Tuesday 30 May 2023

Book Review: Witch King by Martha Wells (Fantasy)

Title: Witch King
Author: Martha Wells
Publisher: Tordotcom
Publication Date: 30 May 2023
Pages: 432
Format: eBook - EPUB
Genre: Fantasy
Source: ARC via NetGalley

A story of power and friendship, of trust and betrayal, and of the families we choose.

"I didn't know you were a... demon."
"You idiot. I'm the demon."
Kai's having a long day in Martha Wells'
Witch King....

After being murdered, his consciousness dormant and unaware of the passing of time while confined in an elaborate water trap, Kai wakes to find a lesser mage attempting to harness Kai’s magic to his own advantage. That was never going to go well.

But why was Kai imprisoned in the first place? What has changed in the world since his assassination? And why does the Rising World Coalition appear to be growing in influence?

Kai will need to pull his allies close and draw on all his pain magic if he is to answer even the least of these questions.

He’s not going to like the answers.

 

Witch King was a fun fantasy read with a memorable lead character. I found Kai captivating right from the start, and he held my interest throughout; however, the secondary characters were a little less memorable, or at least less fascinating to me. The story jumped back and forth between past and present. Mostly this was easy to follow, but a couple of times I had to pause to check in my mind what time period we were in. The world building on the whole was good, with a gentle trickle of information as and when it was needed, and that world and its people did capture my interest. The ending was generally satisfying, but there were a few questions remaining which could potentially leave things open for a sequel (and I'd happily spend time with Kai again if that happens). Overall, a solid fantasy tale that gets four stars from me.

I received this book as a free ARC via NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. 

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