Customer Reviews

Demon King, The (A Seven Realms Novel)

5 star:		(34)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

And Still Going

If there is any real complaint I have about this book, it is that the author did an excellent job on building a whole bunch of intrigue, and you cannot put the book down until you get the answer to the abundant questions the author raises in the first few chapters, only to have your answer's only semi answered. Chima, peppers the book with names of events that have happened in the past, that you know are going to play a big part in the future of the series such as the Naeming, and the Breaking, yet at the end of the book you still feel a bit cheated that she does not answer it fully. But lets not take away from what the author as done so well.

Chima, with the Heir series, did an excellent job of character building. When you read that series you were completely engaged with what the characters were about, there personality, there fears, and support group, and in this series Chima has accomplished that feat again. Like the Heir series they're are two main Protaganists yet a bunch of secondary characters who could be a central focus in the future of the series. Han, a former Streetlord of Fellcastle, turned errand boy, and Raisa Princess Heir to the Queendom of Fellcastle, who belongs to the same bloodline as Hanalea the serie's seminal Hero from the past who might not be as big of a hero as the history of this land makes her out to be. Han is an excellent character to get behind because the reader can tell that yes he has a past, but his past was to help his family survive. He has morals that I can relate to. He has a smart mouth, and he is completely Loyal to his friends and to people who had been his friends in the Past. With Raisa the author tried so hard to make the Reader think that she could be a spoiled little brat of the princess, but the more you learn about her upbringing and follow her as she discovers the underbelly of her city of Fellcastle you learn that she is all about doing what is right, and not betraying her beliefs and Morals. Both of these characters are a big part of the book and hardly ever are intertwined (except for one segment in the book). Each chapter goes back and forth between Han and Raisa which keeps the reader wanting to read more to figure out more about these characters. But just like the Heir series Chima has introduced Secondary characters who have the potential to becoming the Central of the series in later books.

Fire Dancer, is Han's best friend and throughout the book you know that something is physically wrong with Fire Dancer, yet you have no idea what it is. Bird, is Fire Dancer's Cousin and friend of Han, who dreams of being a Warrior. Amon, is Raisa childhood friend, and a Corporeal in the Fellcastle Guard. All 4 of these characters to me at any point can have the focus of the story turn to them, which was something which I thought was a huge positive in the Heir Series by Chima. All 4 of these characters are well fleshed out, yet have a lot of backstory to them that is still left to be uncovered. Character building is fine and dandy, but the big hallmark of this series is the Political Clashes that will happen in this series.

Bare with me here but this book is chalk full of different groups of individuals who all have a stake on what happens in the future. There are the Clans (Demonai, Marisa Plains, etc) who are in possession of Green magic and are the sole people who try to keep the Wizards in Check. There are the Wizard Houses who once ruled the Seven Realms as Wizard Kings, but are now kept on a tight leash in accordance to the Naeming which were put in place by the Clans. There is the Queendom of Fellcastle Ruled by the bloodline of Hanalea the Gray Lady. It is said that wizards are now bound to the Bloodline of the Gray Lady, and cannot supercede her authority ie they do her bidding. At the Same time you have a Civil War going on in Arden, a Kingdom to the south where 5 brothers are fighting for the throne. They also see Wizardry as Heresy. And then there is Tammron who is a Rival to Arden, who is waiting for the outcome of the Civil War in Arden. All of these realms are going to become a major focus in the series, and all of them want to get a piece of The Queendom of Fellcastle either as an ally, or for conquest.

And where does that leave the so called Demon King. Well that to me is the biggest question that was NOT fully answered. You learn who he was, you learn what he had done, but you never really truly know what his motives were and WHAT exactly he truly did. In the story people have different outlooks on the Demon King, and I felt more time could of been discussed on what exactly it was he did that was so bad. You get a glimpse of it, but the story never actually tells you what it was. I kind of find that a failing of the book being that it is named after the Demon King, yet you are still a bit confused on what exactly he is.

This book has romance, it has humor, it has Magic (but IMO far less magic then I wanted to see I am a huge magic fan) it has fight scenes, it has conflict, political backstabbings, manipulation, and everything needed to make an interesting story. But the book definately does not have an end. In fact I felt this book was a huge introduction to a series that I feel will take awhile to fully get a grasp of.

It is a good book and I recommend it to anyone who was a fan of Chima's Heir Series, and anyone who likes a bit of intrigue.

I adore Cinda Williams Chima. Her books are just so much fun to read, filled with adventure and danger. This series has the potential to be epic in more than one sense. Already in this first of a series Chima has created a rich and lush world rife with varying traditions. There are the mages, the Clans, and the royals; all of whom have different desires and complexly intertwining histories. This story is set in a completely new world, and has the feel of classic high fantasy; a departure from the Heir series. The change is accomplished with relative ease, despite a few less than stellar pieces. It takes a little bit at the beginning to get your bearings in the book, but it isn't too bad.

The main characters are fairly good. I still have lukewarm feelings about Han, but the end of the book was so great that I think there's potential for me to really love his character. Raisa is delightfully spunky, with true wit and strength. The secondary characters are fantastic, and really help to enhance the book. Everyone is layered, and the fact that this is just the beginning will really allow their depths to be plumbed.

I'm giving this book a slightly higher rating because it's the beginning of a series and the end showed such amazing potential for the rest of the books. Overall, this is a great read for someone looking for a sweeping fantasy to transport them to a different realm.

I actually owned this book for several months before deciding to read it. Once I began, I could not stop. The plot and characters are realistic and not one-dimensional. The story is told from the points of view of primarily Han and Raisa, but you get occasional glimpses into the other characters thoughts and motivations. It was exciting to read a story where the female protagonist is not continually pining for the love of her life and waiting to be rescued. This was an exciting read, and I could not wait to finish the remaining books (The Exiled Queen & The Gray Wolf Throne). The story felt real, and the description of the Seven Realms, its people and politics is very believable. Overall, it was the romance and chemistry of the main characters that made me love this book.

THE DEMON KING was a perfect maelstrom of practically everything I love in a book. Court intrigue, captivating characters, intricate plotting, enticing romances, and brilliant world building coalesce to deliver the best high fantasy story EVER.

The characters in Chima's story are extremely well developed; each had their own unique personality that distinguished him or her as an individual entity, subsequently allowing me to easily love or hate them. In the case of Han Alister- LOVE. Han is a reformed streetlord who has a hard exterior but a heart of damn gold on the inside. It's cute. Trust me. Princess Raisa ana'Marianna is headstrong and independent and occasionally annoying in her tendency to want things her way, but then again- she is a princess. And because she is a princess, there are duties aplenty that await her when she comes of age and strict rules everywhere to prevent her from ever stepping out of line--it is evident that she chafes under these restraints and so therefore when she finds ways to evade these expectations and find adventures on her own or defy the rules, it's extremely satisfying and adds even more excitement to the plot. These are the two main characters but there is also a diverse array of other well fleshed-out characters that give the story greater color and taste.

The story is told in the alternating viewpoints of Han and Raisa, with an occasional insertion of the viewpoint of other, slightly less major characters. If I had to describe the story in one sentence, I couldn't. The subplots merge and diverge; they tell separate stories of Han and Raisa and the hardships they face, and occasionally combine in the chance occasions when their paths meet. Because this is the first of a trilogy, Han and Raisa do not quite get to ah, know each other's true identity yet, but this only adds to the thrill of the story and to my keen anticipation for book 2.

One of my favorite parts of the story was the wonderful world building that happens. Wow- this world that Chima has created is so resoundingly real in its descriptions and traditions and people. It is reminiscent of Tamora Pierce's works in several ways, and because personally I am a huge fan of Pierce, this could only add to my love of the story. For example, there is, in this story, the inclusion of street gangs, and thiefs, and temples, and lively and diverse and vibrant cities full of trade and corruption and poverty and splendor and legends, all juxtaposed to forge a unique identity that cement the magnificent world building at work here. If and when you read this book, you will be immersed in this world as you turn the pages and when the story ends, you might very well be reluctant to bid this world farewell and re-enter the real one. I know I was.

I've always been a fan of books with court intrigue and other courtly functions, and this book does not disappoint. There are irresistible wizards and gallant soldiers, secret escapades in the night and intoxicating flirts, extravagant balls and pretty dresses. The romantic scenes in this book, when they do occur, are extremely satisfying to read. But okay, before this starts sounding like a Harlequin romance, let me tell you- it's not. The inclusion of these romantic aspects lend an air of the game of flirting and politics that is rife among any royal court in any land or any story. This is mostly in Raisa's portion of the story, but in Han's end there is romance as well.

This review does not do the book justice, period. I've tried my best to convey the sense of wonder and love and interest I felt while reading this book, only to succeed with paltry results. Nevertheless, this book is the perfect fit for fantasy readers as well as everyone else out there. Highly recommended.

After thoroughly enjoying Cinda Williams Chima's Heir Trilogy, I was excited to pick up her newest book, The Demon King. Rather than being a Harry Potter-like YA fantasy grounded in some bits of reality, The Demon King is an epic high fantasy that reminded me more of Robin Hobbs' books or Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series -all of which are long, epic adult fantasy novels. I admit that I find it odd that this book is so lengthy and somewhat complex in context and plot, but still manages to have some YA elements at the same time -at least enough that it can be placed in that genre but honesty, a quick warning to YA readers, The Demon King is less YA-oriented than The Heir Trilogy, and its length and complexity may be difficult for younger readers to get into.

As for me, I got really into this book and enjoyed it thoroughly. The Demon King tells the story of Han, a reformed thief struggling to take care of his family without doing wrong, and of Raisa, the young princess heir to the Fells. Raisa, returns home to the palace after spending three months in the mountains and surviving a kidnapping. Raisa must fight an unwanted marriage while trying to navigate the perilous betrayals and politics of court, where she can't even trust her own mother.

Chima shows unbelievable growth since The Heir trilogy in plot, character development and world-building. I was truly amazed at the giant leap The Demon King is from Chima's previous novels, particularly with the world-building. The world of The Demon King felt like a real world that was enjoyable and easy to dive into.

Combined with multi-faceted characters, in particular Raisa (my personal favorite), The Demon King was a page-turning read that I just couldn't put down. I blazed through all 500 pages in just two days, and I was hungry for the sequel.

The Demon King begins with a "bang" when Han and his friend meet young wizards who are setting fire to the mountain. This leads to a confrontation and Han takes an amulet from one of the wizards. He doesn't know what it can do, but he keeps it. Meanwhile Raisa, who is a princess, is hunting with her mother and the fire is coming towards them. After this strong start Cinda Williams Chima introduces the characters and their lives to the reader and then she begins to move the story forward.

Han is an interesting characters, because he's been a thief and he's tried to take care of his mother and little sister. He wears cuffs on his wrists all the time - he's been wearing them for ages and he can never take them off. I think it was nice that Cinda Williams Chima described Han's harsh family conditions without sugar coating, because it added realism to the story. Raisa is a princess, who seems to have a good head on her shoulders. She's excited about her suitors, but she also wants to do different kind of things before she gets married. Han and Raisa are convincing and likeable characters - their feelings, hopes and fears felt realistic. The author explores their lives in an intriguing way. The other characters are also interesting, especially the blind man Lucius and the clan woman Willo.

The Demon King is a traditional young adult fantasy book. It has everything a fan of traditional fantasy can hope for - princesses, wizards and magic etc, but it also contains political things, which aren't usually handled in young adult fantasy books. It was surprising that the author had decided to add political things to the story, because many other authors would've avoided them.

I know that many readers are probably fed up with traditional fantasy stories, but The Demon King is worth reading, because it's more complex than several other books. This book will appeal to many readers, because it contains adventure, intrigue, humour, magic and romance (the author has done her best to create a good and entertaining story). I'm sure that many young adult readers will be thrilled to read this book.

When I began to read The Demon King I had some doubts about its quality, because there are several young fantasy books, which are too simple and boring for adults to enjoy them. Fortunately this book turned out to be an entertaining, intelligent and thought-provoking book. It's nice when a book surprises you this way.

Because The Demon King is the first book of a trilogy, the author spends a lot of time building things up for the sequels. This is good, because in my opinion fantasy series must have a good start or the story won't be strong enough to keep up the reader's interest. The dark history of the world is fascinating and it offers a good background for the story. The political system is also fascinating, because the author has created a believable system.

The British review copy, which I read, doesn't contain a map. Fortunately the map could be found from the author's website, so I printed it for myself. The printed map was useful, because I could see where all the places were.

The Demon King is a good traditional fantasy book for young adults. I can recommend it to young adult readers.

I thought I would like this book because the author wrote the Heir Chronicles, but these books are very different. The book throws you into the story with many characters and many names and place to remember. It is hard to get into the story and it gets confusing at times. I am only half way through and I found myself setting this book down often to go read other ones. If you liked the Heir Chronicles and was hoping for another good one from the same author, look elsewhere.

Han Alister is a reformed thief trying to earn an honest living for his family. When he and his clan friend, Dancer, catch three young wizards setting the sacred mountain aflame, Han ends up taking an amulet from one of them. Han learns the amulet once belonged to the evil Demon King who almost destroyed the world, and the wizard Han stole the amulet from will stop at nothing to get it back.

Han isn't the only one with problems; the princess, Raisa, has been living a life of freedom away from court and has returned after three years to discover her mother wants to marry her off. If that weren't bad enough, there's a sinister plot and strange things going on at court that threaten to ruin the queendom.

A sweeping fantasy told through alternating points of view, Chima's tale of a world in turmoil is a page-turner the reader will be hard pressed to put down.

I enjoyed getting to know the characters and the world, but would have liked more interaction between the two main characters. It just wasn't possible in this book, but it sets up a future where more of what I crave is a huge possibility. I can't wait to read more in THE EXILED QUEEN.

Reviewed by: Joan Stradling

I recently finished the Heir series. That was a great series, however, a very disappointing outcome. I have read the Demon King and strongly believe that after the first few chapters it becomes better than the entire heir series. I strongly suggest this book to any reader and look forward to the following book.

I have enjoyed all the author's fantasy novels so far. In Demon King she shows development and improvement in style and story line. The fantasy world in Demon King is more developed than in the Heir series. The mix of male and female lead characters is a plus. This will hopefully be a new series. If so this will be a great addition to fantsy literature. Action, adventure, strong characters and human dilemnas all add complexity to the story.

Many elements of her style remind me of Tamora Pierce. So if Tamora Pierce is one you like (especially the Tickster's Choice, Trickster's Queen duo), then take a serious look at The Demon King.