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The Demon King

(Seven Realms #1)

Cinda Williams Chima (Goodreads Author)

4.14 · Rating details · 74,257 ratings · 5,605 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, c ...more

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Hardcover, 506 pages

Published October 6th 2009 by Hyperion Books

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Lists with This Book

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Community Reviews

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Average rating 4.14 ·

Rating details

· 74,257 ratings · 5,605 reviews

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Start your review of The Demon King (Seven Realms, #1)

Jan 16, 2015 Katerina rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy

Hanalea's blood and bones, I just found a new obsession!!

Wow. It's been a while since the last time I read YA fantasy, and I'd almost forgotten why I love this genre so much! The Demon King certainly had its flaws, but it was so riveting and bewitching that I lost the X-Factor final last night in order to finish it and I suspect I'm going to spend the following days lost in this series, with coffee and ice-cream as my sole companions! Burn you social life!

And by fun, I mean books.

“Han al

...more

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Sep 22, 2011 Eric Allen rated it did not like it

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

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Jul 10, 2017 Cece ❀Rants, Raves &Reviews❀ rated it really liked it

Shelves: assassin, magic-etc, hot-jerks, demons, reviews-of-the-year, favorite-heroine, god-shit, fictional-war, guilty-pleasure, favorites

I love this book specifically for its POVs: We have the village idiot and the spoiled princess.
Except thats just the surface-- there much more to these characters and I absolutely adored how their stereotypes were ripped to shreds
description

The village idiot with mysterious cuffs on his arm with weird symbols no one understands

“Maybe if you knew how to use them, you could— I don’t know—shoot flames from the palms of your hands.'
Han was thinking he was just as likely to shoot flames from his rear

...more

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Apr 17, 2016 Mikee (ReadWithMikee) rated it really liked it

Wow! I'm really surprised to say that this book blew me away. I only decided to pick this series up because I have the Flamecaster on my shelf and I didn't know that it was actually a follow up to the Seven Realms series. I wasn't sure what to expect from The Demon King but my expectations were pretty high considering how I went into this book comparing it to the Falling Kingdoms series. Although this book did have similarities to Falling Kingdoms, it's definitely its own separate story.

One of t Wow! I'm really surprised to say that this book blew me away. I only decided to pick this series up because I have the Flamecaster on my shelf and I didn't know that it was actually a follow up to the Seven Realms series. I wasn't sure what to expect from The Demon King but my expectations were pretty high considering how I went into this book comparing it to the Falling Kingdoms series. Although this book did have similarities to Falling Kingdoms, it's definitely its own separate story.

One of the things I didn't like about The Demon King was the slow pacing. It took about 200 pages until the story started to pick up. And even then, some parts still went by a little slow throughout the story. Things weren't exactly boring but they sure weren't too exciting either.

The worldbuilding did start off a little rocky. Cinda Williams Chima really seemed like she tried her best to explain the Seven Realms but it was a lot to take in and came off as a little info dumpy at times. It wasn't until the last half of the book that I was able to finally have a good grasp on the world and how things worked.

At first, I didn't care too much for the characters. Han was boring and I felt Raisa was a bit pretentious and stubborn, but I was able to warm up to them after 200 pages in. I also thought that our two main characters would've crossed paths for most of the story but surprisingly, they've only ran into each other once the whole entire book. I'm really curious to see these two working together again in the next book since I actually enjoy them as a duo. And I'm pretty sure this ship is canon so I'm 100% shipping it.

The romance, or shall I say ROMANCES, in The Demon King closely resembles that of the romance in the Falling Kingdoms series. Everybody is in love with everybody? Precisely. But since Falling Kingdoms probably had a love octagon to say the least, The Demon King only had a love... pentagon, if I'm not mistaken. So if you survived Falling Kingdoms, you'll surely survive The Demon King.

I keep comparing this series to the Falling Kingdoms series so I'm just going right ahead to say that if you love the Falling Kingdoms series, you'll definitely enjoy The Seven Realms series. It starts off a bit slow but once the story picks up, you won't be able to put this book down! It's an older book that came out in 2009 but I believe that it's worth a read. :) ...more

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Sep 18, 2016 Samantha rated it liked it

This book lays a good foundation for the rest of the series, but it definitely drags at times and the story doesn't really get started until the end. I love the protagonists. They have a ton of room for growth. My biggest complaint was the abundance of love interests, but at least it wasn't the main theme of the story. Just a pet peeve of mine. I plan to continue with the series and I'm excited to see where it goes. ...more

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Oct 03, 2010 Anne rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy, nook, read-in-2012, young-adult, kindle, read-in-2016, magic-stuff

Re-read 2016

I'm bumping this one up a star! LOVED IT!
But I'm seeing a lot of mixed (bad and/or DNF) reviews from friends, and it suddenly strikes me...

description

Hmmm. Well, I will admit that this is a pretty slow book in the beginning. In fact, it takes quite a few chapters to get to anything that I would personally consider even remotely interesting. I'm thinking that, perhaps, the reason I enjoyed this so much more the second time around was because I knew where everything was headed.
And make NO mistake ...more

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May 24, 2016 Maureen rated it really liked it

Probably even more like 4.5/5 stars

I was not expecting to like this book as much as I did - I just got it on a whim and thought this will be fun! And it was fun, and hecka addicting.
I loved the world building and the story, but mostly I just loved getting lost in a fantasy book without a lot of complicated magic systems and things to keep track of. It was so fun to just lose myself in it.
It took a bit for me to get into at first but once I was in I WAS IN TOO DEEP.
Definitely loved this and will ...more

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May 03, 2013 Robin (Bridge Four) rated it really liked it

Shelves: 4-5-stars, fantastic-fantasy, ya, kick-ass-heroines, o-captain-my-captain

Re-Read with my crew at Buddies Books & Baubles starting Feb 22, 2016

One of the best things about this book for me is that in YA usually the MCs meet and instantly it is all about them being together. Raisa is 15 almost 16 so I really like that the author has her meeting different boys (she has quite a few suitors) and playing the field a little. She doesn't just fall in love with the first of second man/boy to show an interest in her. The same goes for Han....he gets a little kissing time too w Re-Read with my crew at Buddies Books & Baubles starting Feb 22, 2016

One of the best things about this book for me is that in YA usually the MCs meet and instantly it is all about them being together. Raisa is 15 almost 16 so I really like that the author has her meeting different boys (she has quite a few suitors) and playing the field a little. She doesn't just fall in love with the first of second man/boy to show an interest in her. The same goes for Han....he gets a little kissing time too with other people and when he meets Raisa he likes her but doesn't fall head over heels in love with her or anything.

For YA that is rare and I love that it is more about the story than the romantic arc of a few characters. But since I know how this series ends the slow burn of it makes everything way more believable and real and I totally love that.

However at the moment I'm totally #team Amon because *rawr* (a little secret though....Han will steal my heart in the end) but this is totally Amon's book to shine.

Original Bad Review (this is one of my very first) May 2013

We follow two separate characters of Raisa the princess and heir to the throne and Han Alister a street wise boy with a pair of magical cuffs on his wrists that he has had since infancy. This installment of the seven reams series had a lot of world building to do. By following the two different story lines we get an idea of how both the nobility and poor live. It is a rich world full of magic, sorcery, treachery and heroes. None of the characters are perfect to say the least. They all are flawed; Raisa is caring but headstrong and defiant normally rushing in without completely thinking things through. She feels trapped by some of the traditions of her kingdom. She is supposed to marry soon for the good of her country but really just wants to be free and longs for the time she was fostered by her father’s clan. Han grew up poor and to provide for his family has lived a less than honest life stealing and scheming but now he is trying to be honest but it hasn’t been easy as his old life always tries to draw him back in. Han’s life forever changes when he takes a mysterious amulet off a young wizard it leads him down a path he never dreamed of taking.

Once you get past the first hundred or so pages the story really starts to pick up momentum. I really enjoyed how well the world was described in a show me and tell me way that leant well to the overall story. It was good to see how the world was so different depending on what side you are standing on. The way the characters intertwined and met up and fell apart was also interesting. I loved the lore and backstory of the Queen and the Demon King. There was a lot of action and all of the characters were written so well and so differently it made it so easy to either like or hate them. The twists the story took made it even better and definitely unpredictable.

The way that the plot and sub plots of the story intertwined receded and merged was masterfully written. When characters met up or passed close to one another was exciting and really built anticipation for book 2 in the series. This is one of the best fantasies I’ve read.

If you are a fan of fantasy this has a little bit of everything in it romance, intrigue, magic, tragedy and hope. A definite recommend. Sure it is a slower start but well worth it.
...more

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Mar 05, 2018 Mary ~Ravager of Tomes~ rated it it was ok

Shelves: 2-star, year-2018

Uhh... WELL. I don't really know what went wrong with me and this book.

I was supposed to enjoy it.

I was supposed to really enjoy it.

I was totally expecting to really enjoy it.

But sadly, I didn't.

I have heard so much praise for author Cinda Williams Chima, but for now I'm left wishing I could see what so many others have seen in her books.

I actually had a weird experience where I was under the impression that this series was a completely different story than it turned out to be. I'm sure that ...more

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Jul 29, 2014 Alienor ✘ French Frowner ✘ rated it really liked it

Shelves: genre-fantasy, my-kindle-challenges-me, genre-young-adult, 2016-reads

► Here went my night.

Yes, you read correctly. Despite my reading slump that drove me to DNF more books that I'm comfortable with yesterday, despite today being my last day of vacations and as usual busy as hell, despite the objective flaws of The Demon King, I couldn't stop reading for the life of me, and closed my reader at 6am pretty exhausted.

Worst is, I'm fighting the urge to start The Exiled Queen right now, and I can count on the finger of one hand the number of times it happened with a ...more

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May 06, 2018 ❄️BooksofRadiance❄️ rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: ya-fantasy-sci-fi

Even better the second time around.

How’s it possible that I still want to go back and start all over again?

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Aug 08, 2009 Kristi rated it it was amazing

Shelves: books-i-own, signed-books, favorites

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

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Jan 22, 2018 sunny rated it really liked it

Shelves: shawty-so-bad, bf, romance, young-adult, fantasy

Guys, I'm literally screaming, THAT WAS SUCH AN AMAZING READ???? I feel so satisfied akdjskdj RTC!!!! ...more

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Nov 18, 2009 Amy rated it it was amazing

Shelves: ya-ya-ya, oldies-still-goodies, fantasy

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 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. ...more

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Jun 16, 2016 Brittney ~ Reverie and Ink rated it really liked it

Shelves: favorite-heroines, chelsea-bones, fantasy, recommended-fantasy

YAS. Thank goodness- another legit series to get into!!

Wahoo... Okay. Initial thoughts....This is going to be a quick review because really I just want to read book #2 after all the raving reviews from friends... (though I'll probably come back and update this review later. Whatever.)

So here we go.

The world is MY kind of world. Quarreling kingdoms, forbidden magic, clans... street gangs... yeah baby. Love it.

The pace was a little slow to start but I didn't mind too much. I think most of this bo ...more

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Feb 28, 2017 Jiana rated it did not like it · review of another edition

1.5 Stars

Buddy read with Cait, who liked it way more than I did. If you want to check out her positive review, here it is.

I DID IT. I FINISHED IT. MY SUFFERING IS OVER.

I should've just DNFed this. I'll be honest, I did consider doing it a few times, but noooooo, I had to give it a chance. I kept on hoping it'd get better. But nope.

Nope.
Nope.
Nope.

Obviously, I'm an unpopular opinion here since this has a 4.20 average rating. But oh. It wasn't my cup of tea.

I'm just SO SAD AND ANGRY AND DISAPPOINT ...more

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Mar 27, 2014 Jessica rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites

WOW. Definitely adding this to my favorites list.
I'm mad at myself for waiting so long to read this...
If you love fantasy... READ THIS.
Full Book Discussion on YouTube: https://youtu.be/H8PNsCSn3Zk ...more

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Feb 10, 2021 Ashley Nuckles rated it really liked it

I didn’t like this one as much as I’d hoped BUT I have a feeling the second one will be better! Still enjoyed this one for the most part though

Good things: I lovedddd Raisa, once the story got going I read most of it in one day, though the plot/plot twists were predictable I still enjoyed the story overall!

Not-so-good things: the pace was VERY slow in the beginning and took me a long time to get into, some of the description I was not a fan of (specifically when it came to Han’s POV), & there di ...more

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Mar 06, 2017 Niki Hawkes - The Obsessive Bookseller added it

Shelves: dnfed

DNF - No rating.

I am just in the mood for something more robust. After 25% nothing had really grabbed me yet.

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Jun 28, 2015 Melissa ♥ Dog/Wolf Lover ♥ Martin rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: own, fantasy-all

www.melissa413readsalot.blogspot.com

I loved this book! I'm very excited about this series. It's off to an awesome start!

I love most of the characters in the book. The two main stories revolve around Han and Raisa. Han is a poor boy that lives in the towns outside of the kingdom. He has some kind of cuffs that are around his wrists and I wonder what these could be there for?... He does his best to take care of his mom and sister. At one time he was the leader of a gang, but he saw the error of h ...more

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Jun 19, 2012 Jessica ❁ ➳ Silverbow ➳ ❁ rated it really liked it

Shelves: best-series-ya, buddy-reads-are-the-best, jerk-of-my-dreams, the-book-boy-is-mine, some-kinda-magic, ya, fantasy, favorite-secondary-characters, i-cried

4.5 stars

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Apr 12, 2018 Tani rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites

RATINGS: 4 STARS.

“Hanalea's Bloody Bones!!!!”

Finally, I've found myself to be crazy about a book after a very long time. I had lot of anticipation of the book because I had procrastinated to read it for a while. I've tried my level best to hate this book, but unfortunately I couldn't. I know many of them hated the slow pace of the book but I think patience is a must to read this book as it was worth it. At the beginning, the description about the kingdom, clans, history, geography, etc. were to ...more

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Nov 11, 2017 Zain Otoom rated it really liked it

SPOILER-FREE REVIEW!
I really enjoyed this book. It wasn't what I expected but nonetheless, it was good. This book is so slow at the beginning. It picks up roughly after chapter 12/13, or page 200 or so. It's definitely a build up book. There's so much world building in this book it's crazy, and I have to say, it was one of my favorite parts about this book. I listened to most of this book on audiobook because I was struggling to get into it, so if you seem to have the same problem, I recomme SPOILER-FREE REVIEW!
I really enjoyed this book. It wasn't what I expected but nonetheless, it was good. This book is so slow at the beginning. It picks up roughly after chapter 12/13, or page 200 or so. It's definitely a build up book. There's so much world building in this book it's crazy, and I have to say, it was one of my favorite parts about this book. I listened to most of this book on audiobook because I was struggling to get into it, so if you seem to have the same problem, I recommend listening to the audiobook instead. The narrator is quite good!
Now I'd like to talk about the characters:
Raisa
I like Raisa a lot. Her personality is explosive, she's stubborn and strong-willed. Even if you might feel like a boy who thinks himself a little handsome might sway her in anything involving her Queendom, you're wrong. She enjoys the company and silly dates and stolen kisses, but she's a future warrior queen, alright. She's spunky and clever and has her wits about her which I really liked. I see a huge character development that Raisa will go through and, oh I can't wait.
One thing though, why is she like 15? That's too young, but what am I to say when I'm 16 myself.
Han
Even though I preferred Raisa's pov over his, I still enjoyed it. Though, I find Han to be more of a little lost puppy than a former streetlord. Not that he's not badass or anything, but he's just too sweet. When someone says streetlord, I think of a cunning asshole who has no conscience with a maddening level of genius. But I guess that just me. He doesn't seem to think sometimes, but I tried to keep in mind his own situation and the way his life is. Lies, mistrust, abuse, grief and some loneliness, and let's not forget the fact he's just 16. I'm glad he has Dancer to be his friend.
Amon
I love him? I found him really comfortable and really caring for Raisa. And even though you see from his perspective only twice, he truly makes an intriguing character, and I wish to know more about him. Honestly? Despite the predictable nature of the romance, I wouldn't mind if Raisa ended up with him.
All the other characters—expect Amon's father, Raisa's and Dancer—were annoying as fuck, as they were meant to be. So bravo, Chima, you succeeded in creating insufferable characters. From her fuckity the Queen to that asshole Bayar and his son. Micah is such a tool. I hate weak tools who have no character beyond their outer looks.
World Building
It's so complex and interesting, and so full of things I have yet to learn. It's evident that the author spent time actually thinking of the world. From politics to the really intriguing magic system, and to the intricate history full of lies and deception, consider me amazed. I didn't find myself bored whatsoever reading the parts that involved world building. So well done.
The Plot
This book is just a build up for the main plot. An evident plot doesn't appear in this book till the very last end. Not to say it's entirely boring, not at all, but you do have to be patient. There are, of course, parts where I found to useless to the plot, but they were good for character introduction. I feel like I truly, now, know both world and characters well enough to get to the butter of this series. And boy does it sound promising.
***
All in all, I do recommend this book to anyone with enough patience, because I'm sure you'll rewarded with a really good and unforgettable YA fantasy series.
I will definitely continue this series on, and soon, I hope! ...more

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Nov 07, 2016 Nouf *LostinFantasy* rated it really liked it

Shelves: fantasy-sci-fi, epic-fantasy, favorites, favorite-characters, books-with-maps

I didn't expect to enjoy this book so much but I ended up loving it! The world building, setting, and characters were everything I look for in a fantasy book! I guess you can say this first book in the series was pretty much 500 pages of introducing and setting up the plot. But I was still completely wrapped up in the characters' adventures and how everything came together in the end!

The dark history between the wizards and the clans and the line of queens (yes, it's a queendom!) is what shapes ...more

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Oct 17, 2015 Lexie rated it it was amazing

Recommends it for: Wizards, street rats, warriors, and aspiring Overlords

Recommended to Lexie by: C.G. Drews

Shelves: fantasy

Reviewed at The Honest Bookclub.

4.5

Han Alister:
• a drifter and a grifter
• a life of perpetual uncertainty
• a home he can't visit and a foster camp he can't call home.

Raisa ana'Marianna:
• a princess
• a life planned for her before she was even born
• a home she can't leave, far from a camp she calls her real home.

Han and Raisa are about to meet - in a world brought down by wizards but where wizards rule from the shadows, and in queendom run by a queen who circumvents conflict. They'll meet in stree ...more

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Feb 28, 2017 Caitlin rated it really liked it

Shelves: 4-stars, 2017-read

Buddy read with Jia!

Wow. I had high hopes for this series and I was not at all disappointed. It was such a promising start to what I know will be an amazing series. This book was highly intimidating because it was high fantasy and the chapters were 20 pages long. I'll admit, I did struggle through the first 5-10 chapters because it was a lot of world building and characters to process and learn about. However, when I sat down and really dedicated my time to the book, I flew through it and adore Buddy read with Jia!

Wow. I had high hopes for this series and I was not at all disappointed. It was such a promising start to what I know will be an amazing series. This book was highly intimidating because it was high fantasy and the chapters were 20 pages long. I'll admit, I did struggle through the first 5-10 chapters because it was a lot of world building and characters to process and learn about. However, when I sat down and really dedicated my time to the book, I flew through it and adored it.

I've seen some comparison to the Falling Kingdoms series and I'd definitely say that if you love Falling Kingdoms, this will be right up your alley (and vice versa). The story in both series are definitely very different but there's certainly similarities. However, there's way less death in this book - which kinda sucks. I want some crazy shit to go down and everyone just DIE.

Okay, so for some reason I normally like male characters way more than female characters. However, I instantly formed a connection to Raisa and I adored her throughout the entire book - she's definitely my favourite character. I think this was definitely because of the fact that her story seemed to be easier to follow and even though there were lots of characters in her plot, you could still easily understand the dynamic. However, Han was definitely a more complex character. He's mixed up in a whole bunch of shit and his story isn't as easy to follow, I guess. I really struggled with his chapters for about maybe half of the book but it definitely got easier when you understood who was who and what the hell was happening in his life. When Raisa and Han met I almost screamed. I loved seeing these 2 characters meet and seeing their perspective of each other. I want to see way more of their interactions and, from the blurb of the next book, there will be lots of them together. Is it bad that I already kinda ship it? I have 0 idea about the ships but I feel like they'll be endgame and I can 10/10 be on board this.

Look, plot wise this book is pretty fast paced when it gets into it - even though it has a bit of a slow start. I enjoyed seeing the dynamic between all of the characters and what the hell is going on in this mess of a Queendom. Overall, this book was great and I can't wait to see what's to come! ...more

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Jan 21, 2015 Chelsea ✨Arielle’s Nebular Ally and Team Acrux✨ rated it really liked it

Shelves: could-read-over-and-over-again, alternating-pov, unforgettable-male-leads, physical-book-wishlist-want-it-need, favorites, my-favorite-covers, epic-reads-for-light-and-dark-pup

He called her Briar Rose, he said, because of her beauty. And her many thorns.

It's not often that I find a YA fantasy series that enraptures me the way this one did. It's no secret that I am very picky when it comes to reading these, as well. Needless to say, I've been side-eyeing this series for FOREVER, yet I have never taken the plunge. I've mentioned it to a couple of my closest friends and have felt there was something special about it for a long while. So why not leap right in ...more

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Oct 01, 2010 Stacia (the 2010 club) rated it really liked it

Shelves: action-and-adventure, multiple-pov, young-adult, epic-or-high-fantasy, male-pov, favorite-book-guys, casters-or-witches

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

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Apr 16, 2013 Hersh rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: high-fantasy, fun-fun-fun, quite-awesome, not-a-fan

“History,' Mari muttered, as if she'd overheard his thoughts. 'Why do we need to know what happened before we were born?'

'So hopefully we get smarter and don't make the same mistakes again.”

____________________________________________

This book was really good. Don't let my three stars dampen your spirit for reading this book.

The Demon King was an enjoyable read. I cannot say that this book completely blew me away but it was surprising and interesting. Hunts Alone aka Hans Alister was an amazing protagonist! He was one of the main reasons that I liked this book.

I have mixed feelings about this book. There were many instances when I kept thinking that this book was like any other book with a predictable plot and characters. It was in the end that I realized, even though it was predictable and all, I still enjoyed reading it.

I took my dear time reading this one and I guess I would have liked this book more if I had read it in one sitting. Dragging this book is not a good idea. You might get bored with the characters and the plot. Well, I did. I don't know about you but I would suggest you read it quickly. It is a fast - paced book and it requires a fast - paced reader.

One of the other reasons I liked this book was because of the element of magic in it. Though it didn't play a very significant role, I was hooked whenever the wizards were mentioned. I love magic and it will always intrigue me. Also, there isn't much of romance it and it was relieving. At least, I didn't have to constantly think about who ends up with who though I am curious whom one of the characters will end up with but it's not constantly on my mind :D

The main reason why I didn't give this book four or five stars is because of the story line. The characters where amazing but there wasn't a good story line to support them. It was a bit cliched and all but nothing so bad you can't read it.

I hope the second installment is better than the first one. The Demon King is a good read. Not exceptional or great but good. ...more

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Jul 06, 2014 Choko rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy

*** 4.55 ***

A buddy read with my wizards at BB&B!

I loved it! What else can I say? The Old School Fantasy feel that this book exudes is magnetic and magical! Someone said it was also very obviously written by a woman, implying that this somehow diminished its value as a Fantasy.... I call that bull! This is a story strong enough to attract and keep both male and female audiences enraptured with it on its own merits, regardless the gender sensitivity of the author....

The world building is meticul ...more

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About Cinda Williams Chima

Cinda Williams Chima

10,818 followers

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.

Her Heir Chronicles series (magic comes to contemporary Ohio) comprises The Warrior Heir The Wizard Heir . The Dragon Heir The Enchanter Heir, and the Sorcerer Heir.

Chima's ...more

Other books in the series

Seven Realms (4 books)

Books by Cinda Williams Chima

The Warrior Heir (The Heir Chronicles, #1)

The Wizard Heir (The Heir Chronicles, #2)

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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.” — 99 likes

“History,' Mari muttered, as if she'd overheard his thoughts. 'Why do we need to know what happened before we were born?'

'So hopefully we get smarter and don't make the same mistakes again.” — 66 likes

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