Reviews tagging 'Genocide'

The Witch King by H.E. Edgmon

21 reviews

adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious 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: Complicated

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dark emotional hopeful 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

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giasbookhaven's profile picture

giasbookhaven's review

2.5
challenging emotional reflective medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

This book starts off reeealllly fun and I'm committed to Wyatt going back to his homeland(Asalin). I was iffy about Emyr because he does force Wyatt to return. But I could feel that his intentions were conflicted. 

The overall vibe of the story bounces back and forth between uncertainty and rediscovery when it comes to the plot of Wyatt either choosing to uphold the contracted marriage or force the council to banish him for good if he makes them believe he isn't worth having around. This mirrors Wyatt's trepidation on his returning feelings for Emyr and memories growing up there. And Idk my excitement began to fade. If the story and the main character was so conflicted and uncertain how was I supposed to feel?? I also began to feel less like the situation was dire.

I do try to stay away from YAs for being so teen agnsty for this reason lol. I did love magic witches/Fae backdrop of this book and the support Wyatt found in his found family and eventually Emyr again. Undecided if I will continue the series. 


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adventurous hopeful lighthearted medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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adventurous funny sad
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

Not much plot, and uneven pacing. A lot of missed opportunities for really good conversations. I did like the portrayal of transness, and the discussions about police brutality (although I felt like it was a bit glossed over and could have been much more prominent in the narrative). Too tropey for me personally, but if you like fated mates, knife to the throat, only one bed, etc - this might be a good book for you.

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
dark emotional funny reflective medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Complicated
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

Expand filter menu Content Warnings
adventurous emotional hopeful mysterious 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

I was so worried about this read at first. I just couldn’t get into it (and still don’t understand why, because there was nothing about the book to fault). But something CLICKED at some point and I suddenly understood why so many people adore this book!

I can’t put my finger on what I loved most because I loved everything. But I think I’ll start with our MC, Wyatt. Edgmon executed his character development SO WELL. You know when you read a book, and a character develops from Point A to Point B, but you don’t see this change on page, and you don’t really understand WHY they’ve changed? That is SO FAR from the case with Wyatt. You get to see him grow as a character in real time, in ways that make complete sense. It was so refreshing seeing such natural and well-written character development!

I also just loved Wyatt as a character in and of himself. He is messy and spiky and makes mistakes; he is just so REAL. So many teens (and people in general) think, as Wyatt does, that they are too messed up to deserve a happy ending, or even just to LIVE. They think that they will be “broken” forever. So to have this reflected in a book character, where so often characters are written to be near perfect, and just unrealistic - AHH!! Hats of to Edgmon for writing Wyatt, for creating a character who feels true. And double hats off to them, because their writing shows that you can be a mess, broken, spiky, mistake-making - and you have value. And you deserve to live. And you can get your happy ending. Wyatt’s narrative voice was also strong, emotive, and oftentimes funny (a.k.a. he made a great character to read from). I was rooting for him so hard!

Through Wyatt’s character, Edgmon explores how some people are made into monsters. These people aren’t actually monsters and do not act monstrously, but are labelled as such in order to oppress and control. All Wyatt did to be called such was be born a witch, and at one point defend his life. Yet vilified he was, and he even deeply internalised this, contributing to his belief in his unworthiness. This was particularly poignant in light of the fact that Edgmon clearly views being a witch as an allegory for being queer. Thus the parallel is drawn between Wyatt and real queer people (ESPECIALLY trans people), who are also falsely seen as unnatural, threatening, or predatory (read: monstrous) in order to be controlled, and who sometimes internalise this queerphobia, too.

Another theme Wyatt was at the centre of was regarding what we owe each other. How much should we give of ourselves to our community - where do we draw the line, or should we even draw it? How can we live in good conscience when we have an opportunity to help others, and don’t take it? Is there a way forward that allows all of us to lead a good life? Wyatt is facing these difficult questions in the story, and they are integral to his character development. They also relate to the discussions of dismantling systems of oppression that Edgmon includes. I am so grateful for this inclusion! Dismantling these systems and building something better wasn’t even something I realised was possible until 2020, when I was TWENTY-TWO. Western liberal politics, in particular WHITE Western liberal politics, will have you believe that working inside these systems is all we can do. That simply isn’t true! And Edgmon makes this clear in the book. I love that teens might get to learn about the possibilities of activism from a younger age (younger than I did, at least).

The romance was another shining star here! I am a sucker for the soulmates trope, and it is at play in this story. There is something so romantic about there being someone fated to love you, no matter what. I also love when the LI is like, deeply in love with the MC and the MC is oblivious to that fact. It’s so fun being in the know when the MC is pining for the LI in turn. I also liked that the conflict in Wyatt and Emyr’s relationship came from a real place, instead of feeling contrived. Wyatt doesn’t want anything to do with Asalin given his history with the place; Emyr owes it to his vulnerable people to be the king of Asalin. And they’re both trapped in an arranged marriage where death is the consequence of breaking the arrangement - not exactly a good place to begin a relationship. All of that is complicated, especially when you throw in the fact that these boys deeply care for one another. It may not be clear for a while in Wyatt’s case for character reasons but by god is it clear in Emyr’s. The pages that Edgmon dedicated to Wyatt and Emyr having conversations both shallow and meaningful… that is how you develop a romance, people!!

I really loved the ending of his novel. It was genuinely everything I needed it to be! I cannot wait to pick up the sequel!

P.S. More depictions in general of deep, passionate platonic love like Wyatt and Briar’s please!! Friendships are often written as inconsequential, taken-for-granted, cardboard-cutout type things, especially in YA, but not here! Another example of Edgmon queering the norms.

Rep: gay trans MC with anxiety, Black GNC demisexual Achillean LI, bi ace (GNC?) fat Native American SC, Japanese-coded nonbinary lesbian SC, sapphic SC, polyamorous minor characters

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious 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

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bohemianhermit04's profile picture

bohemianhermit04's review

4.5
adventurous emotional funny medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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adventurous emotional tense fast-paced
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

“I open the back door to let the dogs out, and Nadua's got her gardening shears buried like a knife in one of my fiancé's wings.” pg 1

I love Wyatt as a narrator. He is so funny.

Book 10 for the
#TransRightsReadathon2024

CW: Wyatt is a vomiter when stressful things happen

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