The first thing I need to note about this book is that my mother and I ended up reading it at the same time. Keep in mind, I got this as a Kindle deal, so it’s been around long enough to merit the discount. (And I even bought it last December.) My mother had gone looking for something different in the bowels of the library because none of the new books looked interesting. So it’s just really funny that we both came to this book right now.
I’ve been meaning to read Murderbot for ages, but haven’t, so this is my first Martha Wells, and she’s great! The world building is insane. This story ends up being told with interspersed flashbacks to show you how all of the characters got to where they are today, and it works really well.
The Witch King is Kai, a demon prince, but not as we’d typically think of demons. His people have made a deal with a plains tribe that they will send their people to inhabit some of their recently deceased members – they get to keep those people around a bit longer, and they bring certain powers along with them. Unfortunately, Kai ends up in the tribe when an empire from the south comes along to conquer nearly everyone in the north.
What’s interesting is you get this history a little later. Kai wakes up imprisoned, and the former empire of conquerors have been vanished (with his help), but it’s clear what’s come later may be as bad as what’s come before. And we get to piece together what’s happening along with Kai and his friends. It’s a great story – I can’t wait to see what happens next.