Source: DRC via NetGalley (Tor Publishing Group, Tordotcom) in exchange for an honest review
Publication Date: May 30, 2023
Synopsis: Goodreads
Purchase Link: Amazon

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Why did I choose to read this book?

I had heard so much about the Murderbot series that when I saw the chance to pick up a new series by Martha Wells I couldn’t pass it up. I do mean to bring myself around to the Murderbot series eventually, but a fantasy series is much more up my alley.

What is this book about?

I have to be up front with you and say that I don’t know what this book is about. On the very surface level it’s about overthrowing tyranny and installing a more democratic system for society. This is even more important in a society where magic exists. On a more micro level there has been an agreement between the underearth and humans after a great war that demons would inhabit the dying members of honored families so that their last moments can be relayed to the family and the demon would then go on to create children who would become witches. This agreement is what fueled the Hierarchs, who promote demon and witch hatred and work to rid the world of what they see as abominations.

So I think this book is about how Kai (a major demon) and his friends work against the Hierarchs to give the world back to its people.

What is notable about this story?

The magic system in this book is elemental based and I loved it. Wisps and imps and spirits and ghosts – anything that nature could house and support is in this book, both good and bad. I love the idea that the world is alive and this book embraces so many of the ideas that are out there that support this ideology.

I also appreciated the idea that while gendered pronouns are used, demons inhabit humans regardless of gender. So there are male demons in female bodies, and visa versa, and this gender bending felt natural enough that I would recommend reading this book to someone who may not be 100% all the way to understanding gender fluidity.

Witches would often have their voices taken away as part of the Hierarch/expositor torture, so a sign language system was developed and called Witchspeak. I enjoyed the accessibility of communication in the story, especially in the face of people who would stop at nothing to see people silenced.

Was anything not so great?

This book gets REALLY saggy from like 45-65% through (I read this advance copy on Kindle so I can be that exact for you). I had to push and push and push to read through to the conclusion. I mentioned earlier that this was my first book by this particular author, so unlike other authors that I have stuck with and know that slogging through is worth it in the end, this was a big struggle for me. It was worth it, but gosh I just wish that it didn’t slow down as much as it did.

What’s the verdict?

3 stars on Goodreads. Definitely a book I would recommend, but not one that I would scream at you to GO GET IT RIGHT NOW, because this can wait. Just don’t wait too long, because I bet there’s a second book coming and you want to be ready for it. If Martha Wells’ reputation is to be believed, it will only get better from here.