I would first like to thank N.E. Davenport, Avon and Harper Voyager, and NetGalley for the ARC of Our Vicious Oaths in exchange for an honest review.

This book embodies "All Black Everything". It's unapologetic, highly addictive, and drips sex. If you are into romantic fantasy with fae, court politics, enemies-to-lovers, and a throne scene to battle allllll throne scenes --this book is for you, seriously. I am typically a devourer of audiobooks, but I couldn't wait and had to get my hands on this story. It did not disappoint. I was reading this through the night. If Nia Davenport decided to write 10 more books in this world, I would not hesitate to jump right back in!

Our FMC Kadeesha is stubborn, powerful, and does not apologize for it. She owns her sexuality and balances who she is with her duties to her people. She leads her Nkita (female dragon-esqe riding fighters) with ferocity, enviable loyalty, and focus. Kadeesha's relationship with her kongamato Zahzah is just soooo cute and it really scratches the talking dragon itch. There's nothing like a faithful companion that is vicious, but will also share their thoughts and feelings with you.

I love books written by Black authors, particularly Black women for so many reasons; the reason that stands out in Our Vicious Oaths are the characters and their depth. Our MMC is not some ambiguous brown skinned person, he's Black and it's not just part of a flimsy "diversity" initiative. Malachizrien Diamundis is a messy, complicated, shadow wielding ruler, who really peels back the layers as our story progresses.

My only major gripe with this story is that Nia Davenport wasn't automatically given a 5 book deal to let us live in this world for a bit longer.

I think the premise to this story is really great, and it was great to read a story (especially standalone) that had such a strong heroine, interesting plot, and intricate world building. Unfortunately, I just don’t think this story was for me. I definitely think it will find the right audience though!

I read and loved The Blood Trials duology by N. E. Davenport so I was excited to get an ARC for her new dark fae romantasy book. The novel is dual POV and follows Kadesha (a princess of the Aether court, as she navigates a stifling prophecy that would force her to marry the tyrannical Hyperion king instead of allowing her the chance to become a warrior and ascend to her rightful place on the throne) and Malachi (the king of the Apollyon court who is prophesied to destroy his kingdom as he seeks revenge against the people who killed his parents). Despite centuries old conflict between their courts and personal vendettas, Kadesha and Malachi unexpectedly find themselves working together to bring down the Hyperion king. Along the way, things between them change from a political alliance, to something more.

I was pulled in by the political intrigue. I found myself constantly wondering how these two frustratingly hardheaded characters would work together to protect their court and bring down a powerful king. I found Kadesha and Malachi interesting and fleshed out characters who were easy to understand and root for even if you dont 100% agree with everything they do. Them slowly falling for each other was also interesting to read bc their role in their courts and prophecies made it hard for them to have a say in their romantic endeavors. It was also incredibly hot. I love how this book explored themes of fate vs. making a path of your own. The writing and world building was also really fascinating. I think its hard to create a high fantasy world in 1 book, but Davenport created a world that was enjoyable, unique, and easy to understand.

The only reason why its 4/5 stars is because I found the book to be a bit long and at points repetitive. Some lines / phrases were overused. I also thought that the final battle was a bit anti climactic. The whole book leads up this epic fight and I wish we got more time with that scene.

Overall, I really enjoyed the book and would recommend it to anyone who loves hot fae, murderous hardheaded and ambitious characters, political intrigue, and romantasy.

fun world as a connoisseur of romantsy novels I really enjoyed this one. Refreshing take on a crowded genre. The pacing was good and the tension was just right! I found it a little bit long and would have liked a little bit more banter to draw out the tension!

Whew, this book had me in a chokehold from start to finish. N.E. Davenport does not play when it comes to world-building and strong, complex Black female leads. I went in expecting dark magic and high stakes—and I got that—but what I didn’t expect was how personal and emotional this story would get. There’s grief, power, betrayal, and that ever-present tension of trying to hold it all together while the world is literally falling apart around you.

I related to the main character way more than I thought I would. She’s guarded, fierce, and tired of people trying her—but underneath all that fire is someone who’s been through hell and is still standing. I felt that deeply. The magic system was a little dense at first, but once I got into the rhythm, it flowed.

This isn’t just some fantasy drama. It’s a story about breaking generational curses, finding your voice, and figuring out who you are when everything you’ve been taught turns out to be a lie. If you’ve ever felt like you had to fight to be seen or protect your peace while the world keeps testing you—this book will hit.

Highly recommend if you like fantasy with depth, attitude, and a heroine you’ll root for all the way.

I’m a big fan of a well-done standalone fantasy and this one absolutely delivered. It’s full of political intrigue, prophecies, and a fabulous and fierce all-female warrior squad. This rich, high-stakes romantasy brings everything: vengeance, perilous fae courts, and a smoldering enemies-to-lovers romance layered with duty and betrayal. If you love fae politics, intense chemistry, and fearless heroines, this is a must read!

4.5 stars rounded up to 5. Alright romantasy lovers, grab your wine, light your candles, and maybe stretch out those jaw muscles—because Our Vicious Oaths is here to devour you whole and spit out your soul, slightly singed but fully satisfied.

I went into this book expecting brooding fae and a morally complicated romance. I got was a wild, intoxicating, spice-laced political fantasy with winged death serpents, a knife-happy warrior princess, and a Shadow Daddy so smooth he probably signs autographs in smoke and blood. I wasn’t just fed—I was feasted.

Let’s break it down:

✨ What Worked (aka, why I’m still thinking about this book at 2 a.m.):
• This book actually pulls off what so few romantasy books dare: telling a complete, satisfying story in one volume. Was I left screaming for more pages? Yes. Was it well-wrapped without cliffhangers or dragging things into trilogy territory just because? Also yes. Respect.
• Give me all the fae courts, sure—but add in kongamatos (yes, flying serpent-beasts that are more “ancient guardian of death” than “cute dragon companion”) and I’m feral. The lore was lush, the world-building vivid, and it never once felt like FaeWorld™ copy-paste.
• Dual pov is done so well Kadeesha and Malachi? Toxic, tender, terrifying. One minute they’re planning each other’s deaths, the next minute they’re planning… well, bedroom strategy. The tension was deliciously off-the-rails. Their arcs were messy in the best way, full of loyalty, betrayal, and unexpected growth. They’re not good people, and I wouldn’t want them to be.
• This isn’t just another glittery fae court with some tension thrown in. There’s vengeance. There’s prophecy. There’s betrayal that actually hurts. And yes, there’s a fake betrothal plotline that turns into a literal battlefield of feelings.
🧐 What Could’ve Been Sharpened:
• The Spice-to-Story Ratio: I’m not exactly mad that there was spice but a few scenes could’ve faded to black without sacrificing the vibe. Some of the relationship development got steamrolled by steam, and I craved a little more emotional vulnerability or shared moments outside of the bedroom.
Standalone Pacing Whiplash: Because it’s a standalone (and there’s a lot going on), some plot points came in hot and fast, then zipped off before fully landing. A few subplots felt rushed or undercooked—but honestly, that’s more of a testament to how much I wanted to live in this world longer.
Bottom line? Our Vicious Oaths is exactly what the romantasy scene needed: fresh, fierce, and undeniably hot. It honors the beloved tropes—enemies-to-lovers, found family, chosen royalty, spice for days—but refuses to play by the usual rules. If you're tired of the same fae-flavored fluff and want something darker, bolder, and oh-so-satisfying, Davenport has you covered.

This one goes on the permanent shelf. And N.E. Davenport? I’m watching. Closely. Please write five more of these.

(Also, if Malachi wants to ruin my life next, I will not resist.)

Our Vicious Oaths is a fiery, fast-paced Black fantasy full of drama, betrayal, war, and intense romance. The story centers on Kadeesha and Malachi—enemies forced into an uneasy alliance as they face a larger threat. From the very first chapter, the tension is high and the spice is immediate.

Malachi, a cocky Black fae king with serious attitude (and grills), starts off manipulative but slowly reveals a vulnerable, protective side that’s hard to resist. Meanwhile, Kadeesha is fierce with strong main character energy, though her power takes a while to fully shine. The worldbuilding stands out with its Afro-futuristic setting and magical creatures like the kongamatos, which add rich, symbolic layers to the story. Still, more development of the side characters’ powers and magical abilities would’ve made the war and stakes feel even bigger.

If you’re into messy romance, morally complex leads, and high-stakes fantasy with a bold Black lens—this one’s for you. Just be ready for the spice... and the aftermath. 😅

High stakes romantasy with an interesting magic system and political intrigue. It’s a fast burn romance and LOTs of smut.

Three stars because I felt there were aspects of the story that could have been fleshed out more, including MC depth. It was fun and entertaining nevertheless.

This book did not disappoint! I recently read and loved N.E. Davenport's The Blood Gift Duology and was excited to dive into the latest book by the author.

Our Vicious Oaths is written in two POVs, with the primary POV being that of Kadeesha. This book has good world-building, an interesting magic system, political intrigue, a strong FMC, shadow daddy vibes, and a lot of spice. This was a well-written story, with a good balance between the fantasy and romance aspects, and with a plot that felt believable. I particularly enjoyed the push and pull of Kadeesha and Malachi, as well as all of the political scheming. Highly recommend!

Rating 4.25/5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for providing me an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

A Black fae shadow daddy king who wears a grill and a Black fae princess who’s bonded to a dragon, and the king and princess hate each other? Sign me up. I’m so glad more Black and brown authors are being allowed space in the fantasy and romantasy genres. In Our Vicious Oaths our FMC Kadeesha resigns herself to her fate of an arranged marriage setup by her father, but not before one last night of freedom. At the pleasure house she secretly owns, she sleeps with an intriguing stranger, not knowing that he’s in fact the king of a rival nation, setting off a string of events that will forever change the realm.

This book starts off with a bang and doesn’t let up. If heavy spice isn’t your thing, maybe you can just skim those parts lol, because the rest of the plot is worth the read. The chemistry between Kadeesha and the MMC Malachi is off the charts, and even as she finds herself in a reluctant alliance with him, Kadeesha finds it difficult to resist Malachi’s charm. As someone who’s always had to fight for what she’s wanted on her own, Kadeesha is suspicious of Malachi’s offer of assistance.

They share a common enemy in the High King, and while Kadeesha simply wants to rule her lands in peace, Malachi wants to use Kadeesha as a means to bring about the High King’s end once and for all. The story involves a lot of political machinations, intense fight scenes, and an interesting magic system. My only complaint is that about 70% into the book there’s a somewhat controversial trope that’s often found in romance novels. While I personally don’t mind it in general, the way it’s executed here is why I didn’t rate the book higher.

This was okay to me. I don't find the story or characters really to be memorable and I really wish there was more world building. I really felt that characters were just going through the motions. Nothing felt so critical to the characters. This will definitely have a loyal audience as it ticks the boxes for a spicy romance fantasy. Just didn't do enough to lure me in all the way.

I think this has the set up to be a good romantasy, but I find myself not very interested in the dialogue or setting that we’re immediately thrust into. Davenport’s The Blood Trials was beautifully done and I think I find myself gravitating more toward that set up than this one. Davenport is talented, I just feel there could have been better set up for this story. Maybe it’s just not for me, so I will be giving it three stars since it does satisfy the criteria of the genre and I do love badass women.

Unfortunately I wasn’t a fan of this one. There’s lots of spice (which I like) but not enough emotional depth to the characters, and the physical relationship begins much too early-where’s the slow burn?! The world building was a bit lackluster:

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

This story pulled me in from the start of chapter 1 to the end of the book. Loved the dynamics between Kadeesha and Malachi. Enemies to lovers tropes are always so spicy and good to me. These two are faced with the same challenge because of their royal status, and that is to marry and secure the throne but Rasheed both of their arch enemy has different plans for them both. This story is filled with adventure, scandals', family drama and relationship spice

Okay let’s talk about it! I rated it 4.5 (rounded up cause there's no half star options)

Our Vicious Oaths is a spicy, high-stakes Black fantasy that follows Kadeesha and Malachi (two enemies forced to work together in the face of a greater threat). It’s got betrayal, war, political tension, romance, and really the list goes on. From the first chapter, the vibes were intense, and Davenport wastes no time throwing you into the drama.

Y’all, when I say the tension between Kadeesha and Malachi was IMMEDIATE. But if you’re coming in expecting a soft slow burn, this ain’t that. Prepare yourself, don't be like me 😂 It’s heavy on the spice, especially early on. Like I’m talkin’ SPICY-spicy 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️. If that’s not your thing, go ahead and back away slowly. 😂

Malachi is definitely a character you love to hate and then hate to love. Black fae. King. Cocky. Got the grills. Whew. 😅 But he also started off giving manipulative man energy and had me side eyeing him real quick!! But then we started seeing that vulnerable side come through, and a little bit of that “touch her and die” energy took over… and yeah, I fell a lil bit. Toxic? Maybe. Do I care? No.

Kadeesha had such strong main character potential from the jump!! She was fierce and basically fighting for her right. But I’ll admit, to me - it took a while for her power to feel as big as her role. For most of the book being outshined.

One thing I wish we saw more of? The side characters’ powers. We got to see Malachi’s abilities and a glimpse of Kadeesha’s, but everyone else just kind of… existed. Like girl you in a war and ain’t nobody else got a lil magic to throw?? Give me chaos. Give me power scaling. Gimme SOMETHING!

Now let’s talk worldbuilding for a sec: Davenport does a solid job crafting a magical, afro-futuristic kingdom that still feels deeply rooted in our reality. And can we talk about the kongamatos?? They gave Fourth Wing dragons and Feathers of Ash and Hope bird energy. A dope, symbolic addition that added depth and tension when they were on page. I would've liked to see more of that on the fantasy perspective.



If you love fantasy where the romance is messy, the stakes are high, and the leads are hella complicated, this one’s for you. Just make sure you got time to recover after those scenes. Whew. The dirty talking almost took me out 😂😂

First, I want to thank Netgally and Harper Voyager for giving me the opportunity to read Our Vicious Oaths arc for an honest review.
This book contains intricate world building, fae politics, a truly strong FMC, morally grey characters and character growth and development. Following Kadeesha and Makachi's journey was truly an experience worth having. This is an enemies to lovers stand alone with perfectly written chemistry and spice. I only deducted a star because there were some instances in the book that I found the writing to be slightly confusing.
Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking to read a spicy stand alone romantasy book!!!

This is for all you romantasy girlies that like equal parts plot and spice with NO cliffhangers.

In Our Vicious Oaths, all princess Kadeesha wants is to convince her father that she would better serve her people by being claimed as an official heir than getting married to the High King. Kadeesha became a squadron general of an all female crew, and is even a lucrative business owner, but her father still forces the wedding to happen. On the day of her wedding, Malachi, a vicious and vengeful king from a rival court shows up in disguise with the intention of taking out everyone in attendance for the wedding. Instead, he ends up taking Kadeesha back to his territory as a war prize. Now Kadeesha and Malachi must work together to take down the High King, which is easier said than done when both are strong willed and determined to do things their own way.

I loved this book. I wish it was a series rather than a standalone. There were budding relationships between side characters that I wish I got more of. I also wouldn’t mind a prequel to see how Kadeesha bonded her Kongamato and formed her Nkita squad. I would have loved to know more about the members of the Nkita squad as well.

Now let’s get into the good stuff: the SPICE. This book is sprinkled with spice all throughout the story. You do not need to wait 200+ pages for the first kiss. Kadeesha is confident in her sexual needs and even own’s a club where fae can explore their desires without worry of gossip, as there are protective wards placed on the establishment. Malachi is the definition of tall, dark, and sexy and he is well aware of it. The two of them together are 🔥.

You will enjoy this book if you like:
🐉Dragon like companions
💕Arranged marriages
🥀Strong FMCs
🫦Forced proximity
🖤Shadow daddies
🗡️Touch her and die

As one of my most anticipated reads, it pains me to leave this book such a low rating... but I do believe in being honest with ARCs. And even though I generally did not vibe with this one - for various reasons - I believe it will find its audience.

The positives:

- Black fantasy representation
- Gorgeous cover
- Cool concepts
- Spicy - if you're into that!

To sum up OUR VICIOUS OATHS succinctly: generic Romantasy. I read over 100 + books per year (for both pleasure and work - sometimes both!) so admittedly it does take a bit to impress me but everything about this book fell flat from page 1. The writing, the characters, the world. I had hoped this would be a dark, sexy fantasy ride with good worldbuilding, but it's fairly clear from the outset that this title would not likely stray away from the Romantasy mainstream - which we desperately need.

I loved the idea of the elemental courts, but sadly, there was so little worldbuilding/lore/conflict between them that they felt like a lot of unrealized potential. The writing was passable, but didn't necessarily hook me. While this is Romantasy -- not "traditional fantasy" -- I understand that the requirements for worldbuilding is understandably lower, but the lack of almost anything engaging here was a little disappointing. Ultimately for a book that is around 500 pages, a more fleshed out world is required. The characters were fairly generic in what you'd expect in an adult romantasy novel constantly showing off how "badass" they are with violence and little else. The plot was nothing special.

All in all, if you're looking for a diverse fantasy then I would recommend this one--but it also treads water in an industry inflated with similar titles.

I was so excited to read this when I heard about it last year and it didn’t disappoint!

I loved reading about the unique magic system and character dynamics. Kadeesha and Malachi were toxic af but they also stayed true to their word and were with the shits when it came to protecting the people they love and their kingdoms.

N.E. Davenport did an amazing job with world building and creating believable dialogue between all the characters. I enjoy reading morally ambiguous characters who I both love and hate. This story was easy to follow and had several plot twists I didn’t expect. In my opinion, the best stories are the ones that leave an impression on you and you can’t stop thinking about after reading it. THIS IS ONE OF THOSE STORIES!

The only negative I have about this is the spice scenes. I felt like they were drawn out and could’ve faded to black in some instances just to allow for more action and plot development.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for the arc in exchange for an honest review!