REVIEW: WITCH KING

Witch King, by Martha Wells, is a dark fantasy novel that follows Kaiisteron (Kai), the Witch King, as he wakes up in an underwater tomb after being murdered. After disposing of an ambitious expositer trying to take control of his powers, Kai has to solve the mystery of what happened to him and what has changed in the world during his absence.

I hadn't actually planned to read this book for a while because I still needed to read Wells' Murderbot series, but I was embarking on a 13 hour road trip (the longest I've ever driven) and wanted an audiobook to listen to while driving. As it so happens, Witch King was the perfect length and I listened to it during the whole drive and was pleasantly surprised by how it turned out. Kai is a powerful and witty character who strikes fear into the hearts of others, which makes his sudden assassination deeply unsettling and concerning. At the same time, Kai's struggle to reconcile the events of the world during his absence showcases the depth of the worldbuilding and the various factions at play.

Throughout this book, we also delve into Kai's past and walk through his life to learn more about the world and how we got to present-day Kai. These slow and thorough world/character examinations will probably make the book feel like its dragging to most readers, but I think it's perfect for fans of epic fantasy and deciphering the mystery of what happened to Kai and the world was my favorite part of the book. Another thing to note on that front is that this book feels like part of an epic fantasy series, but is technically a stand-alone novel; though the ending sets up nicely for a sequel. Notice that I said "part" of an epic fantasy series and not the beginning of one.

For me, the last third of the book was the weakest, and I think it's because there was so much that needed to be resolved but couldn't be due to the length restrictions of the book. It's not bad by any means but if you expect to get an answer to everything then you'll likely be disappointed. I fully admit though my feelings for the ending could be a result of listening to the book in nearly one sitting with few breaks, but I also think it's a testament to the book's quality and audio performance that I wanted to keep listening.

Regardless of any of that though, I will definitely return to book 2 when it releases and am eagerly looking forward to that day, as well as future Martha Wells' books. If I had to rate this book out of 10, I'd give it a "masterclass in worldbuilding and suspense that keeps you interested and engaged" out of 10.

There are few moments in books where I burst out laughing but Sanja's delivery in the audiobook was amazing. Happy reading!

- Kennan Hodovic