The Reckless Oath We Made
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I’ve wanted to read another Bryn Greenwood novel ever since I gobbled up the brilliant All the Ugly and Wonderful Things, which is one of my top picks. TBH, The Reckless Oath We Made didn’t sound that appealing based on the back-cover summary. First of all, the names of the main characters- Zee and Gentry- are insane. I guess that shouldn’t be a strike, but it did make me scowl because it’s kind of a try-hard move. Secondly, it seemed too over the top; “Housebound mother”, “drug-dealing boss”, “abduction”, etc. Kind of a lot. But Brynn baby, you’re back at it again!
She does a few things extremely well:
-She shifts between multiple first-person perspectives and does so very clearly. Not only does she separate those perspectives by chapter, but she also writes unique characters and she’s able to embody those different voices very distinctly. My favorite character, Gentry, is an autistic knight-- like an actual knight-- who takes his knighthood very seriously. We love Gentry. Basically, she makes bold character moves and she executes well.
-She is the master of empathy. I root for people I wouldn’t normally root for. I get on board with morally questionable things. We see the inside of the character’s heads and get intimate with their intentions.
-She can write romantic scenes with vulnerable people that feel very authentic and moving. She’s not cheesy at all. I’m not much of a romance-reader, but she sprinkles in just enough.
Of course, I primarily recommend All the Ugly and Wonderful Things because it’s so wildly good, but I’m assigning The Reckless Oath We Made as a follow up. It receives 5 out of 5 flames.
