The Demon King is the first book in the young adult fantasy series The Seven Realms by Cinda Williams Chima. It's an intriguing beginning to a four book cycle that I will be reading this month. If I'm on top of things, I might get to some more Chima as well this month. I started The Demon King on May 29th and finished on June 1st. I'm counting it as a June book because I read most of it on the 1st.
Summary
The Demon King has two points of view from complete opposites of society. Han "Cuffs" Alister is a street kid and former gang member who spends time in the city of Fellsmarch and in the Marisa Pines clan camp. Raisa ana'Marianna is princess heir of the queendom of the Fells and spends her time in the palace getting bossed around and taught how to act like a queen.
Han has left gang life behind after a promise to his mother, and is now trying to earn enough for his mother and sister through honest means - which is no mean feat in Fellsmarch, the captial city of the Fells. Though he is now a man at age 16, he has no vocation or trade, and doesn't really seem to have an interest in one. All he's ever been good at was being a street lord, and he promised not to do that ever again. So he makes do with what he can, under the crushing presense of the Queen's Guard, who do not hesitate to make sport out of beating street kids and "criminals." The one unusual thing about Han is that he has these silver cuffs on his wrists. They've always been there and they don't come off. They seem to grow with him, never seeming too tight, even though he's worn them ever since he can remember.
Raisa ana'Marianna is the eldest daughter of the Queen of the Fells and is about to be formally named princess heir at her 16th name day, on which she will also become eligible for marriage. Raisa, however, has no intention of getting married any time soon. She has recently spent a few years among her father's people, the clans, and enjoyed the freedom she experienced there. In the palace, she feels like a canary trapped in a cage - blind to what is actually happening in her kingdom. She sets out to try to become a better future queen, making an unauthorized visit into the streets of Fellsmarch to see what it's really like.
How will Han and Raisa's paths cross? You'll have to read The Demon King to find out.
Initial Reaction
I'm still coming off of my Sarah J. Maas hangover and managing to read other books rather than just rereading ACOTAR... and I think this series might do the trick. At first it didn't grab me, but the further I got into it the more I enjoyed the characters. I kept waiting for their worlds to collide. They do meet each other in the book but it's only briefly - looks like I'll have to wait for book 2 to see the full collision of worlds. Anyway I thoroughly enjoyed it and I'm looking forward to picking up the next book.
What's Important?
What I found most interesting in this novel was the backstory of the two main characters, Raisa and Han. You get to learn a lot about them and their past, but not so much that it feels like you've been hit upside the head with a biography. You learn about them slowly, and more through their actions and interactions than through the author just writing about it, which is my favourite way to find out new things about a character. This also fits into the world building really well, and you learn about the Wizards and Seven Realms from two perspectives - the top of the social hierarchy and the bottom.
Rating
I give The Demon King 3.5 stars out of 5, and a half of a spicy pepper.
I did enjoy this book, but I have a feeling that a lot was held back. It felt more like an extended prologue than a stand-alone novel, so that's why it gets only 3.5. I might have given it 4 if it didn't end on a cliffhanger. I hate cliffhangers. One half of a spicy pepper because sometimes there is kissing (gasp!)
I'm looking forward to reading the rest of the series! I will report back when I've finished all four novels and let you know what I think of the series.
P.S. Sorry about the lack of pictures in this one. There just isn't much of a fanart community for these books.