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bisexualwentworth's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
My feelings about this book are definitely complicated.
There were a lot of things that I liked. The dialogue was fun. Wyatt’s narrative voice was incredibly entertaining (though I can definitely see why some readers wouldn’t like it). Every scene that was just characters hanging out and bantering was extremely enjoyable.
I loved several of the side characters, especially Briar (though I’m not sure how I feel about the twist regarding her character, even though it was totally unsurprising).
The politics and the ruminations on oppression were interesting, but more on that later.
But then there were a LOT of things that didn’t work for me. Here is the list, in no particular order:
There were a lot of things that I liked. The dialogue was fun. Wyatt’s narrative voice was incredibly entertaining (though I can definitely see why some readers wouldn’t like it). Every scene that was just characters hanging out and bantering was extremely enjoyable.
I loved several of the side characters, especially Briar (though I’m not sure how I feel about the twist regarding her character, even though it was totally unsurprising).
The politics and the ruminations on oppression were interesting, but more on that later.
But then there were a LOT of things that didn’t work for me. Here is the list, in no particular order:
- First person present tense is my least favorite POV/tense choice for novels, and I especially didn’t like that the flashbacks were still in present tense. That was the part that really got to me.
- I HATE the term “theydy.” Hate it.
- Super fascinating that this is a book that is largely about indigenous climate activism, both in a real way and in a fantasy metaphor way, WRITTEN BY AN INDIGENOUS AUTHOR, that still centers a white main character. Maybe it’s not my place as a white reader to have an issue with this. But I thought it was a weird choice and I certainly don’t think it helped the book’s message.
- Wyatt was a deeply frustrating main character generally. He is annoying and oblivious, and every bad thing he does is justified as self-defense or something. I think I would have liked him better if he’d been a worse person, honestly. Maybe that’s just an issue with this book being YA. I don’t know.
- Honestly the fantasy oppression metaphor was very confusing. Were the witches a metaphor? The author was trying hard to make them NOT be one by creating a cast that was super diverse in a variety of ways. So they weren’t a metaphor for queer people or people of color, at least not intentionally, but it ended up feeling like they were an unintentional metaphor for disability, especially since there were no disabled characters in the book. Regardless, it felt messy.
- All of the interpersonal conflict was kind of annoying, but again, that’s probably just a YA thing that I’ve mostly avoided by only reading really good YA.
- I absolutely hated the whole soulmates/fated mates thing. ESPECIALLY when only one partner even felt this special draw to the other one. I think that’s an awful, nonconsensual way to wrote a relationship, and this book totally failed to interrogate this really really weird idea that there’s one person who’s perfectly fated to be with you. I kept thinking it would, especially after the whole Clarke thing, but NOOOOO the main couple is meant for each other and we just have to suck it up and root for them! Very frustrating.
- The transitions between scenes and the action scenes generally were simply not well-written. I was very confused about how the characters arrived at certain locations and conversations in almost every chapter.
Anyway, I guess I’d recommend this book if you’re looking for YA low fantasy with a soft magic system and a trans main character. It does those things well. It just also has a lot of issues.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Violence, Death, Fire/Fire injury, and Sexual assault
Moderate: Miscarriage, Child abuse, Bullying, Deadnaming, Infertility, Transphobia, and Racism
itsmeeryn's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
The Witch King is a hilarious, powerful, and enjoyable read. There was incredible world-building, astounding humor, and the cast of characters all had unique, loveable, and flawed personalities which left them feeling very real. Wyatt’s anger was such a refreshing character trait, which I don't often see so blatantly in main characters, and while he spoke his mind and took no bs, it rarely, if ever, made me dislike him or disagree with his anger, and the side and minor characters were all well fleshed out, given lives, wants, and needs, outside of their scenes, not to mention the representation throughout the book left almost no stones unturned.
While the writing shines in some places, in others it doesn’t land quite as well. The amount of time spent on character description often took me from my immersion, and the dialogue towards the beginning, at times seemed a bit awkward. I feel a couple of the twists near the end had not being given quite enough foreshadowing which led the reveals to feel out of place or out of character. The messages and points the book covered, at times, also felt a bit too blatant, being almost spelled out for the reader, rather than letting us come to the conclusion ourselves.
While there are moments in the writing that took me from my immersion, Edgmon’s talent shines during the more lighthearted scenes, as well as the twists that were properly foreshadowed. I loved that when plots came together I was able to pat myself on the back for noticing a detail earlier leading me to a conclusion, or a larger mystery that I had theories about and anticipation of discovering which one is correct.
While I had a few mainly minor and personal critiques of the book, The Witch King was an absolute delight to read and I cannot wait to pick up The Fae Keeper to see what happens next.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual harassment and Racism
Moderate: Transphobia
thewildmageslibrary's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
5.0
This was such a fun book. Wyatt is so dramatic and probably needs a life coach to help with decision making, but I love him. Emyr was a great surprise and idk, he can be my king any day. I love how supportive the main group in this is. Also, the ending - RUDE. Off to buy the sequel. XD
Content Warnings
Graphic: Transphobia, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Deadnaming, Death, Death of parent, and Violence
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts, Police brutality, Colonisation, Racism, Grief, Blood, Dysphoria, Child abuse, Sexual assault, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Drug use, Sexual content, and Infertility
oliver_bug's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The book is pretty average. It kept me hooked enough to finish the book, but not enough for me to want to read it again. I do want to read the second book just out of curiosity. Wyatt, the main character, is pretty bland. It feels like his only depth is being trans and being mean. I did however enjoy a lot of the side characters such as Emyr, briar, and jin. Emyr had a lot of depth to his character and was very interesting to read about. The world-building was okay at best, a lot of the lore was brought up a few times then almost never talked about again or explained. The plot point of fascism and racism was a little strange at times but I am definitely not the person to speak on that. The LGBTQ representation at some points seemed a little bit forced or over-explained, rather than something that's brought up once and flows naturally with the story, sometimes the story took a little too long explaining that these people are how they are. However, I did really enjoy the way that some of the relationships were written, like Solomons. Overall the book was okay and I would recommend reading it if you're looking for something like this.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Racism, Fire/Fire injury, Death, and Violence
Moderate: Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, and Deadnaming
Minor: Child abuse
librarianlayla's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
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
5.0
I adored this book so much!
If you're looking for a fantasy book with a trans protagonist, diverse characters, a slow burn romance peppered with sarcasm and wit - The Witch King is for you.
A take on the fae world as I haven't seen before and a truly twisting plot, I struggled to put this book down.
I cannot wait for the sequel!
If you're looking for a fantasy book with a trans protagonist, diverse characters, a slow burn romance peppered with sarcasm and wit - The Witch King is for you.
A take on the fae world as I haven't seen before and a truly twisting plot, I struggled to put this book down.
I cannot wait for the sequel!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Deadnaming, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Homophobia, Infertility, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence
princess_peach's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
This book might be better to read once all three books are published. It's a first-person character book, so everything we know is based on what the main character, Wyatt knows. Wyatt, however, is a witch who was forbidden from learning about his powers and left Asalin, a fae kingdom for the human world. Wyatt is found and brought back to Asalin by his fae prince fiancee, Emyr. As Wyatt learns (or actively resists learning) about Asalin, fae and witch craft, so does the reader. I personally found that very frustrating. I'm hoping that once all three books are out, it will be less frustrating for me to read and I'll enjoy it more.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Dysphoria, Grief, Racism, and Transphobia
Moderate: Abandonment, Bullying, Child abuse, Deadnaming, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, Panic attacks/disorders, Murder, and Fire/Fire injury
darkmattersoybean's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
medium-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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual content, Transphobia, Death of parent, and Death
therainbowshelf's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
I felt a bit so-so on this book but have absolutely no doubt that it'll be a treasure for the target audience. Many teens, especially LGBTQ teens and teens who love magic and excitablr queer culture will probably love this. I liked the fantasy setting, the characters, and the LGBTQ representation in this story. Several things about this book didn't work for me because they felt too forced to be an organic element. My top complaint was how forced the Facebook and cellphone stuff felt. It seemed like a cool concept that just needed a little more kneeding before it was fully mixed in.
📘The Gist 📘: Wyatt ran from the Fae world and his betrothed prince following a cataclysmic, traumatic event. When the prince comes to drag him back, Wyatt finds himself facing the same anti-witch discrimination and new transohobia as he fights to return home.
📒Representation📒: trans mc, mlm, wlw sc, nonbinary sc, bipoc mc and sc, native American mc
💕 For readers looking for 💕: Complex characters, evolving relationships, friends to lovers to enemies to...?, Magic, fantasy exploring real-world discrimination, moody protagonist
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Death, Death of parent, Ableism, Violence, Transphobia, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Suicidal thoughts, Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Injury/Injury detail, Hate crime, Homophobia, Grief, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Dysphoria, Deadnaming, Child abuse, Blood, and Drug use
Moderate: Racism
rileyxchaos's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Transphobia, Murder, Bullying, and Racism
Moderate: Sexual assault
traeumenvonbuechern's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
5.0
[The ARC of this book was provided by the publisher via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review.]
CN: violence, gore, blood, murder, death, mentions of parental death, transmisia, misgendering (accidental and intentional), off-page deadnaming, fantasy racism, emotional abuse, physical abuse, sexual assault, panic attacks, trauma
I didn’t know how much I needed this book until I read it. I finished it yesterday and I already want to re-read it.
“The Witch King” is literally my dream book. It has everything I ever wanted - and more! A very relatable gay trans main character who really needs a hug, a best friend who is both cute and badass, a sweet and charming love interest, lots of queer side characters, the “friends to enemies to lovers” trope, found family, tarot cards, soulmate bonds, so much diversity (!!!), discussions of racism, systemic oppression, colonialism, power imbalance and (anti-)fascism, shocking plot twists, a unique fantasy world, a beautiful mlm love story that actually made me cry… And it's so funny!
Seriously, I loved everything about “The Witch King”, and my review doesn’t do it justice. Everyone needs to read this book! Please pre-order it or request it at your library if you can!
Like Anniek says in this review, "The Witch King" deserves a huge fandom with merch, fanart, memes and fanfics. Let's make that happen!
And please also read Adri's beautiful review!
CN: violence, gore, blood, murder, death, mentions of parental death, transmisia, misgendering (accidental and intentional), off-page deadnaming, fantasy racism, emotional abuse, physical abuse, sexual assault, panic attacks, trauma
I didn’t know how much I needed this book until I read it. I finished it yesterday and I already want to re-read it.
“The Witch King” is literally my dream book. It has everything I ever wanted - and more! A very relatable gay trans main character who really needs a hug, a best friend who is both cute and badass, a sweet and charming love interest, lots of queer side characters, the “friends to enemies to lovers” trope, found family, tarot cards, soulmate bonds, so much diversity (!!!), discussions of racism, systemic oppression, colonialism, power imbalance and (anti-)fascism, shocking plot twists, a unique fantasy world, a beautiful mlm love story that actually made me cry… And it's so funny!
Seriously, I loved everything about “The Witch King”, and my review doesn’t do it justice. Everyone needs to read this book! Please pre-order it or request it at your library if you can!
Like Anniek says in this review, "The Witch King" deserves a huge fandom with merch, fanart, memes and fanfics. Let's make that happen!
And please also read Adri's beautiful review!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Blood, Racism, Sexual assault, and Transphobia
Minor: Deadnaming
Fantasy racism, misgendering, off-page deadnaming, fire, trauma
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