Title: Witch King's Oath
Author: AJ Glasser
Publication Date: July 11, 2023
Genres: Fantasy
Protagonist Gender: Transgender
Reminiscent of the Tamir Triad by Lynn Flewelling, and yet entirely its own unique tale of witchcraft and wizardry, Witch King's Oath is a story that takes some time to find its footing, but which only gets better (and deeper) with each new chapter. By the end I was staying up far too late, devouring each page, desperate to find out how it all would end.
AJ Glasser does a lot of really interesting things with this story (I'll get to the aspect that hooked me in a moment), but the use of magic is one of my favorites. This is a world of witches and mages, two opposing forces of magic, wrapped up in a conflict between the rival nations of Ammar and Nynomath. There are clear themes of good versus evil here, witches versus mages, but the persecution of witches in Ammar introduces various shades of grey. For a long while we're not sure what to think or who to trust, but slowly the story teases out the truth.
What hooked me, what convinced me to give this a read, is the exploration of gender. No spoilers here (it's in the cover blurb), but Prince Anryn is a woman cursed to grow up in a man's body, never feeling quite right about him/herself, yet never understanding why. There's one character who sees the truth of the Prince, and that creates a sort of dichotomy in the story where the narrative switches between he/him and she/her depending on the POV. The exploration of gender goes even deeper than that, though, contrasting two very different cultures through the eyes of Princess (to-be) Beatrice. She comes from a kingdom where women are viewed as equals, allowed to be independent, to fight, and to participate in decision-making, but finds herself in a realm where women are forced to hide behind veils and even the Queen must rely on hidden corridors just to listen in on the King and his Lords.
As for Anryn and Beatrice, they're strong characters with backstory, motivation, personality, and conflict. Surrounding them is a cast of allies and enemies, each with their own allegiances (political and magical), most interestingly among them Anryn's best friend (and rival), his Professor (and mentor), and the witch who saves his life (and reveals his curse). His parents, the King and Queen seem a bit thin for much of the book, more plot devices than people, but we come to understand them and their motives by the end of the story.
The basic plot of Witch King's Oath is simple - Prince Anryn must get home to be married to Beatrice - but the narrative is anything but. There's conflict and drama here, plots and schemes and conspiracies, all starting with an assassination attempt and ending with a rapid-fire series of twists that upend so many of our assumptions. I started the book a little wary, struggling with the first few chapters, but I can tell you it's well worth sticking with because it gets much better fast.
Of course, this being epic fantasy, the story's not done, there's at least one more book to come, but the finale here is a climax worthy of the story, and one that (without getting into spoilers) does something really exciting with the question of gender.
Rating: ♀ ♀ ♀ ♀
My sincere thanks to the author for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
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