OATHBREAKER

This dark fantasy debut thrusts a young knight into an unforgiving world of monsters, politics, and racial tension.

In the kingdom of Drussdell, Mario Deschamps has just graduated from Knight College. He must now complete his first deed to cement his place in the royal order. But the long shadow of his father, Sir Pablo Deschamps, haunts him. Five years ago, Pablo ended the Elven Uprising at the behest of King Dryden III of Drussdell. Then Pablo disappeared. Though Mario’s best friend, Tiberius, is half elf, he’s yet to experience the depth of hatred from a humanity that treats elves like second-class citizens. On the road, Mario finds the town of Eulway devastated by plague and gripped by the Golden Sun cult, which maintains that humanity is greater than all of the nonhuman races. With a local guard named Hamish, Mario proceeds through the cursed Eeragwia forest. After battling a plant creature, Mario and Hamish find themselves at the mercy of an enclave of elves. Deidre, a ferocious female archer, escorts them from the hidden village. But when the group discovers bandits selling elf girls into slavery, Deidre vows to help track them down. Meanwhile, Emperor Vesuvius Vladimir Valerius plans to consolidate power by pitting kingdoms against one another. Lukas Aurelius, his best spy, is there to help. Rettger churns up the knotty roots of racial tension and puts his characters through an emotional wringer in this first installment of a fantasy series. Mario begins his quest fresh-faced and naïve. Battle scars and nightmares featuring those he has slain soon make him doubt the knightly virtues of honesty, integrity, loyalty, and bravery. Creatures like wyverns and the hideous “obzen” add horror flourishes to the story. Even vampires arrive in all their finery and civilized blood-draining to make the murdering, raping humans seem more awful. Along with a glowing penchant for gore, the author consistently provides excellent reveals for characters who aren’t what they seem. But he does dispatch some players rather quickly. The whispering voice that Mario occasionally hears will tantalize readers until the last paragraphs, and the finale itself ensures a satisfyingly chaotic sequel.

A hero travels the darkest roads in this effectively unsettling fantasy series opener.