This was...this was a mess. Lots of potential, big ideas, fantastic characters, rousing social justice and equity themes with fabulous parallels to today, and yet, it failed to really land or come together.

It felt like too much was trying to be stuffed in all that once (ironic in a book this size), and like nothing really happened? Wyatt was a catalyst, for sure (and had a lot of stuff to work through/learn to cope with), but without him, everything would pretty much have happened as it did without him (minus a couple plot points). In a way, it was nice to see plots revolving around a main character who is constantly in react mode, but in another, I just got tired of the angst between Wyatt and Emyr. There was so much other stuff I wanted to read about—the witches, dammit, I wanted more witches!!—and instead it was Wyatt and Emyr and their boring-ass not-a-relationship.

But mainly, I was frustrated by every small female fae "shrugging one delicate shoulder," particularly during a mustache-twirling monologue that felt both unnecessary and out of the blue, like after 400+ pages this was rushing towards an ending.

Anywho, I'm disappointed. I really, really wanted to love this one. It was entertaining and a fantastic representation of trans anger and trans joy, but I felt it needed some seriously pruning and tighter plotting.

I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review

Here’s the thing: this is a novel that is HEAVILY steeped in trauma.

And I’m of two minds about that. On one hand, obviously trauma narratives need to exist, and they provide deeply necessary catharsis to many readers. Especially those who need to see stories of trauma ultimately end happily for protagonists they relate to!

On the other hand, I completely hated the experience of reading this.

The seemingly endless parade of pain, the extreme self-loathing of the protagonist, the constant threat of sexual violence, the homophobia and transphobia and misogyny coming from every direction - it’s an “issue novel” times ten, in a lot of ways, and I just hated it.

I think this is a valuable story. I just also think that I - personally, as a queer person - need my queer novels to get to their happy ending without beating the shit out of me first. And to be fair, the author’s note did indeed warn me that might be the case!

(Also, that last minute abolish-the-monarchy turn around, after spending the whole book fighting for a good king, felt like it came out of left field? Like, I don’t disagree with the sentiment, monarchies are notoriously corrupt, but it wasn’t an organic fit for this story. But that is neither here nor there!)

This was another 2021 release that I was really excited for. As a transmasc person who love fae fantasies and witchy vibes, this seemed to be the perfect book. The book wasn't too hard to get through, however the pacing was slow and disjointed for a good 75% of the novel. Even the blurb of the book is misleading, for Wyatt does make a deal with the enemy but then nothing actually comes of it. Plot? What plot? My favorite parts of the book, the relationship between Wyatt and Emyr, as well as the characters of Emyr and Briar themselves, were the only things holding this book at a 3 star for me. And all of their development happened in the last 20% of the book unfortunately. The book was an average read and I wish I enjoyed it more than I did. I think I will still give the sequel a chance, but I will be going in with realistic expectations.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team


Sarah – ☆☆☆☆
This is a fun young adult fantasy adventure with lovable characters and wonderfully complex world building. The story belongs to Wyatt, a witch with a dark past who is an outsider in both the fae and human worlds.

At its heart, this is a simple coming of age story. Wyatt must come to terms with his past and find out where he belongs as he becomes an adult. It’s not a completely fresh story. Fantasy and Urban Fantasy fans will recognise many familiar tropes. Fated mates, a reluctant heir, and an outsider with special powers aren’t new fantasy themes, but they do work well here.

Beyond Wyatt and Emyr, the character development in this story doesn’t feel completely consistent. Emyr is a complicated love interest for Wyatt. It is difficult to trust the beautiful prince – but it is also impossible not to love the tormented and reluctant heir to the throne. The rest of the characters feel somewhat loosely sketched. It’s a huge cast of witches, nobles, guards, and others. Without spoilers, I loved the world building and enjoyed the action. But I wasn’t invested enough in any of the other characters to feel any emotional impact from the action scenes and revelations at the end. The author leaves room to develop these characters further. The ending offers many exciting possibilities for further stories in this world.

I love that Wyatt’s trans identity is a non-issue. He’s a protagonist with a difficult past that has little to do with his gender. He’s a complicated survivor with a unique skill set and the potential to be a hero. This isn’t a book about being trans. It’s a book about a fabulous fantasy hero who happens to be trans. Sadly, that’s still a rare and special treat for modern young adult readers.

Unfortunately, I could not finish this book. I really liked the premise of the story and I was excited to read it. However, I couldn't make it past the first few chapters. The writing style just wasn’t for me.

I wanted to like this book more than I did, but I think the rest of the series will be better!

If you're looking for LGBTQ-positive, body-positive story about young love, secrets, and royalty, The Witch King is sure to impress!

In The Witch King, Wyatt—a trans male witch—is fated to marry the King of Faerie. But a witch-fae marriage is frowned upon, and after Wyatt realized he was trans, he flees the union and goes into hiding.

But that's all pre-book: and herein lies my disappointment.

When The Witch King begins, we're thrown right into Wyatt's new life as a runaway: he is living a fairly normal life with his best friend Briar, that is, until the Fae Prince Emyr finally finds him. I found it a little disorienting that all of the drama between Wyatt and Emyr happened pre-book. It made it difficult to empathize with either of them, let alone follow the timeline of the story.

Eventually, I was able to get into the book though. It took longer than usual, but once I was in, I found myself quite enjoying things!

I don't read too many "second-chance" romance books, but I can already see the appeal. I was rooting for Emyr and Wyatt from the first page. There was just something about them that felt right! I know that Emyr makes a choice early on in the book that some would find unforgivable (trying not to spoil it, but it's literally in like the first 2 chapters), but I didn't view it as such a harsh thing. It seemed more culturally-based, and honestly, Wyatt did have a choice. So that wasn't a deal-breaker for me. And I thought the development of their relationship was so beautiful and authentic—I must've teared-up a half-dozen times during this read!

For such a quick read, this book covered a lot of ground as far as representation goes, and did it in nuanced ways! I am still working on reading more books with trans characters, so I'm by no means an expert, but many of the ones I have read, explore this idea of dysmorphia, and the characters' goal being to transition. I thought it was refreshing to read about a different experience, and felt the empowerment from Wyatt when he talked about still loving his body because it was his. Not each trans persons' experience will be the same, and I thought it was great having a book that featured a character like Wyatt.

Emyr was also another great example of an authentic-feeling character that you don't see often. Emyr thought he was straight before Wyatt came out as trans. And I love the way he describes it is just more of like a passing epiphany, like, "I love *Wyatt's dead name*...Oh! He's Wyatt now. Huh. And I still love him." I don't think the term pansexual is ever really used, but I just loved the way all of this unraveled for the two of them! AND—Emyr being a prince who wasn't a pompous sex-fiend was also a bonus.

The plot... I honestly don't remember much about the plot. A lot of it was about Wyatt and Emyr coming back together. Then it was about Wyatt coming to terms with ascending to the throne. Then there was also this back-plot about Faerie being destroyed years ago (oh yeah, sorry, they live on the human planet now, incognito), and trying to see if it's inhabitable again.

That being said, it's only been two days since I finished it, and I already can't remember much of anything, which makes me think that this wasn't a very memorable book, at least plot-wise. Some people won't agree with this rating, but if I can forget key plot points or character development stages after just two days, that's problematic in my opinion, and likely speaks to a book not having been able to grasp my full attention or to have left an impact.

I'm still really glad I read this one though. The story might not have been as gripping, but watching Wyatt and Emyr reunite and find their ways back to each other—even as the new people they've grown into—was such a fulfilling experience!

I absolutely loved this. Really funny, great concept, compelling plot, well-rounded characters…I could go on and on. I couldn’t put it down. I can’t wait for the next book!!

🦋Book Review🦋

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.

I loved The Witch King by H.E. Edgmon! If you've enjoyed fae stories but wished they were more queer and diverse, this one's for you! Wyatt is a relatable main character who is struggling to find his place in the world and dealing with guilt and shame. He's definitely a gay trans disaster and I wanted to hug him even as he ran around messing things up. I adored the love interest Emir and the way the fae are handled in this book. I'm hoping we'll learn even more in the next book! I've seen mixed reviews for this one, so I want to acknowledge it might not be for everyone, especially given the content warnings for violence, child abuse, sexual assault, suicidal thoughts, misgendering, miscarriage, and drug use. I've included an image of the author's included warnings. That being said, I'd still highly recommend The Witch King if you'd love a diverse fae story that doesn't shy away from serious issues but still has a sense of humor!

⭐⭐⭐⭐💫/5

A trans witch is forced to return to the magical kingdom he ran away from to fulfill a marriage contract with the fae prince who bonded with him in childhood. Ex-best friends to lovers, magical politics, gender exploration, colonization, trauma, family, romance -- this has it all.

Wyatt is a witch who ran away from his home and his marriage contract with a fae prince. The prince, Emyr, finds Wyatt in Texas, where Wyatt has found his transgender identity. Emyr has to bring Wyatt back to their kingdom, Asalin, so they can get married and fulfill their blood contract. However, Wyatt has bad memories of Asalin and doesn’t want to return. He will do anything to get out of this marriage. Wyatt is forced to travel to Asalin with his human best friend Briar, where he discovers Emyr may still be the boy he used to love. Tensions run high between the witches and the fae, leading Wyatt and Emyr to make life changing decisions.

This is the YA fantasy book I’ve been waiting for! I loved that the main character was transgender. Wyatt’s gender identity was an aspect of his personality but not his entire character. There were many moments where Wyatt commented on when someone treating him respectfully or not. Some of the ignorant and mean characters misgendered him or used his deadname (former name). He felt respected and acknowledged by characters who used his correct pronouns, even to refer to moments in the past. These were informative scenes that taught me about being transgender.

In this fantasy world, witches are non- fae children born to fae parents. Since they are considered outsiders in their family, they are ostracized from society and are often abandoned as children. Wyatt compared being a witch in that world to being queer in the real world. Wyatt had experienced being a witch and being queer. This metaphor of the witches and fae compared to being queer was a refreshing take in a fantasy novel.

The Witch King is a fabulous, diverse fantasy! I highly recommend it!

Thank you Inkyard Press for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Review

This was such an impactful and engaging dark fantasy read. A fantasy storyline that incorporates some hard-hitting and intense themes, the novel challenges the reader to consider questions of equality, acceptance, and the rights of those who may live differently than what is considered by society to be “the norm”. The pacing and voice in which the author writes really elevate the overall tone and realism that is blended with the magical elements of this fantasy novel, creating a truly engaging story.

Yet it is the characters themselves that really make this novel shine so brightly. A mature story that features some heavy topics, (hence the trigger warning), the novel itself features a truly memorable protagonist in Wyatt. The characters evolution not only physically in his background, but emotionally as well as he not only overcomes the trauma he suffered in the past and his own actions as a result but the anger and resentment that has built up for so long inside of him for not being seen for who he really is, as well as the treatment of not only him but all witches by the high social class of fae, makes his overall character arc both relatable and emotionally investing. Combine this with the relationship both strained and growing stronger between Wyatt and Emyr is incredibly engaging, keeping the reader invested as they follow the path these two betrothed make with one another, from combative frenemies to allies and possibly something more.

The Verdict

A memorable, emotionally driven, and heartfelt fantasy novel with a multitude of important themes and story elements that remain relevant in our own modern world, author H.E. Edgmon’s “The Witch King” is the perfect start to a brand new fantasy series. A great LGBTQ-driven narrative, the amazingly well-rounded and complex cast of characters, when combined with the entertaining and haunting narrative that the author has created, makes this the perfect read not only for PRIDE month but for 2021 overall! Be sure to grab your copy today!

Absolutely loved this book! One of the most refreshing reads I've read in a long time. Not only was it great to read about Wyatt and his experiences as a trans boy who actually didn't hate his body, but the organic development of the relationships, the well-executed twists, and the snarky humor really tied this book together making it an amazing read! Definitely one of my top reads of 2021 by far.

I got an ARC of this book.

Look at that cover. It is so good that I still wanted to read the book despite hating fantasy. The less magic in my books the better. Yet even a witch main character was worth it to see what that cover was hiding. Honestly, I am not sure if it is the body types or the horns or the colors, this cover does it for me.

The book starts really fast. There is no gentle welcome. Within seconds of starting the plot is pinned with garden sheers and the learning starts. There is enough hand holding to get the main idea of how the world works and the limits of the magic (though some of those limits are not exposed until the VERY END. Those limits were the ones I disliked the most and made me annoyed). I need hard rules for magic, I need magic to not be able to solve any issue the author has written themself into. Edgmon doesn’t rely on magic to save the day, but does use magic in a way that is inconvenient and wonderful.

The trans rep was AMAZING. The MC is trans, he binds. He is NOT dysphoric. He has body issues, he is human after all. The body issues are not based on him being trans. He is trans, but he is so much more. His trans plots were so small, they were just little mentions here and there. I loved it. I loved that he was able to be trans without being only trans. The fact that he was gay is much bigger is fitting. There is so much I loved about this rep. This is why trans people should be the ones to write trans characters. I didn’t have fear going into the book that my life would be reduced down to trauma porn.

The ending happened really fast and I don’t know that I caught everything. I still enjoyed it. I liked that not everything was solved neatly. It was solved realistically or acknowledged that it was not in fact solved. There were no unintentional lose ends. I am impressed.

Overall, if you want good trans rep, good fantasy, and a good YA then this will be for you. There is sass, there is angst, there are magic cell phones. Give it a shot.

This was a solid 3 stars. The character could've been developed further because I feel that we only scratched the surface. They were lacking depth. I also was not a big fan of the dialogue. The world building was okay.

Definitely not a book for adults. It read very cringey and like it was geared towards hitting the edgy teen audience that thinks they're very deep instead of bringing anything new to the YA fantasy genre. I wish I had stopped earlier after the first chapter. Instead I finished it and now I am feeling bleh about reading anything else lol

still a 3 because I am obviously not the target audience so

This is the first fantasy book I have read with an almost entirely queer group of characters. It was refreshing to see the fae craze taken on in a completely different way. Each of the characters was well-written and loveable, despite (or because) them being deeply flawed people/fae/witches.
I also really loved that even though it was a book about fae, it had a completely different magic system and different magical beings and creatures. I will definitely be reading any sequels that come out in the future!

Fae rule the land of Asalin, not witches like Wyatt Croft. His betrothal to his best friend and fae prince Emyr North was supposed to change that. When his magic went awry, Wyatt fled to the world of humans. But Emyr tracks down the transgender Wyatt and plans to go through with the engagement to save his throne. Wyatt strikes a deal with the enemy to escape Asalin, but there are glimpses of the Emyr he once knew. Witches are facing worse and worse conditions, so Wyatt has to figure out if his freedom or his people are most important.

Wyatt is trans, but could only come out as his true self after leaving the fae and witches behind. Trans people are rare where he came from, and he had felt trapped by the expectation that he would marry and bear heirs for the crown. He had no place otherwise and was never valued for who he was, only the role a feminine body would play. He's pulled back into Asalin against his will because of the engagement contract signed when he and Emyr were children, so the thought of making himself so unlikeable that he's dismissed from Asalin is too tempting to resist. Wyatt himself says that it's almost too neat a parallel: witches born to fae are treated much the same way humans treat LGBT. There are some who accept them and keep them in the family, but others, like Wyatt's parents, are ashamed of the change and do whatever they can to suppress it. That backfires in a bad way, as do the other measures of abuse that are alluded to.

This is book one of a duology, and I'm looking forward to seeing how the story continues. There are so many questions brought up in the final quarter of the book that aren't answered. While it's because Wyatt never knew what was going on in Asalin in the first place, there are also quite a few changes that are in store for the people of Asalin. Things aren't quite what they seem on all fronts, so there is a lot to figure out for the future.

I loved this book so much! I read it late soon ended up getting to follow along with the audiobook, and it was done amazingly. I loved the plot the representation. I can't wait to read more from this offer. Thank.You netgalley for this proof copy.

The Witch King by H.E. Edgmon is the YA urban fantasy you want to read next! Thank you Inkyard Press for providing me with an ARC and inviting me for the blog tour.

The Witch King follows trans witch Wyatt Croft. He fled from the fae kingdom of Asalin to the human world after he lost control of his magic one devastating night. The story picks up when his fiancé, Prince Emyr North finds him and takes him back to Asalin. Despite Wyatt’s newfound identity and troubling past, Emyr has no intention of dissolving their engagement. In fact, he claims they must marry now or he will 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. Content warning for deadnaming, misgendering, (some) gore, transphobia and fantasy racism.

I enjoyed this book so much more than I thought I would. Usually, I read plot-driven fantasy books and The Witch King is a more character-driven story. But H.E. Edgmon’s writing is so good. In general, their writing spoke to me as a young millennial, which might be best demonstrated by the following quote: “Which, like, fair.” And this vibe is throughout the book and I loved it because I have not seen writing like this that much, especially in fantasy novels.

The characters are very much grey as every single one of them has their own motives, beliefs and goals, which I love to see. The relationships between the characters are complicated and carefully explored. Edgmon takes their time and it pays off phenomenally at the end of the book. Again, I love to see it. I have fallen in love with the cast of characters: Wyatt, Emyr, Briar, Tessa, Jin and many more of them. They all stand on their own. The main character Wyatt is not a perfect person, no one is, and I want to see his character develop more in the next book. He makes mistakes but also tries to fix them. I cannot wait until the sequel comes out! Lastly, I want to say that as a cis woman, this is not an own voices review.

I really recommend The Witch King if you are looking for an urban fantasy, especially one with a lot of LGBTQIA+ representation. Wyatt’s story is waiting for you.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

I really wanted to love this more than I did. The premise was incredible and I loved that it was an #OwnVoices story as well. However, it really lacked substance when it came to the writing of this story.

The world was severely under-developed. It felt as if we were just taking parts of pre-existing places and throwing “magic” on top of it: forests, fancy buildings, the elements growing where they don’t, etc. There was nothing to make me feel as if Asalin was it’s own place.

This was coupled by the fact that reading it made me feel like I was over-hearing a conversation between teens the entire time while one of them narrated it. It was too modern or current to feel like this could be a civilization that lives hiding from humans. It also created a disconnect because the balance between Wyatt’s feelings and the actual dialogue and action was sparse. We were in his feelings so much, I grew to really dislike him.

I also felt like, aside from Wyatt, most of the characters were underdeveloped because Wyatt was so self-focused. His point of view created so many blind spots in the story itself. I also couldn’t take all of the negative self-talk and constant gay stereotyping? Like who says gays are bad at math?? I just wanted to have better understandings of anyone else to get why they were all so into Wyatt.

There are also hella signs of abuse throughout the story that are minimally addressed or discussed. So much emotional trauma on ALL of the characters and it’s like “oh, they said sorry and gave you a kiss? We cool.” No! Not cool. I just feel like there isn’t anyone really held responsible for anything they did.

However, all that being said, it was still an interesting story. I liked the premise of pushing the boundaries and tackling modern social justice issues through a new lens. I would like to see how Emyr & Wyatt’s story ends up. It also left us with somewhere fun to take Briar too. I’ll probably check out the sequel to see if things iron themselves out better. For now, this is a solid maybe of a recommendation.