I was utterly bewitched by The Witch King. Talk about a book I just breezed through. There’s character growth and wonderful side characters, action and magical world building, and more! Keep reading this book review for my full thoughts.
Summary
Wyatt would give anything to forget where he came from—but a kingdom demands its king.
In Asalin, fae rule and witches like Wyatt Croft…don’t. Wyatt’s betrothal to his best friend, fae prince Emyr North, was supposed to change that. But when Wyatt lost control of his magic one devastating night, he fled to the human world.
Now a coldly distant Emyr has hunted him down. Despite transgender Wyatt’s newfound identity and troubling past, Emyr has no intention of dissolving their engagement. In fact, he claims they must marry now or risk losing the throne. Jaded, Wyatt strikes a deal with the enemy, hoping to escape Asalin forever. But as he gets to know Emyr, Wyatt realizes the boy he once loved may still exist. And as the witches face worsening conditions, he must decide once and for all what’s more important—his people or his freedom.
Review
Immediately starting The Witch King we are dropped into action. Into a world where we want to be seen for who we are and not what we can do. That theme is the foundation for The Witch King. In a system where we are seen for our biology, or for our place within a family, or even for our abilities, it’s universal to want to be seen for who we truly are. The Witch King is one of those books which sweeps you into the action.
Another theme which you become enfolded in is the theme of confronting our past and our mistakes. Wyatt’s past mistakes and actions come back to haunt him. How can he reconcile these old relationships and does he want to? Can he be back where his ‘home’ used to be and see the changes, accept the pieces that were good? Throughout The Witch King there are a whole host of queer characters who are all piecing together their own sense of self and identity in the world.
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The world itself is trying to balance opening themselves up – or the potential to do so – and also to try to keep itself safe. But within the central conflict is change and those who are resistant to it. To being so afraid of what the change could mean. I’m so glad I was able to listen to the audiobook and Dani Martineck’s narration. It’s another component of why I was so easily swept away because of how well Dani narrates Wyatt’s feelings – his uncertainty and pain of the past.
If you’ve been hearing about the hype for The Witch King know that it is completely deserved and I’m already waiting for a break to listen to the sequel! Find The Witch King on Goodreads, Storygraph, Amazon, Bookshop.org, Blackwells, Libro.fm, and Google Play.