The Reckless Oath We Made

3.5/5 Stars

First off, I RACED to snag this as my Book of the Month once I saw that the author is Bryn Greenwood- author of All the Ugly and Wonderful Things, which I adored. Seriously, it's one of my top reads of 2019 thus far. However, I wasn't as big of a fan of The Reckless Oath We Made. The synopsis on the book cover (it is different than the one Goodreads lists) does not give the reader an accurate idea of what the book is about, so I honestly went into this story with a skewed expectation. For example, I was unaware that Gentry is autistic until we're introduced to his family during the story.

Regardless, this is definitely a “modern-day fairytale” so-to-speak. Gentry is called upon to be Lady Zorzha's champion, as he is a knight - equipped with armor and jousting matches. Upon learning that Zee's sister LaReigne has been kidnapped, Gentry comes to Zee's aide and makes an oath that he will protect her as her champion. Cue the involvement of Zee's ex-con uncle who connects with his ties to the KKK to assist Zee in finding - and rescuing - her sister. Gentry, of course, accompanies Zee on her journey.

A few things stuck out to me, then stuck with me as I read. For starters, we can absolutely not ignore Gentry's dialect. His sentences are crafted as “My lady. If thou wilt allow me to help thee,” all throughout the book. It is quite difficult to adjust to, and I skimmed through some of Gentry's POV chapters because the dialect was really not jiving with me. But, as the book continued on I grew more and more accustomed to his speak and it became a bit easier to figure out what was going on (there are some key things that the reader uncovers through Gentry's POV that I skimmed over, and ultimately, missed until a following chapter). However, I give Greenwood a hell of a lot of credit for writing full chapters in that f'ing dialect. Incredible. In addition to the dialect struggle, I felt that some of the story was breezed over. Not to spoil anything, but after the trip Zee & Gentry take to Missouri, the remainder of the story just skims over some of the conflicts that built up over the first 300 pages. It felt somewhat inconclusive, and I wish there was more context provided.

Overall, I would recommend this book if you're into fantasy of sorts and a twisty-bit of romance. However, be far-warned that the dialect is difficult to wrap your head around, especially right off the bat.

With a heroine who sells pot and her own body, and a plot that includes hoarding, emotional abuse, the KKK and violent murder, The Reckless Oath We Made isn't an easy book to read. So I give Bryn Greenwood credit for making me overcome a lot of initial discomfort to keep going through to the (at least somewhat) hopeful ending.

It helps that it's easy to understand the factors that have led to our heroine Zee's self-destructive behavior; in fact, it's hard to believe she isn't even more damaged given her family history and economic situation. It's tempting to judge her choices, especially those that hurt others, from a white, middle class privileged position but she's doing the best with what tools she has, and her unwavering love and loyalty for her nephew Marcus helps balance some of her more unsavory behavior.

Then there's Gentry. When I read the synopsis of the book I was worried that he would be portrayed as one of those magical autistic characters who doesn't have any personality besides his autism and any purpose besides teaching the other characters A Very Special Lesson. But Gentry felt very real to me. Yes, he hears voices, stims, and speaks exclusively in a courtly middle English. Yes, he has appointed himself as Zee's champion without really knowing anything about her. But he has his own friends, a job, a hobby, as well as dreams and desires. He's not perfect but he's brave and noble and he shares Zee's sense of loyalty. He's one of the best characters I've encountered in years and I would love to be his champion.

Without giving away any spoilers, I will say that Zee and Gentry don't magically have all their problems solved by their relationship, but they are able to help each other in ways that make their situations a little less hopeless. Not a HEA but a very realistic positive ending to an unusual and memorable book.