Oaths of Land and Sea by Evelyn A. Bernard Review

 

BOOK: Oaths of Land and Sea by Evelyn A. Bernard

Pub Date: 12 Nov 2025

 BLURB

Cassandrea has never doubted her king.

Not when she spied for him. Lied for him. Killed for him. Not even when it cost her her husband... She would do it all again.


Because peace demands sacrifice. Because traitors deserve no mercy. Because enemies must be hunted down before they disrupt order and cause chaos.


However, Cassandrea's unwavering loyalty is put to the test when she is sent on a mission to take over a coastal town critical to her king's war effort. Accustomed to working alone, she finds it hard to trust another. Especially when the charming kelpie spy she is paired with has an infuriating habit of asking the very questions she has spent a lifetime avoiding. But as the war rages on, one doubt becomes two.


Two become a crack.


And sometimes...


That's all it takes for someone's world to start falling apart.

 

BOOK LINKS 🔗

Amazon | Goodreads | Storygraph 

 REVIEW

  

Oaths of Land and Sea by Evelyn A. Bernard
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

BOOK: Oaths of Land and Sea by Evelyn A. Bernard (Format: eBook)
Pub Date: 12 Nov 2025
Rating: ★★★★★ (5/5)

• What character did I love? Kerr... 😣
• Feeling bored? No
• Feel frustrated? No
• Lose interest? Definitely not

QUICK IMPRESSION
From the start, you get a strong sense of Cassandrea’s unwavering loyalty to her king. Alone, isolated, and shunned by humans and her own kind alike, her determination to rise above discrimination stands out right away.
Civil war broke out when the dragon king's heir, Terren, rebelled against him. The war rages on with neither side gaining ground for long. Cassandrea's latest orders send her to Renglow to infiltrate the walled city and sabotage its defenses—but this time she has a partner, a kelpie named Kerr. With only three days together in constant close proximity, Cassandrea finally allows herself to feel and care for someone else.

PLOT TWISTS
Chapter 14: Major twist, OMG 😱 I didn't see that coming! I had to re-read a page in Chapter 14 twice because I couldn't believe what I was reading. It’s not often I’m completely bowled over by a plot twist! 👏🏼

QUOTES TO KEEP
"You are my shadow, child. My shadow that I send across the land to cut short the cries of the dissidents, traitors, and rebels."

"Fear," the handsome dragon said, "is the key to their souls."

"Does everybody and everything you meet swoon over you?"
"That’s a loaded question, coming from a siren."
"Yet you still haven’t answered it."
"Are you falling in love with me?"
"No!"
"Then no. Not everybody."

"I’m trying to distract you from yourself," Kerr countered. "The work we do is hard. You’re going to burn out if you don’t allow any fun into your life. So, let go. For one night? Just be here. With me."

KEY CHARACTERS
• Cassandrea Thalarin: A half-blood siren, spy, saboteur, and lone guerrilla operative for her dragon king, Valderan. She has long golden hair, green eyes, and a scarred neck running to her chin that mars her siren beauty.
• Kerr: A handsome, brash, and dangerous kelpie. He has a mane of wavy brown hair, red eyes, broad shoulders, and a mischievous, sensual side. The attraction between Cassandrea and Kerr is powerful, driven in part by their mythical natures.
• Dragon King Valderan: An ancient ruler and one of three triplet siblings. As a dragon, he is a massive black beast with golden eyes, a huge maw that could swallow ten men at once, and a voice that can shatter windows. In human form, he is tall and broad-shouldered with ebony hair and molten gold eyes. He is beautiful in both forms, but utterly brutal. His army relies on ruthless obedience, strength, and enslaved labor.
• Dragon Heir Terren: The young dragon prince who rebelled against Valderan. He leads an army of patriots that grows larger as he sweeps through towns and villages. They fight and work tirelessly for him because they genuinely believe their cause is just.

FINAL THOUGHTS
• The Good: Incredible worldbuilding, vivid character descriptions, and a very detailed glossary at the back. The plot builds a clear picture in your mind, and that plot twist was totally unexpected! 🫨👏🏼
• The Bad: That plot twist 💔... KIDDING! Honestly, I couldn't think of anything!
• Verdict: I found myself thinking about this book and its characters even when I wasn't reading. It's rare for a story to play in the background of my mind like that, but this one did. If you like sirenic water lore, a duty-versus-desire romance, assassin/spy protagonists, and high-stakes royal politics involving dangerous mythical beasts, I highly recommend this! I already have Book 2 on my TBR and cannot wait to read it!

TROPES & AESTHETICS
🔸 ❤️‍🔥 Duty-versus-desire romance (Fade to black)
🔸 🌶 Medium-burn / insta-lust
🔸 💔 Betrayal
🔸 🧜🏼‍♀️ Magical beings & lore
🔸 🥷🏼 Assassin/spy protagonists
🔸 🚨 High-stakes royal politics

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