kai1313's review against another edition
- 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
3.5
Graphic: Blood, War, Xenophobia, Domestic abuse, Hate crime, Police brutality, Abandonment, Colonisation, Homophobia, Murder, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Child abuse, and Violence
annaswanangel's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Graphic: Homophobia and Transphobia
hobbithopeful's review against another edition
- 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
I love when a main character is one you want to root for, and Wyatt is no different. Messy as he is, as flawed as he is, the growth and realizations he goes through on his journey of finally confronting his past was so beautiful to read. I felt his helplessness as he felt so lost and powerless, unable to control his future or his fate. His love for his best friend Briar was so warm to read, a welcome respite in the often difficult to read situations they found themselves in. I also found myself enthralled with all of the vivid and diverse character descriptions, every Fae and Witch had such a unique appearance it made me want to learn more about them and their lives. The Witch King is at its heart a story of fighting for what is right, and dealing with past shame and trauma. Although heavy handed at times, I thoroughly enjoyed it and recommend it anyone looking for a fantasy queer read.
The Cover
Inkyard Press's covers are often hit or miss with me, but this one I quite like. Briar and Emyr pose on the cover, looking off into the sky while Wyatt appears to be stepping over and into foreground. The symbolism pertaining to perhaps him stepping into another world, hands out tentatively as if unsure what he will find. I love getting to see what the characters look like, especially Emyr's design. All his necklaces and jewelry add so much to the movement and composition. That being said I would have liked to have seen Briar with flowers woven through her hair, as is often mentioned in the book. Overall the color patlette is very cohesive, and I love the look of it. Though if I had to nitpick I wish the cut off for the white shape was lower, and not cutting the cover in half so much.
The title font and cover works really well with the cover scheme, but the author font and blurb look a bit out of place and I don't think it matches the rest of the piece at all.
Cover art by Ryan Garcia
Graphic: Homophobia, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Racism, Violence, Death, Emotional abuse, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Deadnaming, Domestic abuse, and Transphobia
Moderate: Violence and Suicidal thoughts
Minor: Sexual violence
brianneh's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
There were also quite a few mentions about pregnancy, specifically unwanted and/or forced, which wasn’t marked in the content warnings here on StoryGraph.
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Transphobia, Violence, Homophobia, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder
Moderate: Sexual assault, Child abuse, Sexism, Pregnancy, and Deadnaming
Minor: Abandonment
katebrownreads's review
4.0
Graphic: Violence, Blood, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Transphobia, Homophobia, and Deadnaming
librarianlayla's review against another edition
- 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
If you're looking for a fantasy book with a trans protagonist, diverse characters, a slow burn romance peppered with sarcasm and wit - The Witch King is for you.
A take on the fae world as I haven't seen before and a truly twisting plot, I struggled to put this book down.
I cannot wait for the sequel!
Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Deadnaming, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Grief, Homophobia, Infertility, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Sexual harassment, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence
moonbreak8's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Medical trauma, Murder, Police brutality, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, and Violence
Moderate: Homophobia, Transphobia, and Child abuse
therainbowshelf's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Death, Death of parent, Ableism, Violence, Transphobia, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Suicidal thoughts, Physical abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Injury/Injury detail, Hate crime, Homophobia, Grief, Gaslighting, Emotional abuse, Dysphoria, Deadnaming, Child abuse, Blood, and Drug use
Moderate: Racism
lagiven's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
Graphic: Blood, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Death of parent, Drug use, Dysphoria, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, Grief, Hate crime, Homophobia, Infertility, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide attempt, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Violence, and Xenophobia
obscurepages's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
The Witch King has it all, I think? It has political intrigue, angst and pining, slow burn (helloo?????), "there's only one bed" trope, intimate discussions and honest thoughts about gender identity and sexuality (which is probably my absolute favorite thing in this book), the world-building and the magic system, modern lives meshed with magic, plus the gorgeous writing style and the prose??? Also, it's such a fun book. Yes, there's seriousness in this book and sometimes it can get a little dark, but it's also highly entertaining. This book checks all the boxes for me and I love it.
I think my only issue is that I expected more action for the climax? However, I know the story is far from over and we're only getting introduced to the bigger picture and the next plot to uncover. I CANNOT WAIT FOR THE SEQUEL
Exact rating: 4.5 stars. Full review on my blog soon (hopefully!)
Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Deadnaming, Transphobia, and Homophobia
Minor: Drug use