The Crown of Oaths and Curses (The Mortal Fates Book 1)

J. Bree is, hands down, one of my favorite authors at the moment. If I was more skilled in participating in things like TikTok/Booktok and Bookstagram (are those even things..?) I would dedicate them almost entirely to her. I am the type of reader that runs the gamut of genres. I love quick smutty reads, and I love the drawn out, verbose works. I love everything from PNR to Contemporary to Fantasy; RH to M/M. I say all of this because I read some of these reviews, especially the lower star versions, and I couldn't help but think: the negativity you're displaying here is entirely focused on the way she writes, not the story itself. It would be like if they picking up a Jane Austen novel and complained in a review saying "this book was bad because there wasn't any spice!" Well, no, there wouldn't be. That wasn't how she wrote. The same can be said for J. Bree. Her writing is spectacular. Her world building is bar none. This story is unique and beautiful. This book is thiccccccccc and JUST THE BEGINNING!!!! J. Bree NEVER does anything without purpose. She is drawing out the building of worlds and trickle of flashbacks for a reason. I have complete and utter faith that when the next few books come out, we will wholly appreciate the time she has spent focusing on the details and building that tension.I delayed reading the two novellas and this novel as long as I could. I have a love/hate relationship with how long the time period between releases is in that I LOVE that her books turn out magically fantastic as a result, and yet I'm selfishly frustrated that I can't plow through them all at once. I obviously couldn't hold on any longer. So I read them, and suffered through what I think is a fairly benign and mild cliffhanger (hello did you read Forced Bonds???? That was a million times worse!) after what was arguably one of the most awe-inspiring, LOTR-style amazingness, thrilling scenes I've ever read.So I will reread the novellas and this novel as the others are released. And then I'm sure I'll review the series when I'm finished. But here is my advice: if you're impatient for the romance/spice, or dislike how wordy this book might be, just be patient and WAIT. Wait until the series is complete. Wait to see what a gift it will be when you realize she spent the time in this novel building and preparing the reader for all the amazing things to come. If you can handle your impatience and aren't going to riot over the fact there are no smexy times in this book, then go ahead and read it now. And you can join me as we patiently (and anxiously) wait for the next installments.

J Bree takes us on an epically captivating adventure in The Crown of Oaths and Curses, book one in her new fantasy series, The Mortal Fates. Having first read the two prequel novellas The Scepter and The Sword, I knew I was in for something special with this series and book 1 did not disappoint. Lavish and intricate world building, a compelling storyline with unexpected twists, and layered characters who stay with you long after reading, TCOOAC sets the scene for a truly legendary romantasy saga.Rooke is the signature J Bree heroine- someone with great power who is severely underestimated, typically by men. Often times self-sacrificing, often times mistaken for something evil when in reality is inherently good. Prince Soren is the embodiment of the stubborn male, refusing to see the truth when it’s right in front of his face. But yes, we love him anyway. These two mortal enemies also happen to be fated mates, and I cannot wait to see their enemies to lovers romance play out. This book is largely dedicated to scene setting and world building, so don’t expect any romance just yet, but despite this, trust me this book is impossible to put down.The side characters were just as well developed, and I know I already need more from a few in particular- Roan, Airlie, Reed and Gage.TCOOAC concludes with a truly satisfying ending, essentially a huge middle finger to all of the haters and doubters in an epic battle scene where Rooke finally shows everyone what she can do. Book two cannot get here soon enough and there better been some epic groveling going on! Let’s make Soren sweat a bit! Absolutely incredible romantasy read from the incomparable J Bree!

Overall Score: 4.25/5⭐️Character Development: 4/5Plot: 4/5Readability: 4/5Overall Enjoyment: 5/5I gotta take my time with this one. BrbAlright I'm back!Before I start this review I would like to note that you should definitely read the novellas before reading this. Although there is a lot of backstory entwined throughout this book, reading the novellas will give you a much better understanding of the events preceding Crown of Oaths and Curses. They're short and easy and are a good read!Okay now let's get started. Let's talk about what I loved:- ROOKE.Rooke is the baddest baddie I have ever come across. Her character is so wonderfully thoroughly developed and I adored reading her point of view because it was always insightful and provided me with either new information about the plot or about her as a person. Everything about her is amazing and she has easily become one of my favorite FMCs of all time.- The writing.I love J Bree's writing style. I do get a little annoyed when exclamation points are used frivolously and outside of dialogue (it's a weird pet peeve, mind ya business), but I will excuse it here because overall the writing was so great. Easy to grasp and entertaining and well thought out.- The plot.I can already tell this series is going to be a favorite. The complexity and longevity of the plot and subplot are simply exquisite. There are so many questions I still have and I can't wait to see where our characters take this story in the proceeding books. I was on the edge of my seat screaming for the last 15% of this book. And beware- it ends on a major cliff hanger and the next book doesn't come out until next April. I will be asking for thoughts and prayers during this long wait because I am unwell.What I didn't like:- SOREN IS AN ABSOLUTE MONSTER.I try not to do spoiler reviews, and I don't necessarily consider this a spoiler, but if Soren doesn't get it together I will riot. Outside of Rooke and like two other characters that I will leave unnamed, the majority of the people in this book are awful and I am unsure if there is anything that can be done to redeem them in my eyes but I am sure J Bree in her brilliance will change my mind. I just honestly found myself dreading Soren's chapters because he is so unlikeable. His personality outside of being the world's worst person ever was so underdeveloped I don't know how you could possibly like him. Which was a wild contrast to Rooke because I feel like I know every facet of her. This enemies to lovers just felt a little TOO much enemies without the possibility of ever becoming lovers, but this is TBD.- Editing/repetitivenessThere was a lot of repetition in this book- mainly within Soren's chapters. I found myself skimming his chapters because I felt they were all very similar and for that reason I feel like this book could easily be 150-200 pages less. There was a lot of information in Soren's chapters (and occasionally Rooke's) that could have been a paragraph the first time the information was divulged, but after that should've only been a sentence or two just to remind the reader or set up the paragraph with new information. While I think overall the editing was great, I think the delete button could've been utilized for a lot of the information in this book.Despite the longevity of this book, I was able to get through it quickly and if I hadn't been doing a buddy read where we spaced out the chapters, I would have been able to finish this in a weekend. The last 25% of this book was WILD and really picked up. I definitely recommend it and the series so far!!

I LOVE this author! I read the broken bonds series first (and loved it) and was thrilled to find out she was starting a new series. I did not put this book down, it is fantastic. The slow burn, true enemies to lovers vibes; great world building; and captivating plot all kept me sucked in. Please give us book 2!!

Eu amei, sinceramente, eu estou apaixonada pela protagonista, que mulher, ou melhor dizendo que bruxa maravilhosa, dona do mundo.Obs: Indo ler o 2 livro e torcendo pra q seja tão bom quanto.

The story captures you from the begining, couldn’t stop reading!! The story is very well written, if you like a good fae book I totally recommend.

Absolutly loved the book. Could hardly put it down.This story is for all who like to read a book about a strong female character, fae and magic.I fell right into this beautiful woven world and can't wait to see how the story continues.

Two completely different people, two destinies intertwined. Rooke, a witch and Soren, a high fae, heir to a powerful kingdom. A seer has predetermined their fate. Rooke has been trying to hide from her fate for hundreds of years. Soren has been looking for Rooke for as many years, the fate demanded that he needs to practice his patience and once he mastered it, fate would bring him and Rooke together. What he didn't expect was that fate had brought him together with the kingdom's greatest enemy, a witch. When he finally finds her, it takes a toll on both him and Rooke. Will they be able to solve thousands of years of war and conflict even though they can't stand being close to each other? Will their inevitable attraction to each other overcome all obstacles?4/5⭐