Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by brittmariasbooks
The Witch King by H.E. Edgmon
5.0
The Witch King by H.E. Edgmon is the YA urban fantasy you want to read next! Thank you Inkyard Press for providing me with an ARC and inviting me for the blog tour.
The Witch King follows trans witch Wyatt Croft. He fled from the fae kingdom of Asalin to the human world after he lost control of his magic one devastating night. The story picks up when his fiancé, Prince Emyr North finds him and takes him back to Asalin. Despite Wyatt’s newfound identity and troubling past, Emyr has no intention of dissolving their engagement. In fact, he claims they must marry now or he will 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. Content warning for deadnaming, misgendering, (some) gore, transphobia and fantasy racism.
I enjoyed this book so much more than I thought I would. Usually, I read plot-driven fantasy books and The Witch King is a more character-driven story. But H.E. Edgmon’s writing is so good. In general, their writing spoke to me as a young millennial, which might be best demonstrated by the following quote: “Which, like, fair.” And this vibe is throughout the book and I loved it because I have not seen writing like this that much, especially in fantasy novels.
The characters are very much grey as every single one of them has their own motives, beliefs and goals, which I love to see. The relationships between the characters are complicated and carefully explored. Edgmon takes their time and it pays off phenomenally at the end of the book. Again, I love to see it. I have fallen in love with the cast of characters: Wyatt, Emyr, Briar, Tessa, Jin and many more of them. They all stand on their own. The main character Wyatt is not a perfect person, no one is, and I want to see his character develop more in the next book. He makes mistakes but also tries to fix them. I cannot wait until the sequel comes out! Lastly, I want to say that as a cis woman, this is not an own voices review.
I really recommend The Witch King if you are looking for an urban fantasy, especially one with a lot of LGBTQIA+ representation. Wyatt’s story is waiting for you.
The Witch King follows trans witch Wyatt Croft. He fled from the fae kingdom of Asalin to the human world after he lost control of his magic one devastating night. The story picks up when his fiancé, Prince Emyr North finds him and takes him back to Asalin. Despite Wyatt’s newfound identity and troubling past, Emyr has no intention of dissolving their engagement. In fact, he claims they must marry now or he will 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. Content warning for deadnaming, misgendering, (some) gore, transphobia and fantasy racism.
I enjoyed this book so much more than I thought I would. Usually, I read plot-driven fantasy books and The Witch King is a more character-driven story. But H.E. Edgmon’s writing is so good. In general, their writing spoke to me as a young millennial, which might be best demonstrated by the following quote: “Which, like, fair.” And this vibe is throughout the book and I loved it because I have not seen writing like this that much, especially in fantasy novels.
The characters are very much grey as every single one of them has their own motives, beliefs and goals, which I love to see. The relationships between the characters are complicated and carefully explored. Edgmon takes their time and it pays off phenomenally at the end of the book. Again, I love to see it. I have fallen in love with the cast of characters: Wyatt, Emyr, Briar, Tessa, Jin and many more of them. They all stand on their own. The main character Wyatt is not a perfect person, no one is, and I want to see his character develop more in the next book. He makes mistakes but also tries to fix them. I cannot wait until the sequel comes out! Lastly, I want to say that as a cis woman, this is not an own voices review.
I really recommend The Witch King if you are looking for an urban fantasy, especially one with a lot of LGBTQIA+ representation. Wyatt’s story is waiting for you.