A review by books_onthe_ground
The Witch King by H.E. Edgmon

adventurous funny hopeful inspiring lighthearted 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

This is exactly the type of book I needed to get out of slump. It was fun, engaging and just so full of heart.  

The rep includes: gay, bi, questioning, lesbian, non binary, trans, black, Native American, plus size, polyamorous  

TW: violence, child a*use, child SA, allusions of p*dophelia, non aliving thoughts, misgendering, dr*g use and mentions of infidelity and miscarriages 

At the beginning of the book there is a “Dear reader” note from H E Edgmon that I highly recommend you read before you start the book. I related to it so much not only as a trans person but also as a writer. It made me emotional. Even without this note you can tell this book was a passion project but the note really brings that to light and its just a lovely little insight into the though process behind the book. Edgmon also makes a point of stating that this book is not about trans pain even though there is aspects of trans trauma and pain in the book (I mean it is a coming of age/finding yourself type book written by a trans author with a trans main character written in 1st person and unfortunately that type of thing is a part of being trans) but instead it is a book about trans love. What it means to love as a trans person and to be loved. And yes, that is exactly what this book is about. Love and family and comfort and solidarity. And causing chaos. So much chaos.  

Wyatt is a hilarious protagonist, I absolutely adored him. This book doesn’t take itself too seriously and it’s such a breath of fresh air. There’s banter and jokes and cliques but in the way that this is a book with characters who are 17ish years old. Of course, they are going to be cringey. And gay. Seriously these characters are so gay. Everyone is gay and openly gay and its just so nice to have characters just be gay and be trans and its part of them because of course it is but it’s not their only noticeable character trait. They just are. The relationships between characters are realistic and well written and I really liked who the different relationships were different. There were obvious differences in the new relationships and lifelong relationships etc. (and I am using ‘relationship’ as a general turn to cover romantic, platonic, sibling etc.) 

The characters were great the story line was simple but had a lot of intrigue and the structure and pacing of it was good. I don’t think a world or story needs to be super complicated to be good, in fact it can ruin a good premise, so I liked how it was straightforward and easy to follow. I also liked how the worldbuilding was explained but not over explained. The world exists. Explanations about the world came from explaining things to outsiders of the community and through dialogue. It was all very natural. 

This also liked how sex positive this book was. Characters talking about relationships and sex and being horny without shame was a really nice aspect. Because yes, these are teenagers. They are going to talk about this stuff and it’s not a big deal or something that needs a bigger conversation around it. Again, it just is. This gives the book a realist feel because the characters feel genuine. 

Every page was enjoyable. I loved every second I was with these characters. I didn’t want to put it down. That hasn’t happened in a long time and I think it’s really a tribute to Edgmon’s writing and how casual it is. How calm and comforting. I can see this becoming a comfort read, something that brings me out of a slump like it did on this first read. It’s funny and endearing. I can’t wait to read the sequel.