The Demon King

by Cinda Williams Chima

Reviewed by Coral

Han Alister is a reformed thief, having walked away from leading one of the street gangs in Fellsmarch to protect his mother and younger sister. He tries to earn his living hunting with the Clans and helping on old hermit sell his alcohol in the city.

Raisa ana’Marianna is the princess heir of the Fells. Having come of age, men from all over her kingdom and the neighbouring ones as well have begun to court her. Raisa is determined to put off marriage for as long as possible.

Millennium ago the Demon King nearly destroyed the world and only the Clans were able to stop him, at a price. The Wizards of the realms were forbidden from marrying royalty and the amulets that control and amplify their powers could only be granted by the Clans.

But the Bayars, the highest Wizard family in Fellsmarch, start to doubt the history they have been told and to question the rules that have been placed upon Wizards, using their closeness to Raisa’s mother, Queen Marianna, for their own ends.

When Han crosses path with Micah Bayar, he comes into possession of an amulet of great power. One that the Bayars will do anything to get back.

Meanwhile, Raisa is trying to learn more about the kingdom she will one day rule, seeing evils being committed in the royal family’s name. Worse, she begins to uncover a plot against her father, Averill Lightfoot of the Demonai Clan.

I thought this was a good opening to the series though as a single book not a lot happened in it.

There were some parts of the book where I was so frustrated with Raisa. I know she’s young and just starting to learn the truth about the world and the people around her, but there were a couple of times where someone’s action made it obvious that she shouldn’t trust them or she ignored some very important advice that I just couldn’t believe that she couldn’t see the mistakes she was making.

I liked that the book took some unexpected turns. There were a couple of places where I thought I knew what was about to happen and then the story went a different way, so I appreciated that. Sometimes when you read a lot it seems like there’s not that many surprises left.

I hope that the rest of the series continues to be interesting and, with the backstory out of the way and the foundation for the plot in place that more will happen in the next book.

Grade B