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A review by plumpaperbacks
The Witch King by H.E. Edgmon
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: Blood, Body horror, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Police brutality, Drug use, Transphobia, and Violence
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.