If you’re eagerly awaiting the release of Oathbound this spring, then Bree Matthews has probably already captured your heart, and you can’t wait to see what’s next for her! If you need a quick refresher on where we left our girl (and Nick, Sel, and the rest of the crew), we’ve got you covered! (Need a Legendborn refresher too? Check out our recap here.)
CAUTION: Legendborn and Bloodmarked spoilers ahead!!!
THE BLOODMARKED RECAP YOU NEED BEFORE READING OATHBOUND
A few months after Legendborn, Bree is under watch. Nick is missing, everyone knows she’s Arthur’s descendant, and training isn’t helping her control Arthur’s power.
The Regents and Mageguards come supposedly to just administer the Rite of Kings, but they also accuse Sel of treason, AND they drug and kidnap Bree in the middle of the Rite. It’s clear they’re never going to acknowledge Bree as Arthur’s descendant, because they’d also have to acknowledge her enslaved ancestors and their own ancestors’ actions.
Bree, Alice, Sel, and William go on the run to find Nick before the Regents do. Along the way they meet Valec, the debonair owner of the Crossroads Lounge who mediates bargains between humans and demons, as a centuries-old, half demon “crossroads child” himself. (And my personal new favorite character)
Bree and Sel have some STEAMY moments – but with Valec’s help, Bree realizes that Sel has been lying and mesmering her to hide how losing Nick is making him go “full demon” … which is exactly what happened to his mother 🙁
After they discover Bree’s mysterious Bloodmark, Team Bree goes to Volition which is protected by Rootcrafters who try to help Bree. All this time though, Arthur is ALSO in Bree’s head, seemingly teaching her strength, power, and control…
…but in a HORRIFYING twist, Arthur has been using her power to gain enough control to take over her body HIMSELF?!!?!?! When the Mageguards, including the Regent Erebus, arrive, Bree/Arthur fights back. Alice goes down. Sel goes down (courtesy of Bree/Arthur). Everybody’s going down!
As demon-driven bloodlust fully overtakes Sel, Nick and Sel as Lancelot and Merlin are able to enter the dream realm where Arthur has trapped Bree in his memories, and they help Bree come back to herself – although not before she briefly transforms into a WHOLE DRAGON. (What does THAT mean…)
After being pulled in so many different directions, an emotionally wrecked Bree renounces her oaths to not only Arthur, but also her ancestor Vera, after finding out in yet ANOTHER twist that Vera made a Bloodcraft oath with the Shadow King, who Bree (and readers) discover has been among them this whole time as … Erebus!
“Erebus” arrives to collect his claim on Bree, and Bree agrees to go with him – in exchange for sending a fully succumbed Sel to his estranged mother for help.
And that’s the cliffhanger we’re left with … at least until Oathbound hits shelves in March 2025!!!