in the Storm Breaker series!

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

I feel duped! This book sucked me in. The first ~50% or so was so fast paced and interesting and I couldn't stop reading. But then something changed in the latter half, and I felt like I was slogging through, skimming, and struggling to want to pick the book up. I think my main issue is that this book had no right being so long. Five HUNDRED plus pages and I don't think it being longer necessarily added to the book. I also struggled with believing the romance between the two main characters when they were separated for the majority of the book. Even though I get why they had to be separated for plot reasons I think more interactions would have helped build their relationship and also helped carry the book. 3 stars because the beginning was just so good, the storyline interesting, and the characters really likeable. Unsure if I'll be continuing with this series. Thanks Netgalley for the e-ARC!

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

4.5 stars

Allyria witnessed, with barely contained rage, as the prison guards lit the pyre meant to burn a girl who they thought was a magic wielder. To practice magic was treasonous. The look in the girl's eyes compelled Allyria to save her... and in a storm of chaos, the witch disappeared, leaving Allyria to face torture by the hands of the guards. Until the Death Dealer came to make sure they freed her, as she owed him a blood oath debt.

She was freed from the prison, only to be subjected to more dangerous situations and a gamble that had her pledging herself to the Death Dealer for a time. She was to train for the Elder Tournaments -- deadly trials, and was whisked away to another realm, one of magic and mysteries. But his people just wanted to be rid of her, the human. It was a trial, in itself, to be amongst them, let alone learn skills to survive.

There would be secrets - a legacy kept hidden, a bond, friendships formed, court politics and intrigue in both realms, a severing, a high-stakes quest, and a battle. There are multiple plots going on in this book, but it's written in a manner that is easy to follow, for the most part.

I was kind of sad that Allyria and the Death Dealer spent so little time together, but their interactions, though few, were lovely -- especially toward the last quarter. I'm guessing -- hoping -- that Book 2 will remedy this by refocusing on them once the Tournament is completed and... if Allyria survives. War is coming.

Riveting high-stakes dark fantasy that captured and held my attention! FYI, no spice and low romance.

I absolutely loved the premise of this book. I was enthralled during the first and last quarter of the novel but got lost somewhere in the middle. The world is very well thought out and the magic system is unique but also feels familiar in a comforting way. However, for a good portion of the novel there was so much information being provided and so much world building that the plot and the message was lost to all of the details. I loved the characters and found whenever Allyria, the Death Dealer, Cassius, or scenes within Obsidian were present the plot was crystal clear and extremely focused. I would have loved to see the novel with less of the details in the first book and have the scope narrow and widen over time as we get to know the world and how it works. The slow burn was epic and the development of the characters is what will bring me back for the next installment. I cannot wait to see where their journey takes us.

3 ★

Thank you NetGalley and the author for the arc!🥹💗

Okay so this is a very conflicting review to write- probably one of my most conflicting reviews I will ever write.

I did not hate this book, but saying I enjoyed it is far from the true but saying I didn’t think it was magnificent would also be a lie yet I couldn’t get myself to pick this up bc I wanted to pick it up and more bc I had to pick it up.

The first 100 pages had me in a chokehold, it even felt like a 5 star read bc if you know me you knowwww my favorite kind of books are books where the main character starts weak but gets stronger and stronger until everyone fears her and the beginning gave these vibe soooo well but sadly enough it wasn’t enough for me.

The book is very detailed and I truly don’t remember when the last time was that I read a book with a world building this insane. The amount of time and effort put into creating it was very clear from the beginning and it was the only reason I wanted to continue (besides the fact that I was hoping we were going to get some badass scenes). Howeverrrr I do think that, at times, there was toooo much detail and it was becoming overwhelming, bc it would feel like you read 3 pages full with world building and random details, but you only read one page😭

𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙢𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙬𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙬𝙧𝙤𝙣𝙜:
➝ A lot was going on and yet it felt like <i>nothing</i> happened- how are we 200 pages in and it feels like only one thing has happened? How are we 60% in and nothing thrilling has happened yet? Tbh after the 60% mark I fully fullyyyy lost it- idk what happened after that, I really really don’t know and I don’t care bc I wasn’t getting enough thrilling moments in the story to make me excited about the rest and its ending.

➝ The pov’s of the love interest felt useless. In some I would be like “okay this is cool” and in others I would be like “nothing happens, just more world building I really didn’t need rn” and after 60% I gave up.

➝ There was more explaining in this book than that there was actual dialogue. I really liked the amount of detail and effort put into it, but at times it went wayy too far.

➝ We failed in the training scenes. I was yearninggg for good fighting/training scenes (I wanted them with the love interest but like I said my boy wasn’t even there, he was busy getting butchered on the other side of the world), but we really didn’t get enough of that. It felt like I read 2 training scenes and then the trainer left and she goes to climb a mountain that’s invested with fairies and then she makes a friend and….. weren’t we supposed to fight? Get stronger? Maybe this happened but after 300 PAGES, like I said, I gave up 😃😃 maybe we got more after that, but it’s too late now, I’m no longer invested.

➝ Why is the love interest the guy she literally doesn’t see, at all. We see him, he leaves for what? Half the book? More than half the book? And then apparently he returns but idk why or how or what bc I gave up. I know the romance isn’t the main point of this story, but because we kind of failed on the training scenes and the- her- getting-stronger-and-everyone-fearing-her part I at least wanted some good slow burn romance, but no we didn’t get it😍 maybe after the 60% mark? Maybe, but once again, the book has lost Mai. I don’t mind books who don’t have a lot of romance, but if the synopsis says “fighting her growing feelings for the ***” then I expect to see that portrayed well with scenes of them TOGETHER.

➝ More pages doesn’t mean a better book❗️❗️❗️❗️ this book has no business being 500 pages long, really really unnecessary bc those 500 pages weren’t filled up in the right way. I probably would have enjoyed this more if half of this was cut out and the book was around 300/400 pages long.

Overall the premise of a poor weak girl getting freed from prison so she can train for some kind of tournament is amazing. It’s thrilling, fun and an action packed idea, but I feel like we didn’t execute it well enough. There was a lot of time and effort put into creating everything, but not enough of time put into the more “fun” parts of the story. The story needed to move quicker or, at least, be shorter.

I do recommend it, but also not. I guess it really depends on what you want.

I wish I could give a more detailed review, but like I have said a thousand times (sorry guys) I totally lost it after 60% so I truly do not remember a single thing that happened after that. I skipped through so many pages, skimmed and just full on lost focus while reading.

Anyways I would definitely read from this author again, but maybe a shorter book 😭

This is a delicious and addictive dark fantasy with high stakes and a great enemies to lovers romance! I was hooked from the start and kept engaged the whole time

This book hooks you at the beginning. A human makes a blood oath with a death dealer in order to save her family. He doesn’t quite turn out how she expected and a whole new world awaits her.

I had a few formatting issues with reading on kindle which I never really got used to so I struggled a bit with this book.

It has really good world building, the first part of the book really paints a picture of the surroundings and sets up the story which was filled with promise and mystery.

Around half way the book can get a little clunky, there’s a lot of trauma-dumping from characters we barely know in order for us to understand the history and get more backstory. It’s good that we get different characters POVs but some of the chapter timings in the different POVs are a bit off which was confusing.

Half way through there seems to be a bunch more species and kingdoms thrown in haphazardly which was a bit overwhelming for me but overall the base story within is a good one.

Most of the book is world building and training, kind of uneventful. I wish we’d have seen more of the relationship progression between characters. The relationships between the characters do feel real and I loved how the characters were written. I would have liked to delve even deeper into those connections! A Cassian/Viper novella would be interesting!

I think you’d like this book if you’re into fate tropes, found magic and kingdom politics.

Was archived after getting it approved, didn't get a chance to read and review the book but it sounded very interesting and I'm still keen on reading it. Will look at reading it on Kindle and review.

I received this ARC from NetGalley.
3.5 rounded up
This is a really interesting premise with a lot happening and a ton of detail. There were parts where I felt like it was too much detail about things that weren't necessary for the story. I had some issues with figuring out time because, even though the sections were broken off into POVS, within each POV passages of time would happen and it wouldn't be clear. I am sure part of that is the formatting of the ebook I was reading. There was also a lot of repetition.
I saw a lot of similarities to other fantasy series but I think that is normal because every thing you do, you are influenced.
It is also a VERY slow burn which I actually appreciated in this novel because it was done pretty well. I did see some issues with it and there were times where it was a little difficult to get through but overall I really enjoyed the story of it and the groundwork that is being laid for the overall series.

Check out a podcast that I host with my boyfriend where we talk books and book related things:
https://open.spotify.com/show/6Xjyht75e19Pp7LU9vQv8Q?si=c7ff17e4a9224cd6&nd=1&dlsi=976a5086c3364ad2

and our Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/talkbooky/

“…loss like that left wounds too deep to mend easily, and some-times holding onto hatred was less painful than trying to heal.”

“Blood Oath,” by Kayla Cunningham

Perfect for readers who want a hero that doesn’t just become an amazing fighter in a few days. This book was incredibly good. Like I said, it was a lot of the FMC learning to be a great fighter and it didn’t happen overnight, many years in fact. I loved the characters so much, I also loved how little the two main characters actually had scene time at the same time in the book, which I felt was a unique type of plot for a book 1 and ended up really liking it. It starts off with FMC in prison, so it reminded me a lot of Throne of Glass. 5 out of 5 stars, cannot wait for book 2.

-Winged MMC
-Magic
-Immortals, Demons, Vampires
-Slowburn

“There’s no difference between slavery and poverty in this world.”

“Everyone bears scars; some are just more visible than others.”