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skudiklier's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
The only Martha Wells I've read is the Murderbot series, and in a lot of ways this was quite different from that, so I really didn't know what I was getting myself into. And honestly there was a period in the beginning where I was worried I wouldn't like the book and thought about DNFing. But I'm glad I stuck with it because in the end I really enjoyed it.
You just sort of land in the middle of things without a lot of context in the beginning, so it can be hard to follow, especially with the time jumps. But I think it all came together really well and I cared about the characters and was engaged in the story. That said, I do think if I hadn't been reading an audiobook, I would have struggled more. It probably would have taken me a lot longer to read it.
All in all I'd definitely recommend this to anyone interested, especially if you like Wells's writing or if you like fantasy more broadly. However, if you're just looking for more Murderbot, you might be disappointed. I wasn't though, and I'm glad I read it.
You just sort of land in the middle of things without a lot of context in the beginning, so it can be hard to follow, especially with the time jumps. But I think it all came together really well and I cared about the characters and was engaged in the story. That said, I do think if I hadn't been reading an audiobook, I would have struggled more. It probably would have taken me a lot longer to read it.
All in all I'd definitely recommend this to anyone interested, especially if you like Wells's writing or if you like fantasy more broadly. However, if you're just looking for more Murderbot, you might be disappointed. I wasn't though, and I'm glad I read it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Genocide, Violence, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death, Slavery, and Grief
piendorabox's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A bit hard to get into, but I grew to care for the characters that when the book ended I was sad it was a standalone. Overall it felt like watching 5 episodes of the 6th season (there are 9 seasons overall) of a very obscure tv series that isn't available on any streaming platform, and those 5 episodes are all you could find, and you could only get vague ideas of what came before from flashback scenes and was completely in the dark about what came after, but you enjoyed the watching experience nonetheless even though it was nothing like you'd ever had before. A good book. Will definitely check out Martha Wells' other works later.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Slavery, Colonisation, and War
julesadventurezone's review against another edition
adventurous
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
The worldbuilding is very thick, so much so that even on a reread i haven't grasped all of it. Despite that I had a lovely time reading this book again, and found myself quite captivated, especially by the storyline set in the past. The main character Kai is so compelling and i love both his arcs.
My favourite relationship wasbetween Kai and Bashasa, who have this very fun desperate allies to mutual respect to tender friendship to possibly future lovers dynamic.
Kai and Ziede I didn't really care for until late in the book, whenshe helped him bury his former body.
Ziede is very cool but I feel like for a main character she was a little underdeveloped.
My favourite relationship was
Kai and Ziede I didn't really care for until late in the book, when
Ziede is very cool but I feel like for a main character she was a little underdeveloped.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Genocide, Violence, Grief, Murder, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child death
laurel616's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
I had a really good time reading this book, but I will admit at the end I was a little disappointed. It really felt like not much had happened. It looks like this is a standalone, but reads as if it's the start of a series.
I would definitely enjoy spending more time with some of the characters we saw less of, and I really liked the world we were in. But this book left me wanting more, despite how much I prefer standalones.
I would definitely enjoy spending more time with some of the characters we saw less of, and I really liked the world we were in. But this book left me wanting more, despite how much I prefer standalones.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Death and War
petrel's review against another edition
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Self harm, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, War, and Injury/Injury detail
stephaniemcuervo's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Genocide, Violence, Blood, Murder, and War
Moderate: Gore, Kidnapping, Grief, and Death of parent
sashahc's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Just finished “Witch King” by Martha Wells. Classic Martha Wells fantasy #book- totally original world rendered in beautiful detail, character focused in the midst of world changing politics, but honestly mostly vibes. Casual queerness. Humor and charm and weird species. But also emotional depth and trauma. Highly enjoyable.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death and War
briely's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Slavery, Violence, Blood, and War
Moderate: Genocide
Minor: Body horror and Confinement
softanimal's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Genocide, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail
roseleebooks's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
I first discovered Martha Wells through her book The Wizard Hunters. Since then I've hoped she would return to fantasy writing as that series was so beautifully written and her characters so likeably flawed. This book gave me the same feeling of discovering a world and characters that would stay with me long after I finished reading.
The story centers on Kai, a demon who has built a family in the world above the Underearth. The narrative includes both the present - in which Kai and his close friend Zeide wake up in an underwater prison - and the past when Kai first met Zeide, Tahren, and Bashasa. It's ultimately a book about keeping promises to those we love, told via a cleverly paced journey through a well-crafted world. I appreciate that Wells doesn't spend excessive time on explanations that wouldn't fit with the character's experience of the world. As a reader it takes a little more attention and intuiting but helps the story flow more smoothly.
My only wish for this book was that there was more of it. I would love another novel in the same world that followed some of the other characters introduced here. Regardless, this book is fantastic as a stand alone and will be on my reread list along with Wells' Ile-rien series.
The story centers on Kai, a demon who has built a family in the world above the Underearth. The narrative includes both the present - in which Kai and his close friend Zeide wake up in an underwater prison - and the past when Kai first met Zeide, Tahren, and Bashasa. It's ultimately a book about keeping promises to those we love, told via a cleverly paced journey through a well-crafted world. I appreciate that Wells doesn't spend excessive time on explanations that wouldn't fit with the character's experience of the world. As a reader it takes a little more attention and intuiting but helps the story flow more smoothly.
My only wish for this book was that there was more of it. I would love another novel in the same world that followed some of the other characters introduced here. Regardless, this book is fantastic as a stand alone and will be on my reread list along with Wells' Ile-rien series.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Genocide and Violence
Moderate: Slavery and War
Minor: Child death