The Witch King

2/5

This is not a final draft.

SpoilerThe first chapter may be, and starts off strong with the image of Emyr's wings pierced, but the latter half of the book simply isn't finished. There are so many things that the author wants to do here, but with each addition the story grows more complicated and frustrating and less believable or thoughtful.

There's Twilight-style imprinting (which our protagonist is told is to urge reproduction, but cannot be because there are other couples in the book who either can't or won't have children).

There's a blood contract based on that imprinting (which is resolved so weirdly and suddenly that I had to read the passage over and over again).

There's blackmailing that doesn't appear to have stakes because of how blas?? Wyatt is about it sometimes, and how anxious others (Derek exists as a caricature, a Darkling-lite, and I didn't care for the Darkling, either).

There's a clumsy pile of secrets that, when revealed, turns characters into one-dimensional ideas (e.g., Clarke).

There's an entire secret society of magical beings which functions only vaguely (why do they have US currency at all? If they're technologically-averse, how do Briar and Wyatt charge and use their phones so easily? Where do they get the wealth with which to travel first class, and how did the fae kingdoms separate and keep in contact so long ago?)

There's immersion-breaking moments where characters who have lived outside of the human world all their lives speak like they've spent years on tumblr (and let me make clear that I have no problem with characters like Wyatt speaking in tumblr-esque queerspeak and found it funny, but when Wade says ???Absolutely ridiculous. This timeline is completely fucked. I hate it here.???, that... took me out).

Many issues could be resolved through simple communication; why, for example, didn't Wyatt tell Emyr about Derek threatening him as soon as he felt comfortable with Emyr again?

And through it all there's no sense of urgency or real tension. There's friction, there's an anti-witch coalition, there's protests and secret groups and contracts and an upcoming marriage, there's a friendship that suffers and begins to heal again within a handful of pages, and overall it just feels like Wyatt is sort of... fucking around the whole time.

The Witch King celebrates queer culture and friendship and love. But it also seems to promote an aesthetic in its cover and marketing that is not yet present inside - one of adventure or something tidy and grand. There's a lot to work with, but it needed to spend more time with an editor, to have cut some elements and expanded on others, to create a likeable, believable world and to feel more complete.

3.6/5 stars

Summary: Wyatt is forced to flee to the human world after losing control of his powers. Years later, he is found by Emyr and forced to go back to the fae world. Emyr needs to marry in order to be able to keep his throne. Desperate to leave, Wyatt makes a deal with Emyr's enemies in hopes of being able to leave. As he gets closer to Emyr and condolences seem to worsen for the witches, he is forced to choose between his freedom and his people.

One of the main reasons I picked up this book was because of the main character's being trans. I was not disappointed in this book at all. Wyatt is a well-developed character and isn't just represented by being trans. He is shown to have very little dysphoria and is shown to be rather comfortable with his body. For a good chunk of this book, we can see his anger, which is understandable considering the situation he is going through or went through. We see how he can start to doubt himself as he remembers the mistakes he has made. We can also see how Wyatt tends to use self-deprecating humor in order to mask his emotions.

Briar was also a rather likable character in my opinion. She is shown to be very different from Wyatt. She is protective of him but, at the same time, is very open and excited to be in Asalin. She immediately does her best and gets along with most of the people there. I was not expecting the plot twist that included Briar. I understand why she hid that, and hopefully we will see more of her in the next book. Hopefully, she can repair her friendship with Wyatt.

Emyr is a character that becomes more likable as you get to know him. When we are introduced to him, he is shown to be rather selfish but understanding. He's selfish because he wants Wyatt to come back to Asalin to marry him in order to keep the throne. He doesn't give Wyatt a choice but accepts that Briar comes as well. He uses all of Wyatt's correct pronouns and tries to make everything as comfortable as possible for him. As the story progresses, we see him get closer to Wyatt, but every time he tries to open up to him, Wyatt just shuts him out. This is likely partly due to Wyatt's being in denial of having any feelings for Wyatt. Even with this happening constantly, we learn a lot about Emyr, including the fact that he receives a lot of opposition.

Spoilers Ahead: He was adopted because the Queen couldn't bear children. We also learned that the Queen was killed, and it took a large amount of magic to bring her back from the dead. Wyatt keeps being in denial until the blood bond is broken by Emyr's death. He manages to bring him back to life and realizes how he can control his powers. Although it is clear that Emyr has feelings for Wyatt, he is still letting him go because he wants him to be happy. He goes from being selfish and somewhat understanding of Wyatt to being able to let him go and do as he pleases. We see that he cares about his people and will place their needs first before his own.

Other characters that are worth mentioning are Tessa, Wyatt's sister, and Jin, the nonbinary lesbian witch activist dragon handler. I understood Tessa's anger at Wyatt as she lost everything she cared about in one night. I feel like the way they repaired their relationship was rather quick. I would have liked to see them take more time in order to make up. Jin was a cool character to see, but it fell flat. In terms of characterization, they never got past a certain point and felt more like a plot device. The book can get to be really slow at times, and at times it felt like there was too much going on. As a result, I can't give it a 4-star rating.

H.E. Edgmon takes us from the slow, lazy, dry heat of Laredo, Texas to the fast-paced political intrigue of A. Hidden appropriately in New York, Asalin houses the entrance to Edgmon's new fantastical world of faes, witches, dragons, royalty, and death.

A young man on the run after a horrific incident hides in Texas until his contracted betrothed finds him and forces him back home and his past. Emyr needs Wyatt to honor the agreement their parents came to when they were children so he can save his kingdom from familial threats. Wyatt, on the other hand, just wants to forget the past and move on. Life has different plans for these once close friends. Three years may have passed since they last saw each other, but everything has changed in both of their worlds.

Edgmon creates a world of security for Wyatt and then blows it all up...totally freaking awesome. In Texas, we get to see Wyatt be comfortable in his skin and with who he is. His best friend, Briar, is a bisexual ace who holds all of Wyatt's secrets and accepts and loves him anyway. When Wyatt's life is threatened, the two face down the past and Wyatt's very uncertain future together. I love their friendship, though I have to admit that it is tainted a bit by the secrets that come out. Briar still gets major kudos for going to the land of “make believe” and potential death to save her friend.

Edgmon then muddies the dynamic even more by introducing a slew of characters who you immediately want to know more about and I will be honest, I want to see future pairings of. Asalin is filled with cultural, gender, and sexual diversity. This is realistic because of the extreme phobias that exist in Asalin.

Faes detest the witches and everything else that is different. If you are born different aka a witch, then usually you are tossed into the woods never to be talked about again. Edgmon's world bears many similarities to the world we live in today, but fortunately for us it is filled with magic.

Edgmon admits to their own growth while writing this novel and I can see how it came about. I have to admit as a reader of trans books, I have never come across the body self-acceptance that Edgmon iwrites of. I love this type of self-acceptance and I am so happy it is here for others to read. It also is a key part to Emyr and Wyatt's love story.

The political intrigue of old ideas versus new ideas is not a new one, but it is a consistent one that we still battle in the real world today. What is family? Does what you look like, bleed, or love matter when it comes down to survival or leading others to be better than they thought they could be. Edgmon is realistic in this fantasy and as they show there are no easy answers.

There is lots of drama and some great magical scenes written. I love the secondary cast and want to read more about them. Never mind the wham dinger that Briar introduces and what will result from it.

I want to see the potential pairings that I can see, or maybe I am just a romantic and want to see it (laugh). I want to see how some couples got together, especially from the other kingdoms so hello: prequels!

Edgmon has created a world that is dying while it is growing and I want to read more of it. I want to watch Wyatt and Emyr spar more. I want to see Emyr in battle with his sword. Tessa, Wyatt's sister, has great ideas and a new role. Wade totally needs a love interest. Plus, there are still mysteries to be solved and I have some guesses.

Edgmon has created a world you want to delve in and stay awhile as long as the goblins don't spot you. I want to hang out with Boom, eat popcorn, and watch more of the drama in and beyond. The Witch King feels like a beginning that you will want to get in on.

I received an ARC of this book and I am writing a review without prejudice and voluntarily.