4 stars. Our story opens with Kai, a murdered demon, coming back to life and finding himself trapped in an underwater prison as traitors attempt to steal his magic. Okay, that’s quite an opening and the rest of the book is just as good. Kai is apparently part of an agreement with the underearth where demons take over dead humans and act in their place. There is a treaty and then Kai is ‘inside’ a young girl then there is a war and betrayal, people missing, magic and death, and we go back and forth between that time and 60 years later…yes, it is confusing, but hang on, gentle reader; it all comes together and you will LOVE THIS BOOK. The chapters alternate so we get what is happening now and then the backstory of how it all began and WHY the history parts are so important. The answers to all of Kai’s questions of who killed him and their ultimate goal will be answered, even though we already know, the demon ain’t gonna like it. As Kai and his companions travel through the extensively fantastic world building of this book, we encounter all types of magic and creatures that make sense and work within the story that seems to take place several/many thousand years in a future or alternate Earth. Martha Wells is one of my must read authors and Witch King is one of my best reads of 2023. I was given a copy for my opinion and I would gladly have forked over cold hard cash for it because it’s that good.