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The Demon King (Seven Realms #1)

by Cinda Williams Chima (Goodreads Author)

4.24 of 5 stars 4.24 · rating details · 15,358 ratings · 1,604 reviews

Times are hard in the mountain city of Fellsmarch. Reformed thief Han Alister will do almost anything to eke out a living for his family. The only thing of value he has is something he can't sell - the thick silver cuffs he's worn since birth. They're clearly magicked - as he grows, they grow, and he's never been able to get them off.

One day Han and his clan friend, Dancer...more

Hardcover, 506 pages

Published October 6th 2009 by Hyperion Books

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The Gray Wolf Throne by Cinda Williams Chima

The Exiled Queen by Cinda Williams Chima

Young Adult and Middle Grade Fantasy from The Enchanted Inkpot

4th out of 207 books — 240 voters

2009 MUST READS: Children's and YA

17th out of 270 books — 741 voters

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Jul 08, 2012 Eric Allen rated it 1 of 5 stars

The Demon King

By Cinda Williams Chima

A Review by Eric Allen

Before I begin, I must say that I was not able to finish this book. I only got four chapters in before I couldn't take it anymore. This book fails on every level possible and imaginable. Let me count the ways. No Hook. No plot. No tension. No conflict. No compelling characters or events. No protagonist. No antagonist. No emotion. No color. No life. No story. No desire to read ANY further. No refunds? ...DAMMIT!!! My dislike for the book...more

49 likes · like · see review

Jan 03, 2013 Stacia ~ Mistress of Mediocrity rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: young-adult

I have the hardest time reviewing fantasy books. I'm not sure why this is. Maybe because so much is constantly going on, it leaves me a bit stumped as to how to summarize everything in an eloquent fashion.

Fans of traditional fantasy, whether it be adult or YA, will most likely appreciate this series. The Demon King read very much like a slightly scaled down version of a good adult epic fantasy - not much was held back for the sake of a younger audience.

From the good to the evil characters, I fou...more

16 likes · like · see review

Oct 27, 2009 Kristi (The Story Siren) rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-i-own, signed-books

Three words; fa, reaking, awesome!

Now I remember why I love fantasy so much! Especially a kick-butt high fantasy like this one.

Chima has masterfully created an intriguing world, with a cast full of memorable characters.

The chapters somewhat alternate between Han and Raisa. Divulging the depth of each character and the world around them, presented in their own P.O.V. I love when authors do this. I like that connection you get when the story is presented in this format. I am emotionally invested i...more

22 likes · like · see review

Jun 07, 2011 marlene rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: top-favourites, 2011, top-11-books-of-2011

I absolutely loved this book!

What I love about this kind of fantasy books is the world-building.
In this book there's a map printed on the inside of the cover, and just looking at it, and reading all the different names of places and kings and queens at the beginning of the book made me a bit skeptical. Now, after I've finished it I feel like I've been to a whole other fantastical world. Now I know all of the places, and I just love the world of the seven realms!

There are two strong main-charac...more

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Apr 27, 2010 Amy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: honourable-mentions, ya-ya-ya, fantasy-high-or-dark

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 ref...more 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.(less)

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Aug 19, 2011 Miss Clark rated it 2 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Fans of fantasy

Shelves: adventure, fairytale-fantasy-sci-fi-mythology

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. It took over eighty pages in to finally warm up to the characters and story, but then I liked the story, though I felt it actually had very little going on for its length. It was very much introductory to the characters, setting and history of the Seven Realms and I was disappointed by that. Ultimately, Raisa annoyed me - she is very childish and while I can appreciate some of her sentiments and desires, I just found her not be overly interesting. I've met plenty of characters like her. Also, I...more It took over eighty pages in to finally warm up to the characters and story, but then I liked the story, though I felt it actually had very little going on for its length. It was very much introductory to the characters, setting and history of the Seven Realms and I was disappointed by that. Ultimately, Raisa annoyed me - she is very childish and while I can appreciate some of her sentiments and desires, I just found her not be overly interesting. I've met plenty of characters like her. Also, I don't want a love triangle amongst her, Amon and Han. Please, I beg thee Cinda, no. And not merely because love triangles in general annoy me, but because Han and Raisa, being descendants of Hanalea's twins, just makes that too disturbing. That said, I did not care for Bird at ALL. She never materialized as a character and even less as a possible romantic possibility for Han. I liked Han's character and story - his life as a streetlord, as an adopted clan-member and an older brother/son. Tragic to lose his family, but I could hear it coming from around the corner. It had tap shoes. Same for Han being descended from the Demon King/ Alger. Soon as Lucius mentioned the Demon King's real name, it just popped into my head they were related + the silver magicked cuffs + the fact the amulet did not harm him. So, no surprises really, at any point, but still interesting enough that I would like to see where Chima takes the series. We have this massive economic and political upheaval going on, with the kingdoms in the south in the midst of a civil war and Raisa's own kingdom rife with rebellion and discontent due to years of mismanagement by her weak-willed mother, in addition to the wizards and clans poised to clash, and the fact that the wizards retained some pretty powerful magical artifacts from before the Breaking means that for the clans to have any real shot at winning, they are going to need Dancer and Han on their side when the fight erupts. So, the Demonai had better not alienate them. Or kill them, the morons. Dancer and Han may be wizards, but they are clan at heart. Just hope they can remember that.

Also, Raisa's mother is totally a non-entity, allowing herself to be ruled by G. Bayar and practically cheating on her husband. I don't care if she was enchanted, she seems like a vacuous thing. So, will keep an eye out for future installments in the series, but am definitely hoping that she improves upon the story and characters, tightens the plot and speeds the pace.

Only real content I can think of, other than gang violence, corrupt police brutality and general action violence, is the casual attitude toward dalliances and messing around before marriage that is highly prevalent, esp. for Raisa.

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Feb 13, 2010 Hannah rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy, romance, series

This book was intoxicatingly amazing. I was stunned by Chima's writing in this because I'd read her Heir series and liked it well enough, but this was just BREATHTAKING! Her plot was absorbing and unique, her characters were equally so, and the romance was just...whew. It made my spine tingle and my face flush. It was all too wonderful and I simply cannot wait for the next book in the series.

11 likes · like · see review

Oct 29, 2012 Cathy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favourites, young-adult-fantasy, 2012

I'm sure I will have some actual coherent thoughts on this, at some point.

But for now, let me just say that my basic reaction to this was: "Oh, so this is what all the fuss was about."

4 likes · like · see review

Mar 22, 2013 Kristalia rated it 5 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Everyone!!! (and those who love Lumatere Chronicles)

Shelves: me-likey-mucho, series-i-must-own, reviewed, best-series-award, be-my-hero-plz, mature-young-adult, young-adult

Final rating: ★★★★★/★★★★★

I have felt irresistible need to review this even after i finished with all of the books from Seven Realms a month ago. So final rating for whole series would be 5 pure stars from me. Prepare yourself to be blown away by this book/series!
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It was exciting, amazing and intriguing all the way! The plot of the The Demon King and the whole series itself was just amazing. I had some thoughts about who was supposed to be who, and only half time was i right. Other times blew me...more

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Apr 12, 2012 Nikita Ompang rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: owned, novel

I struggled so much when I started with this one. I even considered abandoning this entirely. But with the ratings and reviews of goodreads people, I painstakingly flipped every page to finish this. And boy was I surprised when I found out that I'm almost done with the book. HAHA! YES! IT'S THAT GOOD! I didn't realize that I was starting to enjoy myself until I was halfway through it. I was so engrossed with the story especially with the brilliant world the author created. However, it would have...more

6 likes · like · see review

Apr 22, 2011 oliviasbooks rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition Recommends it for: people who like fantasy that involves princesses and magic

Shelves: fantasy, young-adult-fiction, unfinished-2011, witches-sorcerers-magic, swapped-or-given-away, low-expectations

I've read the first 132 pages and also the last 78 - because I kind of was interested in what happend to Princess Raisa and Hanson 'Hunts Alone' Alister (a mellow cliffy, if you'd like to know. This is meant to be part of a trilogy).

I decided that I did not have to read the big chunk in the middle, because the story - though well-done - turned quickly out to be also well-known: An enjoyable, but average young adult fantasy with bad, bad wizards, stupid, easily misled queens, clever and not so cl...more

5 likes · like · see review

Jul 01, 2009 Christina rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: fantasy

Can I give a book six stars?? I LOVED this! First book in a new series, set in a country where the Clans (artisan and warrior tribes who live in harmony with nature, a lot like Native Americans) and the Valefolk (valley/city dwellers) have lived in an uneasy truce with wizards, derisively called "jinxflingers," who use clan artifacts to conduct magic. There's a great spunky princess who chafes at palace life and her prospects for an arranged political marriage, a street lord ragamuffin thief who...more

8 likes · like · see review

Nov 14, 2010 Sophie710 rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: it-was-awesome, 7th-grade

in the beginning. this is a partnership book... im completely hooked. i love this author.

2 likes · like · see review

Oct 03, 2012 Elizabetha Souvré rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, epic-and-history, i-can-stop-readig, liz-and-capuccino-book-challenges, magic-and-fantasy, to-write-a-lizreview-with-capuccino, i-simply-love-it, liz-favourites, liz-treasure-book

100% recomendable,hacía mucho tiempo que no disfrutaba tanto un libro. Es una historia con muchos lugares comunes contada con una pericia y un oficio impecables, que te mantiene expectante y embelesado hasta la última hoja. Por supuesto que posee cosas obvias, muy predecibles y molesta un poco el motivo clásico de la-princesa-que-odia-ser-princesa y-quiere-ser-libre-salvaje-y-decidir-su-destino-y-de-paso-ser-una-magnifica-gobernante (Raisa te detesto ¬¬). En todo caso,a pesar de lo anterior,"El...more

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Apr 17, 2012 Stephanie (The Night Bookmobile) rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2012, favorite-characters, best-of-ya, reviewed

The Demon King is, admittedly, a book that might lose your attention in the first two hundred pages. No one wants to be bored for that long. Generally, I give a book a hundred pages to catch my attention, and if nothing is striking me then I put it down. Thankfully, The Demon King was one of those books that I thought had enough interesting elements and characters that it might get better, and on the advice of a friend I ended up diving back in to the book a month or so later. I finished the las...more The Demon King is, admittedly, a book that might lose your attention in the first two hundred pages. No one wants to be bored for that long. Generally, I give a book a hundred pages to catch my attention, and if nothing is striking me then I put it down. Thankfully, The Demon King was one of those books that I thought had enough interesting elements and characters that it might get better, and on the advice of a friend I ended up diving back in to the book a month or so later. I finished the last 3/5 in two days time and didn’t want to put it down. If we hadn’t gotten off to such a slow start, this book might even have made my favorites list, as I suspect that future books in the series will.

One of the strongest parts of the story is its characters. The cast is varied but Chima does not scrimp on the development of her large ensemble. Nearly every character is fleshed out and we see different sides of supporting characters like Amon Byrne and Micah Bayar. We visit the clans and come to love Willo and Mother Elena and Bird and Dancer and Averill Demonai. The only characters I would say were not sufficiently developed were Raisa’s mother and sister, but that made sense given Raisa’s need to hide from them herself, and there’s always room for that in the later books if necessary. With such a wide and involved cast of characters I think Chima did a great job balancing them all. I also love that there are some POC in the story (including Raisa!) because sometimes authors write as though we’re living in a world filled with people of one color, which obviously isn’t the case. I respect any author who includes diversity in their cast, and even more so one who so clearly gives us a main WOC heroine to root for.

Of course, I can’t mention characters without commenting in more detail on our two main heroes, Hunts Alone and Princess Raisa. I grew to love both perspectives equally. Hunts Alone is a former gang leader who still sometimes thinks as if he is the leader of the gang, making decisions others would see as bad, but are decisions that make sense to him and allow him to protect and provide for his family. I loved that we were given such a gray area character in Hunts Alone. It’s not often that authors give us a character to root for who has murdered and thieved for a good portion of his life. I thought Princess Raisa was a little less unique, she is your typical princess trying to break out of the shell of what everyone expects of her, but at the same time she was also deeply flawed and incredibly selfish, which gave her a more interesting personality and lots of room to grow throughout the series. I really liked Raisa’s bold and oftentimes inconsiderate personality and am looking forward to watching her develop as the story takes her further away from where she needs to be.

The plot itself is also wonderful. I can’t say too much without giving things away. It’s very involved and very intense. The plot moves in all different directions which keeps it fresh and exciting. It reminds me of the Song of Ice and Fire series in that way, but obviously for a younger audience. I can actually say that I have no idea what direction the story is going to go in, which is rare these days when so many books seem to follow a certain formula, and I cannot wait to read on to the other chapters in this story. (less)

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Apr 26, 2013 Chaz Robbins rated it 4 of 5 stars

Cinda Chima is already ok in my book because of the Heir series. It truly is a great original story. So this series I figured might be nice and I’ve bought them all as they've come out. Only now did I start it. 4 years after the first book comes out.
I was really looking forward to the start of The Seven Realms novels. I am stoked I wasn't let down!
Starting the book was a little “eehhh” with so many characters with multiple names right off the bat and not exciting first couple chapters. The ter...more

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Mar 19, 2013 Sara Santana rated it 5 of 5 stars

I picked up this book randomly one night when I went to the bookstore and was in need of something new to read.

I am so glad I did. Cinda Williams Chima is a breath of fresh amongst all this paranormal and fantasy teen romance going on. Sometimes its extremely hard to go into a bookstore and pick up a young adult novel that is more fantasy than romance, which is the kind of books I personally like to read. I'm talking about Tamora Pierce kind of books. I like some smut now and then but I'd rathe...more

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Jul 07, 2012 Ms. Library rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: strong-female-characters, poc-characters, pretty-good, good-world-building, the-literary-vortex-good

Where did I get this book?: I got it from the local library;)

How did I find out about this book?: TheNightBookmobile was reading it, and I thought the premise looked interesting, so I decided to give it a shot.

Quote: “A vocation is not something you slap on, like a coat of paint, and change whenever you want. A vocation is built into you. You have no choice. If you try to do something else, you fail.”

Positives: There was so much I really loved about this book. I think Chima did a good job of wor...more

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Jan 23, 2012 Scarlet rated it 2 of 5 stars

I honestly believe this is not such a bad book, I liked the world at least and the plot to some point, the characters were not likeable then again they were teenagers to the bone..but I didn't enjoy the book at all, I think the reason was the point of view..I felt like the book was taking sides and I personally loathe racism and discrimination which was kind of all over the book..you don't believe me? lets try to see this from a wizard POV..I'm a wizard, my ancestors came to this land over a tho...more

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Feb 21, 2013 Smash added it Recommends it for: Epic Fantasy Lovers, Graceling Fans

Recommended to Smash by: Sarah Brown

Shelves: read-2013, favorites, read-own-hardcopy, ya-high-fantasy

Courtesy of Smash Attack Reads

This series was recommended to me by two of my book club friends, Vania and Sarah. They were talking about it one night, and I loved what I was hearing. They told me it was epic YA fantasy, on the scale of books like Graceling and Fire. I really, really love epic YA fantasy and want to read more of it, so I immediately purchased the book.

I loved the opening of the book! The author slammed home the danger of magic in this world immediately. The setting was superb, though I wish a map would have been included in the front or back of the book. This world is vast and I personally love to look on a map to "see" where the story is taking place and where other places in the world are located. Regardless, I was wrapped up in the scenery and anytime a character would venture out into the world on a trip, I soaked up the details.

The world-building in this book was just incredible. The political minutia and secrecy, the clans, the gang warfare, the mayhem, magic and betrayal. I loved the details about what happened in Seven Realms history, or what everyone thought happened, anyway. I would truly love to see the world from the perspective of The Demon King, since there seems to be such conflicting opinion about this historical figure. I wonder if a prequel is in the works. Or, maybe future books will fulfill this need...

Raisia, blooded princess heiress to the Fells queendom, is someone I can get behind. It took some time to get to know her because the book is on the long-side and it bounces between a few perspectives, but her true colors shined brightly. She has solid morals and a quick wit. She likes to play the field, so to speak, and she does this with gusto. She loves to kiss boys, but thankfully, keeps her wits and doesn't take it any further than that. Hey, kissing is FUN! Who can blame her? Regardless of her kissing fetish, she realizes that the time will come for her to marry for political reasons and she has accepted this in a mature fashion.

Raisa's friend and personal guard, Amon, was so admirable and I really adore his character. He and Raisa have been friends since childhood, and while they are of different status, Raisa adores and depends on Amon in a big way. He is very protective of her and puts his ass on the line to save her a time or 5. Raisa and Amon share some romantic tension, since she loves kissing boys, but he does his best to remain professional, though it's obvious he loves her dearly. Raisa's other love interest is even more off limits, however. He is a young magician, but as you will learn, magicians are forbidden to marry royalty in this world.

Han! I just loved me some Hanson "Cuffs" Alister. Stuck between two very different worlds, Han is feeling lost and alone. A former gang streetlord, he has turned a new leaf in order to provide safety and comfort to his mother and younger sister. Unfortunately, an honest living pays a lot less and requires a lot more sweat. Not to mention, when you have a reputation like Cuffs, your past has a way of interfering with your present and future. Han has connections both in the city and up in the mountains with the clans. I loved being able to see both of these groups of people, and how very differently they live. Han grew on me more and more as the story progressed, and by the end, I was feeling both scared for and proud of him. Han and Raisa's paths cross in a less than savory way but they both make an impact on one another. I foresee their paths crossing again.

While it took me a while to get into the story due to detailed world-building and characterization, I eventually fell head-over-heels with the plot and characters and spent all New Year's Day reading it. I loved all 506 pages!
Favorite Quote

“Well, I believe she went in to rescue some Raggers from the pits,” Cuffs said. “She wasn’t all that specific.”

“She went in to rescue — why would she do that?” Amon gripped the ironwork, studying the streetlord’s face. Was he lying? And if so, what was the purpose?

“Guess she’s kind of taken with us,” Cuffs said. “You know, the glamor of the gang life and all. Getting beat up every other day, arrested for crimes you didn’t commit, long nights in gaol, sleeping in the cold and wet. It’s...seductive.” He raised an eyebrow.

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Sep 19, 2010 Melissa rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: 2010-rosie-list, 2010-teen-book-reviews, battle-of-the-books-possibilities-f, read-in-2010, teen-action-adventure, teen-fantasy, with-reviews, audiobook-reviews-2010

Han Alister, once the famous streetlord of the Raggers better known as Cuffs, is trying to go straight for his sister Mari and his mother. He is out of the gang life, but leaving trouble behind isn't as easy as leaving the gang and changing professions. While hunting with his friend Dancer out on Hanalea he encounters three young wizards with a powerful amulet. Afraid that the wizards might try to use the amulet against him and Dancer, Han demands that they give him the amulet before they leave
...more
Han Alister, once the famous streetlord of the Raggers better known as Cuffs, is trying to go straight for his sister Mari and his mother. He is out of the gang life, but leaving trouble behind isn't as easy as leaving the gang and changing professions. While hunting with his friend Dancer out on Hanalea he encounters three young wizards with a powerful amulet. Afraid that the wizards might try to use the amulet against him and Dancer, Han demands that they give him the amulet before they leave. Since taking that amulet, Han has known nothing but grief. Now street thugs are dying mysteriously and Han is the prime suspect.

Princess heir of the Fells, Raisa ana'Marianna, has discovered that she has lived a sheltered life, and doesn't know enough about the kingdom she will eventually help inherit. With the help of her friend, now a guardsman, Amon, Raisa hopes to find out more about life in her kingdom. But something bigger is going on. The wizards have too much power over the queen, and as Raisa's nameday approaches, the day she will be eligible to marry, she suspects something more sinister may be going on.

This is a long book, and at first seems rather daunting, but Cinda Williams Chima has a way of pulling you into the lives of her characters. Soon after starting, I found that I couldn't put the book down--it was simply addictive.

Chima's character development is outstanding. You are pulled into the lives of her characters and she makes them so believable you feel like you have known them for years. You root for their successes and you can feel their losses. Her characters are believable and well drawn, they act like you would expect them to, and are very real.

Chima has created a world of fantasy that is hard to leave. You want to understand the politics and the history of the Fells, and how they find themselves where they are now. The world building is rich and vibrant and invites you in to stay.

The audio version of this book, produced by Recorded Books and narrated by Carol Monda, is one of the best audio books I have listened to in a while. She does an excellent job with the individual voices and setting the mood of this fantastic fantasy novel. I was loath to stop listening to this book when it was time to get out of my car.

I know I am gushing on this book, but I can't help myself. It has to be one of my favorite fantasy reads this year, and I absolutely can't wait to move on to the sequel, The Exiled Queen which comes out September 28th, 2010.

If you aren't a fan of high fantasy with a lot of world building this book might not be what you are looking for. It kind of reminded me of Kristin Cashore's Fire, with the same type of involved world building. I felt that Chima did an excellent job with the world building and introducing this world through the characters that you grow to love. But I do understand that this type of fantasy isn't for everyone.

Overall, I loved this book and couldn't put it down. I can't wait for the next installment to see what happens to the characters I began to love in this novel. A great book!

Cautions for sensitive readers: No language, no sex, some violence. (less)

4 likes · like · see review

Nov 07, 2012 Jennifer Wardrip rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: trt-posted-reviews

Reviewed by Joan Stradling for TeensReadToo.com

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,...more

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Nov 06, 2012 Kathy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: ft-or-princess, magic, fun-series, romance-green, read-2012

November 2012: I just realized that I first read this three years ago this month. I think I enjoyed it just as much this time around. I liked the characters and story and thought it was well written. I admit, it took me a while to get into it this time. There are a lot of names, places and lore to remember and I've never been great with names. I liked Han and Raisa and feel like both characters have a lot of potential for growth. I'm glad I have all the books on hand and can get started on book...more

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Sep 18, 2011 Ali rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: absolute-favorites, fantasy, land-of-far-far-away

Tore through this book over the weekend and I have to say I was very impressed. Went right out to buy the sequel. The characters are very well developed and I felt like I connected to/cared for what they were going through. Would say it has the right mix of adventure, mystery, fantasy and had a sort of 'epic' feel. Also is a good YA book but also had a lot of adult themes so any age group will enjoy. For anyone that liked the YA books: Graceling, Poison Study, Crown Duel, The False Princess, Fin...more

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Nov 23, 2012 Jenn rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: audio

This book completely sucked me in. It is great when an author can make you love characters that don't appear totally lovable. It is definitely one of those books that keeps a pit in your stomach because any number of horrible things can happen at any moment. I can't wait to start the next in the series.

**UPDATE** I began the fourth an final in the series when a friend convinced me to start at the beginning. I'm so glad I did! This is really one of those amazing books that becomes real.

**Audio -...more

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Nov 08, 2011 Tari_Roo rated it 4 of 5 stars

Another Cinda Chima book, yes :-) I was browsing in a book store in the small holiday town (as is my wont) and well... I got it. I also discovered that the sequels to Warrior Heir are published and I am going to have to track them down now, but as this volume is set in a fantasy world and not ‘reality’ like the other books, I jumped at this book.
And the fantasy world is very very interesting. It ticks off a few of the usual fantasy tropes – troubled city and a young thief turned good. Plotting...more Another Cinda Chima book, yes :-) I was browsing in a book store in the small holiday town (as is my wont) and well... I got it. I also discovered that the sequels to Warrior Heir are published and I am going to have to track them down now, but as this volume is set in a fantasy world and not ‘reality’ like the other books, I jumped at this book.
And the fantasy world is very very interesting. It ticks off a few of the usual fantasy tropes – troubled city and a young thief turned good. Plotting and scheming wizard council. I was initially worried that Chima’s villains are once again Wizards and it makes me wonder why she has targeted them again. Does this express an underlying commentary on powerful (i.e. power wielding) corrupt individuals who overlook and underestimate the common populace. I suspect that it does.
Further, can you ever truly write a unique, completely original fantasy world? Not really I think. However the fantasy world for this book has an interesting mix. No elves or dragons (etc). Instead, there is race based on native Americans, and as a result, there is an element of historical commentary and rewriting history. This ‘native’ culture overcomes the invading ‘wizard’ culture and plays an important political role in the story.
The two main characters, Han and Raisa are polar opposites but also mirror images of eachother. I liked that there was a strong female character this time. And the circling plot lines connect both characters in expected and fresh ways. I could see quite a few of plot developments coming but the writing style and pace was wonderful and kept me interested. AND I wasn’t frustrated and disappointed that the story unfolded as expected because the unexpected elements in the mix made for an engaged reading.
All of the characters are fleshed out and well written, even the periphery ones, and the developing complicated plot lines are very intriguing but not so detailed and complicated to be frustrating. I’m a little worried that Chima is essentially rewriting Warrior Heir and setting it in a fantasy world, but as I haven’t read the conclusion of that trilogy, perhaps its a premature worry.
On the whole, the book reveals a well constructed, well detailed world, with real possibility and vibrant characters. Alas, as book one of a trilogy it ends without real resolution to the main stories, but with enough of a ‘mini’ resolution that you don’t walk away annoyed.
Another recommend :-) (less)

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May 17, 2013 Alex F rated it 5 of 5 stars

The Demon King was the first book in a long time that I have read that really stood out. The characters in the book were described very well and their emotions were very well explained. Because of this I the reader could relate to their emotions that were present to them. This was one of the many things throughout the book that really caught me continuing to read the book.

The book is set up into chapters throughout and each part focuses on a different character. I personally liked this because i...more The Demon King was the first book in a long time that I have read that really stood out. The characters in the book were described very well and their emotions were very well explained. Because of this I the reader could relate to their emotions that were present to them. This was one of the many things throughout the book that really caught me continuing to read the book.

The book is set up into chapters throughout and each part focuses on a different character. I personally liked this because it didn't leave out any details for the characters and the plot.Plus you could relate more and more to each of the characters. Setting the book up like this made it more suspenseful because I was so eager to read the next part.Along with those parts, the author also throws in constant flash backs that reveals more needed information.Also once all the characters meet the author starts to throw in larger spaces in between paragraphs to let the reader no that a new character is being analyzed. The author also names the new chapters according to what's about to happen in the upcoming scene.

I believe this book relates to the major theme of keeping your friends close but, keep your enemies closer. Raisa the princess heir to the fells was so intent of keeping her trusted people close to her and then soon realizes she must keep in touch with her enemies to save her life. She soon can no longer trust everyone around her because they are quickly betraying her."Rai we need to get you away from the Bayars at once. Before they capture and kill you." Raisa answered, " Amon I can't do that because they may have more things that I need to know that we don't(555-556). This quote from the book was the first time that Raisa had become to turn into a dynamic character. of course Raisa wasn't the only character to hold on her enemies, her friend Amon held on to one of his enemies and now they soon will become the best of friends.

Overall this book was a great worth of time to read. This was the best fantasy novel I have read that since the Rangers Apprentice series. This book explains everything well that you need except when you get to the end.The ending at the end leaves you with a cliff hanger that gives you the cravings for the next book.

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May 11, 2013 May rated it 1 of 5 stars

Before I continue, I want to say one thing: I tried to like this book. I really did. Fantasy is my favorite genre and this book seemed to be right up my alley, so I gave it a chance. However, within the first few chapters, it started to feel like more of a task than something I actually enjoyed. But I continued reading, with the hope that it might get better. Needless to say, that didn't happen.
This book was TERRIBLE. The plot was absolutely ridiculous and moving in too many directions at once,...more Before I continue, I want to say one thing: I tried to like this book. I really did. Fantasy is my favorite genre and this book seemed to be right up my alley, so I gave it a chance. However, within the first few chapters, it started to feel like more of a task than something I actually enjoyed. But I continued reading, with the hope that it might get better. Needless to say, that didn't happen.
This book was TERRIBLE. The plot was absolutely ridiculous and moving in too many directions at once, the characters were depressingly two-dimensional, and the language was horrendous. I do realize that this is classified as a young adult book, but come on, it could have been so much better. I have never been more disappointed with a novel. It was disgusting. The only redeeming quality of this book is that the main character, Han Alister, was actually interesting and I found myself enchanted by him and the story behind his cuffs. Unfortunately, that is not the case with the other characters. Everyone else in the story is annoying and almost impossible to relate to. The heroine, Raisa, is the stereotypical self-centered, pampered princess who wants to rebel against her family. And she's actually kind of a slut, which I didn't enjoy reading about. The Bayars were useless, and the whole story about the Demon King was poorly told and it did not grasp my attention.
What bothered me the most about this book was the language. Dear God it was terrible. I mean, it's a fantasy book. There are certain rules you have to follow if you write a fantasy novel. Their language CANNOT be like American vernacular, it just can't. But I guess Cinda Williams Chima believes that it's perfectly normal for the characters in this fantasy world of hers to talk just like teenagers from a high school in her hometown. THAT IS NOT OKAY. In the fantasy genre, there are rules. Characters have to use a certain type of language... their words can't be like our words. I was about one fourth of the way through the book when one of the characters used the word "swag" and I knew it was over. There is no going back from that. This book disappointed in almost every single aspect, it was unnecessarily drawn-out and boring, there was no rhythm or pace to the story, the characters were flat and uninteresting, and the whole thing was a monumental disaster. Please save yourself the trouble and do not spend your time reading this book; it's elaborate cover is artfully concealing 500 pages worth of complete and utter garbage. This book is an absolute disgrace to the fantasy and young adult genre. Cinda Williams Chima needs to print an apology statement for such an atrocious excuse of literature. Words cannot express the massive disappointment I felt when I read this. From now on I'm going to steer clear of all of her works, I've learned my lesson. (less)

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May 09, 2013 Alan rated it 5 of 5 stars

When you think about most fantasy books, the main character is a knight or a knight in training but in this book there two main characters. Han is a peasant who uses to be part of a gang to help support himself and his mother and his small sister. But know he look for a job. Raisa what to as good as the Queen but she doesn't know what is going on outside the castle walls. Once she sees Amon for the first time since they were 13. Han and Raisa will meat but only one of them will know they meet.
I...more

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Apr 09, 2013 Jonathan Paul rated it 3 of 5 stars

The Demon King is the first of a series which follows the story of Han Allister who is a thief and makes his living from stealing. The story follows Han’s travels and encounters with others as he tries to survive day by day. Han is cursed with two cuffs which hold amulets in them that he can never take off because they grow as he grows. Han Allister soon becomes the target to all of the clansmen from a tribe who once held a 1000 year truce with Han’s clan after Han steals Micah’s gem which belon...more The Demon King is the first of a series which follows the story of Han Allister who is a thief and makes his living from stealing. The story follows Han’s travels and encounters with others as he tries to survive day by day. Han is cursed with two cuffs which hold amulets in them that he can never take off because they grow as he grows. Han Allister soon becomes the target to all of the clansmen from a tribe who once held a 1000 year truce with Han’s clan after Han steals Micah’s gem which belonged to his father, the most powerful wizard in the kingdom. As time passes so does many deaths which are all blamed on Han because of the ancient amulet he refuses to get rid of, which are connected to his cursed cuffs.
The other half of this story follows the life of Raisa ana’Marianna who is the princess of her father’s kingdom. Throughout the book Raisa struggles to handle the conflicts going on between her family with her mother spending lots of time with another wizard and her father focusing on the war at hand. Throughout the book Raisa is given attention to bad times that are to come in her kingdom in the near future. Throughout the book is trying to shed light to her mother about the self-centered man she is seeing who only wanted to make himself known. Raisa struggles to figure out how to become a powerful queen when her name-day approaches and she is able to marry.
What I liked about this book definitely had to have been Han Allisters half to this story. Han to me seems like a warrior who really wants to get to the bottom of things. I liked Han’s attitude about the amulet throughout the story because Han really expresses a character of care and judgment. Han’s cuffs curse him and the amulet he had in his possession was a clue to solving the mystery of his cuffs which he desperately wants to have removed. I liked the whole clan portion of this book because I love the thought of different groups of people who have their own specific ways of doing things and who have traditions they follow and have certain guidelines they live by.
What I didn’t like about this book was the whole substory with Raisa. Given the plot of the story it is pretty easy to figure out that Raisa and Han collide at some point or another but it seems to be just a series that focuses on love. Two star-crossed lovers just happen to meet who happen to have the solution to each other’s problems and everything is okay in the end; I wouldn’t even need to read the other books to figure out that in the end Han solves his cuff issue and lives to be a powerful king who brings peace to the lands.
I would recommend this book only to people who do not mind a hint of romance in their literature and who enjoy a science fiction adventure. For anyone who is a LoR fan or anyone who simply enjoys long adventures that have many barriers along the way, I would recommend this series to them. I would do this because this book is only the start to 6 others which I’m sure would provide more insight on exactly how Han got his cuffs and who gave him his cuffs and why he got his cuffs, yadda yadda yadda. I enjoyed the culture shown in this book through the ancient clans and ancient rivalries and the hint of magic it holds, and I would recommend this to anyone who is looking for a start to a new series.
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About Cinda Williams Chima

New York Times bestselling author Cinda Williams Chima comes from a long line of fortune-tellers, musicians and spinners of tales. She began writing romance novels in middle school, which were often confiscated by her teachers.

The Warrior Heir was named to Voya’s Best Science Fiction and Fantasy 2005-2006, is a 2006 Booksense Summer Reading Pick, was named to the 2007-2008 Lone Star Reading List,...more

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Books by Cinda Williams Chima

The Warrior Heir (The Heir Chronicles, #1)

The Wizard Heir (The Heir Chronicles, #2)

The Dragon Heir (The Heir Chronicles, #3)

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Quotes from The Demon King

“Well, I believe she went in to rescue some Raggers from the pits,” Cuffs said. “She wasn’t all that specific.”
“She went in to rescue — why would she do that?” Amon gripped the ironwork, studying the streetlord’s face. Was he lying? And if so, what was the purpose?
“Guess she’s kind of taken with us,” Cuffs said. “You know, the glamor of the gang life and all. Getting beat up every other day, arrested for crimes you didn’t commit, long nights in gaol, sleeping in the cold and wet. It’s...seductive.” He raised an eyebrow.” — 32 people liked it

“A vocation is not something you slap on, like a coat of paint, and change whenever you want. A vocation is built into you. You have no choice. If you try to do something else, you fail.” — 21 people liked it

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The Demon King (Seven Realms #1)

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