Review: Blood Oath (Darkest Drae #1) by Raye Wagner & Kelly St. Clare

Title: Blood Oath

Series: Darkest Drae #1
Author: Raye Wagner, Kelly St. Clare
Publisher: Raye Wagner, Kelly St. Clare
Published: November 9, 2017
Pages: 324
Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult
Source: Kindle Unlimited
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Dark Fantasy. Dragons. Intrigue. Romance. 

More than anything, I crave adventure. But in the disease ridden land of Verald, life is mapped out much like the well-established rings of our kingdom. 

At the very heart reigns our vicious king and Lord Irrik, an invincible dragon shifter, at his side. Their power poisons the land and the people, leading to a steadily mounting number of enemies. 

But change is coming. 

When the rebellion surges, the king strikes back. Captured by Lord Irrik, I'm suddenly embroiled in a deadly game. One where I'm desperate to understand the rules.

Because I'm not only fighting for my life... but also a love that could be the very key to my freedom.

Goodreads / Amazon

MY REVIEW

DISCLAIMER: This review MAY contain spoilers. 

Okay ya'll, dark fantasy is kind of my thing now. This book is so deliciously dark. I truly wasn't expecting the extent of the darkness that this book is comprised of. Even if I could pluck the stars from the sky and place them into a glass jar, the light from these countless suns could not even penetrate the darkness in this book. The depthless dark of the universe can't even compare. It is staggering. 

I just loved all the little components to this story. Mysterious and perplexing characters, political intrigue, magic, a torture crazy king, a rebellion, and questionable loyalties all get thrown into the potluck of this food day extravaganza. I liked that I was immediately drawn into the story at the beginning of the book. I was transfixed by the plot because it was hard to pinpoint what was going to happen. I was honestly kept on the edge of my seat picking apart the story as I read and trying to put the puzzle pieces together. The plot twists are insane and just extremely well done. The world-building is also well constructed. The maps at the beginning of the book helped as well. I was able to feel like I was in this world. It was a very real reading experience.

The romance definitely had me guessing as well. It had me totally baffled in the beginning. There were so many men in her life throughout the beginning that I had no clue which way was up. I didn't know what to expect in terms of Ryn's romantic match(es). I did have my assumptions throughout the book and I was able to dissect one of the plot twists ahead of time. The romance in this book is part beautiful and part devastating. I can't really explain more because spoilers, but trust me...it's worth reading.

I liked the character growth for the main character, Ryn. She was this mostly innocent girl that gets caught up in the politics and manipulations of her kingdom. She discovers that her life isn't what she thought it was. She was lied to and betrayed by almost everyone. She endures mind games and torture at the hands of a twisted king, but she doesn't let it destroy her. She rises up from her pain and grows from her experiences. Her character arc was actually quite moving overall. Lord Irrick's character growth is surprising. Again, I can't really get into that without spoilers, but his character arc is creative and interesting. We didn't get to know the side characters all that well, but I will say that they all had a purpose in the story. They weren't just thrown in willy-nilly. 

Overall, I am so impressed by this book! I was taken hostage by this story from the moment I started reading. The characters captured my heart and the plot kept my brain buzzing with anticipation. I immediately started the second book in this series after finishing this book because I couldn't wait to find out what would happen next! I highly recommend this series! You will love the darkness, you will admire the strength of the characters, and you will praise the incredible plot twists in the story!

Kindle Unlimited has been kind to me lately. I have discovered so many great new authors and books. Do you use Kindle Unlimited? If so, what discoveries have you made? Have you added anything interesting to your TBR lately?