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The Rising World #2
Queen Demon
From the breakout SFF superstar author of Murderbot comes the remarkable sequel to the USA Today and Sunday Times bestselling novel, Witch King. A fantasy of epic scope, Queen Demon is a story of power and friendship, of trust and betrayal, and of the families we choose.
Dahin believes he has clues to the location of the Hierarchs' Well, and the Witch King Kai, along with his companions Ziede and Tahren, knowing there's something he isn't telling them, travel with him to the rebuilt university of Ancartre, which may be dangerously close to finding the Well itself.
Can Kai stop the rise of a new Hierarch?
And can he trust his companions to do what’s right?
Follow Kai to the end of the world in this thrilling sequel to the USA Today-bestselling Witch King.
Dahin believes he has clues to the location of the Hierarchs' Well, and the Witch King Kai, along with his companions Ziede and Tahren, knowing there's something he isn't telling them, travel with him to the rebuilt university of Ancartre, which may be dangerously close to finding the Well itself.
Can Kai stop the rise of a new Hierarch?
And can he trust his companions to do what’s right?
Follow Kai to the end of the world in this thrilling sequel to the USA Today-bestselling Witch King.
389 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 7, 2025
793 people are currently reading
17051 people want to read
About the author
Martha Wells
109 books24.7k followersMartha Wells has been an SF/F writer since her first fantasy novel was published in 1993, and her work includes The Books of the Raksura series, the Ile-Rien series, The Murderbot Diaries series, and other fantasy novels, most recently Witch King (Tordotcom, 2023). She has also written media tie-in fiction for Star Wars, Stargate: Atlantis, and Magic: the Gathering, as well as short fiction, YA novels, and non-fiction. She has won Nebula Awards, Hugo Awards, Locus Awards, and a Dragon Award, and her work has appeared on the Philip K. Dick Award ballot, the British Science Fiction Association Award ballot, the USA Today Bestseller List, the Sunday Times Bestseller List, and the New York Times Bestseller List. She is a member of the Texas Literary Hall of Fame, and her books have been published in twenty-five languages.
She is also a consulting producer on The Murderbot Diaries series for Apple TV+.
She is also a consulting producer on The Murderbot Diaries series for Apple TV+.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 357 reviews
November 2, 2025
Other than Murderbot series that was love at the first sentence, it usually takes me a little while to connect with Martha Wells books — and it was true for the first book in this series, Witch King. It took it a while to grow on me, but ultimately I ended up liking it quite a bit. I kept reminding myself about this pattern throughout the first two thirds of this book which by then was leaving me with quite lukewarm feelings and saw me setting it down multiple times at the slightest distraction.
But even by the end the magic of realizing that it was all worth the effort didn’t quite happen.
Told in alternating past and present timelines separated by a few decades but featuring the same main cast minus one (immortality of the protagonists has its advantages), Queen Demon picks up right where Witch King left off, with no recaps or refreshers.
In the “past” timeline Kai (a.k.a. Kaiisteron, the Fourth Prince of the Underearth - an immortal demon able to possess dead bodies in the human world) and his gang are starting a war against the powerful evil Hierarchs that subdued the world. In the “present” timeline Kai and his gang slowly and eventually fall into the task of preventing new Hierarchs rise. But to get there - where things are starting to get interesting - we do slog and stumble through plot points and settings that to me felt a bit vague, and somehow there were too many pages for the amount of plot - or maybe it’s the pacing that was off. And unlike the first book, even by the end I still felt at quite a remove from the characters and not that invested in the stakes in their journeys, and I just couldn’t close that emotional distance gap and have them get into my heart. The ending was decent, but getting there was not as good as I had hoped, and dual timelines served little purpose other than keeping the same structure as the first book.
Nevertheless, in the “past” timeline I did appreciate the subtlety of what went unsaid between Kai and Bashasa. Bashasa and his dreams and the memory of him in the “present” time seem to be where the heart of this book is, at least for Kai, and maybe more of their interactions should have been on page. And the dustwitches had potential, even if it wasn’t quite realized.
I’ll likely continue with this series if Wells writes more in this world, mostly on the strength of the first book, even despite my disappointment with this one. But for now it’s sad 2.5 stars.
——————
Thanks to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group | Tor Books for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
——————
My review of the first book in this series, Witch King, is here.
But even by the end the magic of realizing that it was all worth the effort didn’t quite happen.
Told in alternating past and present timelines separated by a few decades but featuring the same main cast minus one (immortality of the protagonists has its advantages), Queen Demon picks up right where Witch King left off, with no recaps or refreshers.
(And let me complain here a bit — Martha Wells has no compassion for my not-perfect memory, leading to quite a few pages passing before my memory managed to jostle itself enough to allow reimmersion in the story. Seriously, just a brief “Previously On” would be appreciated. Let me weaponize the quote from this book to channel my initial frustration: “No, Kai didn’t remember. Why everyone expected him to recall everything that had ever happened, particularly things that had happened while he wasn’t present, he had no idea.”).
In the “past” timeline Kai (a.k.a. Kaiisteron, the Fourth Prince of the Underearth - an immortal demon able to possess dead bodies in the human world) and his gang are starting a war against the powerful evil Hierarchs that subdued the world. In the “present” timeline Kai and his gang slowly and eventually fall into the task of preventing new Hierarchs rise. But to get there - where things are starting to get interesting - we do slog and stumble through plot points and settings that to me felt a bit vague, and somehow there were too many pages for the amount of plot - or maybe it’s the pacing that was off. And unlike the first book, even by the end I still felt at quite a remove from the characters and not that invested in the stakes in their journeys, and I just couldn’t close that emotional distance gap and have them get into my heart. The ending was decent, but getting there was not as good as I had hoped, and dual timelines served little purpose other than keeping the same structure as the first book.
Nevertheless, in the “past” timeline I did appreciate the subtlety of what went unsaid between Kai and Bashasa. Bashasa and his dreams and the memory of him in the “present” time seem to be where the heart of this book is, at least for Kai, and maybe more of their interactions should have been on page. And the dustwitches had potential, even if it wasn’t quite realized.
I’ll likely continue with this series if Wells writes more in this world, mostly on the strength of the first book, even despite my disappointment with this one. But for now it’s sad 2.5 stars.
——————
Thanks to NetGalley and Tor Publishing Group | Tor Books for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
——————
My review of the first book in this series, Witch King, is here.
April 22, 2025
queen demon, or: the gang does academic research with disastrous consequences
kaiisteron prince of the fourth house of the underearth, the demon that you are
After the radiant triumph that was Witch King, Martha Wells returns with a sequel decidedly more world spanning that sees Kai and his crew on the road to the Hierarchs’ Well. Kaiisteron, Prince of the Fourth House of the Underearth, the Witch King, initially endeared me with his demonic nature and violent tendencies. From that first chapter of Witch King, as Kai awakes to his murdered body and a mage trying to control his magic to the “I’m the demon” line, I knew he was going to be one of my all time favorite fantasy protagonists. Uncovering a sinister conspiracy and facing a dark power that would see him enslaved, it is Kai’s inner goodness that manages to shine through the various betrayals, deaths, and even the loss of his family. Martha Wells reassembles our unconventional crew and family in the next installment to her Rising World series, this time embarking on a mission of academic research with disastrous consequences. In this sequel, the dynamics shine and the inner workings of the Rising Coalition and Bashasa’s rebellion are finally unveiled. Queen Demon takes a leap back in time and a step forward in the present, confronting the issues of empire and whether or not true power can be willingly destroyed before it is corrupted.
thank you to edelweiss and the publisher for providing the advance review copy.
Read my review
Bookstagram | Blog
kaiisteron prince of the fourth house of the underearth, the demon that you are
After the radiant triumph that was Witch King, Martha Wells returns with a sequel decidedly more world spanning that sees Kai and his crew on the road to the Hierarchs’ Well. Kaiisteron, Prince of the Fourth House of the Underearth, the Witch King, initially endeared me with his demonic nature and violent tendencies. From that first chapter of Witch King, as Kai awakes to his murdered body and a mage trying to control his magic to the “I’m the demon” line, I knew he was going to be one of my all time favorite fantasy protagonists. Uncovering a sinister conspiracy and facing a dark power that would see him enslaved, it is Kai’s inner goodness that manages to shine through the various betrayals, deaths, and even the loss of his family. Martha Wells reassembles our unconventional crew and family in the next installment to her Rising World series, this time embarking on a mission of academic research with disastrous consequences. In this sequel, the dynamics shine and the inner workings of the Rising Coalition and Bashasa’s rebellion are finally unveiled. Queen Demon takes a leap back in time and a step forward in the present, confronting the issues of empire and whether or not true power can be willingly destroyed before it is corrupted.
thank you to edelweiss and the publisher for providing the advance review copy.
Read my review
Bookstagram | Blog
September 29, 2025
When the first book in a series is utter perfection and the second book is only very, very good, comparison between the two can hide that the book is in fact very, very good. This book is very, very good, and I'm worried that I'm going to end up damning it with faint praise because I think the first book was one of the best books I've read. This book is, again, very, very good, I tore through it quickly, and I'm definitely going to end up rereading it (edit: I already have). If you even a little bit liked the first one, you will like this one. There is a set of people who will understand that among the highest praise I can give these books is that they are worth the time away from writing Murderbot, and that continues to be true.
Wells continues to do such a good job of giving a set of main characters who make decisions that aren't perfect, that have weaknesses and wounds, and yet are resilient and powerful. She depicts the sort of family relationships where you love the person but can't help but argue with them in an unbelievably lifelike way.
The magic systems of this world are cool, and this book expands them while being consistent with the previous one. I love the way Wells shows societies and political structures, and really lets those things inform the characters. There isn't an assumption of a default body, with skin tones and hair consistently described. It continues to be queer as hell: Kai's experiences of having a gender that does not necessarily align with the body he is currently occupying means that he talks about cultural gender markers from an outsider's point of view.
From a narrative point of view, the book does a lot of things really well. I appreciated that it maintained the parallel narratives, that we continued to get new information from the past and that those sections didn't feel like something I could or would want to skip. I've read more than one series that starts out with a parallel narrative and then goes linear (looking at you, Ancillary Sword), so I don't take that for granted. However, it did feel like a middle book of a series. It didn't have as much of the propulsive energy that the first book did, and while it advanced all the plotlines that had been opened up (and didn't delay things just so there would be more plot for a later book), it didn't have quite as strong a narrative arc as the first book did, and so didn't feel quite as punchy to me.
I've loved everything Wells has written in the last decade, and I find myself hungry for anything she puts out. I want to read where this world goes, where these characters go, and I look forwards to the chance.
Wells continues to do such a good job of giving a set of main characters who make decisions that aren't perfect, that have weaknesses and wounds, and yet are resilient and powerful. She depicts the sort of family relationships where you love the person but can't help but argue with them in an unbelievably lifelike way.
The magic systems of this world are cool, and this book expands them while being consistent with the previous one. I love the way Wells shows societies and political structures, and really lets those things inform the characters. There isn't an assumption of a default body, with skin tones and hair consistently described. It continues to be queer as hell: Kai's experiences of having a gender that does not necessarily align with the body he is currently occupying means that he talks about cultural gender markers from an outsider's point of view.
From a narrative point of view, the book does a lot of things really well. I appreciated that it maintained the parallel narratives, that we continued to get new information from the past and that those sections didn't feel like something I could or would want to skip. I've read more than one series that starts out with a parallel narrative and then goes linear (looking at you, Ancillary Sword), so I don't take that for granted. However, it did feel like a middle book of a series. It didn't have as much of the propulsive energy that the first book did, and while it advanced all the plotlines that had been opened up (and didn't delay things just so there would be more plot for a later book), it didn't have quite as strong a narrative arc as the first book did, and so didn't feel quite as punchy to me.
I've loved everything Wells has written in the last decade, and I find myself hungry for anything she puts out. I want to read where this world goes, where these characters go, and I look forwards to the chance.
Want to read
August 19, 2024HUGE NEWS!!!! the most annoying person you know (me) just got very happy
July 31, 2025
casually throwing myself off a cliff. I wish this book were 7000 pages. I wish this series were 15 books long.
this is a pitch perfect sequel to Witch King. The world continues to be so big and dense, and I still have so many questions that will probably never be answered (the heart pearls?! please, Martha!), but Queen Demon really ironed out some of the pacing issues that Witch King had. I'm not saying that this novel isn't 80% politics & exposition, because it is. But it's also 18% intense character study of Kai and his family, and 2% insane tender yearning between Kai and Bashasa, and I really really loved it.
Compelling and cathartic, Martha Wells has such a firm grip on the worlds that she pens and her writing is so intentional. I eagerly await another installment of this series, if we ever get that lucky!
this is a pitch perfect sequel to Witch King. The world continues to be so big and dense, and I still have so many questions that will probably never be answered (the heart pearls?! please, Martha!), but Queen Demon really ironed out some of the pacing issues that Witch King had. I'm not saying that this novel isn't 80% politics & exposition, because it is. But it's also 18% intense character study of Kai and his family, and 2% insane tender yearning between Kai and Bashasa, and I really really loved it.
Compelling and cathartic, Martha Wells has such a firm grip on the worlds that she pens and her writing is so intentional. I eagerly await another installment of this series, if we ever get that lucky!
September 28, 2025
Queen Demon
by Martha Wells
The Rising World #2
Fantasy
NetGalley eARC
Pub Date: Oct 7, 2025
Tor Publishing Group
Age: 16+
Kai and his group are on two missions: First, to stop someone he knows with their quest to become the single ruler of the lands, and second, to investigate the rumors of clues that lead to the location of the Hierarchs' Well.
And making up probably over half of the book were chapters of filler that were about the past, which, at times, I had trouble figuring out which time 'zone' it was taking place in. Once I figured it out, that 'history' still didn't help much with the story as a whole.
I didn't care much for this story, or the characters, and I regret not DNFing when I told myself to. It was vague, slow, and boring. The 'building up' to the end of the story lagged; only the ending was creative enough to be a little interesting.
The cover is cool and the title is catching, but I still haven't figured out what they have to do with the story. I must have missed something: maybe from skipping the lazy list of characters at the beginning of the book, or when my mind zoned out from the boredom.
There is some violence and a lot of 'wandering', so I don't think it's suitable for readers under sixteen.
Just as I guessed after reading the first book, this is now a series, and one I don't want to continue.
2 Stars
by Martha Wells
The Rising World #2
Fantasy
NetGalley eARC
Pub Date: Oct 7, 2025
Tor Publishing Group
Age: 16+
Kai and his group are on two missions: First, to stop someone he knows with their quest to become the single ruler of the lands, and second, to investigate the rumors of clues that lead to the location of the Hierarchs' Well.
And making up probably over half of the book were chapters of filler that were about the past, which, at times, I had trouble figuring out which time 'zone' it was taking place in. Once I figured it out, that 'history' still didn't help much with the story as a whole.
I didn't care much for this story, or the characters, and I regret not DNFing when I told myself to. It was vague, slow, and boring. The 'building up' to the end of the story lagged; only the ending was creative enough to be a little interesting.
The cover is cool and the title is catching, but I still haven't figured out what they have to do with the story. I must have missed something: maybe from skipping the lazy list of characters at the beginning of the book, or when my mind zoned out from the boredom.
There is some violence and a lot of 'wandering', so I don't think it's suitable for readers under sixteen.
Just as I guessed after reading the first book, this is now a series, and one I don't want to continue.
2 Stars
September 23, 2025
I cannot pretend that I understood everything that happened in this book, and I probably should have reread Witch King first to remind me of where we left things, but even so, this is a beautiful, complex, eerie world, and Kai is a beautiful, complex and eerie hero, and I loved every minute.
October 26, 2025
4.5 stars
October 19, 2025
“I want to stay with you.”
“Ah, good. We will stay together then.”
AND THEY LIVED HAPPILY EVER AFTER *i scream as they drag me away*
May 15, 2025
I'm completely fascinated-mainly by Kai, but also Ziede, Tahren, Sonja and the newly introduced dustwitches. I will admit, I was still a bit confused at times. This book just felt like learning a whole other language, but the second half took off. Things got exciting and I was completely sucked in. I enjoyed the wild ride and I can already tell this will be a series I come back to again and again. I'm looking forward to the next installment!
October 14, 2025
Kai into the breach!
Queen Demon is the second book in Martha Wells's Rising World series. It is currently the final book, but according to a quick Google search, Wells plans more. Like Witch King, Queen Demon is a dual timeline book. Chapters set in the Past alternate with chapters set in the Present. I found this less confusing in Queen Demon than in Witch King, perhaps only because I knew what to expect. This time I didn't try to follow either plot in detail. I just kept in mind which battle was currently being fought in each timeline, and that was good enough to cause the story to mostly make sense. It also helped that I quickly realized that the Present is a major spoiler for the Past, so I knew where the Past plot was headed.
If you are the kind of reader who makes detailed notes and keeps a spreadsheet to help you understand complex plots, you will find plenty here to keep you busy. It was not, however, necessary.
If you're a fan of Murderbot (and who isn't?) you will find the Rising World rather different. Murderbot is a lighter read. The Rising World requires more engagement.
There is a similarity, however. Each series is about a central character and is told in the voice of that character. Kai is not a lot like Murderbot. He's not as funny, for one thing, and he's not revolted by the thought of friendship with humans. They do, however, have this in common: if there's a battle you need to win, send Kai in, or send Murderbot in, and they'll get the job done.
I was puzzled by the title Witch King. Kai is the "Witch King" -- we know this because it says so in the Dramatis Personae -- even though Kai is neither a witch, nor a king. But I am even more puzzled by the title Queen Demon. For sure, Kai is a demon, but he is not a queen, nor is any other character. The word "queen" appears nowhere in the book, outside of the title -- I did a text search. My only hope is that in the course of time Wells's book-naming scheme will become clear.
So, I enjoyed this. And I'm engaged -- I want to know what happens to Kai and Ziede and Tahren. I will continue with the series when more novels come out.
Blog review.
Queen Demon is the second book in Martha Wells's Rising World series. It is currently the final book, but according to a quick Google search, Wells plans more. Like Witch King, Queen Demon is a dual timeline book. Chapters set in the Past alternate with chapters set in the Present. I found this less confusing in Queen Demon than in Witch King, perhaps only because I knew what to expect. This time I didn't try to follow either plot in detail. I just kept in mind which battle was currently being fought in each timeline, and that was good enough to cause the story to mostly make sense. It also helped that I quickly realized that the Present is a major spoiler for the Past, so I knew where the Past plot was headed.
If you are the kind of reader who makes detailed notes and keeps a spreadsheet to help you understand complex plots, you will find plenty here to keep you busy. It was not, however, necessary.
If you're a fan of Murderbot (and who isn't?) you will find the Rising World rather different. Murderbot is a lighter read. The Rising World requires more engagement.
There is a similarity, however. Each series is about a central character and is told in the voice of that character. Kai is not a lot like Murderbot. He's not as funny, for one thing, and he's not revolted by the thought of friendship with humans. They do, however, have this in common: if there's a battle you need to win, send Kai in, or send Murderbot in, and they'll get the job done.
I was puzzled by the title Witch King. Kai is the "Witch King" -- we know this because it says so in the Dramatis Personae -- even though Kai is neither a witch, nor a king. But I am even more puzzled by the title Queen Demon. For sure, Kai is a demon, but he is not a queen, nor is any other character. The word "queen" appears nowhere in the book, outside of the title -- I did a text search. My only hope is that in the course of time Wells's book-naming scheme will become clear.
So, I enjoyed this. And I'm engaged -- I want to know what happens to Kai and Ziede and Tahren. I will continue with the series when more novels come out.
Blog review.
October 19, 2025
Every so often I read a book I had convinced myself I was excited to read only to discover I wasn’t. Not “I was excited but this book let me down” but rather “I thought I was excited, and now I realize that excitement was something else all along!” That, unfortunately, is the fate of Queen Demon by Martha Wells. I received an eARC from NetGalley and Tor in exchange for a review, and I had somehow convinced myself I had loved the first book in this series and was on tenterhooks for this sequel. Oops.
As usual, spoilers for the first book but not this one.
Similar to Witch King, Queen Demon alternates between the past and present. Both timeframes feature Kaiisteron, aka Kai, as the protagonist. The past details Kai’s campaigning with Bashasa to expel the Hierarchs from the Rising World. Along the way, they encounter enemies who should be allies, and Kai has to show them … reason. In the present, Dahin thinks he has uncovered clues as to the whereabouts of the Well of the Hierarchs, their source of magical power. But he isn’t the only one, politically speaking, with an interest in the Well.
I will level with you: I was super excited to start Queen Demon, yet as I read the first few chapters, I found myself confused and increasingly distraught. It didn’t help that I remember hardly anything of Witch King (not Wells’s fault by any means—that is my poor memory for you). Wells provides precious little summary or backstory, so I wouldn’t recommend picking this up without reading the first book and recently…. Beyond that, however, I was just … bored? Like I didn’t feel invested at all in either timeframe or Kai’s missions.
So I went back and reread my review of Witch King, something I should have done before, only to discover that I gave it only three stars (I thought, for some reason, it had been a five-star read), and suddenly it all made sense. I had the same issue last year with Wheel of the Infinite , a considerably older fantasy novel by Wells recently republished by Tor.
I think Wells’s approach to writing fantasy isn’t quite for me, which is a shame, because there is a lot I like about it! I actually think Kai is a super cool character, not to mention Tahren and Ziede. The ideas behind the demons and the underearth, the Wells and the expositors and Hierarchs, etc., are all very solid. Finally, Wells is very talented at setting up political intrigue and making it feel very real and complicated.
And yet … Witch King featured a great deal of Kai’s coming-of-age as Enna and a cousin of the Saredi. Readers get to see him come to terms with his life among mortals, see those hopes dashed, and then see him compromise as he fights back against the Hierarchs. There’s a significant change in Kai along the way. Not so with Queen Demon: the Kai of the two time periods herein is relatively the same, and neither experiences much that challenges them to grow.
Indeed, none of the characters in Queen Demon is all that different from start to finish. The past time period is a brief episode during the war, and it’s interesting enough but doesn’t do much. The present time period has a lackadaisical pacing belying its supposedly urgent quest, and Kai and his comrades are mostly just there more so than driving anything forward themselves.
All of this leaves me … shrugging. I just read a fantasy novel, yep, but to what end? With each Murderbot Diaries story, it feels like Wells is saying something interesting about personhood while also telling a neat science fiction/action adventure story. With Witch King and Queen Demon, I feel like Wells is reaching for something interesting about personhood in the form of Kai; at the same time, I don’t think she succeeds as well as with her other series.
Queen Demon is, to be clear, a perfectly competent high fantasy novel. I can totally see why so many dig it. I want to dig it. But I don’t. If you found the first book confusing, or you are put off by a lot of names with little exposition, it’s not going to be for you. If you want deep, aching characterization with high stakes for your characters, I don’t think you’ll find that here.
Originally posted on Kara.Reviews.
As usual, spoilers for the first book but not this one.
Similar to Witch King, Queen Demon alternates between the past and present. Both timeframes feature Kaiisteron, aka Kai, as the protagonist. The past details Kai’s campaigning with Bashasa to expel the Hierarchs from the Rising World. Along the way, they encounter enemies who should be allies, and Kai has to show them … reason. In the present, Dahin thinks he has uncovered clues as to the whereabouts of the Well of the Hierarchs, their source of magical power. But he isn’t the only one, politically speaking, with an interest in the Well.
I will level with you: I was super excited to start Queen Demon, yet as I read the first few chapters, I found myself confused and increasingly distraught. It didn’t help that I remember hardly anything of Witch King (not Wells’s fault by any means—that is my poor memory for you). Wells provides precious little summary or backstory, so I wouldn’t recommend picking this up without reading the first book and recently…. Beyond that, however, I was just … bored? Like I didn’t feel invested at all in either timeframe or Kai’s missions.
So I went back and reread my review of Witch King, something I should have done before, only to discover that I gave it only three stars (I thought, for some reason, it had been a five-star read), and suddenly it all made sense. I had the same issue last year with Wheel of the Infinite , a considerably older fantasy novel by Wells recently republished by Tor.
I think Wells’s approach to writing fantasy isn’t quite for me, which is a shame, because there is a lot I like about it! I actually think Kai is a super cool character, not to mention Tahren and Ziede. The ideas behind the demons and the underearth, the Wells and the expositors and Hierarchs, etc., are all very solid. Finally, Wells is very talented at setting up political intrigue and making it feel very real and complicated.
And yet … Witch King featured a great deal of Kai’s coming-of-age as Enna and a cousin of the Saredi. Readers get to see him come to terms with his life among mortals, see those hopes dashed, and then see him compromise as he fights back against the Hierarchs. There’s a significant change in Kai along the way. Not so with Queen Demon: the Kai of the two time periods herein is relatively the same, and neither experiences much that challenges them to grow.
Indeed, none of the characters in Queen Demon is all that different from start to finish. The past time period is a brief episode during the war, and it’s interesting enough but doesn’t do much. The present time period has a lackadaisical pacing belying its supposedly urgent quest, and Kai and his comrades are mostly just there more so than driving anything forward themselves.
All of this leaves me … shrugging. I just read a fantasy novel, yep, but to what end? With each Murderbot Diaries story, it feels like Wells is saying something interesting about personhood while also telling a neat science fiction/action adventure story. With Witch King and Queen Demon, I feel like Wells is reaching for something interesting about personhood in the form of Kai; at the same time, I don’t think she succeeds as well as with her other series.
Queen Demon is, to be clear, a perfectly competent high fantasy novel. I can totally see why so many dig it. I want to dig it. But I don’t. If you found the first book confusing, or you are put off by a lot of names with little exposition, it’s not going to be for you. If you want deep, aching characterization with high stakes for your characters, I don’t think you’ll find that here.
Originally posted on Kara.Reviews.
October 27, 2025
i like martha wells writing and her fantasy world and like the rising world setting, so i went in with great expectations and maybe because of that, or because i needed to get to know the world again (should have re-read the witch king) the first chapters were not that enjoyable for me (if it was another writer or another series i might have left it unfinished, maybe) still you do not dnf a martha wells and after the third chapter or so, i got into the flow and by the end i think i liked this one better than the witch king, it was more solid and maybe because i knew the people and what they were doing i loved everything a bit more. the alternating past/present chapters are not what i would like and that was what i didn't like at first, but then even that worked and i think made the whole 2 stories better. a note: i started with rating this 4 or maybe a 4 1/2 but as i am writing this review and thinking about how much i liked the story and the lovely writing, i think it's a 5 star for me. looking forward to more stories and the rest of the past.
November 16, 2025
Ramad has a list of fanboy tasks and #1 is “learn Saredi”
I was talking to a friend about this book and I finally articulated what I love about Bashasa: “He has Howl energy, only instead of only being able to do something by telling himself he’s not doing it, he can only do something by acknowledging to himself that he will fail, but pretending to everyone else that he will definitely succeed.” And then it’s just an exercise in seeing how far he can get.
I was talking to a friend about this book and I finally articulated what I love about Bashasa: “He has Howl energy, only instead of only being able to do something by telling himself he’s not doing it, he can only do something by acknowledging to himself that he will fail, but pretending to everyone else that he will definitely succeed.” And then it’s just an exercise in seeing how far he can get.
December 10, 2025
I NEED THIS MORE THAN AIR?????
25.12.10
Kai’s a lot sassier in this book istg
One thing about the two timelines that I love is just how fun it is to have two stories going. However, here, everything felt like it was overlapping, had me questioning really what was what. Or maybe I’ve lost brain cells ever since the first book Witch King came out before I started going to college. 😭
Anyways, I really missed my crew! They’re back!
I NEED A BOOK 3 NOW.
Queen Demon is a good addition, but it still pales in comparison to the excitement of Witch King. I will always love Kaiisteron and the gang… so… yeah. ❤️
[Kai] heard an uneasy shuffle of feet. Dahin said in a low voice, “Kai, are we still friends?”
“Yes,” Kai said. “Please don’t talk to me right now.”
25.12.10
Kai’s a lot sassier in this book istg
One thing about the two timelines that I love is just how fun it is to have two stories going. However, here, everything felt like it was overlapping, had me questioning really what was what. Or maybe I’ve lost brain cells ever since the first book Witch King came out before I started going to college. 😭
Anyways, I really missed my crew! They’re back!
I NEED A BOOK 3 NOW.
Queen Demon is a good addition, but it still pales in comparison to the excitement of Witch King. I will always love Kaiisteron and the gang… so… yeah. ❤️
Want to read
October 10, 2024SEQUEEELLLL YEEEEEESS GIMME IT!!! I can't believe I have to wait until next July aaaaaa!!!!
10/10/24: COVERRRRRR!!!! How am I supposed to wait for so loooongggg!!!!!!
10/10/24: COVERRRRRR!!!! How am I supposed to wait for so loooongggg!!!!!!
Want to read
September 7, 2024Screaming and crying, no one told me we were going to get a sequel!! 😍
December 1, 2025
Despite my mixed (mostly negative) feelings towards Witch King, I'm starting to like this series. I'm still not vibing with the way the prose uses so many ambiguous demonstratives, but everything else is starting to come together. There's a found family aspect that I find compelling, and the unique worldbuilding is strong. You follow two timelines, both tackling various aspects of what it takes to fight tyranny, end cycles of war and violence, and maintain the changes that make the world fairer and safer. The stance taken in this story against hierarchy is a bit on the nose, but as someone who, like all the characters, strongly prefers cooperative societies over hierarchical ones, I'm not complaining.
I recommend this series if you like loveable characters, adventure, intrigue, magic, queernorm settings, and dry humor. While it's far from the best thing the author has ever written, it's still a solid read. It may take time to get your bearings, and some of the logic of the world and its characters can be hard to track, but everything does get explained eventually. I don't regret pushing through.
I recommend this series if you like loveable characters, adventure, intrigue, magic, queernorm settings, and dry humor. While it's far from the best thing the author has ever written, it's still a solid read. It may take time to get your bearings, and some of the logic of the world and its characters can be hard to track, but everything does get explained eventually. I don't regret pushing through.
Read
June 30, 2025Queen Demon has a slow start. The first 40% takes its time to add depth to the supporting cast and explore more of Wells’ rich world, which draws from a diverse blend of real-world cultures. To be honest, I struggled for the first 80%, and if the author hadn’t been Martha Wells, I probably would’ve given up. But there aren't many writers I trust as much as her, so I stuck with it, and I’m so glad I did (more on that later).
As with the first book, I found the past sections more engaging than the present ones. And, as with the first book, I felt like something was missing on the character front; the emotional disconnect from Ziede and especially Tahren, Dahin, Ramad, et al., even as their backstories were fleshed-out, remained. Also, a glossary of terms at the back would’ve helped enormously. For most of the first half of the book, I knew what was going on maybe half of the time. What are the key differences between expositors and hierarchs and servant-nobles and witches and immortal blessed and spirits and demons—and their various magic and power systems—again? The reminders and explanations came late, scattered between 63% and 90% of the way in.
The ending, though. Utterly devastating (just as it was in Witch King). These are some of the best closing chapters I can remember reading. Everything came together perfectly. If you liked book 1, I think you’ll like this too. You just have to trust the author. The journey will be long and sometimes confusing, but the destination will make it all worth it in the end.
As with the first book, I found the past sections more engaging than the present ones. And, as with the first book, I felt like something was missing on the character front; the emotional disconnect from Ziede and especially Tahren, Dahin, Ramad, et al., even as their backstories were fleshed-out, remained. Also, a glossary of terms at the back would’ve helped enormously. For most of the first half of the book, I knew what was going on maybe half of the time. What are the key differences between expositors and hierarchs and servant-nobles and witches and immortal blessed and spirits and demons—and their various magic and power systems—again? The reminders and explanations came late, scattered between 63% and 90% of the way in.
The ending, though. Utterly devastating (just as it was in Witch King). These are some of the best closing chapters I can remember reading. Everything came together perfectly. If you liked book 1, I think you’ll like this too. You just have to trust the author. The journey will be long and sometimes confusing, but the destination will make it all worth it in the end.
September 21, 2025
Advance e-book from Tor and advance audiobook from MacMillan Audio, via NetGalley
My only regret is that I didn't have time to reread Witch King before I dove into this. But I still settled in and followed it fine, and I loved spending time with Kai, Zeide, and all the gang.
I went back and forth from audiobook to e-book, but I probably did more on audio because Eric Mok was such a wonderful narrator, especially when he was portraying Kai. Reading this made me eager to reread Witch King, and now that I've heard Mok, I want that reread to be on audio.
I adore these characters, and the strong relationships in Kai's found family. Kai's deep love for his friends makes my heart melt, and the action scenes and magical battles are fantastic. I like the slow burn romance going on in the chapters set in the past too.
Like the first book, this one has a dual narrative, with timelines set 60 years apart. I was equally invested in both narratives, and Wells kept the momentum going as she switched from one to another.
I really really want the next book!
My only regret is that I didn't have time to reread Witch King before I dove into this. But I still settled in and followed it fine, and I loved spending time with Kai, Zeide, and all the gang.
I went back and forth from audiobook to e-book, but I probably did more on audio because Eric Mok was such a wonderful narrator, especially when he was portraying Kai. Reading this made me eager to reread Witch King, and now that I've heard Mok, I want that reread to be on audio.
I adore these characters, and the strong relationships in Kai's found family. Kai's deep love for his friends makes my heart melt, and the action scenes and magical battles are fantastic. I like the slow burn romance going on in the chapters set in the past too.
Like the first book, this one has a dual narrative, with timelines set 60 years apart. I was equally invested in both narratives, and Wells kept the momentum going as she switched from one to another.
I really really want the next book!
May 3, 2025
Another five star Martha Wells read -- what a shocker!
Boy am I glad that I had just finished a reread of Witch King before starting this one, because the story picks up, both past and present, pretty much right where things left off in the first book. I love the dual timelines of this story, with the past being just as interesting and necessary to the understanding of the characters and the world as the present is. And I LOVED getting to see even more of Bashasa in this book, and Kai's relationship with him and the Arike. But I also adore the little family that Kai has built in present! Basically I love all of these characters and this world and I could ramble about it for ages and Im reeeaaaaaalllllyyyyy hopeful that there will be at least one more book in this series, because there is obviously still so much more story to tell.
Boy am I glad that I had just finished a reread of Witch King before starting this one, because the story picks up, both past and present, pretty much right where things left off in the first book. I love the dual timelines of this story, with the past being just as interesting and necessary to the understanding of the characters and the world as the present is. And I LOVED getting to see even more of Bashasa in this book, and Kai's relationship with him and the Arike. But I also adore the little family that Kai has built in present! Basically I love all of these characters and this world and I could ramble about it for ages and Im reeeaaaaaalllllyyyyy hopeful that there will be at least one more book in this series, because there is obviously still so much more story to tell.
July 15, 2025
thanks to NetGalley for the ARC copy of this book!
I was so disappointed when I finished Witch King because I didn't realize Queen Demon hadn't been published yet. But I waited patiently and was rewarded so well!!
This book is an excellent mix of fast and slow pace. The way Martha Wells writes this allows the reader to just catch their breath before taking it away again.
I found myself disappointed when each chapter ended and switched between time lines but then I was dissolved into the new scene so quickly I forgot to be disappointed.
Getting to see Tahren and Bashasa in earnest was so beautiful and I really loved getting to see Kai in a new, more vulnerable light. That poor being really deserves a freaking break.
overall? I loved this book and I will very impatiently wait for the arrival of the next. ❤️
I was so disappointed when I finished Witch King because I didn't realize Queen Demon hadn't been published yet. But I waited patiently and was rewarded so well!!
This book is an excellent mix of fast and slow pace. The way Martha Wells writes this allows the reader to just catch their breath before taking it away again.
I found myself disappointed when each chapter ended and switched between time lines but then I was dissolved into the new scene so quickly I forgot to be disappointed.
Getting to see Tahren and Bashasa in earnest was so beautiful and I really loved getting to see Kai in a new, more vulnerable light. That poor being really deserves a freaking break.
overall? I loved this book and I will very impatiently wait for the arrival of the next. ❤️
August 19, 2025
Read this review and more on my Medium page: Distorted Visions
Score: 2.5/5 (rounded to 3/5)
Since this is an ARC, the review aims to be as Spoiler-free as possible.
Queen Demon is the second entry in Martha Wells’ newest fantasy series, Rising World, and is a sequel to Witch King. A tale of political intrigue in a unique setting tied together with demons, witches, and magical trope-y goodness.
Cover Image (Tor Publishing)
Martha Wells is no stranger in the science fiction space, with her massively successful Murderbot series almost the industry standard for that niche subgenre. However, what many people probably don’t know, is that Wells started off her writing career in Fantasy. Her Books of the Rakasura series has a cult following, with particular praise given to her ability to create a wholly unique world with only non-human, often monstrous characters, yet being able to make readers relate to their humanity. After many entries in the Murderbot series, she finally returned to her fantasy roots in her newest series, Rising World.
Queen Demon is the second entry, following the events of Witch King. Eager to consume anything Martha Wells offered (after greatly enjoying Murderbot), I jumped right into Witch King when it released. While I enjoyed the change of genre, and certain elements and characterization felt fresh, I mostly bounced off Witch King, feeling that it was missing that “special sauce” that makes the darker side of fantasy so enjoyable to me. Cautiously optimistic, I picked up the sequel, Queen Demon. hoping that Wells brought new elements that made Rising World click for me.
This story follows the events of Witch King, with the demon Kaiisteron, or Kai to the gang, now inhabiting the body of a powerful sorcerer (or expositor, in this world) as he continues to battle threats to the budding Rising World peaceful coalition after the climax of Witch King. This novel also follows the two-part narration, with alternating chapters set in the present, and those set in the past, where Kai is fighting alongside many of the side-characters to form a long-lasting peace that would become the Rising World coalition.
Unfortunately, my concerns from Witch King were not suitably assuaged, and I found myself wavering as I plodded through Queen Demon. Coming from the blood-soaked pages of Dark Fantasy and the bleak, gritty storytelling of GrimDark, I fully admit that the Rising World has not yet scratched the itch that those genres have created in my skin. Perhaps I have become too addicted to lengthy action sequences with close-enough-to-smell-your-breath violence, but Queen Demon was quite dull for long sections, with mediocre jumps in intensity and only a gentle rise for the climax. The pacing, especially in the “present day” sections, was slow and monotonous. One assumes that Wells used these quieter sections to flesh out the world, the characters, the plot, and how these elements intertwined. However, with only Kai’s POV to tell her story, these elements felt diluted and lackluster.
The main protagonist, the demon Kai also felt more beige in Queen Demon than in his role in Witch King. A mix of cocky overpowered-ness with internal lamentations and self-loathing yielded a frankly annoying protagonist. His internal conflict felt wafer-thin, and his interactions with the world coming off as a disgruntled uncle rather than a grizzled, gritty veteran hero who is forced to do what is right.
Many of the side characters like the wind-demon Zeide, her partner, the turncoat Immortal Blessed (demon) Tahren, the plucky upstart Dahin, and the silent witch Tenes (and antagonists) make their return to the present and past sequences, with the addition of the human protagonist Bashasa making a reappearance in the “past” chapters. Like many other reviews, I enjoyed the past sequences far more than the present-day chapters. As this series progresses, I find myself more drawn towards Zeide and Bashasa, and I hope that Wells gives them more weight in the finale of this series.
The past sections of Queen Demon described the early struggle of general Bashasa along with Kai and the gang, against the antagonistic Heirarchs, their expositors, evil demons, and opportunistic humans. They must harness every tool, and every warrior and witch they can to beat this seemingly insurmountable evil. In contrast, the present-day sections felt like an unsatisfying (and frankly boring) blend of paper-thin political intrigue and some vague academic Indiana Jones-ing to locate an artifact that could bring back the evil Heirarchs and doom the nascent Rising World coalition.
My biggest gripe with the Rising World series, starting with Witch King, and compounded in Queen Demon is the distance between the storytelling elements and my grasp as a reader. I am no stranger to diverse fantasy worlds with uncanny and abstract elements, unique cultures, and strange systems, yet I found it immensely challenging to conjure up any analog or imagery in my head for any of the elements in this series. Every element, from the people, places, characters, cultures, magic, demons, etc. felt far too vague and hand-wavey for me to associate and relate to them. While Martha Wells brought her Murderbot world to life with amazing prose, her fantasy prose, while competent, feels like it leaves more gaps and distance than what is fulfilling to the reader.
While many books feel like the author struggled with trying to cram too much into a shorter page count, Queen Demon feels quite the opposite. With tedious descriptions of the mundane, plodding pacing for the majority of the book, a weak plot, and only a tiny blip of climax, Queen Demon was altogether unrewarding, and does only so much in setting the stage for the finale. This feels like “strike two” for the Rising World series.
Advanced Review Copy provided in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Tor Publishing Group and NetGalley.
Score: 2.5/5 (rounded to 3/5)
Since this is an ARC, the review aims to be as Spoiler-free as possible.
Queen Demon is the second entry in Martha Wells’ newest fantasy series, Rising World, and is a sequel to Witch King. A tale of political intrigue in a unique setting tied together with demons, witches, and magical trope-y goodness.
Cover Image (Tor Publishing)
Martha Wells is no stranger in the science fiction space, with her massively successful Murderbot series almost the industry standard for that niche subgenre. However, what many people probably don’t know, is that Wells started off her writing career in Fantasy. Her Books of the Rakasura series has a cult following, with particular praise given to her ability to create a wholly unique world with only non-human, often monstrous characters, yet being able to make readers relate to their humanity. After many entries in the Murderbot series, she finally returned to her fantasy roots in her newest series, Rising World.
Queen Demon is the second entry, following the events of Witch King. Eager to consume anything Martha Wells offered (after greatly enjoying Murderbot), I jumped right into Witch King when it released. While I enjoyed the change of genre, and certain elements and characterization felt fresh, I mostly bounced off Witch King, feeling that it was missing that “special sauce” that makes the darker side of fantasy so enjoyable to me. Cautiously optimistic, I picked up the sequel, Queen Demon. hoping that Wells brought new elements that made Rising World click for me.
This story follows the events of Witch King, with the demon Kaiisteron, or Kai to the gang, now inhabiting the body of a powerful sorcerer (or expositor, in this world) as he continues to battle threats to the budding Rising World peaceful coalition after the climax of Witch King. This novel also follows the two-part narration, with alternating chapters set in the present, and those set in the past, where Kai is fighting alongside many of the side-characters to form a long-lasting peace that would become the Rising World coalition.
Unfortunately, my concerns from Witch King were not suitably assuaged, and I found myself wavering as I plodded through Queen Demon. Coming from the blood-soaked pages of Dark Fantasy and the bleak, gritty storytelling of GrimDark, I fully admit that the Rising World has not yet scratched the itch that those genres have created in my skin. Perhaps I have become too addicted to lengthy action sequences with close-enough-to-smell-your-breath violence, but Queen Demon was quite dull for long sections, with mediocre jumps in intensity and only a gentle rise for the climax. The pacing, especially in the “present day” sections, was slow and monotonous. One assumes that Wells used these quieter sections to flesh out the world, the characters, the plot, and how these elements intertwined. However, with only Kai’s POV to tell her story, these elements felt diluted and lackluster.
The main protagonist, the demon Kai also felt more beige in Queen Demon than in his role in Witch King. A mix of cocky overpowered-ness with internal lamentations and self-loathing yielded a frankly annoying protagonist. His internal conflict felt wafer-thin, and his interactions with the world coming off as a disgruntled uncle rather than a grizzled, gritty veteran hero who is forced to do what is right.
Many of the side characters like the wind-demon Zeide, her partner, the turncoat Immortal Blessed (demon) Tahren, the plucky upstart Dahin, and the silent witch Tenes (and antagonists) make their return to the present and past sequences, with the addition of the human protagonist Bashasa making a reappearance in the “past” chapters. Like many other reviews, I enjoyed the past sequences far more than the present-day chapters. As this series progresses, I find myself more drawn towards Zeide and Bashasa, and I hope that Wells gives them more weight in the finale of this series.
The past sections of Queen Demon described the early struggle of general Bashasa along with Kai and the gang, against the antagonistic Heirarchs, their expositors, evil demons, and opportunistic humans. They must harness every tool, and every warrior and witch they can to beat this seemingly insurmountable evil. In contrast, the present-day sections felt like an unsatisfying (and frankly boring) blend of paper-thin political intrigue and some vague academic Indiana Jones-ing to locate an artifact that could bring back the evil Heirarchs and doom the nascent Rising World coalition.
My biggest gripe with the Rising World series, starting with Witch King, and compounded in Queen Demon is the distance between the storytelling elements and my grasp as a reader. I am no stranger to diverse fantasy worlds with uncanny and abstract elements, unique cultures, and strange systems, yet I found it immensely challenging to conjure up any analog or imagery in my head for any of the elements in this series. Every element, from the people, places, characters, cultures, magic, demons, etc. felt far too vague and hand-wavey for me to associate and relate to them. While Martha Wells brought her Murderbot world to life with amazing prose, her fantasy prose, while competent, feels like it leaves more gaps and distance than what is fulfilling to the reader.
While many books feel like the author struggled with trying to cram too much into a shorter page count, Queen Demon feels quite the opposite. With tedious descriptions of the mundane, plodding pacing for the majority of the book, a weak plot, and only a tiny blip of climax, Queen Demon was altogether unrewarding, and does only so much in setting the stage for the finale. This feels like “strike two” for the Rising World series.
Advanced Review Copy provided in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Tor Publishing Group and NetGalley.
November 2, 2025
I am so pleased that this world got revisited. I would have been fine with Witch King being a standalone, but seeing the world and politics cranked all the way up was fantastic.
I adore Kai. This is how you write a legendary character and still have realistic stories.
I adore Kai. This is how you write a legendary character and still have realistic stories.
December 16, 2025
probably my last 5* of the year!
October 3, 2025
Well, this was better than book one for me, but there was still just so much chaos that I could only really follow what Kai was doing. The side characters were a jumble for me and again I cannot quite pinpoint why this was the case for this story for me. I’m going to come back to these books some day and will probably have a much more favorable rating.
I was listening to the audiobook and appreciated the audio immersion with the eARC, but the ALC abruptly stopped, missing the last 30 pages of the book. I’m guessing that was a glitch, but it provided a negative experience for this book.
3.5 stars overall; 2.5 stars for the audiobook with it ending before the book was done.
Thank you to @torbooks for the eARC and @macmillan.audio for the ALC. All thoughts are my own.
I was listening to the audiobook and appreciated the audio immersion with the eARC, but the ALC abruptly stopped, missing the last 30 pages of the book. I’m guessing that was a glitch, but it provided a negative experience for this book.
3.5 stars overall; 2.5 stars for the audiobook with it ending before the book was done.
Thank you to @torbooks for the eARC and @macmillan.audio for the ALC. All thoughts are my own.
October 13, 2025
My favourite Hierarch-fighting crew is back! In this exciting sequel, Wells successfully continues and expands upon the worldbuilding and plot foundation set up in Witch King, with more magical intentions and fierce found family and simmering demon rage.
I love how this series tells two stories in parallel timelines, the past concerning the desperate lead-up to a revolution and the present dealing with the fallout some fifty years later. I am so glad I reread the first book before delving into this one, because there is a lot of lore to unpack! I am in awe of the complexity of the Rising World; there are so many different cultures and traditions, all interrelated and all with their own ways of using the magic of the land and the underearth.
While I did find this sequel took some time to build up momentum, I appreciated that the slower pace at the beginning made space for some quieter moments of deepening relationships, and I continue to adore Kai and Ziede and Tahren and all the rest of their morally questionable companions. There were so many twists and developments in these dual timelines of their lives, but I still want to know more about the past and the present, and the breathless ending makes me feel quite hungry for a third book!
Thanks to Tor/Forge and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!
I love how this series tells two stories in parallel timelines, the past concerning the desperate lead-up to a revolution and the present dealing with the fallout some fifty years later. I am so glad I reread the first book before delving into this one, because there is a lot of lore to unpack! I am in awe of the complexity of the Rising World; there are so many different cultures and traditions, all interrelated and all with their own ways of using the magic of the land and the underearth.
While I did find this sequel took some time to build up momentum, I appreciated that the slower pace at the beginning made space for some quieter moments of deepening relationships, and I continue to adore Kai and Ziede and Tahren and all the rest of their morally questionable companions. There were so many twists and developments in these dual timelines of their lives, but I still want to know more about the past and the present, and the breathless ending makes me feel quite hungry for a third book!
Thanks to Tor/Forge and NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!
October 11, 2025
This is embarrassing to admit but also, totally my fault. I read a lot of SFF. I read the first book in this series, Witch King, last year. When I started Queen Demon I was a bit lost but figured if I just kept chugging away, I would start to remember the people and world. It had only been a year. Plus I'm used to reading books with extensive world-building and various characters. This is my bread & butter. And I kept on listening, assuming it would all start to make sense any minute. And then I realized I was 30 minutes from the end of the book and still had no idea who anyone was or what was going on. Which is ridiculous, I know. And also my fault. At that point, I decided not to restart the book. Instead I'll reread the series from the beginning when the third book is published. I adore Martha Wells and assume this was a fun romp, I was definitely entertained while reading it. But I can't give it a fair review because I'm not sure what happened in the book. It isn't a particularly difficult book. I enjoyed various scenes. I am just not sure how they are connected together and to the first book. Thank you to everyone involved for the audioARC and I promise to go into the third book better prepared!
October 11, 2025
This is the second book of the "Rising World" series and fresh of the presses (or out of the studio booth if you find more time for audio books these days). I have really enjoyed the world building in this series, though I really think Martha Wells true genius is in her characters and their interplay. This one is her most polished series yet (read Witch King first if you haven't yet) with a very rich world that feels very fleshed out.
Queen Demon picks up shortly after the end of the first book and follows our merry band of immortal and mortal friends as they find new things to unburn in their world.
Queen Demon picks up shortly after the end of the first book and follows our merry band of immortal and mortal friends as they find new things to unburn in their world.
September 5, 2025
What a great follow up to Witch King! It kept me engrossed in both parallel stories, always excited to get back to the other story at every chapter break. The only down sides would be that it is not something that will get you into the series. It would be nigh incomprehensible to someone who didn't read the first book. And even when you have, you better consult your notes to remember who everyone is and what the hell is going on. Even in her other books, Wells has a habit of throwing you in the middle of a different world and letting you figure it out with the context of the scene, but it does seem rather unforgiving in this series. Since I had read the first one from the library, I couldn't go back and consult, and the Wikipedia wasn't a good enough overview to answer some of my memory gaps. I did like reading the characters so much that I am now planning on rereading both books very soon. I also think that having read the second book will help inform my reading of the first book, which is again consistent with Wells' other series. They tend to be better on second readings when you can pick up more of the threads laid down at the beginning.
While some seem to find the present day scenes to be boring and lacking in action, I really liked all the suspense of what Dahin was up to and the scholastic aspects of it. It also was a really nice balance with the past scenes which was battles in the middle of a war. We really didn't need to match the energy in both time periods. The fact that there is still much to do after a war is also something important to illuminate. It's not all sunshine and roses after the Rising World wins; you have to watch out for the fascists to rise up again.
Much like the first book, this is not a casual read; you have to pay close attention like you're going to write an essay afterwards. The characters suck you in so much, that you really don't mind and want to read it again anyway just to spend more time with them. I still love the character of Kai and will never not want to read more about him. I just want more scenes between Kai and Bashasa!
While some seem to find the present day scenes to be boring and lacking in action, I really liked all the suspense of what Dahin was up to and the scholastic aspects of it. It also was a really nice balance with the past scenes which was battles in the middle of a war. We really didn't need to match the energy in both time periods. The fact that there is still much to do after a war is also something important to illuminate. It's not all sunshine and roses after the Rising World wins; you have to watch out for the fascists to rise up again.
Much like the first book, this is not a casual read; you have to pay close attention like you're going to write an essay afterwards. The characters suck you in so much, that you really don't mind and want to read it again anyway just to spend more time with them. I still love the character of Kai and will never not want to read more about him. I just want more scenes between Kai and Bashasa!
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