After the first disappointing volume of this series I was expecting more of the same so it was a pleasant surprise to find that this volume mostly reached the workmanlike level of a good read achieved by the sequel 'By the Sword' which I happened to read first. Unlike the first volume which is basically a series of short stories put together - as I've now realised is actually the case since some of them are reprinted in original form in another volume - this is a proper novel. It deals with the time the two characters spent in a mercenary company, the Sunhawks, which is referred to in the sequel in the first part of that where the two characters appear, much older.

The beginning sets the scene with one of the 'jobs' for which the Sunhawks are engaged, but soon their company leader, Idra, has to leave - she is from the Rethwellan royal family but renounced her claim to the throne in order to live independently as a soldier. Now she is required back to help settle the rival claims of her two brothers following their father's death - a magic sword used to settle such issues but it was stolen some time ago. But Idra does not return when expected and Tarma and Kethry journey incognito, with their sentient wolf partner, to the capital to try to find out what happened to her, only to become embroiled in politics and power struggles. In the course of this, Kethry comes into her own as she grows in her magical abilities and also finds the man who will become her partner and help rebuild Tarma's clan.

Some interesting developments in this story but some puzzles also - in 'By the Sword' the two characters tell Kerowyn that magic does not work in Valdemar - yet in this story they journey there and it very much does work, even if they are staying fairly near the border. In the sequel mages literally can't cross into Valdemar or they suffer terrible psychological problems. So that seems a changed premise. I was also hoping that, as in 'By the Sword', this book had escaped the "rape fixation" that a lot of this author's work seems to suffer from, but late into the book this does intrude again, though offstage and at least acknowledged as a form of torture used to try to break a woman. I did find it rather incredible though that the perpetrators included the brother of the woman subjected to it as this person was not portrayed as sufficiently sociopathic for this to be the case.

As with the other books, sometimes there is a lot of exposition with characters telling each other what they have done rather than showing a bit of it which would be more involving. But on the whole this is an acceptable read with some good character and action sequences. So a 3-star read overall. ( )

I like the books Mercedes Lackey writes, she is good at creating a believable world and people to populate it. While her writing is not the strongest I do find it engaging ang and enjoyable. I like a series I can live inside of and her books are ones that have characters I feel invested in and a world I believe could exist. ( )

Many times a sequel isn't as strong as the original. Oathbreakers, if anything, is stronger. Less episodic, there's a missing person who ties the whole novel together. Kethry and Tarma are tasked to find her, or to discover her fate. For fans of Valdemar, a herald and his companion do make an entrance. The background to one of Valdemar's alliances is also revealed.

People may not realize that there are two CDs that accompany Oathbound and Oathbreakers. They bear the same title, but are/were put out by Firebird Arts and Music. They include the filk songs (science fiction/fantasy folk songs) that Lackey published about these books. Both are excellent listening.

For fans of sword-and-sorcery novels, few are as good as this one. Highly recommended. ( )

“Pico review” written for the SF fanzine OtherRealms (SF review zine by Chuq Von Rospach, Jan. 1991): The adventures of the swordswoman Tarma and the sorceress Kethry. I originally read some of these stories in the fantasy fiction magazine Fantasy Book, others appear in the Marion Zimmer Bradley-edited anthology series Sword and Sorceress. The Oathbound is almost entirely a collection of previously printed stories, reset as a novel. The Oathbreaker is much more one story. It also includes a feature of Lackey's books that I especially like – an appendix of song lyrics. Tarma and Kethry are followed by a minstral who wants to benefit from their fame by writing songs of their adventures, but they never have adventures in quite the heroic way he wants, so his songs "improve" on the events (and endlessly annoy the two they supposedly describe). ( )

This is the second book in the Vows and Honor series featuring Kethry and Tarma, sorceress and warior. Unlike the first book, this is a full length novel that sees the women take up the challange of operating in a mercenary company.. Their commanding officer, captain Irda, sometimes known as princess Irda of Rethwellan has been called home to mediate a dispute between her brothers.

She'd been expected back months ago but as camapign season rolled round and nothing was heard of her, Kethry and Tarma decided they'd better investigate. What they find in Rethwellan fills them with rage against the oathbreaker who sat on the throne.

This is easily the best of the 'Vows and Honor' series though I do feel that it was a bit rushed in places. I do like the revelation that Tarma gets about the nature of a certain Companion. ( )