“Queen Demon” by Martha Wells
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Rating: 3/5 Stars.
The second book in the author’s The Rising World series, this one immediately follows-on from events in the first book. Like in the first book, this book has two threads: one
is in the past and one in the present, covering events in the war against the Hierarchs and what happens after the war has been ended. But danger still lurks for the world, ev
en with the disappearance of the Hierarchs.
In the present, Kai, a prince of the underworld who is on earth in a mortal form, and his friends learn of details of an expedition to the south to try to find the homeland of
the Hierarchs. They learn about the discovery of artifacts that may indicate that not only the Hierarchs may still be around, but that a possible source of their power, a Wel
l created from the pain of victims, may also be present. It soon becomes a race to learn the truth before others try to claim it for their own uses. And it doesn’t help when o
ne of Kai’s companions, a scholar of the Hierarchs, acts strangely as if hiding a secret: a secret that could endanger the new world order.
In the past, Kai and an army of former prisoners of the Hierarchs is on a desperate journey to, hopefully, save a city by conquering a Hierarch fortress before it can be used
to destroy the city. But their journey may be prevented by the presence of ‘dust witches’ who initially ambush Kai. But they could be an asset in the war against the Hierarchs
if he can convince them to join.
Event in the first book span a period of time, but in the second book, events happen over a few days in both the past and present. Both will challenge Kai as he has to decide
what needs to be done to save as many people as possible, while possibly sacrificing others. The book also ends with a cliffhanger, indicating a possible big change in the rel
ationship between Kai and his friends and enemies.
Book read from 2025/11/13 to 2025/11/17.