So, this is like, fun. It reads like teen fanfiction, kind of, and I really really enjoyed when the author acknowledges harmful fantasy tropes like "darkness = evil", etc, and I really enjoyed all the trans rep, etc. But I think prose-wise, it was pretty average, and the plot moved in a strange way for me: much too fast, and not giving enough time with our characters. So, this is cute and short and bucks traditional fantasy notions in important ways, but also, just fine otherwise.

This is a delightful take on urban fantasy with an LGBTQ+ twist. It was equal parts funny, sad, and magical.

I didn’t know how much I needed this book until I read it. The Witch King features highly relatable queer and trans characters fighting to save their world and a very lovely friends-to-enemies-to-lovers romance. And it is a hilarious book.

Unfortunately, I am just not as into the fae as everyone else it seems. I keep picking up books in this fantasy subgenre, but I don't get into them like I want to. The representation and inner dialogue were great in this one which kept me reading anyway. The lack of connection was more on my end.

A thrilling and engaging story filled with captivating characters, The Witch King is an incredible queer fantasy that will captivate readers.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read and review this title. All opinions and mistakes are my own.

This book has a lot of triggers and gore, so I just hope readers are aware of them going in.
Now,
I felt like this was so close,
It could have been so very good.
I loved the characters, they were fantastic, and the diversity within this one kept me going long after I felt I could've stopped.
There was a lot going on, and I felt like some plot points could've used more action, like the witches, I really wanted to delve into that.
Overall, I thought there was no true maturity in the characters, they all just really wanted what they want.
I loved the premise of the book, and a trans character? yes please, but it just needed a little oomph

In the world of Asalin, witches are subjects to the Fae rule. Wyatt is a witch who ran away from Asalin. He was betrothed to the fae prince Emyr. When Emyr hunts Wyatt down in the human world, Wyatt has no chose but return with him.
This had a lot of great world building, drama, and queer rep.

Star Rating: —> 5 Stars

First of all, I am so incredibly impressed with H.E. Edgmon; They are certain to be a force to be reckoned with in the YA stratosphere after this amazingly fantastical YA queer fantasy DEBUT ! YES. THIS WAS A DEBUT. Can you believe it?! Because you could've fooled me!

Honestly, this book was JUSTTTTT... utter, & complete perfection. The fantasical as hell, dark fantasy, 'portal writing' style atmosphere was just SO perfectly crafted.
The LGBTQIA+ representation & how it was presented really just blew me away.
The world building blew me away.
The character development blew me away.
The PLOT blew me away.
The humor had me doubled OVER!
The romance was perfect!
Having a gay trans WITCH as the main character was just UTTER PERFECTION in and of itself. PURE Brilliance, especially because the MC, Wyatt, is one trans witch you most definitely have NOT met before. This book is so incredibly original, it is just brilliant!

In fact, EVERYTHING about The Witch King blew me away. The fact that LGBTQIA+ representation was so very present and never looked at as something 'other,' but instead, completely normal is exactly the type of rep I love to read, & many authors have TRIED to write a world where this seems truly natural, but few have succeeded in the way that Edgmon has! They have expertly crafted an environment where sexual & gender identity are simply that & readers of all identities will feel at home within this, again, *DEBUT* & I feel that this book is one that so many people absolutely NEED to read, for this reason (amongst just about a million others 😉).

Also... SLOW BURN HEAVEN! The romance in this didn't take away from the meaningful plot at ALL, only added to it. I was so impressed with the way the author wove all the different plot points & elements together... I mean the prose was just so READABLE ! No purple prose or unnecessary wordiness here! Instead, straightforward, addictive, beautifully layered writing! The author did a wonderful job keeping a dark atmosphere, discussing serious & difficult topics, all while somehow keeping the vibe completely light & hilariously hilarious! There were so many actual laugh out LOUD moments— the humor & snark of this book really were SO VERY ON POINT & just my kind of thing ! It made this book all the more addicting! I couldn't help but read it all in one sitting! Ahhhh.😍😍😍

I LOVED THIS SO MUCH! Seriously, I 100% recommend ! A must read.

I am SO HAPPY ABOUT THIS GRUMPY GAY TRANS REP!!! I saw so much of myself in Wyatt, I loved the relationship dynamics and the urban integration of such a high-fantasy concept. The conversations around loving your body regardless of being trans was so impactful. This book is essential to my own queer temporality and self acceptance and love. So much appreciation to HE Edgmon.

What do you get when you want a YA fantasy with hidden societies and good LGBT representation? This book, The Witch King.

Hearing about this book for months and finally getting a chance to read it made my year. Just as I felt about Cemetery Boys, this book represents an entire group of readers who can read about characters and teens with similar likenesses in the LGBT community. Instead of focusing on Wyatt’s former identity as significant, the author and story see it as a time of misidentification and misery. The continued use of Wyatt’s chosen name and pronouns by those he loves, including those from his past, endorses the correct idea of self-identity and self-esteem in moving forward with acceptance. Oh, and the witches were pretty awesome too!

I had a hard time getting into this book, mostly because I can’t relate to the main character. I did appreciate the emphasis on how they were feeling through the struggles of acceptance with the community and people around them. Overall it was an interesting read with some great aspects, but there were a few parts that felt choppy. Would love to see more fantasy novels with trans rep, and loved how this one brought that!

While this story has great points; we have transgender representation, non-binary folks, it discusses classism, racism, sexism and relationships that are both healthy and others that are not.

Happy that there was strong support for Wyatt, and anytime Transphobia or deadnaming occurred, it was shut down fast. However, the fantasy plot wasn't strong, and no matter how much I loved the mix of magic and technology and progressive thinking that FINALLY happened in a fairy world book, the plot was weak. It was a struggle to get through or enjoy, and I feel I would have loved it more if tweaked or if it had been more magical or even a different genre.

While my rating is 3 stars, this book is still something I would recommend because the characters and the topics discussed and covered were extensive. However, I don't believe I was the best audience for this.

My Thoughts:

From the Pride Month TBR list, this novel combines LGBTQIA characters with fantasy (fae and wtiches) as well as social justice issues.

I have noticed that BIPOC and AAPI YA novels have started to shift in content and context. For example, instead of being about culture and the challenges of culture or the stereotypes based on culture (urban black youth in the inner city battling gangs, drugs, cops, for example), the new BIPOC and AAPI books either play with other types of genre or context, or the content is not centered on culture. For example, being Asian and dating a non-Asian is not the center of the novel's conflict.

The Witch King, by switching to fantasy and fae culture is also able to acknowledge the trauma of queer youth when they are not accepted by their own parents and community, but the author actually focuses on Wyatt being a witch in a family of fae as the major issue rather than being trans. In fact, once Wyatt returns to Asalin, he sees that not only is the prince, his fiancee not fazed by his identity but that the issue has nothing to do with Wyatt being trans at all (again, it is the witch thing).

Finally, since I do not want to give too much away, like all good YA fantasy novels, it ends before you are ready.

This is a YA, maybe 9th grade, based on the book I just reviewed on Growing Up Trans, trans youth identify earlier than 9th grade, so some issues to acknowledge if book talking this to younger middles: some violence, abuse, and assault, murder by magic and fire, heavy making out, but no explicit sex. I think when teachers read the books themselves, then they can make the decision on who to book talk this book to. It really is not about the presence or absence of any of these things, but really about whether the abuse is gratuitous or not. In this case, it is not. For example, when Wyatt's sister Tessa is able to acknowledge the abuse of his parents toward him as a witch born of fae parents, and how she was complacent in not standing up for him, the abuse is used as a way to heal for both of them. If people do not read something because it has sexual assault and physical abuse, then they miss the opportunity to see the characters grow.

From the Publisher:
To save a fae kingdom, a trans witch must face his traumatic past and the royal fiancé he left behind. This debut YA fantasy will leave you spellbound.

Wyatt would give anything to forget where he came from—but a kingdom demands its king.

In Asalin, fae rule and witches like Wyatt Croft…don’t. Wyatt’s betrothal to his best friend, fae prince Emyr North, was supposed to change that. But when Wyatt lost control of his magic one devastating night, he fled to the human world.

Now a coldly distant Emyr has hunted him down. Despite transgender Wyatt’s newfound identity and troubling past, Emyr has no intention of dissolving their engagement. In fact, he claims they must marry now or risk losing the throne. Jaded, Wyatt strikes a deal with the enemy, hoping to escape Asalin forever. But as he gets to know Emyr, Wyatt realizes the boy he once loved may still exist. And as the witches face worsening conditions, he must decide once and for all what’s more important—his people or his freedom.

End up not finishing this title, I really didn't like the main character. I also didn't particularly enjoy the writing style of the book. I did like the idea of the story though.

Wyatt, an angry transmasc teen witch escapes from his former life as the promised bride of a Fairy prince and finds a new family in the human world - until aforementioned prince shows up at his new home, gets skewered by some garden shears, and takes our furious protagonist back to Fairy. There are a few complications in this plan, beginning with the fact that Wyatt left the place in flames when he escaped, and his utter distaste for all things magical results in being embroiled in a scheme or two.

This book was absolutely amazing and I can't recommend it enough. Angry trans guy, arranged marriage trope (that somehow manages to not be transphobic), found family, and arson. What more could you want?

I'm not sure why I struggled with this read so much when everything was right up my alley, but I didn't get pulled in though it was an easy read. Loved the characters and explanations of different pronouns, some beautifully imagined creatures and clothes and a great story and setup for future books.

I loved this as a YA fantasy, and I loved how much it demonstrated queer community, and how queer and trans folks should be able to exist without that being the defining feature of how people perceive them. Great little story, like-able characters, and hate-able villains. Great explorations of racism/classism as well. I particularly liked that even people who HATED a trans character only misgendered them once, and when corrected, the person immediately corrected their pronoun and continued with the conversation.

This is an amazing book with rich worldbuilding and even more well-developed characters. It's also a book keenly invested in found family, anti-fascism, and the crucial power of trans rage, which seem like such important themes to focus on, particularly for young readers (though really for anyone). It definitely covers some heavier topics in the midst of the fae fantasy and romance, but the author provides a wonderfully thorough content warning/note at the beginning.

A modern witch tale that was interesting to me, even as an adult reader. The cast of characters were nuanced and real, even among the other worldly plot. I'm interested in checking out the audiobook as well. It is available through our library's Hoopla subscription. Great, fun modern fantasy read.

An escaped witch frees himself from the fae kingdom. Wyatt was engaged to marry the fae prince by his folks as he was supposedly good for having children with the prince due to Wyatt’s potential. Prince Emyr is a black Fae with healing powers finds Wyatt in the human world and reminds him of his duty that the blood life or death contract. Wyatt left the fae of Asalin as they abuse and abandon witches, children born without horns or wings or limited magic. Prince Emyr and Wyatt were best friends when they were younger. Prince Emyr demands that Wyatt to come back to stop a revolt. Wyatt wants to run away but is confused about his unresolved feelings and about the revolution. Will he go back with Prince Emyr? Wyatt does go with Prince Emyr and marries him and secures the throne. There is much more happening but I don’t want to ruin the story.

It’s a story to read and enjoy. The author has written queerness into this fairy romance. The main characters Wyatt and Prince Emyr have an interesting relationship. It fascinated me. There are some serious and complex issues such as healing from trauma and gendered expectations introduced in the story besides others.