Our Vicious Oaths: A Novel

Fharen

Solid FMC

"4.5 ⭐️’s I feel like I’ve been wanting to read Our Vicious Oaths by N. E. Davenport for forever, so imagine my surprise when I looked up the release date and realized it has only been out since October 2025. Davenport clearly knew what she was doing when it came to marketing this book because I had been seeing it everywhere long before its release. I’ve been very open about prioritizing Black authors during the month of February, and I am committed to continuing to diversify my reading moving forward. For me, picking this book up in February was an absolute no-brainer. Despite seeing it everywhere on social media, I actually knew very little about the story going in aside from it being a fantasy romance featuring a fierce Black queen as the FMC. Safe to say, I was not fully prepared for the chokehold this book had on me. I listened to the audiobook since it’s duet narration and Davenport gave us dual POV, which was such a solid choice with the story alternating between our MCs Kadeesha and Malachi. Getting both of their perspectives makes the entire story feel like a chess match because we understand exactly what each of them is trying to accomplish even while they keep circling each other. Davenport uses that structure really well, letting the political tension, shifting alliances, and personal motivations drive the pacing rather than relying on constant twists. Every chapter adds another piece to the larger conflict unfolding between the kingdoms, and watching those threads slowly come together kept me hooked. Kadeesha is exactly the kind of FMC I love to read about in fantasy novels. She is strong, commanding, and strategic, shaped by everything she’s been forced to endure. She refuses to be controlled, even when every part of her life has been dictated by prophecy, politics, and the expectations of her station. Malachi, on the other hand, is arrogant, ruthless, and completely comfortable operating in the gray. He is calculating in a way that makes him dangerous, but since Davenport gives us his POV, we get to see there is so much more to who he is beneath what he shows the fae around him. When you put them together, their connection is intense from the start. The lust and attraction between them are immediate, and their relationship is very physical throughout the story. The sexual encounters between them are used for power, defiance, and leverage just as much as they are for desire, which adds an interesting arc to their enemies-to-lovers dynamic. Davenport is not afraid to let Malachi fully lean into his moral grayness while Kadeesha holds firm to her principles. The banter between Kadeesha and Malachi is 👩‍🍳💋. There is a constant push and pull between them, but I also couldn’t stop laughing. They truly meet their match in each other, and neither of them is willing to back down. And whew, this book is spicy! The scenes are explicit and frequent, but they are tied directly to the political dynamics of the world and the way Malachi uses perception and power within his court, which I thought was really well done. Our Vicious Oaths is also a very side character heavy story. Davenport does an impressive job making you care about the people surrounding Kadeesha and Malachi. Her Nkita sisters, especially Leisha and Samira, are such an important part of Kadeesha’s world. Their bond reminds me why I love close female friendships, and you can see how much they steady her even when everything around her is out of her control. Malachi’s Cadre brings that same sense of found family loyalty on his side, but it’s his aunt Nychelle and his cousin Trystin who really show you the parts of Malachi he keeps most guarded. I loved how much that dynamic reveals about who he actually is instead of the version of himself he presents to his court. Yashira is another standout. Her relationship with Kadeesha is complicated. She is strategic and self-serving and completely her own person, and you can absolutely see where Kadeesha gets some of her personality from. There are a lot of moving pieces within this world. The six courts, the political tensions, the prophecies looming over Kadeesha and Malachi, and an ever present threat of war all work together in a way that had me absolutely obsessed with this story. Y’all, I really enjoyed this book. The audiobook was a great experience, and the duet narration worked perfectly with the dual POV and the tone of the story. If I had one critique, it would be that one of the deaths later in the book did not hit as hard as it was probably intended to, because we did not spend enough time with that character for the emotional impact to fully land. Outside of that,this delivered on everything I was looking for. If you’re looking for a standalone and enjoy fantasy romance with high spice, top tier banter, strong character dynamics, and political tension, then I highly recommend Our Vicious Oaths by N. E. Davenport. ["

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March 25, 2026 Verified Purchase

Mara

Strong and vicious FMC with sparks from the beginning

"🐉 Our Vicious Oaths 🐉 By @nia.davenport ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 🌶🌶🌶🌶 I really enjoyed this book!! Our Vicious Oaths is a romantasy standalone with fae, magic, plenty of spice and the ultimate enemies to lovers that basically hate each other but can't stay away from each other! The story was just really good! The plot was very nicely developed and the romance did not take the shine from it! I loved main characters as well as the side characters! The FMC is strong and fierce, stubborn, emotional, but unyielding! She knows what she wants and she will fight for it and claim it with all her might. The MMC, Malachi, is that morally grey character that you simply can't resist! He is brutal, he is ruthless, but he has a soft spot for Kadeesha, and she becomes his whole world! They compliment each other and as much they fight their connection it simply keeps getting stronger. Moments between Kadeesha and Malachi were steamy and swarming the pages with their chemistry and I loved it! I am here for the banter between these two, and as them two were delusionaly trying to fight the pull between them, it became obvious to everyone around them and the reader that they were made for each other! All in all, this was such a good time and one of my favorite standalones! *Available on Kindle Unlimited Tropes: -arranged marriage -enemies to lovers -forced proximity -spicy -fae -elemental and shadow magic -morally grey MMC -fierce and strong FMC -prophecy ["

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March 27, 2026 Verified Purchase

GurlyGrl4

Not the best

"The best part about this book is the FMC, Kadeesha. She’s fierce and sassy and always stands up for herself and what she believes in. Other than that, this book is predictable. It had moments that made it interesting, but overall it felt like most other romantasy I’ve read. I have also decided the pace a detailing of a standalone book is not for me. This is extremely fast paced with no real depth. 🎧 the audio is duet narrated. I did enjoy the narrators! ["

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March 11, 2026 Verified Purchase

Orchid87

A Good Balance of Political Manuvering, Fae Magic, and Spice!!

"I throughly enjoyed this dark romantasy novel! I relished reading a book that centered melanated magical beings. The pacing was quick which is understandable considering it's a stand-alone book. I loved the fact that the FMC and MMC are morally grey and still hold on to who they are as individuals irregardless of the circumstances and spicy love connection they're experiencing. And boy, is the spice SPICY in this book! N.E. Davenport chose to not play any games when it came to writing this book. In addition, the book is not ALL spice. Which I loved! Davenport does a great job of exploring the political machinations and some of the lore behind the beliefs of the Nimani Fae, and each of the fae dominion in this world. Both the MMC and FMC have their own friends, wants, needs, and motivations. Even though the world of this book is very patriarchal the FMC holds fast to her sense of self and doesn't relinquish it for anybody. She falls in love but doesn't lose herself in the relationship. I read some reviews that criticized the inclusion of grilles in the story; which is, in my opinion, just anti-blackness. The FMC's name is Kadeesha for goodness sake! 😂 If you cannot handle the integration of African-American culture into a fantasy world than this is simply not the book for you. It's ok there are hundreds of romantasy books that center non-black people, you'll be alright. Overall, this novel has everything I wanted in a romantasy novel, a good plot, fierce characters, a good villain, and a good amount of spice! ["

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April 22, 2026 Verified Purchase

Jenn Brunier

Solid bada$$ery!

"This author is a first for me. I really enjoyed this book. I’ve had some real meh books lately, so this was a breath of fresh air. It was a relief that it’s a standalone. No big cliffhangers and no drawn out misery in the storyline or waiting for authors to write another in a year and a half which has become so tedious! I loved the chemistry between the two MCs. The SPICE was smokin HOT as was the MMC. The trope, though familiar, was well done and one I really like. I really loved how strong, capable and powerful the FMC was. My only complaints: The dragons felt like they were just thrown into the story and barely in it. I also would have liked to have seen more of her interactions with her whole squad. I would also have liked to see the FMC sparring or out training, wielding her magic more. Last but not least, NOT a fan of a mouth full of metal and jewels - the grill on the MMC. That was a turn off, but to each their own. I’d definitely read her again and recommend this book. ["

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January 23, 2026 Verified Purchase