The Game of Oaths
S.C. Bandreddi
Candlewick Press
Published June 2, 2026

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About The Game of Oaths

In this heart-pounding, richly imagined fantasy set in the Belle Époque, a trapeze artist fights to win a deadly tournament amid the glamour and illusions of a magical circus. But survival isn’t her only goal—she wants revenge.

It’s 1896. Beneath a hotel in the heart of Paris is the famed le Cirque des Ombres, led by ringmaster and Enchanteur Jean-Pierre. But behind the dazzling spectacles, the circus performers are bound by magical contracts, also making them potential players in the annual Game of Oaths, an underground bloodthirsty tournament watched by the wealthy elite. Twelve will compete. Eleven will die.

Seventeen-year-old trapeze artist Falan Sunkara is out for revenge. After her sister ended up as one of the unlucky eleven last year, Falan wants nothing more than to make Jean-Pierre pay for her death. When she’s chosen to compete in this year’s tournament, Falan is not above playing dirty and forging unlikely alliances. But to be the last one standing, she has to determine whom to trust and whose motives to question. Vengeance on top of survival is a dangerous gamble—and in games like this, the house always wins.

My Review

While a competition in the midst of a magical circus isn’t entirely new, this book explores how a magic system could exploit magic users and how that might fit into a colonizer society. Falan is from India, and another character is from Algeria. All are living in France in an alternate 1896. The heist components paired with the Paris setting made me think of The Gilded Wolves by Roshani Chokshi. There are some strong similarities in the feel of the book, though it’s a completely different story.

The point of view rotates between several characters, including Falan. Some characters’ perspectives, like that of another young player, Ary, appear only a few times, while others, like Bellamy’s, appear more often. Falan’s point of view appears most often.

The back cover copy doesn’t lie: Falan’s main goal is vengeance for her sister’s death, and she’s willing to do just about anything to deal out justice on her terms. She’s a ruthless competitor, though she’s far from the only one. There are some pretty gruesome moments, both in the arena and outside it.

The story includes some light romance, mainly in the vein of attraction and pining. I found that refreshing, honestly. It felt a lot more realistic to me that someone like Falan would recognize feeling attracted to someone else but push her feelings aside until she’s achieved her primary goal. That feels very true to her character.

If you like the magical circus competition as a story framework, you will definitely want to check out this book.

Content Notes

Recommended for Ages 16 up.

Profanity/Crude Language Content
Strong profanity used infrequently.

Romance/Sexual Content
Some pining and obvious attraction between characters.

Spiritual Content
Some characters can perform magic and have magical affinities.

Violent Content
Situations of peril. The Game of Oaths involves players fighting in a magical arena and facing deadly obstacles, including armed players. Players fight to the death. Some scenes show players injuring or killing one another. Another character is tortured and threatened with torture and execution.

Drug Content
Falan drinks a potion that puts her to sleep before and after every round in the arena.

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