This book.... right here. Yall. I've been hype for this since I got a little teaser over on threads... and it absolutely did not disappointed.... Sexy Faes, Girls, THE THRONE SCENE!??? You don't even understand. This book was amazing and Nia outdid herself once again. The characters are amazing, the world building is amazing and this is a top yearly read for me and the year isn't even halfway over!

This is how you write an enemies-to-lovers story in a fantasy book. I want heat and harm, lust and love, chess and checkers—and this author delivered. They did an amazing job conveying all of the above. I especially enjoyed the battle scenes, the Black cast, and the found family each main character has. This book was brilliant, phenomenal, and every other adjective that conveys the same. I would give it infinite stars if I could.

Thank you Avon Harper & NetGalley for the advanced copy!

This is a sexy, fantastic novel that I can’t stop thinking about. N.E. Davenport approaches fae in a refreshingly funny wicked and familiar way that a lot of these romantasy books have just been failing at. I love this book, I would give it six stars if I could.

Our Vicious Oaths by N.E. Davenport was an absolute rollercoaster from start to finish! I couldn't put it down—this book had everything I wanted: intense action, complex characters, and a story so rich with emotion and stakes that it kept me hooked the entire time.

The world-building was incredible, drawing me into a gritty, dangerous realm where loyalty, power, and revenge are everything. The characters felt so real, especially the protagonist, who had me rooting for them through every twist and turn. The chemistry between the characters is undeniable, and their relationship was just the right mix of tension and heart.

What I loved most was how unpredictable the plot was—every chapter had me on the edge of my seat. The darker themes and raw emotions hit hard, and I could feel every punch, every decision, and every sacrifice.

If you’re a fan of stories that combine fierce loyalty, romance, and gritty, high-stakes drama, then Our Vicious Oaths is an absolute must-read. I’m already craving more and can’t wait to see where this story goes next!


*thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review*

OMG!!! This book was everything I thought it would be and more! The love story, the drama and the found family was top notch. The character development in this book is so hard to put into the words that do justice to how much I loved it. Definitely getting a physical copy when it comes out

Where to begin?! For starters this book is going to be my entire personality until further notice. I have been searching far and wide for this exact MMC and Ms. Nia delivered him on an ONYX platter.
✨Young&Black Fae King
✨Morally Grey
✨SHADOW DADDY
✨Touch HER and 💀 vibes
The fact that grills is his courts custom is just a cherry on top.

The FMC gives WARRIOR PRINCESS, MAN-EATER, experienced, confident and fully CAPABLE of running a kingdom on her own.
(bonus points for thinking of actually unaliving him while he was 🏀🎾🏐🏈deep)

The descriptions of the palaces/landscape were so well written and vivid. I felt like I stepped straight into the book. And there are scenes I will be shamelessly thinking about FOREVER🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

The tropes gave me enemies to lovers, fast-burn, war-prize, forced proximity, revenge, PLUS a prophecy and let me tell you — when an author can make you eat your words about a trope you thought you disliked… you know what, HELL YEAH!

The only thing that is hurting me is this is a stand-alone and I would follow Kadeesha and Malachi through a 10 book series if Nia willed it.

6/5 stars, obviously. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley & Ms. N.E Davenport for giving me the opportunity to read this book early!

N.E. Davenport delivers a spellbinding tale in Our Vicious Oaths, blending rich world-building, high-stakes intrigue, and a cast of unforgettable characters. Set in a world where power is everything and secrets can be deadly, this novel is an electrifying mix of magic, ambition, and the fight for survival.

The protagonist is fiercely compelling, navigating a treacherous society where trust is a luxury and alliances are as fragile as they are necessary. Davenport’s storytelling is razor-sharp, weaving tension, political maneuvering, and heart-pounding action into every chapter. The magic system is intricate and immersive, adding depth to a world that feels as dangerous as it is mesmerizing.

Fans of The Gilded Wolves and The Blood Trials will be enthralled by this gripping, character-driven fantasy. With morally complex characters, jaw-dropping twists, and a romance simmering beneath the surface, Our Vicious Oaths is a must-read for fantasy lovers.

Thank you to NetGalley and HarperCollins for the opportunity to read and review this phenomenal book!

Our Vicious Oaths might be one of my favorite reads this year! 🖤

The book follows Kadeesha, a warrior princess of the Aether Dominion—one of the Six Kingdoms. Though bound by a political prophecy since birth, she wants nothing to do with fae politics. She’d rather spend her days soaring through the skies on her Kongamato, fighting alongside her sister squadron, and indulging in the pleasures of life—far away from any throne or prophecy. Unfortunately, tomorrow she must wed the Hyperion High King—a man she neither chose nor wants, but was promised to as an infant. Determined to claim one last night of freedom, she heads to Oleander House, a renowned pleasure house in her homeland, where she meets a stranger who will change everything.

Malachi is the ruthless, vengeful king of the Apollyon Court. Orphaned by the Six Kingdoms and hardened by loss, he has spent his life plotting revenge. When he learns of Kadeesha’s impending marriage, he sees the perfect opportunity to strike. He and his companions hatch a plan to crash the wedding and get their pound of flesh—and not before they too pay a visit to the famous Oleander House.

Under the cover of anonymity, Kadeesha and Malachi share a night of passion that leaves them both reeling and unable to shake each other from their minds.

The next day, chaos ensues at the wedding as it’s revealed that Malachi set a trap for Kadeesha and her people. Meanwhile, Kadeesha’s betrothed, the Hyperion High King, launches a slaughter of his own upon her people, accusing her of betrayal.

Now, with a shared enemy and an uneasy alliance, Kadeesha must navigate the challenge of keeping her people safe, toppling a High King, and resisting the overwhelming lure of the man who plans to raze the kingdom. “The enemy of my enemy is my friend” quickly becomes “the enemy of my enemy is my lover,” taking enemies-to-lovers to new heights!

The worldbuilding in Our Vicious Oaths is stunning, with a magic system that feels natural and immersive rather than bogged down by exposition—no unnatural info-dumping here! The pacing is excellent, delivering high stakes with just the right amount of tension. And the romance? Phenomenal. The spice is abundant but never overdone, woven seamlessly into the story without overpowering it. While Malachi is clearly dangerous, he never crosses into red-flag territory, making their dynamic intense yet compelling.

With powerful magic, sharp political intrigue, and an enemies-to-lovers romance that burns hotter than dragon fire, Our Vicious Oaths is a must-read. If you love fierce warrior heroines, morally gray fae kings, and alliances built on tension and trust, this book will completely sweep you away.

Our Vicious Oaths by N.E. Davenport will be released October 28th, 2025—mark your calendars!

🖤 I received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

"A king must know his own power intimately if he is to weild it to maximum effect, and he must understand the extent of the havoc it can wreak if he is to wield it responsibly."

DNF @70%

The things I enjoyed:
The queer-normative world

The lore surrounding fae and the overall worldbuilding. Everything that was given to us felt relevant and I enjoyed how it was interwoven into the plot.

The politics

How unapollegetically black everything was

I usually hate dual pov, but I really enjoyed it here. The transitions felt smooth and even though this uses third person, the characters thought processes feel different and unique enough to them.

The clear communication between the two leads, I appreciated how they just got to the point instead of having miscommunication
Malachi and Kadeesha as characters and their interactions with their groups they worked closely with

What I wanted more of:
I strongly agree with another review I saw mentioning wanting more lore surrounding Kongamatos. I also would've liked more interactions between Zahzah and Kadeesha. Overall, I wish the telepathic aspect was more touched upon.

The things I disliked:
There isn't anything wrong with smut scenes but the context surrounding them weren't it for me. After the event at the wedding there truly should be no reason Malachi and Kadeesha "can't help" but sleep together. I really wish Kadeesha stood her own ground in this regard. It also didn't really make sense for Malachi either when you know his backstory.

Another issue is that outside of the smut scenes there really isn't any "romance". The two characters feel lust for eachother, but you don't get that slow descent into the small things they like about eachother outside of that. We get like 2-3 good conversations between them and that's it. Anything they noticed about eachother was chalked up to "This makes me feel horny" instead of anything about their personalities or as people who are starting to like eachother over the course of the book.

However, even with my critiques I still would've finished the book if it weren't for a certain trope that I really don't like. I especially don't like the context around this trope within this particular book. It felt like it was perfectly set up for this trope to not happen and then it randomly did? Especially when this trope was against the wishes of the two leads at this point in time of the book.

Overall, I think that anyone looking for a black romantasy book will enjoy this! Especially if romantasy is your favorite genre. I also think that people who enjoy smuttier books will like this one, and people who like court intrigue.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing this arc in exchange for an honest review!

This was a fun romantasy - the story wasn’t anything game changing and I had a few complaints, but overall a solid read.

✔ The spice was well written/constructed - it didn’t feel superfluous either, it added to the plot by being a place for the characters to learn about each other/develop.
✔ Kadeesha, our FMC, was always a strong female character but through the story she really found her footing as a royal and began to ground her strength in a more mature/advanced way.
✔ Malachi, MMC, was also a rather enjoyable character. He’s morally gray with a significant revenge agenda but he still values the thoughts/opinions of others and the logic of specific choices. He, like Kadeesha, also grows into his position and becomes a better king/ruler which was very enjoyable to follow.

✖ The spice was well written but there was probably too much - I feel like it took valuable time away from the story that could have been used to better develop the side characters (who felt underutilized) or show off Kadeesha’s bond with her war serpent (very very underutilized considering they can telepathically communicate with each other).
✖ I didn’t enjoy the use of a specific trope in response to a specific prophecy. I feel like it undermined Kadeesha’s strength as a person and became a deus-ex-machina to some degree to both make the prophecy work and to reduce the strength of the villain in a logical way.
✖ Sometimes I’ll buy into it, sometimes I won’t, but it did become a bit annoying that the insta-lust between Kadeesha/Malachi overpowered all of her reasonable objections very very quickly. She didn’t offer him trust or love too quickly which was good, but Kadeesha’s moral objections vanishing into thin air every single time their clothes came off was not what I wanted out of a strong, fierce, female lead.

3/5 stars!

Thank you to NetGalley, Avon, and Harper Voyager for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book got me pretty hooked into it. Love the world building in this new Romantasy. Kadeesha is a female warrior who doesn’t care for forced marriage and having children. She would rather fight for her homeland. Malachi, who is a king, wants revenge. So he kidnapped her on the day of her wedding but she isn’t too mad about it. They hatch a plan to save her people.

⭐️ Thank you to #netgalley for allowing me to read this book and share my thoughts ⭐️

Super super fun, I can hear Davenport voice clearly throughout. I thought the story was paced greatly and action packed and I didn't want to put it down.
The banter and bickering between Kadeesha and Malachi was enjoyable. I loved the development between both characters both individually and as a reluctant couple.

Kadeesha wants to be more than a empty figurehead, just there to "look pretty" and bare heirs. She's a fierce warrior, cares deeply about her people and their plights and wants to better the world for everyone. I very muched enjoyed her journey to prove her self to everyone around her and cement her power. All while being a very self assured women with a lot of confidence.

Malachi is steadfast on his vengeance with good reason. I loved how set in his plan he is to prove himself different from the former king and his desire to protect his people as well. But his development to learn to compromise and not be so blood thirsty because of his relationship and proximity to Kadeesha was nice to see.

Their relationship was a perfect mix of tension, spice, apprehsion and romance. They had a true enemies to lovers situation with a gradual progression to mutual respect and affection.
I loved the political aspects of this story and enjoyed tidbits of info being revealed throughout the story instead a huge info dump at the beginning of the story. The world building was gradually given to the reader at a good pace without hindering the story. The world itself it greatly detailed and I got a clear picture of all the different fae and their kingdoms.

The antagonist was a interesting character. It was very easy to hate him which is the point. He's also a very powerful character in this world and the stakes of fighting him felt actually real. I think Davenport write villians really well in a way that makes it truly feel like defeating them is impossible.

I do think it's a bit jarring to try to mesh her voice, very contemporary, with what sounds like "traditional" fantasy talk
Like trying to mix how they speak in GOT and the boondocks.There were some slips I felt didn't match up with how the characters were talking.

Without spoiling there was a part that I wasn't the hugest fan of mainly because it's a troupe I personally don't enjoy but because of the prophecy in the story I understand why it's there.

I can completely tell that this story was a huge passion project for the author and I truly believe this is some of her best work.

This is written very poorly. It is alot of telling and no showing. The MMC is very crude and not at all likable and the FMC is a complete twit.

Overall, it's not worth your time.

Our Vicious Oaths by N.E. Davenport is an intoxicating blend of magic, danger, and irresistible chemistry that hooked me from the very first page. This romantasy hits every note perfectly—steamy fae magic, high-stakes political intrigue, and an enemies-to-lovers dynamic that sizzles with tension and passion.

Davenport’s world-building is luscious and immersive. The fae realm leaps off the page, filled with dark enchantments, tangled alliances, and a sense of mystery that keeps you on edge. The plot is fast-paced and action-packed—each chapter escalates the stakes and refuses to let go, making it nearly impossible to put down.

The characters are another highlight. Kadeesha and Malachi are powerhouses—both formidable and vulnerable in their own ways. Their connection is electric, filled with friction, longing, and explosive moments that had me flipping pages at lightning speed. The romance is deliciously fiery, with just the right amount of tension and steam to balance the danger swirling around them.

What truly sets Our Vicious Oaths apart is N.E. Davenport’s masterful storytelling. She threads together action, mystery, and heartfelt emotion in a way that feels seamless. The character development is rich and satisfying, making you truly invested in not just the fate of Kadeesha and Malachi, but the world around them as well.

If you’re craving a romantasy that’s equal parts seductive, thrilling, and emotionally gripping, Our Vicious Oaths is an absolute must-read. I was spellbound—and I already need more.