DNF @ End of chapter 7, page 161
on July 7, 2023

I started out by listening to the audiobook and that may have been my downfall. All the unfamiliar places/names threw me for a loop and I just couldn't keep up. The narrator was wonderful, I enjoyed his voice a lot! But I had no idea what was actually happening in the book. 161 pages in and I could not tell you a single thing of this plot.

There were chapters told in the present and some in the past - sometimes it takes me a bit to get into stories like that. (Nevernight by Jay Kristoff, for example. I was confused until something clicked and then I loved it! I was reallyyyy hoping that would happen with this book but I've read enough to call it quits.)

I've heard so many good things about Martha Wells though, I will certainly be giving her Murderbots series a try one day!

Witch King. Wow.

Martha Wells is the absolute Queen Bee of fantastical world-building.

Her MurderBot is probably my favourite SciFi series ever.

This one was fantasy vs SciFi, but Wells does nothing half-assed.

This book WAS A LOT.

A lot of world building.
A lot of characters.
A lot of politics.
A lot of history.
A LOT OF EXPOSITION.

Thank goodness for the Character Index, or it would have been easy to get lost.

If you like getting totally immersed in a world to the point you don't know past from present, good from bad, or up from down, THIS IS THE BOOK FOR YOU.

Eric Mok is an excellent narrator, but in this case, I felt his voice was a bit too soothing. There were scenes that needed a bit more depth of emotion. Otherwise, love the voice!

I loved the Murderbot books and was excited to dive into Martha Wells’ latest release, Witch King. It’s fantasy rather than sci-fi but I like both genres so my hopes were high.

The first problem was that the book starts with a “dramatis personae” – ie a cast list. It is long. Many of the names are complicated “fantasy names”; some of them are very similar and, there was just no way I was going to remember almost any of them. The cast list describes who they are, their race and/or role and where they might fit into the story. Or, at least, I expect that’s what the intention was. It’s completely useless on audio.

In a print book, one can go back and forth from the story to the front matter to refresh one’s memory about who is who. In an ebook, it’s harder but possible. (I think it would be annoying though.) On audio it’s just not an option.

Consequently, I started the book with only the blurb to help me. There is no explaining – I was just plunged into an entirely different world with many characters, most of whom I could not place. And, apart from about five or six of them, when they came up again, I couldn’t remember exactly who they were. I made it about a third of the way into the book but really at that point I was so lost and I had no real hope of ever being found. It’s not enjoyable to spend hours listening to something where my prevailing thoughts were “who is that?” and “what is happening?”. Most of the time, I could not answer those questions.

Added to that, the narration was unevenly paced with some parts being at a good speed and others being way too fast. It meant I couldn’t slow the entire listen to fix the problem. Mr. Mok had little differentiation between characters of different genders and that made it even harder to work out who was who. After a third of the story I really didn’t know all that much more about the world or the story than I had from the blurb.

Possibly Witch King is a great book. But it’s best read in print I believe. Maybe once a listener is familiar with the story and the cast (ie having read the book already) the listening experience would be entertaining. But for me, it was not.

I’m sorry to say Witch King was a DNF for me.

This was my first title from Martha Wells, and I absolutely loved it. The story world building, and characters were so dense that you really felt a part of this world. This truly felt like a great band of adventurers, very reminiscent of dungeons and dragons type vibe. . Definitely fell in love with this world and story and especially the characters. I love a good found family trope book. Thank you net, Galley and Macmillan audio for this early copy and I am very excited to see what Martha does next!

I was told to not expect Murder Bot when picking up this book. After reading Witch King, I can somewhat agree with that sentiment. There is one thing that consistent between these "books" (I know M-bot is a series), Martha Wells finds a way to create completely loveable characters. It's found family!!!!

The premise and magic in this book is incredibly unique. We follow Kai is a demon prince, who can inhabit mortal bodies, in two timelines the past and the future. The past we see how Kai got his name the Witch King. The future were is awoken after being betrayed and no idea who did it.

Warning you will be thrown into this world and it does take a minute to figure out what is going on. This was an enjoyable read for me.

*This is ONLY a review of the audiobook and not the actual content of this novel, as such the rating is not for the quality of the content and will not be posted to goodreads.*
So I made it 46% of the way through this audiobook and I can't, for the life of me, figure out what is happening. I know this is a book I could really love since the writing is deep and immaculate but the audiobook has something lacking as far as understanding timeline shifts and settings. I'm thankful to TOR to also have an ARC of the e-book so I'm going to try that in order to give an actual review on the book. I want to love this so bad and I felt like the audiobook was the only was to trick my brain into not being scared of this chunky title but....maybe the chipmunks in my brain have just taken a break. On to the e-book I go!

I was excited when I was approved for Martha Wells's new book (fantasy). I have read her Muderbot Diaries series (science fiction). I gave this book 3.5 stars. It started with a lot of characters. I almost had a hard time wanting to finish the book, but I did.

This is unlike anything I’ve read from Martha Wells before. This is by no means a quick read as it’s filled with betrayal, political intrigue, and time jumps from present to past that (for me at least) can be a little over whelming. These flashback help build the world to piece together the current state of the stories affairs and how they ended up in their current predicament.

This felt like a high fantasy novel. The magic system has strict laws on how it’s operated, a unique language between witches, diverse cast of characters and cultures, and excellent representation. The world is beautiful and Wells does a fantastic job out laying and bringing this world into vibrant visuals. I loved listening to this story and it was certainly a had me captivated.

Review for the AUDIOBOOK version of Witch King.

I'd like to start this review by saying I'm a fan of Martha Wells. Some of my favorite books/novellas are the Murderbot books. I've read each one twice, recommended the books to others, and am an unabashed fan. Imagine my excitement when I was approved by Netgalley to listen to the audiobook version of Witch King!

Unfortunately, this book is not listenable. I have the digital book on hold at the library, and I promise to try again with the digital version. However, I cannot recommend the audiobook version.

The audiobook starts off with a list of character names that go on forever. I did myself a favor and found the character list online and printed them out to use for reference so I could skip this part. Problem solved, right? Wrong.

The audiobook is narrated by Eric Mok. This is my first time hearing this narrator. Eric has a beautiful accent that I did enjoy. I didn't have a problem with Eric's voice. I think it had something to do with the sound production. The audio wasn't crisp. It was... soft? I'm sure there are technical terms I'm not aware of to describe this. The audio was soft. I thought I could correct it by turning up the volume, but it wasn't a matter of volume.

I attempted multiple times to listen to this audiobook and had to give up. It simply is not listenable. The combination of the story, the muffled sound, and the voice quality of the actor didn't combine to create an enjoyable listening experience.

I'd like to thank Tor and Netgalley for the audiobook version of this book in return for my honest review. As a Martha Wells fan, I do plan to read this book in another format in the near future and provide a separate review.

DNF at 12%. There was so much info dump that I have no clue who anyone is and what is even happening.

*3.5 stars*

This took a while to get into but I think it was worth it in the end. This was a really interesting stand alone high fantasy book. I enjoyed the world building and political intrigue. I loved the found family aspect, and Kai as a character.

This was a little chaotic and not necessarily in a good way. A lot of books I love just throw you into the world without any info dumping, and while Witch King certainly does that I’m not sure it does it well. The world you’re thrown into is very elaborate and there are so many characters that are hard to keep track of. The magic systems are not explained well, leaving you guessing how the world works. I felt that the pacing was off between the past and present story lines which made it hard to feel the urgency in the flashbacks and made the present feel slow. If you like slow political intrigue with found family I think you might like this.

The audio narration was good, but as an audiobook no being able to see names spelled out made things more confusing.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ALC of this work. All opinions in this review are my own.

I really tried since the narration is decent enough, but I think this has broken my brain?? I can’t finish it I’ll stick to Murderbot…

Thank you for the advance reader copy via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

Wells returns to fantasy with this story of a demon prince (aka witch king) that unfolds across two timelines: during a rebellion against the genocidal Heirarchs and long after, when some things have gone well and others haven’t. There was a lot to process—humans, witches, demons, Immortal Blessed, their constructs, and the Heirarchs were the key players, with lots of palace intrigue as well as fighting. I know it’s reasonable to fear descending into caricature when the market really likes one of your projects, but I confess I want more Murderbot instead.

Oh my soul is broken. Okay it wasn’t that bad, it’s like a 2.5 out of 5 stars for me. Like there's a morsel of enjoyment there, kinda. I just found this book to be as dry as the Sahara desert. The story itself was the best part. So Two different timelines, one at the height of the main character's power and then another, set after his betrayal by an unknown ally. but the way it was written, I don’t know, I couldn’t enjoy it at it’s max. This book reminds me why I really hated The Ruin of Kings by Jenn Lyons because there's also a double timeline here moving back and forth between past and present, which only adds another level of confusion and no, it’s not like I can’t read double timelines, but it has to be coherent and it didn’t feel like that here. I had problems remembering and deciphering between characters, locations, lore. The names never stuck and I read the opening introduction multiple times. For all the time that I'd spent reading this whole book with these characters, I had no idea what they were going to do what to think of there choices because I didn't feel I had a good grasp on the world at all, or whether they were still in danger, or...anything. I was left pretty confused by this book, wondering what I was supposed to get out of it. Yeah, maybe martha wells is too smart for the world because it felt like I read a book that was written by an ancient alien language and then transcoded into English..
Audiobook performance wise: 5 STARS

I approached "Witch King" with high expectations, drawn by the intriguing premise and the fact that Martha Wells, whose previous works I've enjoyed, was returning to the fantasy genre. However, after reading the book, I'm left feeling rather disappointed and underwhelmed.

While the concept of a demon prince with the ability to inhabit deceased bodies held promise, the execution fell flat. The alternating timelines, meant to add depth and mystery, only served to confuse and frustrate me as a reader. The convoluted plot, which I can appreciate if backed by engaging characters, failed to connect with me emotionally. Kai, the protagonist, lacked the depth and charisma necessary to truly invest in his journey. I struggled to feel any attachment or care for him as a character.

One aspect that particularly let me down was the writing style. Martha Wells' prose, which had previously captivated me in her other works, felt surprisingly dry and devoid of charm. The storytelling lacked the vivacity and spark that I had come to expect. Coupled with poor pacing, the reading experience became tedious, and I frequently found myself losing interest and struggling to maintain focus.

The world-building, while holding potential, felt muted and unrealized. I longed for a deeper exploration of the secondary world, its intricacies, and its impact on the characters and their motivations. Instead, I was left with more questions than answers, which left me unsatisfied.

Even the supporting cast of characters failed to make a lasting impression. The large ensemble felt overwhelming and lacked the development needed to evoke genuine interest. I struggled to form connections with them, and their individual quests and motivations often felt overshadowed and disconnected from the main narrative.

In conclusion, "Witch King" didn't live up to my expectations. Despite an interesting premise, the book lacked the charm, emotional depth, and engaging storytelling I had hoped for. The dry writing style, confusing plot structure, and underdeveloped characters made it a challenging read that left me feeling indifferent. As a fan of Martha Wells, it pains me to say that I cannot recommend this particular work. I suggest exploring her other, more captivating novels instead.

DNF at 36%. I’m so bored. So, so bored. I don’t care about any of the characters and the brick wall that is the writing is too dense to comprehend who’s even speaking half of the time.

Wonderful fantasy from a favorite author of mine. The narrator was a perfect match for this and I will definitely be able to recommend this to a wide variety of readers.

I absolutely adore the Murderbot books, so was very excited to read Martha Wells newest book.
And while I loved Kai, I found Witch King a little confusing to listen to via audiobook. I'm no stranger to reading/listening to books with multiple timelines, but there was so much going on and so much jumping about that I found it difficult to follow at times.
That being said, there was a lot I enjoyed about this, enough that I will give it another try in print form. Kai was a delightfully complex and clever character and Wells created an interesting, new world for Kai to exist in.
.

Thank you to Martha Wells (author), Eric Mok (narrator), Macmillan, Macmillan Audio, and Netgalley, for a free advanced reader copy of "Witch King" for an honest review.

I came to the worlds of Martha Wells, like many in the last few years, through the Murderbot Series, so I absolutely could not resist when I saw that she was putting out a fantasy book. I was even more moved when I found out, during my listen, that this book was the product of her COVID time seclusion and the Murderbot Series needing a breaking, and on the other side of this generous, magical, sprawling tale, I am absolutely glad she followed the muse and did it.

I am in love with these new characters, and over the moon that the people we know in the "now" who are family (siblings, dearest friends, married, etc) all started out as erstwhile companions as the best and enemies at the worst. The storyline is so compelling, how everyone is drawn together while we're solving mysteries about what is happening in the past and what happened between the past and the present timeline.

I am dying to see where things might go from here, and hope there will be much more in this world, with these characters.

Possible Triggers:
Death | Fear of water

Positives:
+ Such cool magics! Yes you read that right, MAGICS, as in more than one. I love when there are multiple different magic systems with clearly defined rules and limitations. Really enjoyed how we learned about them as well. There are also nifty items in this book that did magical things as well, which is always also a benefit.
+ Loved the unique world and creatures of this story.
+ The love between the characters is so evident. How they care about each other in various ways.

Final Thoughts:
I want to preface this review with a thing I have seen in SO MANY other reviews…this book is NOT like the books in the Murderbot series. This is an ENTIRELY different freaking genre. So if you are reading this book because you are looking for the same tone as that series, you are coming at it entirely the wrong way.

I really enjoyed this audiobook. The narrator they chose to read the story read it with such gravitas and his voice was absolutely lovely. Martha Wells freaking did it again by making you really care about the characters in this story. Even when you aren't sure what exactly is happening and the history of what went down is going on, you WANT the characters to succeed; you hurt when they hurt. If you like reading interesting fantasy worlds with really strong connections between the characters that only deepen as the story goes on. I very much recommend this book.