The Truth-Teller’s Bargain
The Oracle’s Duet Part One
by Camille Wolfewood
Genre: Epic Romantasy
She cannot lie. He refuses to kneel.
Alethea has never been free.
Born an Oracle with the power to speak undeniable truth, she has spent her life trapped in a gilded cage — her gift wielded by her mother, the ruthless Queen of Lenorea, to silence dissent and tighten her grip on the throne.
When Alethea speaks a prophecy that threatens the crown itself, escape becomes her only chance at survival.
But freedom has a price.
Fleeing the palace, she falls right into the hands of Nakir Hasan, the cursed and exiled heir leading the rebellion against Lenorea’s rule. He expects a loyal weapon of the queen — another tool of the throne.
Instead he finds a young woman desperate to escape the very power she was forced to serve.
So they strike a bargain.
Alethea will help him reclaim the crown. In return, Nakir will grant her the freedom she was never allowed.
Yet as war looms and prophecy begins tightening its grip on the future, their uneasy alliance shifts into something far more dangerous — and their unlikely pull to each other grows stronger with every step toward war.
Because the closer Alethea gets to freedom, the harder it becomes to walk away from the man who promised it.
And when prophecy demands its price, she may have to choose between the future of a kingdom and the freedom she has fought her entire life to claim. Because the greatest threat to their bargain may not be the prophecy Alethea spoke . . . but the freedom she seeks, and what — or who — it will cost her to claim it.
5 out of 5
This book balanced tension, slow burn, medium spice, and good pacing that kept you interested without feeling rushed. You feel pulled forward through the story, but it’s not in a way that made me feel like I had to stay up and finish it in one night (even though I absolutely did). The descriptions really make you feel like you’re right there with Alethea and Nakir. My heart really went out to Alethea, and I loved seeing her character develop. She’s so broken when we first meet her, and not at all what I’d call a fiery heroine, but that doesn’t mean she’s weak. It takes so much strength to keep going, and open yourself up to new possibilities after suffering the way she has at her mother’s hands. Nakir is someone that gives green flags all around, which isn’t entirely surprising given his mission. Overall, definitely recommend and can’t wait for book two!
Perfect for readers who love:
enemies-to-lovers tension
morally gray rebel leaders
dangerous bargains
found family
prophecy and fate
slow-burn romantasy
epic fantasy rebellions
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The Truth-Teller’s Bargain is the first book in The Oracle’s Duet, set in the sweeping romantasy world of The Songs of Senmarria.
Content Warnings:
Violence, death, implied torture, references to domestic violence, captivity, emotional abuse, substance use, and profanity. The Truth-Teller’s Bargain also contains explicit, open-door sexual content.
Camille Wolfewood is an epic fantasy romance author and the creator of Songs of Senmarria—a sweeping, interconnected saga of magic, love, and found family.
A longtime Austin, TX local turned Raleigh, NC transplant (and proudly claiming both), Camille writes stories about dangerous power, impossible choices, and the people who choose each other anyway.
She lives in Raleigh with her little family—including Ollie, her ever-present shadow—and spends much of the year traveling the U.S. social dance scene, chasing community, connection, and stories worth telling.