"No Witchcraft for Sale" is a short story written by Doris Lessing. The story revolves around the relationship between a young white boy named Teddy and his African servant, Gideon. Gideon possesses knowledge of traditional African healing methods, including the use of a rare plant called the gekkoi. The story explores themes of cultural differences, racism, and the power dynamics between colonizers and the colonized. Throughout the story, there are several notable quotes that highlight these themes. One such quote is when Teddy's parents, the Wilsons, discuss Gideon's knowledge of the gekkoi plant.
All her life Kyr has trained for the day she can avenge the murder of planet Earth. Raised in the bowels of Gaea Station alongside the last scraps of humanity, s… More
She has been summoned back to the Imperial and religious center of the land by the request of the Celestial One to help regarding a problem with the Hundred Year Rite, in which the Wheel of the Infinite recreates the world. A feminist Guardians of the Galaxy a smart, swashbuckling, wildly imaginative adventure of a rag-tag team of brilliant misfits, dangerous renegades, and enhanced outlaws in a war-torn future.
One such quote is when Teddy's parents, the Wilsons, discuss Gideon's knowledge of the gekkoi plant. Mrs. Wilson says, "I wish we could get Gideon to tell us how to find it.
Review of Witch King by Martha Wells: I never read The Murderbot Diaries and, after reading the Witch King, I probably never will
I never read The Murderbot Diaries and, after reading the Witch King, I probably never will.
The book opens with Kaiisteron, Prince of the Fourth House of the underearth (aka Witch King) waking up as a spirit around a year after his latest mortal body has been assassinated. After finding a new mortal body, Kai must find out who betrayed him and his friends, and what happened during the time he was unconscious.
Now, some books are really good at dropping you off in the middle of the action and letting you piece together what’s going on along the way. A good example of this would be Glen Cook’s Black Company or its successor, the Malazan Book of the Fallen by Steven Erikson.
If we were to say that such stories hit the ground running, then, by comparison, what Witch King does is hit the ground and—after taking a minute to take in its surroundings—decide that maybe staying down here isn’t such a bad idea after all.
Let me demonstrate the trajectory of my enthusiasm for this book:
When Tor first announced that Martha Wells was going to publish a new fantasy novel, I was instantly hooked. And for all good reasons: the Murderbot series has a lot of fans who swear by it; good fantasy standalones are rare yet very rewarding; the book is called Witch King and the cover art by Cynthia Sheppard is really amazing. All in all, it seemed like it could be a great entry point for me to start enjoying Martha Wells’ work.
So I asked Tor to send me a review copy and—after some minor complications—I finally received it early this January (thank you for that, Tor!). I was reading the Black Company at the time and I quickly finished it, excited to dive right into the Witch King. Except I didn’t dive in.
Excruciatingly. And frustratingly. Slowly.
To read the Witch King is to test how much one is willing to put up with. And after reading a good chunk of it, I decided that not a single thing about this book is worth giving it any more of my time. You may have noticed that I haven’t told you a single thing about the plot beyond the book’s opening. That is because, after reading for a good while, there isn’t one concrete thing I can tell you about it. It seems to me that the writing is purposefully vague and obfuscating to the point of it being legitimately frustrating.
The book seems to be made up entirely out of placeholder text, like the first draft of a writer who doesn’t have the faintest idea of the direction they want for their story. And as such, it is impossible for me to immerse myself in it and to feel grounded. The fact that my early review copy doesn’t have a map in it didn’t help either (although even after seeing the map, I am surprised by how vague it manages to be; kudos for sticking to the theme!).
Yes, sure, there are characters in Witch King. And they are moving from one place to another and there are some descriptions of what those places look like (though not enough to ground you in the world of course) and what the characters are doing. But they’re not really doing anything.
Now, there are a ton of other things that I could talk about here like:
- the fact that there is a huge dramatis personae at the beginning of the book where half the characters have these long dramatic titles and it is completely useless;
- the fact that really simple things like a period of half a year is called half a season round (Really?? Things like this only serve to pull readers out of the story with how stupid they sound.);
- why would you give your protagonist a dramatic name like Kaiisteron if everyone is just going to refer to him by a cutesy name like Kai?
- why would you call your main character a demon and give him the title of Witch King if you’re just gonna pull back and say that those things don’t really have negative connotations in your world?
- why oh why call it underearth when you can simply call it underworld?
- and a myriad of other things.
…but what would be the point of that?
I just don’t think it’s worth it.
Finally, when I got too fed up to continue reading, I jumped to Goodreads to see what other people thought about it (seldom a good idea). I really wanted to see if there were any like-minded people who powered through and found that the book has redeeming qualities that made it worth reading. But unfortunately, I found several people who mentioned that the problems I encountered persist throughout the book. It was at this point that I knew that deciding not to finish the book was the right decision.
All in all, I’m really thankful for the early review copy of the Witch King, as this way, I didn’t have to spend my own money on a book that is a complete waste of time.
Witch King by Martha Wells is expected to be published on May 30, 2023, and if you were thinking of getting it yourself, hopefully, this review has persuaded you to find a better way to spend your money.
EDIT: just wanted to clarify a few things really quickly. Someone asked how much did I read before deciding to DNF. I read about a third of the book. Some people think that the fact that I didn't finish it makes my opinion not valid, and to that I say, if I stopped watching a movie or a TV show because I was bored out of my mind, I would still share that information with someone asking about said movie or a TV show. I presented criticism and reasons for why I thought that the book was not worth reading. You still can read it though. It comes out on May 30, check it out, I hope you like it. If you read it, let me know, I'm curious to hear about it. Another thing is that people really don't like the first line where I mentioned that I will not read Murderbot. There's a couple of things I want to note here. While this was intended to be a controversial sentence that will hook you in and make you interested in reading the review, it is not disrespectful of the Murderbot. I never mentioned that Murderbot was bad. It's simply the fact that Martha Wells is immensely liked and popular due to it, and this book really didn't turn out well. Additionally, someone mentioned that the review was good but that I should've ommited that line because it's disrespectful. But my point is this: This was a standalone that could well have served to introduce someone to Martha Wells' writing and make them want to read more of her stuff. Based on this experience alone, I would never read Murderbot. Now there are a lot of comments saying that Murderbot is awesome and people are also saying that her stuff is hit or miss, so I understand that the series might still be worth checking out. Finally, while I'm glad reading my review got you to feel something, I'm not thrilled that those emotions are negative. Cheers!
He keeps saying it's in the bush, but we can't persuade him to show us." This quote demonstrates the Wilsons' curiosity and desire to learn about African traditions. However, it also reflects their lack of respect for Gideon's knowledge by insisting that he reveal his secret without considering his cultural beliefs. Another significant quote in the story occurs when the Wilsons' daughter, Susan, falls ill with a venomous snakebite. Gideon immediately fetches the gekkoi plant and treats her. Teddy's father exclaims, "It's lucky for Susan you knew what to do, Gideon. You saved her life." This quote exposes the inherent power dynamics between colonizers and the colonized. While Gideon possesses valuable knowledge and skills, he is still seen as subservient to the Wilsons. His worth is only recognized when it serves their needs. Towards the end of the story, Teddy pleads with Gideon to reveal the secret of the gekkoi plant so they can use it to create a cure for various diseases. Gideon solemnly responds, "No, little bwana. No white man can know." This quote signifies the boundary between the colonizers and the colonized. Gideon understands the potential consequences of sharing his knowledge with the white people who have oppressed his culture. He recognizes that preserving his traditions and secrets is a form of resistance against the erasure of his identity. In conclusion, "No Witchcraft for Sale" presents a thought-provoking exploration of cultural differences, racism, and power dynamics. The quotes highlighted in this note demonstrate the complex relationships between the colonizers and the colonized, as well as the importance of respecting and valuing diverse knowledge and traditions..
Reviews for "Quotes from 'No Witchcraft for Sale': Delving into the Themes of Belonging and Exclusion"
1. Sarah - 2/5 stars - I was really excited to read "No Witchcraft for Sale" based on the positive reviews, but I was quite disappointed with the book. The writing felt slow-paced and the plot lacked depth. I couldn't connect with the characters and found them to be one-dimensional. Overall, the book just didn't captivate me and I struggled to finish it.
2. John - 1/5 stars - I found "No Witchcraft for Sale" to be incredibly boring and uneventful. The story lacked excitement and the conflicts introduced were quickly resolved without much impact. Additionally, the dialogue felt forced and unnatural. It seemed like the author had a great concept but failed to execute it effectively. I wouldn't recommend this book to anyone looking for an engaging read.
3. Emily - 2/5 stars - I had high hopes for "No Witchcraft for Sale" as it was recommended to me by a friend. However, I found the writing style to be dull and monotonous. The characters lacked depth and I couldn't connect with any of them. The plot seemed predictable and the resolution felt rushed. Overall, it was a lackluster read that didn't live up to its potential.