Once upon a time in a distant land, there was a fable about a fearsome entity known as the Witch King. Legends spoke of his immense power and the utter darkness that surrounded him. The Witch King was believed to possess magical abilities beyond imagination, capable of incredible feats that struck fear into the hearts of all who heard his name. It was said that the Witch King dwelled in a desolate, eerie castle atop a mountain peak. Those who dared to venture near his domain spoke of a thick mist that shrouded the area, making it almost impossible to find. The castle itself was said to be a fortress of darkness, guarded by loyal minions that had pledged their undying loyalty to the Witch King.
Wyatt’s anger is rooted in trauma, physical and psychological, and he lashes out in ways that feel true to teenage behavior. He’s shortsighted and self-centered, not out of arrogance or malevolence but for survival. Emyr has coasted through life on a wave of privilege, but even his princely status cannot exempt him from bigotry stemming from his parentage. Briar, as the Indigenous daughter of activists, is treated by the fae like a sidekick, but she is a lot cleverer and more aware than they, including Wyatt, give her credit for. Wyatt and Emyr come into conflict with fae who want to see the crown turn coldly conservative and the witches subjugated even further, as well as witches who see Wyatt as too untrustworthy to bring into their revolution.
Emyr s progressiveness puts him at odds with the more conservative fae, and Wyatt s short emotional fuse makes him an easy target for those who want to disrupt Emyr s rule. They befriend natural spirits like Ziede, who is able to fly using her connection with wind-devils or use cantrips, which use words to paint reality into a different shape.
The castle itself was said to be a fortress of darkness, guarded by loyal minions that had pledged their undying loyalty to the Witch King. The townsfolk lived in constant fear, for the Witch King was known to terrorize the land. He would cast spells on crops, causing them to wither and die, leading to famine and starvation.
Unburning the World: Review of Witch King by Martha Wells
Under Review:
Witch King. Martha Wells. Tordotcom, May 2023.
Witch King is a new fantasy stand-alone novel by Martha Wells. She is most well-known for The Murderbot Diaries, and I was expecting something similar in tone: humorous and irreverent. Instead I found a tragic story of power, betrayal, and genocide — but that’s not to say I was disappointed. If anything, I was thoroughly impressed with Wells’ ability to span the genre gamut, and inspired to read more of her oeuvre. Despite the brutality in this novel, I still found a throughline of hope: a promise that through collective action, we can overcome.
The story follows Kaiiesteron, known as Kai, a demon prince of the underearth. His family of demons once had an agreement with a civilization of grassland clans called the Saredi. When one of the mortal Saredi was dying, a demon would come to inhabit the body. The demon could communicate the deceased’s final thoughts to their loved ones, and in return the demon would get a mortal body that allowed them to walk the Earth and be welcomed into Saredi society. The offspring of demons and mortals would be witches.
Kai’s time with the Saredi in his first mortal body was cut short when an invading group called the Hierarchs slaughtered the entire society, captured the demons and subjugated the witches. The story begins sixty years later, after the fall of the Hierarchs, when Kai finds himself caught in a conspiracy involving the new coalition-turned-empire called the Rising World. The story alternates between two timelines — one in the present in which Kai and his witch companion Ziede search for Ziede’s wife Tahren, who they believe abducted for political reasons, and another in the past, in which Kai and Ziede assist mortal prince Bashasa is his rebellion against the Hierarchs. During these flashbacks, we see everything Kai has done to earn him the title “Witch King.”
At first, I had some difficulty understanding the stakes of the story. If demons are immortal, is Kai ever in any real danger? As I read on, I understood a few key points. One, it is possible to kill a demon, but not easy. Two, a demon can face fates worse than death. But most importantly, three: death is not what Kai fears. Throughout the novel, we see Kai sacrificing himself for the mortals he loves. The stakes are not tied to his survival, but that of the people around him. He saw his people wiped out once, and now he’s willing to martyr himself if it means he can protect the people who have accepted and cared for him. Kai sees himself as part of something bigger — a community of witches and demons that fight to protect each other.
Sanja’s presence also raises the stakes. Sanja is a little girl that Kai rescues from being sacrificed by someone who intended to imprison him in her body and keep him as a familiar. Kai and Ziede take her with them on their quest because there is no one else to protect her. With no knowledge of the world of demons and witches, Sanja serves as a conduit for the audience, asking the questions that we too want answers to. She also adds an extra wrinkle to every situation — Kai, Ziede and crew may have command over magic, but they also have a child to keep out of harm’s way. Every threat increases tenfold. Sanja has been seamlessly accepted as part of Kai and Ziede’s ever-growing witch family, and even right after meeting her, they are already willing to risk their own safety to protect her.
One aspect of the novel that particularly intrigued me was the way that the magic and structure of the story both echoed the themes. The magic system is visceral instead of technical, with an emphasis on how the magic feels instead of how it works. Witches use magic that is connected with nature and ultimately unobtrusive. They befriend natural spirits — like Ziede, who is able to fly using her connection with wind-devils — or use cantrips, which use “words to paint reality into a different shape.” Expositors, on the other hand, are the magicians employed by the Hierarchs. They weave spells called intentions, which are characterized as sticky webs of immaterial threads, powered by pain and death. When Kai gains the ability to cast intentions, he refuses to draw on the great Wells of power the Hierarchs have created by killing mortals. Instead, he hurts himself in order to generate the pain required. The power sources used for magic reflects the values of the people drawing on it — do they value human life? Or do they only value power? Those who draw their power from sources that do not require pain or sacrifice are those who value each other.
The alternating structure of the novel creates a constant sense of tension. We cut away from the characters at the peak of danger and hopelessness, only to jump into the past or back into the present. Even when the circumstances seem impossible, the characters continue to fight and protect each other. The good always prevails. Prince Bashasa is often dismissed by the other mortals, who believe his rebellion is suicide, but his unwavering hope continues. At one point, Kai tells Bashasa that the injustice of the Hierarchs makes him so angry he could burn the world. Bashasa answers, “Unfortunately, someone else has already burned it. We need to unburn it. Will you help me do that, Kai?” In the face of hardship, brutality, and even genocide, the characters still manage to put off the oppressor and fight another day.
Witch King is also replete with representation of groups that are marginalized in our reality. Since demons maintain their gender regardless of the body they inhabit, the story is inherently transgender. We meet multiple characters who use they/them pronouns. Every romantic relationship is queer. The story revolves around wives Ziede and Tahren, but also all of Kai’s love interests are men. Additionally, we meet Tenes, a witch who is mute because an expositor stole her voice. She uses a kind of sign language called Witchspeak. From a disability perspective, it was interesting to see that in this world sign language is something associated with a powerful and magical group of people. The characters, of course, have no concept of queer or trans or disabled. To them, this is all just how the world works, and it’s deeply refreshing to spend some time in a world with such different cultural norms. Intersectionality is particularly important in a story about people from all different walks of life coming together for a collective purpose.
The whole story comes together to form an elegant tapestry of anti-imperialism, queer love, and rebellious spirit. Witch King is a great read for anyone looking for some gripping, fantasy with non-western aesthetics and a lovable, magical cast of characters.
Alex Kingsley is a writer, comedian, and game designer. They are a cofounder of the new media company Strong Branch Productions, and the creator of sci-fi comedy podcast The Stench of Adventure. They are the author of The Strange Garden and Other Weird Tales, and their fiction has appeared in Radon Journal, Sci-Fi Lampoon, Strangely Funny, and more. Their SFF-related nonfiction has appeared in Interstellar Flight Magazine and ASPEC Journal. Their games can be downloaded pay-what-you-will at alexyquest.itch.io. You can find them on Twitter.
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His dark magic would consume villages, leaving nothing but destruction and despair in his wake. The people were paralyzed with fear, never knowing when the Witch King would strike next. The villagers would gather around the fire on long, dark nights, telling stories of valor and heroism. They dreamed of a day when a brave warrior would rise and confront the Witch King, putting an end to his reign of terror. But as the years went by, hope began to dwindle, and fear cast a deeper shadow over the land. One day, a young orphan named Liam stumbled upon an ancient book hidden beneath the floorboards of the monastery he called home. The book contained the story of the Witch King, but it also held a prophecy. It foretold of a chosen one who would possess a power greater than the Witch King's, a power that could bring about his defeat. Liam's heart swelled with hope as he realized that he could be the chosen one mentioned in the prophecy. With a newfound determination, he embarked on a treacherous journey to confront the Witch King. Along the way, Liam encountered countless challenges and faced his deepest fears. He had to learn to trust in his own abilities and embrace the power within him. With each obstacle overcome, Liam grew stronger, more confident in his purpose. Finally, after a long and arduous journey, Liam arrived at the desolate castle of the Witch King. The sight before him was daunting, but he pushed forward, his heart filled with determination. As he stood face to face with the Witch King, a fierce battle ensued. Liam unleashed the power he had discovered within himself, a power strong enough to rival that of the Witch King. The battle raged on, but in the end, it was Liam who emerged victorious, banishing the Witch King to the depths of darkness from which he came. The people rejoiced as the darkness lifted, and the land began to heal. Liam had fulfilled the prophecy, bringing peace and hope to the once terrorized land. His story became a legend, passed down through generations, a tale of courage and triumph in the face of darkness. In the end, the fable of the Witch King teaches us that even in the darkest of times, there is always hope. It reminds us that we each have the power within us to overcome our fears and make a difference in the world..
Reviews for "The Witch King's Enchanted Forest: Discovering the Magical Realm"
1. Jane Doe - 2/5 stars - I was really excited to read "The Witch King Fable" based on the positive reviews, but I was ultimately disappointed. The storyline felt predictable and lacked depth. The characters were one-dimensional and I couldn't connect with any of them. Additionally, the writing style was choppy and disjointed, making it difficult to follow the story. Overall, I found "The Witch King Fable" to be underwhelming and would not recommend it.
2. John Smith - 1/5 stars - I found "The Witch King Fable" to be incredibly dull and uninteresting. The world-building was nonexistent and there was a lack of descriptive language, leaving me feeling like I was reading a bare-bones outline rather than a fully fleshed-out story. The plot was weak, and the twists and turns felt forced and contrived. The dialogue also felt stiff and unnatural. I struggled to finish this book and would not recommend it to others.
3. Emily Johnson - 2/5 stars - I had high hopes for "The Witch King Fable", but unfortunately, it fell short for me. The pacing was off, with some parts dragging on and others feeling rushed. The characters were not well-developed, and I had a hard time caring about their fates. The writing style was also lackluster, lacking the lyrical quality I was expecting. Overall, "The Witch King Fable" was a disappointment and I would not read it again.
4. Michael Thompson - 3/5 stars - While "The Witch King Fable" had some interesting concepts, it failed to fully deliver on its potential. The world-building was intriguing, but the execution fell flat. The story lacked cohesiveness and the plot felt disjointed. The characters were underdeveloped and it was difficult to invest in their journeys. Additionally, the pacing was uneven, with slow sections interspersed with rushed action. Overall, "The Witch King Fable" had potential, but it ultimately left me feeling unsatisfied.