Everspire is freezing to death-politely. The Chancellor's new ration scheme buys bread with blood, and winter sharpens into policy. Liora Thimble binds honest, everyday vows-return the shovel; feed the cat; check the center of the stone-but this crisis asks for a bigger stitch. Enter Kael, the Crown's quiet emissary whose touch can turn breath to frost. Their solution is outrageous and simple: a consent-first bond, rules written in ink and kindness, and a promise to never spend gestures they don't need.

To reopen the city's Compact, they must satisfy two old powers: the Tide-Bearer who values humility and the Northwind who insists on truth. Markets, masked feasts, and storm-dark river crossings test their touch-lexicon-wrist to wrist to steady, palm to palm to brave, two taps to stop-as much as their hearts. When a factory's Quiet machine braids a thousand tiny coercions into policy, Liora chooses the needle over the sword and re-ties the city to itself with honest oaths instead of blood.

As winter bends and the streets relearn mercy, Liora and Kael face the bravest choice of all-ending the public vow and keeping what matters in private. Oathbinder is a tender, fiercely practical romantasy about naming hunger, practicing warmth, and choosing love like you keep a city: together, on purpose.

★★★★★