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Neo-opsis Review

Avim's Oath

by Lynda Williams

Part Six of the Okal Rel Saga

Edge Publishing.

Publisher’s blurb: “The Queen is dead, and two princes, Amel and Erien, are pushed centre-stage and made to vie for power that neither brother wanted. Driven by vengeful princesses, most notably the beautiful and dangerous Alivda, the brothers must prove themselves, choosing between the lives they wanted and the roles that people demanded of them.”

Don’t believe the descriptions of this novel, even the book’s own blurb has the reader thinking this book is something else than it is. Avim’s Oath is not about vengeful princesses, it’s not about two half brother princes vying for the love of the lovely princess Lutharain (sp). This story is about the growth of Amel. Throughout the other books in the Okal Rel saga Amel has been a beautiful soul, perhaps even a Golden Soul, who has lived and lives through one tragedy after another. Amel has managed to find moments of love and caring, but has always been afraid to enjoy these openly, because of the powers and jealousies of others. This might not have been as much of a problem, but Amel also often cared about his tormentors.

At the start of Avim’s Oath, it looks as if Amel will finally be able to relax, and that he will be able to help those he loves without recrimination and violence, but he soon realizes that if he wants to help those he cares about he needs to have the power to create peace. He cannot sit back and relax. The Okal Rel Saga may be about worlds, politics, religions, loves and hatreds, but Amel is the pivotal character. He has gone from abused commoner to prince. He has gone through levels of abuse that would have destroyed anyone else, but he has always been stronger than he thinks he can be, even though he may have appeared the tragic figure to those who didn’t understand his motivations. There are many other characters in the Okal Rel saga that take centre stage, and move the saga along. I have often preferred to look at the Okal Rel saga from the eyes of those others, but Amel comes into his own in Avim’s Oath. If you have loved other books and stories from the Okal Rel saga, you are going to love Avim’s Oath. If you have not read other books in the saga, I believe that Avim’s Oath stands on its own, but the novel means so much more if you have read some of the other books and stories first.

Review by Stephanie Ann Johanson

Originally published in Neo-opsis issue 20.

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