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bookcrushin's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
fast-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
5.0
This was a surprising read! Just amazing and I loved it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Transphobia, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Child abuse, Deadnaming, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, War, and Injury/Injury detail
nefariousbee's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
I understood the concept of book boyfriends because of this book. it was the perfect relaxing fantasy queer read and I can't wait for the sequel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Xenophobia, and Death of parent
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Infertility, Panic attacks/disorders, Violence, Police brutality, and Suicide attempt
contains often passages about trans male pregnancycaseythereader's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
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
4.0
- Hi hi welcome to another QUEER SCREAMING review! THE WITCH KING is packed with so much good stuff: found family, the fluidity of trans identity, a huge spectrum of genders, sexualities, races, and more.
- Though the book is a wild ride through the fae kingdom, it also covers a lot of hard topics, too: cruel parents, trauma recovery, broken friendships, racism, trying to burn the system down.
- You know I love a book with a prickly protagonist, and that's Wyatt. He makes a lot of bad choices and says a lot of hurtful things impulsively, but much of this book is about him and his friends growing through it together.
- THE WITCH KING is just such a unique book for so many reasons that I can't fit it all here. If you love queer fantasy, put it at the top of your list!
- Though the book is a wild ride through the fae kingdom, it also covers a lot of hard topics, too: cruel parents, trauma recovery, broken friendships, racism, trying to burn the system down.
- You know I love a book with a prickly protagonist, and that's Wyatt. He makes a lot of bad choices and says a lot of hurtful things impulsively, but much of this book is about him and his friends growing through it together.
- THE WITCH KING is just such a unique book for so many reasons that I can't fit it all here. If you love queer fantasy, put it at the top of your list!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Colonisation, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Genocide, Infertility, Transphobia, Police brutality, Pregnancy, Abandonment, and Alcohol
olivialandryxo's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
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
4.5
[second read, September 2023]
Rating lowered from 5 stars to 4.5.
I reread this book so I could finally read the sequel, and while I would no longer label it a favorite—I must not feel the same attachment to it that I did before—I did still really enjoy it.
Wyatt is still one of the most hilariously iconic narrators I think I’ve ever encountered. And I do mean ever. Only the smallest handful of books—most all of them written by one of the same five authors—have made me outright cackle while reading, and the fact that this book is now on that list has gotta count for something.
I’m looking very forward to all the shenanigans of the next book, queer and magical and everything in between. And I’m really, really hoping my Briar/[A Newly Single Side Character] ship theory is right.
[first read, September 2021]
That moment when you start a book and you just have a feeling that it’ll end up being a new favorite, and then that feeling ends up being right. So satisfying!!
I’ve heard nothing but good things about this book since it was released, and everyone that was hyping it up was absolutely right. It’s completely deserved. Edgmon’s debut is an urban fantasy that takes familiar ideas and puts a unique and extremely queer spin on them, and I’m so here for it. I immediately loved Wyatt and Briar, and Emyr and Jin quickly grew on me. I’d like to give all of these kids hugs and ice cream and protect them from the world. Also, Wyatt’s narration was HILARIOUS. He frequently made me laugh, especially when he was thinking of Emyr. And by the way, I ship those two SO HARD. I loved Wyatt and Briar’s friendship, and I adored Wyatt and Emyr’s childhood friends to strangers to allies to lovers vibe. And then Edgmon gifts us the only one bed trope?? GOLD. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE.
Wyatt is such a disaster gay and I love him for it. I love him for more than just that, but that’s definitely part of it. And honestly, I love how unapologetically queer this whole book is. There’s so much representation, and characters actually on-page asking each other for pronouns. I truly do love to see it.
What else? I love Boom. I hope Derek spends the rest of his life stepping on Legos while barefoot. The way things went down on the last page was mildly amusing to me. I’m very excited for the sequel to come out next year. Everyone should read this book. Yes, everyone.
Representation:
Rating lowered from 5 stars to 4.5.
I reread this book so I could finally read the sequel, and while I would no longer label it a favorite—I must not feel the same attachment to it that I did before—I did still really enjoy it.
Wyatt is still one of the most hilariously iconic narrators I think I’ve ever encountered. And I do mean ever. Only the smallest handful of books—most all of them written by one of the same five authors—have made me outright cackle while reading, and the fact that this book is now on that list has gotta count for something.
I’m looking very forward to all the shenanigans of the next book, queer and magical and everything in between. And I’m really, really hoping my Briar/[A Newly Single Side Character] ship theory is right.
[first read, September 2021]
That moment when you start a book and you just have a feeling that it’ll end up being a new favorite, and then that feeling ends up being right. So satisfying!!
I’ve heard nothing but good things about this book since it was released, and everyone that was hyping it up was absolutely right. It’s completely deserved. Edgmon’s debut is an urban fantasy that takes familiar ideas and puts a unique and extremely queer spin on them, and I’m so here for it. I immediately loved Wyatt and Briar, and Emyr and Jin quickly grew on me. I’d like to give all of these kids hugs and ice cream and protect them from the world. Also, Wyatt’s narration was HILARIOUS. He frequently made me laugh, especially when he was thinking of Emyr. And by the way, I ship those two SO HARD. I loved Wyatt and Briar’s friendship, and I adored Wyatt and Emyr’s childhood friends to strangers to allies to lovers vibe. And then Edgmon gifts us the only one bed trope?? GOLD. THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE.
Wyatt is such a disaster gay and I love him for it. I love him for more than just that, but that’s definitely part of it. And honestly, I love how unapologetically queer this whole book is. There’s so much representation, and characters actually on-page asking each other for pronouns. I truly do love to see it.
What else? I love Boom. I hope Derek spends the rest of his life stepping on Legos while barefoot. The way things went down on the last page was mildly amusing to me. I’m very excited for the sequel to come out next year. Everyone should read this book. Yes, everyone.
Representation:
- gay trans (FTM) protagonist
- Black queer demisexual love interest
- fat indigenous biromantic asexual side character
- nonbinary lesbian side character (they/them)
- sapphic side character
- various queer side characters & side characters of color
- achillean romance (m/m)
- sapphic side couple (f/enby)
- minor sapphic side couple (f/f)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Blood, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Drug use, Transphobia, Violence, and Police brutality
Minor: Infertility and Miscarriage
Emotional abuse and child abuse go hand in hand, both occurring prior to the story. Parent death also occurs prior to the story, as does the infertility and miscarriage, though those two are in regards to side characters. Everything else is present on-page to some degree. Transphobia is present via occasional misgendering, though it’s always challenged. Police brutality is in a fantasy context, fae targeting witches. Violence occurs largely at a riot—alongside explosions, various injuries and a few instances of rather graphic body horror—about halfway through the book. Drug use is only in one scene, entirely consensual and recreational.lagiven's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
fast-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? Yes
2.25
There's lots of queer representation in this book which is what made me most excited because there aren't many fantasy novels featuring trans characters especially. The worldbuilding wasn't very detailed, but it was interesting and needed to be explained more. The plot was probably one of the weakest parts as it was all over the place, characters faced little to no consequences for their actions, and the reveal of antagonists at the climax wasn't well planned out.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infertility, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Dysphoria
cynnied's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
tense
fast-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
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Transphobia, Violence, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Physical abuse and Sexual content
puttingwingsonwords's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
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? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Sexual assault, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Confinement, Infertility, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, and Abandonment
Minor: Drug use, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Dysphoria
paperbrownies's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
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
5.0
- lgbtqiap+, ya fantasy, faeries, witchy, magic, found family trope, bffs to enemies to lovers trope, there's only one bed trope, soulmates trope, so much tension, bff i had like to steal
- m|m, nb|w
- trans gay mc, demisexual black li, indigenous-american fat bi oriented ace sc, lesbian nonbinary woman sc, lesbian sc, and other queer side characters (sapphic and gay rep)
" you have always been you. you just found the language to talk about it."
" i swear, humans have magic of their own."
" maybe we’re taught to believe darkness is inherently tied to badness because racism is everywhere."
hands down one of my favourite books 0f 2021!!!
i went into this book knowing nothing except that the mc is a trans witch: it was enough to seal the deal for me and now,,, after having read it at last i must ask one question: where in the world is the hype for this book??!!
wyatt is a messy character, his pov is super fun to read from, he is snarky, smart, and quite impulsive, he believes in doing the right thing and will go any length in order to protect the people he cares about!! his messiness come from his need to survive that forces him to lash out at the world that looks down upon witches like him along with some of it being also connected to his transness, at always being expected to live up to the expectations of others, and at never being able to be himself bc of the deep rooted judgement he had to face from a v young age from his own parents as well as from others. it built in him a huge resentment for the fae ways, it traumatized his childhood and when he finally snapped he had to flee to the human world!!
h e edgemon does an amazing job at portraying these complex emotions bc the messiness felt so relatable, the cathartic unspooling of it, followed by a realization that anger is just as much a human emotion as love and sadness is and instead of rejecting it he redirecs that anger to destroy the reign of a corrupt and broken government in order to rebuild it from scratch. the author creates a world that is a breath-taking parallel of today's world and fights against systematic oppression, racism, power imbalance, and colonialism.
i found wyatt's relationship with emyr the crown prince so very amusing!! it is full of snarky retorts and much tension as they try to gain their footing in this "something" where neither of them know each other's present versions and istg they had me clinging to the edge of my seat in anticipation the whole time!!!
this book ends with much hope but it also feels like the calm before a storm so i absolutely cannot wait for the sequel!!! i look forward to more of the author's works and finally if you are looking for a queer fantasy romance novel that is just as much magical as it is dangerous, charming and witty dotted with characters who arent afraid to fight back and stand up up for what's right, then i highly HIGHLY recommend this book to you!!
GO READ THIS GEM!!!!
- m|m, nb|w
- trans gay mc, demisexual black li, indigenous-american fat bi oriented ace sc, lesbian nonbinary woman sc, lesbian sc, and other queer side characters (sapphic and gay rep)
" you have always been you. you just found the language to talk about it."
" i swear, humans have magic of their own."
" maybe we’re taught to believe darkness is inherently tied to badness because racism is everywhere."
hands down one of my favourite books 0f 2021!!!
i went into this book knowing nothing except that the mc is a trans witch: it was enough to seal the deal for me and now,,, after having read it at last i must ask one question: where in the world is the hype for this book??!!
wyatt is a messy character, his pov is super fun to read from, he is snarky, smart, and quite impulsive, he believes in doing the right thing and will go any length in order to protect the people he cares about!! his messiness come from his need to survive that forces him to lash out at the world that looks down upon witches like him along with some of it being also connected to his transness, at always being expected to live up to the expectations of others, and at never being able to be himself bc of the deep rooted judgement he had to face from a v young age from his own parents as well as from others. it built in him a huge resentment for the fae ways, it traumatized his childhood and when he finally snapped he had to flee to the human world!!
h e edgemon does an amazing job at portraying these complex emotions bc the messiness felt so relatable, the cathartic unspooling of it, followed by a realization that anger is just as much a human emotion as love and sadness is and instead of rejecting it he redirecs that anger to destroy the reign of a corrupt and broken government in order to rebuild it from scratch. the author creates a world that is a breath-taking parallel of today's world and fights against systematic oppression, racism, power imbalance, and colonialism.
i found wyatt's relationship with emyr the crown prince so very amusing!! it is full of snarky retorts and much tension as they try to gain their footing in this "something" where neither of them know each other's present versions and istg they had me clinging to the edge of my seat in anticipation the whole time!!!
this book ends with much hope but it also feels like the calm before a storm so i absolutely cannot wait for the sequel!!! i look forward to more of the author's works and finally if you are looking for a queer fantasy romance novel that is just as much magical as it is dangerous, charming and witty dotted with characters who arent afraid to fight back and stand up up for what's right, then i highly HIGHLY recommend this book to you!!
GO READ THIS GEM!!!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Drug use, Pedophilia, Violence, Medical trauma, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Infertility, Miscarriage, and Suicide
gcjay1994's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child abuse, Deadnaming, Death, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, and Murder
literarypenguin's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
tense
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
5.0
I never realized that the inside of a book can be just as beautiful as the outside. This book was truly a delight and by the end I couldn't wait for the story to continue.
Wyatt, a witch from the fae land of Asalin, has been living in the human world for years. One day his way of living is turned upside down when The Fae Prince Emyr, his former betrothed, comes looking for him and intends to take him back and go through with the engagement. Wyatt thought the contract did not apply anymore as he is no longer a female witch and cannot produce heirs to the throne and one devastating night resulted in his home turning their backs on him. Now Wyatt must travel back to the home he thought he would never see again and figure out what he truly wants.
Wyatt was a very interesting and complex character to follow. At times he could be impulsive, act without thinking, angry at the world and everyone in it and selfish. Other times he was caring and very loyal to the people he loved. I loved reading about what made him think the way he did and how trauma played a role into making him the person he is today. He went through substantial growth and by the end he did grow more as a person. He was a good person deserving of love and compassion but he also wasnt perfect. He made mistakes and will probably make more. I loved his character!
I also liked how Wyatt's anger was connected to him being trans. He would see people being themselves and living their lives but he would think to himself that he never got that chance. That it was taken from him because of the society he grew up in. He also was insecure about his body and how it looked. He wasnt as much ashamed of it as he was that it didnt feel complete. He felt like part of him was missing. He just didnt want to be judged by the world as much as he already judged himself.
I adored the relationship between Wyatt and Emyr and how they were trying to figure out where they stood. The development between the two of them was really sweet and very believable. I really believed that these two were childhood sweethearts and had a moment of lost trust between them. The rekindling and realization of feelings was very well done. Also Emyr was just adorable and such a cute love interest.
The world and side characters that inhabited it were so engaging as well. The diversity and complex personalities between all the characters was very engrossing to read about. The world itself and the rules was very interesting. I loved learning about this world and how it worked. I cant wait to learn more and see what else this world has to offer.
I can honestly say I can not wait to see where this story takes me next and to read more about these characters. I hope this author goes on to write more amazing works like this one.
Wyatt, a witch from the fae land of Asalin, has been living in the human world for years. One day his way of living is turned upside down when The Fae Prince Emyr, his former betrothed, comes looking for him and intends to take him back and go through with the engagement. Wyatt thought the contract did not apply anymore as he is no longer a female witch and cannot produce heirs to the throne and one devastating night resulted in his home turning their backs on him. Now Wyatt must travel back to the home he thought he would never see again and figure out what he truly wants.
Wyatt was a very interesting and complex character to follow. At times he could be impulsive, act without thinking, angry at the world and everyone in it and selfish. Other times he was caring and very loyal to the people he loved. I loved reading about what made him think the way he did and how trauma played a role into making him the person he is today. He went through substantial growth and by the end he did grow more as a person. He was a good person deserving of love and compassion but he also wasnt perfect. He made mistakes and will probably make more. I loved his character!
I also liked how Wyatt's anger was connected to him being trans. He would see people being themselves and living their lives but he would think to himself that he never got that chance. That it was taken from him because of the society he grew up in. He also was insecure about his body and how it looked. He wasnt as much ashamed of it as he was that it didnt feel complete. He felt like part of him was missing. He just didnt want to be judged by the world as much as he already judged himself.
I adored the relationship between Wyatt and Emyr and how they were trying to figure out where they stood. The development between the two of them was really sweet and very believable. I really believed that these two were childhood sweethearts and had a moment of lost trust between them. The rekindling and realization of feelings was very well done. Also Emyr was just adorable and such a cute love interest.
The world and side characters that inhabited it were so engaging as well. The diversity and complex personalities between all the characters was very engrossing to read about. The world itself and the rules was very interesting. I loved learning about this world and how it worked. I cant wait to learn more and see what else this world has to offer.
I can honestly say I can not wait to see where this story takes me next and to read more about these characters. I hope this author goes on to write more amazing works like this one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gore, and Violence
Moderate: Deadnaming and Homophobia
Minor: Emotional abuse