The Witch King book is a fantasy novel written by acclaimed author C. L. Werner. Set in the Warhammer Fantasy Battle universe, the book introduces readers to a dark and mystical world filled with magic, monsters, and epic battles. The story revolves around the Witch King, a powerful and enigmatic figure who has risen to prominence as the leader of the dread dark elf nation. As the ruler of Naggaroth, the Witch King intends to fulfill his ambitious goal of conquering the entire world.
This is a good story. I enjoyed it as a palate cleanser between larger novels. It has strong worldbuilding, pacing and plot. I thought the characters were pleasant to read, but a bit blank slates. I hope there's a series following this book, this setting and characters are interesting.
I wouldn t have had so much of a problem with this if I were more invested in the characters and their stories, but other than the occasional bit of snappy dialogue, they too were devoid of charisma for a bunch of legends with historical significance and awesome powers, they were dull to follow. This standalone epic fantasy novel begins with the demon Kai awakening outside his body, not knowing what happened or how he got there only that his old body appears to have been dead for about a year and one of his closest friends is imprisoned nearby.
As the ruler of Naggaroth, the Witch King intends to fulfill his ambitious goal of conquering the entire world. However, his path to absolute power is fraught with challenges and opposition. The Witch King must navigate treacherous alliances, face off against formidable enemies, both mortal and supernatural, and overcome his own inner demons.
A Critique of 'Witch King' by Martha Wells
I got a copy of this audiobook for free from the publisher for the purpose of an honest review.
This book was fun! If I were to describe this book, it's a combination of Carol Berg's Rai-Kirah series and Steven Erikson's Malazan series. This book stars the eponymous Witch King Kai, in two timelines. In the past, he leads a rebellion against oppressive death wizards. In the present, he's trying to discover who betrayed him.
While this book didn't knock my socks off, I do think this book will end up in the top 10 books I read this year. I suggest you read this book, but enter reading this with your expectations relatively in check. This book isn't as spectacular a start to a series as Murderbot.
WHAT IS THE TARGET AUDIENCE? WHAT GENRES? WHAT MAJOR TROPES?
- Adult, but I think anyone older than 14 can read this.
- Demon protagonist who jumps between bodies
- Life-energy and death magic
- Dual timeline, past and present. Friends in the past are potentially enemies in the present
- Non-European inspired setting. (I think I remember the characters eating teff, so I think this is loosely inspired by a central African setting? I could be remembering it wrong.)
MY EMOTIONAL RESPONSE/FUN FACTOR
I had fun reading this, and I read it quickly. This book throws you right into the plot, with minimal exposition explaining worldbuilding. I enjoyed it as a relatively short pallet cleanser novel (432 pages or 13 hours audiobook) to read between bigger books. It was well written, it's prose lush, it was sharply paced, and the worldbuilding was enthralling.
If I were to make a complaint about this book, this felt like book 2 in a series. Specifically, we didn't get to know the characters like you usually do with book 1 in a series. I finished the book and the characters felt somewhat like strangers.
My favorite part of the book was the lived-in feeling of the setting and how the two timelines interacted with one another. In the past, Kai seems like a much more innocent person than he does in the present. In the past, we see the heroes interacting with one another as friends, but in the present the heroes treat one another with suspicion because they were betrayed by one of their number and they don't know who the betrayer is.
WARNING! QUIT READING NOW UNTIL YOU FINISH READING THE BOOK!
BIASES STATED
To put this review/study in proper context, you must know my starting point.
I've read a few of this author's books and stories before. I read book 1 of Raksura, and didn't love it. I read the first Murderbot book, and enjoyed it. I read some of the author's MtG IP fiction, and thought she did a fine job.
I also read a handful of reviews for 'Witch King', and I'm grateful that I did. I enjoyed this novel all the more because this book exceeded the expectations those reviews left me with. This was a good book after all.
SIMILAR BOOKS/OTHER BOOKS IN THE SERIES
- ‘Transformation’ by Carol Berg
- ‘Malazan: ‘The Gardens of the Moon” Book Review
- ‘The Curse of Chalion’ by Lois McMaster Bujold
CONCEPT AND EXECUTION
This book's concept was as a dual-timeline narrative, with the heroes in the past teaming up to defeat a great evil, while in the present they are at one another's throats. To summarize, the heroes defeated the Dark Lord(s) in the past timeline, and in the present timeline the heroes replaced the Dark Lord(s) and now squabble over the rubble of the Lord's kingdom. In the present, the book begins with Kai escaping a prison a past-friend trapped him in, and Kai has no idea which past-friend put him there. All he knows is that he's going to get revenge. This was a great concept.
This book was well executed upon, but it could have been better. I don't say this very often, but this book could have been a good 70~100 pages longer. I wanted to spend more time with these characters, I wanted to see more of the magic, I wanted to explore this world and it's civilizations more. I feel like the dual-timeline narrative resulted in us not having enough of either timeline. This is a good problem to have; it's usually good to leave the reader wanting more.
CHARACTERS, CHARACTERIZATION AND DIALOG
This is the weakest part of this story. As I said above, I finished this book and the protagonists were still basically strangers to me. This book was very plot-forward. We never saw the protagonists in contexts outside of moving the plot forward. This book was all business, no pleasure.
Everything the characters do was meant to advance the plot, and it gave both timelines a frenetic energy. But this fast pacing deprived the book of a slower, more nuanced characterization of the protagonists. I left this book understanding the events surrounding Kai, but not understanding who Kai is. Does he like tea? What's his favorite book? What's his favorite color? These questions are individually unimportant, but they hint at a greater truth; this book was stripped to the bone to provide a lean story without any 'fluff.' Consequently Kai, and everyone else, are somewhat enigmas. Some fluff is good!
To be clear, these aren't bad characters; I found Kai to be compelling. They just weren't developed here. I hope this book gets a sequel, I want to get more from this series.
PACING AND STRUCTURE
And this is arguably this book's strongest aspect. This book is FAST PACED. As stated, this book has frenetic energy. It's FAST PACED, and eminently readable. I found this book as easy to consume as crackers or candy or chocolate.
Structurally, here's a breakdown.
- With his family on the grasslands
- In captivity before the rebellion
- the rebellion
- Fleeing the palace of the hierarchs, and becoming fast friends
- Waking up in his tomb, and stealing a new body
- Freeing the whale and talking to grandma
- Stealing the boat, and speaking with the Blessed Immortal
- Returning to where he was held in captivity decades before
- Fight scenes with the conspiracy
- Returning to civilization, and finding the true traitor
On a chapter-by-chapter level, the author integrated the two timelines by going a chapter in the past, then the present, then the past again. This strategy worked, but I think it wasn't ideal. I felt a tiny bit of friction whenever the story alternated between chapters and timelines, between past and present. Whenever we change chapters/timelines, it took me a moment to remember what the plotline was in this different timeline. Having this source of friction happen at the beginning of every chapter wasn't a big deal, but it did hamper my suspension of disbelief somewhat.
I personally feel it would have been better if the story batched together several chapters in the past, then several chapters in the present, then back to the past. That would have relieved that narrative friction.
PLOT, STAKES AND TENSION
No spoilers about the plot. I thought the plot was very well done.
The stakes and tension worked REALLY WELL in the past. Kai was young and unskilled and innocent in the past, and he had a lot more to lose in the past. Due to his weakness and having so much to lose, the past felt much more serious and dangerous than the present. That's great stakes and tension. The stakes and tension in the present wasn't as well established as it was in the past.
AUTHORIAL VOICE (TONE, PROSE AND THEME)
I enjoyed the author's narrative voice. I like books which have a somewhat lush, descriptive style, focusing on the texture of life. For example, describing what a flower smells like, or what food tastes like. This book is such a story, describing everything from food to the art on the walls to people's clothing. Now that said, the lush style never delved into being purple.
The story's tone was serious, but never delved into being grimdark. The main bad guys uses death magic which kills a ton of people at a time, however that's the limit of it. There's no gore, or assault, or anything grim like that.
SETTING, WORLDBUILDING AND ORIGINALITY
The setting was lush, with multiple magic systems interacting with multiple cultures. The grasslands culture uses demons like Kai, there are witches who use elemental magics, the Immortal Blessed culture create magical artifacts, while the antagonist hierarchs use death magic. This was really good worldbuiling by the author, because it gave the different cultures a different texture for worldbuilding each; by getting to know the magic systems, you get to know the culture behind each one.
For example, the Blessed culture view themselves as pious and righteous due to the divine nature of their magic, but everyone else views their culture as pretentious and annoying due to how snooty their are. Another example would be demon magic; other cultures view the grassland culture as evil because they consort with demons, however the grassland culture view demons as something like Unseelie fairies- useful and dangerous, and you can marry them and form alliances with them.
Additionally, the setting isn't just a re-creation of earth. Some of the animals are NOT earth animals, like the massive wallwalkers who are domesticated beasts of burden (which sometimes eat people) or the Frankenstein-like ghoul creatures the blood magic sorcerers can create. And the characters wear non-earth clothing, like the veils the magic-user wear or the golden robes of the magically powerful hierarchs.
AUDIOBOOK NOTES
I listened to the audiobook, and it was great. The protagonist is the 'Witch King' mention in the title. I felt that the narrator did a good job of adding a bit of regal dignity to the narration. If this book sounds good to you, try out the audiobook, the narrator is Eric Mok.
LESSONS LEARNED
As an author, I want to improve my own writing/editing skills. To that end, I like to learn lessons from every story I read. Here's what I learned from this story:
- Link up your fantasy worldbuilding of magic with culture. For example, in this book the Immortal Blessed culture used divine magic to create magical artifacts. They view themselves as the natural rulers of the world, and consider themselves pious and just. Everyone else thinks of them as faux-rightous oppressors. This is GREAT worldbuilding, linking culture to magic to characters.
- This was a dual-timeline novel, and it divvied up the timeline by going chapter 1:present, then chapter 2: past, then 3:present, and so on/so forth. I think this strategy wasn't as good as bundling chapters into larger sections. For example, chapters 1 through 4: present, chapters 5 through 8:past, chapters 9 through 12: present.
Here's a link to all the lessons I've previously learned.
SUMMARY
This is a good story. I enjoyed it as a palate cleanser between larger novels. It has strong worldbuilding, pacing and plot. I thought the characters were pleasant to read, but a bit blank slates. I hope there's a series following this book, this setting and characters are interesting.
Did you like this critique/review? Here are some more: The Rest of My In Depth Reviews
On a personal note, I'm open to editing books. I don't like putting myself out here like this, but I've been told I should. Check my blog for details if interested.
From the breakout SFF superstar author of Murderbot comes a remarkable story of power and friendship, of trust and betrayal, and of the families we choose.
Throughout the narrative, Werner skillfully weaves various plotlines and perspectives, following different characters as they engage in their own struggles and quests. From noble warriors and cunning sorceresses to ancient beings and ravenous monsters, each character brings a unique voice and dimension to the story. As the tale progresses, readers are introduced to the Witch King's army, a fearsome host comprised of dark elves, their sinister allies, and grotesque creatures. These forces wage war against the realms of men, dwarves, and other races, leaving devastation and chaos in their wake. Amidst the battles and political machinations, Werner delves into themes of power, redemption, and the consequences of choice. The Witch King book explores the moral gray areas of its characters, blurring the line between hero and villain. It forces readers to question their perceptions and consider the motivations behind each character's actions. With vivid descriptions and engaging prose, Werner brings the world of Warhammer Fantasy Battle to life, immersing readers in its rich and complex tapestry. The Witch King book is a must-read for fans of dark fantasy, offering an enthralling glimpse into a world where magic and mayhem reign supreme. Overall, The Witch King book is a thrilling and engrossing tale that captivates readers from the very first page. With its intricate plotlines, dynamic characters, and epic battles, it is sure to satisfy fans of the fantasy genre and leave them eagerly anticipating the next installment in the series..
Reviews for "The Witch King Book: A Tale of Witchcraft and Rebellion"
1. Emma - 2/5
I was really excited to read "The Witch King" after hearing so much hype about it. However, I was sorely disappointed. The plot felt disjointed and confusing, with many loose ends left untied. The characters were flat and lacked development, making it difficult to connect with any of them. Additionally, the writing style was overly descriptive, dragging the story and making it feel dull. Overall, I found "The Witch King" to be underwhelming and not worth the hype.
2. James - 1/5
"The Witch King" was a complete letdown for me. The story had a promising premise, but it quickly became convoluted and hard to follow. I found myself constantly re-reading paragraphs to make sense of what was happening. The pacing was slow, and the action scenes were poorly executed. The characters lacked depth, and their motivations were unclear. I struggled to finish the book and was ultimately left unsatisfied. I cannot recommend "The Witch King" to anyone looking for a captivating fantasy read.
3. Sarah - 3/5
I had high hopes for "The Witch King" due to the intriguing synopsis, but unfortunately, it fell short of my expectations. While the world-building was decent and had some interesting elements, the overall execution of the story felt lackluster. The plot took too long to develop, and when it did, it felt rushed and lacking in depth. Moreover, the romance aspect felt forced and unnecessary, distracting from the main narrative. Although "The Witch King" had its moments, it failed to fully engage me or leave a lasting impression.
4. Thomas - 2/5
"The Witch King" had a lot of potential but ultimately failed to deliver. The characters lacked complexity and were difficult to connect with. The writing style was monotonous, lacking in descriptive language to truly bring the story to life. Additionally, the dialogue felt artificial and unrealistic, making it hard to believe in the interactions between the characters. I was left disappointed by "The Witch King" and would not recommend it to those seeking a captivating and well-crafted fantasy novel.