A review by eisenbuns
Witch King by Martha Wells

adventurous emotional tense 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? It's complicated

5.0

“I’ve always liked your razors, Kai. They’ve cut us out of a number of tangles. But it would be good if one day you could stop bleeding.” 

First, I’d like to say a special thank you to @Netgalley for trusting me with an ARC of this book, which releases to the general public on May 30, 2023. 

Martha Wells, author of the beloved Murderbot Diaries, has come out with her first Fantasy novel in over a decade. My only experience with her work is Murderbot, for which I fell head over heels. So, when I saw she was coming out with a full-length Fantasy, I immediately put in a bid for it without even reading the description. 

Let me level with you: I’m so glad I went in blind. The blurbs I’ve read really don’t do this book justice. Without giving anything away, the premise is this: Kai is a demon who wakes up in an underwater tomb to find out that someone has both betrayed and murdered him. We follow him on his journey to find out who, and how. But this isn’t a revenge plot, or even a Whodunnit. Kai’s physical journey mirrors a complex, intimate emotional journey through his past that left me feeling satisfied even as I found myself thinking that with any other book, or any other author, I might have found the trajectory anticlimactic. 

From the moment I stepped into this story, I knew it was going to be a five star read for me. I sucked in a breath after reading the first page, turned to my spouse, and exclaimed “You HAVE to read this! I haven’t felt this way since I read Interview With the Vampire for the first time.” Weird thought? Probably, but I instantly sensed an emotional depth to Kai as a main character that I hadn’t felt in so, so long. I was so giddy to dive into this rich world Martha Wells created, and it completely absorbed me. 

I can’t lie and tell you this book is perfect. It isn’t, but it also isn’t trying to be. This is a read that is all about the journey, not the payoff. Let it take you where it’s going to take you, and I think you’ll have an amazing time. If you liked Murderbot as much as I did, you’ll like this. Martha Wells has a knack for taking a dark and twisty premise and turning it into a heartwarming emotional tale. 

I loved the gender exploration, queer representation, and the utter imagination. I felt like a child again, my brain just exploding in enchanted fireworks as I took all of it in. What a gift. Please read this! 

Also, totally crossing my fingers that this isn’t just a standalone.