Witch KingWitch King
What it's about
Kai, a demon in a human body, wakes up to find he has been murdered and imprisoned in a watery tomb. Freed by his oldest friend, a witch, he sets out to discover who betrayed him and why. As he does, the story moves back to his past, when he and his friends fought a war against a conquering empire and helped build the world that now seems to be turning on him.
Why it's worth reading
It was a finalist for the Hugo and the Nebula. Martha Wells, author of the Murderbot books, writes an inventive fantasy with a sardonic, loyal hero.
You'll love it if you liked
The Goblin Emperor
The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms
A Master of DjinnGood to know
It alternates between past and present, and the world-building is thrown at you with little explanation.
By the numbers
- Readers0 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics43 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller28 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz51 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #249 of the 313 science fiction books we rank
- #373 of the 459 fantasy books we rank
- #418 of the 481 new books we rank
- #2446 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Adventurous
More by Martha Wells
All Systems Red
The Death of the NecromancerIf you like this, read next
The Tainted Cup
A Drop of Corruption
The Will of the Many
The Everlasting
Cloud Cuckoo Land
BabelExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is Witch King worth reading?
Yes. It was a finalist for the Hugo and the Nebula. It ranks #2,446 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 59.2 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Witch King about?
Kai, a demon in a human body, wakes up to find he has been murdered and imprisoned in a watery tomb. Freed by his oldest friend, a witch, he sets out to discover who betrayed him and why. As he does, the story moves back to his past, when he and his friends fought a war against a conquering empire and helped build the world that now seems to be turning on him.
How long does it take to read Witch King?
About 11 hours (448 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Witch King?
If you liked it, try The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison, The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms by N. K. Jemisin or A Master of Djinn by P. Djèlí Clark.