The Demon King (Seven Realms Novels)

Awesome writing. Great charachters and setting. The book is 500 pages or so and it FLEW by. I dont re-read books but I plan on it with this one! The cover art and synopsis take away from the book. Just read it.

I thought the book was interesting. It has a good plot and was written well. I personally wasn't satisfied with the ending. I understand that series like to leave you wanting more but I felt like this book was about of build up with no climax and conclusion.

It's an easygoing read, though not overly simplistic. Compelling characters and a great story. I poured through the whole series in just over a week. These books would be a lot of fun for people of any age.

I thought the first entry to this series was well written with a great story. This book kept me glued to its pages for the three days it took me to read it, and I can't wait to see what becomes of Raisa and Han!

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.

I like the book (the characters are interesting), but I was surprised to find, in the end, that not much happened. This seemed more like set-up for the next book, and there wasn't much of a finale, which was shocking to me. There aren't any monsters, and not much magic, which were also disappointments to me. Plus, the shocking loss of a few characters near the end seemed thrown in and glossed over. I'm not usually into politics, but Ms. Chima made it interesting and understandable. I just hope there's more magic--and maybe a few monsters--in the next two books.

This review MAY contain spoilers. Read at your own risk.

Wow! This was such a great start to this series! This is my first venture into the Cinda Williams Chima world, and I do not regret it!

I have to admit that when I first picked up this book I found the pacing in the beginning to be a little slow for my tastes. I wouldn't say that I was bored, but I didn't feel fully invested in the book until several chapters in.

The world building was fleshed out really well. The first few chapters had a lot of world-specific lingo and terms to get familiar with and I felt that there may have been too many of those so early on in the book. Apart from that, once you get used to this book's world structure, it is apparent that The Demon King really boasts a colorful fantasy world full of rich details. Plus, this fantasy world has a queendom, not a kingdom, and that is rad to the max!

The characters in this were really great. They were fleshed out extremely well and I had a clear vision of each character and the life that they lived. The only thing about the characters that I didn't love was that I didn't feel a strong connection to them. I read about them, I understood them and their motives, but I didn't care as much as I would have liked to. It's strange to see wonderful characters with excellent stories to tell, like them, but feel disconnected from them. I can't put my finger on what exactly they are missing, but perhaps some depth.

The plot of this story is fantastic! Some things in the book are fairly predictable, but not overly so. Some things definitely surprised me. There were some twists and turns lying in there and plenty of story growth. I liked the big reveal at the end of the book and I think that it was orchestrated beautifully throughout the developing plot.

This book does cover a lot of mature themes in the backdrop of things, which I really liked. Some Young Adult books can shy away from serious issues and flawed characters. This book is very upfront about them.

I didn't really care for the romance. Granted, these are teenagers and they aren't tied down to serious relationships, but I expected a little more in that regard. These teens hop from one love interest to another just kissing everyone in sight all willy nilly. I would have preferred a more mature approach to relationships, but maybe I'm just old-fashioned. I never like romance to dominate my books, but I also want some feels when it comes around.

Overall, I was quite impressed with this vivid fantasy story. I am so eager to read the next book in this series! I have a feeling that this series is going to be something special. Cinda Williams Chima has gained a new fan and I cannot wait to devour her current library of already published books! If you are a fan of high fantasy, then this is the read for you! Don't hesitate on this one.

This book took me forever to read. I forced myself to go back to it every few nights. I felt the story talked about things happening. Things weren't always actually happening. Too much, "Let me tell you what happened 300 years ago..." The action picked up about halfway through, but by then I had a bad attitude.

LIKES

Princess Raisa! My goodness, I didn’t realize how badly I’ve been in need of a strong heroine. One thing that I love is when a character completely transforms over the course of the book, and Raisa is no exception. She starts out as a naive, ignorant princess heir but who she is at the end of the book is not the same girl.
Han Alister. Or Cuffs Alister. Or Hunts Alone. You know – whichever name you decide to call him! Han is such a unique character as well. He is often thought of as this vicious street gang leader who has no care or regard for anyone, but that is so far from the truth! He is a complex character, and I cannot wait to see where the rest of the series takes him. He has immense potential, so it will be interesting to see if he ends up as a hero or villain.
The world-building. This is a giant world – uh, hello, it’s called the Seven Realms series – and it’s incredible how easily the landscapes come to life right off of each page! From the grimy, dirty streets of Ragmarket or Southbridge, to the royal castle of Fellsmarch to the Vale and the camps – Marisa Pines and Demonai – each is unique and incredibly detailed.

DISLIKES

It started off reading a little young, but the content didn’t match that. I enjoy the writing, but it did take me a few chapters to really connect.
A few events were predictable.

I didn’t realize that there was a map – my Kindle copy opened to chapter one, skipping the title page etc., so I didn’t know there was a map included! Duh!

MY THOUGHTS

I don’t know how I haven’t read this book yet. I mean, seriously – it was THAT good. It just really missed my radar. We start the book thrown immediately into action, and pick up information about the main characters and the realm along the way. I enjoyed that the story was told from alternating perspectives as well. It was a great way to contrast Raisa’s life growing up as royalty, and Han’s life, growing up as a street thug. I thoroughly enjoyed Williams-Chima’s writing style. She writes in such a fantastic way, that the characters came to life on each page. I was able to feel everything that Raisa and Han did – from happy moments to really heartbreakingly sad ones.

I also love the character growth in this book. Raisa becomes such an admirable character by books end, that it’s hard to believe she came from where she did. She always had it in her to start a revolution, and now she’s ready to carry it out. She isn’t the type of future monarch to sit around and let her people live in squalor while they live in grandeur in the castle.

Another great part of this book is the range of characters. From humans, to those who wield magic, to those who create magical amulets. I love, love, loved the magical themes in this story! We had good magic users and of course, bad. It was written beautifully, and I cannot wait to see how the magical use will evolve in the next books. It was nice to see such an array of characters as well, from all races and walks of life. It really added a diversity to the book that was wonderful.

The world building was helped greatly by the provided map in the beginning of the book of the Seven Realms. It can be a little overwhelming at first, since the books takes place in many different parts of the world – and different areas are mentioned often. But once you really get a handle on it, it’s incredible how author’s can create these worlds in their minds!

WOULD I RECOMMEND IT? Whether your a newbie to fantasy or an avid fantasy reader – you’ll love this book!

By Frankie

Once upon a time, there was a princess who wasn't exactly in love with a prince, but was close to marrying age and had to soon choose a husband. Not so far away from the castle lived a man, although hardly one. The man was an ex-gang leader, but he had changed his ways and was trying to provide for his mother and sister the legal way. They may have lived completely separate lives, but they both have a story to tell in The Demon King.

Alright, I know what you're thinking: this probably can't sound any cheesier, right? As much as I love Cinda Williams Chima, even I will admit that talking about this book makes it sound cheesy. I personally am not a big fan of cliché stories with princesses forced into marriage, but this is by far the best, most un-cheesy story I have ever read about a princess.

The first few chapters of The Demon King belong to Han, nicknamed Cuffs for the mysterious silver cuffs that have been around his wrists since he can remember and that are impossible to remove. Han is a sixteen-year-old living in two worlds. Half his time is spent away from the city, living in a clan, a village of families outside the main city, with his friend Dancer, but he never feels as though he quite belongs with them. At the same time, life in the city is hard. His mother made him quit The Raggers, his old gang where he was streetlord, and now he must provide for his family by actually working. Life without his gang is hard, and Han struggles to provide food for his mother and sister.

But then Han and Dancer have a bit of an altercation with a teenage wizard, Micah, and they end up walking away with his amulet, something all wizards use to control their magic. Only Micah shouldn't have his amulet until he turns sixteen in several months, and it seems like something isn't quite right with it.

Meanwhile, Princess Raisa, heir to the Gray Wolf Throne, must soon choose a husband. And it seems that every man in the queendom (and beyond, including a pirate!) wants to marry her. But the only guys (that's right, guys--plural) Raisa feels anything for are the ones she knows she can never marry. First there's Micah Bayer, the high wizard's son. According to ancient law, wizards and royalty are forbidden from marrying. The law was set in place after the rise of The Demon King, a wizard who once fell in love with a queen and then tried to take over the entire queendom. But Raisa can't help it, and her flirty relationship with Micah is definitely bordering on illegal. On top of that, her old friend Amon has just come back from school and is looking much better than the thirteen-year old she remembers. But Amon is also off limits--as the son of the Captain of the Queen's guard, and maybe the future Captain himself, he knows his duty is to protect the Princess and only to protect her. So now it seems that Raisa must choose between her heart and her queendom.

At first, I was a little afraid to open The Demon King. I've always been a big fan of Chima's first series, The Heir Chronicles, and to be honest, I was slightly scared about this one. As I said, the story sounds a tad cheesy at first, and this series is written for a slightly younger audience. But once I opened it, I was amazed. The Demon King certainly isn't cheesy or too young for anyone--nor is it a let-down after Chima's first series.

If anything, this book just bumped Chima higher on my favorite author list. She's painted an amazing world, created realistic, beautiful characters, and scored me a crappy grade on an Algebra test because I was up the entire night before reading. This story definitely deserves the four out of five stars I'm giving it. I've already recommended The Demon King to half of my school, and I'll tell you the same thing I told them: Go buy it.

Surprisingly entertaining, especially considering it ended on a giant cliffhanger and basically all but the last 50 or so pages is set up. But it's a good setup, enjoyable. I liked the characters and the world. I admittedly wasn't so hot on the use of the Native American-like cultures that are closer to the earth than others. It felt cliched and unimaginative. I also got tired of everyone kissing. I swear these teenagers made out with anyone of the opposite sex that so much as passed the in the hall. But mostly I enjoyed the book and look forward to the next one.

Note: I purchased a paper copy in a bookstore.

This story sits well within the sub-genre of magical fantasy. There are the wizards and amulets, thieves, hill-folk, princesses and queens associated with the genre. The tale is well told, with plenty of action and a good deal of well-handled romance in the various relationships.
For me, however, it is a little formulaic and reminded me of several other books I've read in similar vein. Don't misunderstand me: this is a good story and it's well presented. But I found it a little predictable and recognised scenarios, character types, and story structures I've come across before and found myself wondering when such-and-such would happen. The author didn't disappoint me and I'm sure that lovers of this particular sub-genre will be delighted by the book. I prefer my fiction to be a little more surprising: I like to be led along a path and be presented with unexpected outcomes along the way.
The story moves at a good pace and the characters are well realised, as is the fantasy world the author has created here. I enjoyed the read, although I wasn't driven to read it in the way some stories demand attention.
So, a great book for lovers of this type of fiction. And a pretty good read in general terms, but, for me, lacking that something extra that would make it really stand out. Nevertheless, recommended for those who like their fantasy served in a manner they find comfortable.

For years now my close, bookwormish friends have recommended this series to me and advised me that I would fall in love with Cinda's writing. But somehow, I never did pick it up because all those shiny, new releases got in the way. And then one day, I tweeted a request for an outstanding audiobook recommendation, and sure enough The Demon King popped up again. I figured it was time to listen to this much recommended story.

And you know what? Those friends of mine were right. Cinda writes of a magical, fantasy world, but one whose characters you immediately recognize. Han, the former street lord of the Raggers, rough and right in his approach to just about everything. Yes I admit, I loved him right away.

But there's also Princess Raisa and oh, how I loved her. She is surrounded by all those expectations of what is proper for her, and with her character came the thing I love the most in these types of plots -- political intrigue.

Cinda's a master of surprise and while you may anticipate that a plot twist is coming, you won't be sure of it until it, BAM, hits you. The Demon King sits on my shelf alongside my favorite fantasy stories (think of Megan Whalen Turner's The Thief). Like a lot of first books with a large cast of characters, the plot is a bit slower, but I promise you that thanks to the wonderful narration of Carol Monda, you will keep all the characters straight and you will fall in love with both Han and Raisa. I finished the audiobook and immediately bought the second one. I need to know what happened next, and yes, yes, to all my bookish friends, you were so right, I did fall in love with Cinda's story.

*reviewed by Sophie on Mundie Moms

A magical beginning to a fantasy series, replete with wizards and warriors, magical charms and potions, and a line of beautiful queens to be served and protected.

The clans are the only thing that stands between the wizards of the Fells and total domination. For a thousand years the wizards have been bound to serve the Queens of the Fells, their power bound by magical amulets forged by the clans-people. All talismans of dark magic were destroyed after the great Breaking, never to be used to enslave the people again. Wizards are forbidden to marry into royalty and increase their power. And they all play by the rules. Riiiight....

Except the current High Wizard seems to have an unwholesome influence over the current Queen, and the Princess Heir is in danger of being forced into a marriage that is not just distasteful, but unlawful. The High Wizard is determined to have his way, but the Princess has her champions, two young men who will give their lives to prevent Lord Bayar from achieving his devious desires.

Chima does a terrific job of entwining the stories and fates of three young characters, each unaware of the other's needs and fears. The book left me champing at the bit to get my hands on the next installment of the saga. I highly recommend this book to all fantasy lovers out there.

Princess Raisa ana’ Marianna would like nothing more than the freedom to be anyone else than who she is. Destined to inherit the queendom from her mother, Raisa struggles to accept her destiny as the future ruler and the expectations of an arranged marriage. Han Alister is a former street thief struggling to support his mother and sister, but with his reputation and the trouble that always seems to follow him, finding a honest job may be the least of his worries. The conflict between clan members and wizards borne from a war started long ago by the infamous Demon King spills into both of these young people’s lives, throwing them together and sending them on a journey that will shape the Queendom of the Fells forever.

I found the two main characters, Raisa and Han, to be young and naive, and although one expects these two to coincide, I expected more out of this popular series. Raisa is every bit a fifteen-year-old girl and I don’t mean it as an insult. She can be careless with herself and others. She has a certain amount of arrogance that is either a result of her age or station, but probably a little of both. At times I didn’t like her choices, but reflecting on it now, I can’t say it means I disliked her. I sort of wanted to pat the girl on the head and say, “Oh, sweety, one day you’ll learn, but do keep your lips to yourself.”

Han’s shyness is at first endearing, but became a little confusing when you learn what a seasoned criminal he is. A former leader of a street gang and possible heart breaker, Han’s past doesn’t for me scream naivety. I did admire Han’s drive to take care of his sister. I didn’t think either of the main characters exhibited enough character development and at times was a little put off by how often their thoughts strayed toward kisses, highlighting once again how young they are.

I expected more mature characters, but perhaps it is too much too soon. There is a lot of room for growth and I hope that Williams treated this book simply as a starting point for introducing her protagonists and her subsequent books in the series polish them up a bit. I think The Demon King has its audience, but I’m afraid I’m not part of it. The book did improve as it progresses and while I love big books, I think a shortened version would have been better.

This book had a lot of promise, and while enjoyable, I found that it was unable to reach its true potential. With all of the praise that this book has received, I was expecting something brilliant. It's a bummer for me to admit that it didn't live up to my expectations.

It's hard to describe what hindered this book from greatness in my opinion. Look at the synopsis above. It's so long, it covers so many different details and gives you a very informative summary of many aspects found in the book instead of the book overall. That's sort of how the description in the book was. There was too much uninteresting knowledge. I'm not even going to lie, the first quarter of the book spanned maybe twenty four hours in a book that lasted several weeks. And to make matters worse, I was not truly enraptured until I surpassed page 200. While this is an easy book to get through because the concept is so fascinating, you can somehow simultaneously feel that you are reading 506 pages of words.

I also feel as if too much time was spent on the world-building. It basically breaks down as followers: There's a Queendom in a place called the Fells of the descendants of the Grey Wolf Throne. There are wars all around their territory in the novel. There are people in spiritual clans in the mountains, poor, unsafe, dirty flatlanders in the flatlands, and the wizards who are part of Wizard Council. The clans and the wizards hate each other, so the flatlanders sort of help to prevent a war because they're location is what bridges the gap between the two disagreeing people. The people disagree because, as legend has it, an old and powerful wizard named Alger rose up to destroy the world one thousand years ago. He earned the name The Demon King for his power and wrongdoings. His attempts to destroy the world led to the Breaking because the world was literally breaking from earthquakes of negative power. Then the warrior queen at the time found a way to save the world through the Naeming which established the Wizard Council and banned the wizards from the mountains while the clansmen had to fashion their wizarding tools for them to regulate and control them. Since then, the Queen always had a High Wizard to help aid her in times of war. The legend also states that this wizard could never betray the Queen because he is bound to her. But, what we quickly learn is that not all legends are true. My point being is that it took a solid third of the book for me to firmly grasp the entire world because the detail led me astray at times. It just wasn't necessary.

I also hate to admit that the characters fell into many cliches, which disappointed me. While the plot was incredibly creative, I wish that the characters were equally as original. And while some stood out to me, most had cliche aspects that had me shaking my head. Firstly, there's Princess Raisa, the upcoming heir to the Grey Wolf Throne. She's very impulsive and slightly annoying. She has a rebellious nature because her life is so regulated, so she often goes around kissing boys on whims. Sure, it's mostly the same boy, but at some point in the book she admits to kissing an entire list at least once. She's very thoughtful when it comes to helping out the poor, but very shallow and rude when it comes to giving other people a chance romantically. She won't even look at a potential suitor because his name is Kip, yet she openly admits to kissing his identical twin, Keith. They're the same, but she judges him on his name. I found this shallowness to be annoying, yet it's contrasted with her desire to help the poor in the flatlands. Her desire to rebel also made her ignore all negative aspects of her chosen forbidden romantic love interest. She chooses him above all in private, but is stricken at the idea of actually having to be with him in public several times throughout the book because it's against the law. Oh, and then there are the many times where she just sort of gets the urge to kiss a boy out of nowhere, even if it is her long lest best friend from when they were children, so she just does it because she's the Princess and can do whatever she wants. Not to be rude, but shouldn't she be more conscientious of how people view her? The immaturity and thoughtlessness as well as the hypocrisy and conflicting emotions and actions found in Raisa made some aspects of this book laborious because I just couldn't connect with her.

I did, however, greatly enjoy Amon's characterization and Han's characterization. Amon is a warrior that will do what is right, even if it means tamping down on his feelings. Han is an ex streetlord from the flatlands who was respected and revered for his skills. However, he chose to leave the life behind to protect his mother and younger sister from harm's way. I very much enjoyed his characterization. He was equal parts snarky and thoughtful with a keen intelligence and street sense that snuck up on you all the time. However, even these boys had cliche character flaws.

This book was full cliches that just got to be annoying. There's a weak queens. Obvious villainous people were ignored by everyone until it was too late. The evil kids doing their father's bidding. The evil guy who gets all the girls to go nuts over him despite his obvious evilness. The thug turned good guy. The long lost best friend finally returns home and falls in love with his friend only to have to deny his feelings. A distant father (though he was forced away by trading). A group of people to hate: the wizards. A million unnamed suitors hungry for the crown. Really, any character flaw and cliche you could think of in general, but also specifically for high fantasy novels, can be found in this one. And though this isn't a cliche it is a flaw; it really annoyed me that the Queen was so stupid she acted more like a child than her 16 year old daughter. You are a QUEEN, you cannot avoid conflict!

I have to say that with all of that being said, the political intrigue in this one fascinated me. This novel was written as Raisa's 16th birthday was approaching. This birthday marks the occasion of her ability to be married, so obviously the suitors are flocking and the alliances in times of war were on everyone's minds. Watching the dynamics among both the rich and the poor and the magical and the spiritual were interesting because we were allowed to see all sides of the coin. I greatly looked forward to scenes in the Spirit Mountains the most.

With all of that being said, I enjoyed this one. I just wish I could have formed a more emotional connection with characters since this book has such great length. I am hoping book two has an even better delivery than book one because I know both Amon and Han will play key roles in book two and they were what kept me reading book one.

A very great high fantasy, but not among my favorites. If you liked the war and political intrigue in GRACELING, you will most likely enjoy this one.

Originally posted on The Canon! [...]
It's been a while since I found a book like this one. The Demon King has me hooked. Why? Read on.

THE CHARACTERS
Initially, I was a little disappointed in the characters. In the first few chapters, it felt like both Han and Princess Raisa were familiar, cookie-cutter characters that I've met before. And that's what I get for judging too soon.

Raisa has a depth of character that I haven't come across lately. Instead of telling me how strong of a character she is, how devoted to her family & her country, Chima shows me. Following Raisa through her admittedly terrifying adventures makes me love this brave, albeit somewhat naive, princess. As I followed her through it all, I was intrigued and fascinated by this young girl, one who is willing to sell off her riches in order to make a better life for her people. As soon as she put on her servants disguise and introduced herself to Amon, her friend, as Rebecca, I knew she & I were in it for the long haul.

Han's character reminded me of a cross between Aladdin & the Dread Pirate Roberts from The Princess Bride. He is thorough, smart, and constantly living in the shadow of his own overblown legend, Cuffs Alistar. It was an interesting contrast between his false legendary toughness and his soft heart towards his mother & sister. I loved reading his narration: it provided contrast to Raisa's somewhat innocent character.

THE PLOT
The plot is really the highlight of this novel. I absolutely loved the many layers of Chima's work. Between the dual narrations, there is plenty going on. In order to keep this review spoiler free, I won't go into great detail. I loved how Chima foreshadowed certain events yet threw in plot twists to keep me on the edge of my seat. The story doesn't end in the traditional way; instead, there are more loose ends then there were in the beginning of the novel. Typically, this drives me nuts, but in the case of The Demon King, all I want is to figure out what on earth happens next.

THE WRITING
The writing is addictive in the best way possible. Chima switches from Han's to Raisa's narrations smoothly, using both characters to propel the plot forward & shed some light on topics brought up previously. Reading this book was like sinking into their incredibly imaginative world. I felt like I was there, staring at the streets of Ragmarket instead of words on a page.

FINAL THOUGHTS
I'm actually resisting buying the next book of the series on the store (I'm supposed to be restricting my impulse spending for 2014...). The Demon King was that good. I loved the characters, the creative world of magic, mystery & intrigue. I'm in. Let's do this.

The Demon King by Cinda Williams Chima was my first Audible purchase! I remember seeing a number of reviews gushing about this series, and I can never let a great high fantasy series pass me by ;-). Since The Demon King is pretty long, it made sense to get the audiobook for when I ran out of review audios to listen to. I'm so glad I started this series, though I think I might try to read the next one to make sure I get everything straight, hehe.

Strengths:
High fantasy kind of has to have a full cast of great characters right? While at times I had to sit back and remember who someone was, I love a world that is filled with named people that have depth and their own motivations.
I enjoyed all of Demon King, but the last third was my favorite by far. It was the perfect combination of suspense, dislike of the villains and cheering enthusiastically for the heroes.
While we stuck mostly to one country in The Demon King, there is obviously a lot of world to explore in the coming novels. I'm freaking pumped to find out more!
I liked the feminist culture that existed with the Queendom and Raisa's attitude toward kissing boys ;-). Usually high fantasy falls back on the medieval trope of men in charge, but I don't think Raisa would like that very much, haha.

Weaknesses:
I admit that I had a bit of a hard time getting into The Demon King. I kept wondering when the plot would really get going. There was just a bit too much intrigue and build-up for me, but I'm quite confident in the action of the second novel!
The ending of The Demon King was a bit unsatisfying since nothing really got resolved. It is obviously building up to the second book, but I like the endings of even books in a series to have some sort of conclusive feel to them.
The narration was a little low quality compared to what I'm used to unfortunately. The recording just didn't sound up to par and the narrator didn't do a great job of separate voices for each of the characters. I couldn't really tell who was who until a name was given :(

Summary:
Don't mind me while I go read The Exiled Queen :D. But seriously, if you like high fantasy, you've probably already heard of The Demon King. However, if you're like me and just somehow missed that memo, go pick it up and stick with it! You'll be glad you did :D.

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!

Mrs. Chima, your my new best friend...I loved this book! I honestly can't believe I waited this long to read it! While the book starts off kind of slow, its important for the set-up and background of the book. A book of heart-pounding action, wizards, magic, danger, and amazing character, this book is a must read!

I fell in love with the characters! Princess Raisa is a strong, independent, headstrong girl learning to be the best she can be. She a stubborn girl that isn't afraid to get her hands dirty! Amon....well he's a soldier and I must admit I am a sucker for a man in uniform ;) He's an extremely sweet, honorable, and respectful man who really cares for Raisa. Then there is Han...I'm not sure who I like better! Han has a reformed thief but not exactly a bad boy. He only did what he had to in order to take care of his family. he's a honorable thief...if that makes any sense. This book really delves into his past and I look forward to learning even more about him in the books to come. I must say, the big reveal at the end was surprising (well, who he came from that is).

I am a huge fan of alternating POV's so I absolutely loved this book for it. It really allows the reader to learn all about the characters. And even though it was 3rd person, it was so well written that you really could feel along with all the characters.

The world-building was excellent! I could picture everything about the world (the map helped) and I could really get into it!

The plot was extremely interesting! Between all the action and adventures, this book constantly keeps you on the edge of your seat and keeps your heart pumping!

Overall, this is a truly excellent book. It is ripe with action, love, political intrigue, twists, turns and betrayals. I definitely recommend this and can't wait to read the next two books!

I've always been a little hesitant about reading high fantasy because of the detachment I tend to feel while reading. The books that I've read seemed to be more concerned about dumping every little piece of the world the author created onto the reader instead of focusing on the plot. Things that functioned like normal pieces of our world were renamed and lacked context so I spent more of the book trying to figure out what was what instead of what was going on.

Not so with The Demon King. At first the entrance into this new world was a little jarring. New terminology and things can do that to a person. But after about a chapter and a half, I zoomed right into the plot and I didn't want to stop. I didn't want to stop so bad that I plowed into the next book in the series, The Exiled Queen, because I just had to know what happened next. Which only means I'm going to have to wait extra long for the next book. At least I have The Warrior Heir in my TBR pile to tide me over.

The realms that Chima created is both wholly fantastic in its new self and at the same time grounded enough in our reality that I could stay connected to the story while reading it. The bits and pieces of the world that made it unique to itself blended seamlessly with the story. There wasn't any lingering on a single piece of anything to infodump. Anything that needed to be known about anything was woven into the story itself. Everything was a part of everything else and no single piece stood out any more than the rest. There was just enough newness to the world that I felt immersed in a whole different place as I was reading but the characters, their actions, their circumstances and their surroundings held me in place for how real they were. I felt that despite the fantasy land, it could have existed.

Raisa is probably one of my favorite YA heroines I've read yet. She's so strong-willed and opinionated but not obnoxiously so. She knows her place and yet at the same time somewhat (and not-so-somewhat) works quietly to fight against that. She strives to better herself. As much as she loves her mother, she doesn't want to be an ignorant or weak queen. She pushes people to push her because it'll make her that much stronger.

And I love just how blatant her sexuality is. Usually when you end up with any kind of king/queendom type of setting, there's an air of propriety attached. While she's not allowed to have boys in her room or anything, she speaks of kissing a multitude of boys as if it were nothing. She's not a slut but she's certainly not prudish, either. She has her limits, she knows them and she sticks to them. I love it.

And one can't help but love Han. Man, did he get the s*** end of the stick in life. And while his and Raisa's paths cross pretty briefly in the overall length of the story, they remain with each other. Except Han doesn't know who's crossed his path. He's not matching the girl he's thinking about to the girl he loathes in the high tower. I'm anxiously awaiting the point when he finds out the two are one and the same.

I loved the history of this world that skimmed just under the surface of the plot and subplots. It made me want to know more. There's a political divide there; treason, treachery, hatred. I'd love to grab one of Speaker Jemson's history books and just sit and read for a while. Or even listen to old Lucius since he knows the real history of the Breaking. I also love how the revolt from on high is taking place so underhandedly. Sneaky bastards, those wizards!

I just can't say enough good about The Demon King. I really can't. The world is so vivid that I could dive right into it. The characters are so real I could almost touch them. The story pulled at me so strongly that at points I wanted to yell out to help the characters and I even got misty-eyed at a few other moments. Most importantly, The Demon King has me so excited for high fantasy that I'm totally jazzed to keep working on my own manuscript and dear god, I hope it can be at least a tenth as good as this is. Even if high fantasy isn't your thing, you need to read this one. The plot alone will suck you in. The world is just a gorgeous added bonus.

"The Demon King" is a novel from two disparate perspectives that eventually begin to weave together. We have Han Alister, who at sixteen years old is already a former thief and gang leader, trying to live his life honestly. But even when staying out of town, trouble still finds him, and before long he is tangling with wizards and getting into worse trouble than he ever did as a gang leader.

The flip side of the novel follows Raisa, princess and soon to be heir to the Queendom of the Fells. Life isn't as sweet and simple as it should be for a princess as Raisa becomes more and more aware and involved in politics that are as old as the Queendom. The closer Raisa gets to her 16th birthday and "Name Day," the more convinced she becomes of something running afoul in the Queendom. And somehow, her mother the Queen seems to be at the heart of it.

First, the con. The novel makes so many allusions to past events and history in this first novels that I spent the first third of the book convinced that I had missed a preceding volume or even series. No such book existed, sadly, which makes it even more baffling. I understand the desire to start a story already in motion, so that the reader can discover the world of the characters. Sometimes, that works. Sometimes, it doesn't. In this case, it almost didn't work.

However, if you can plow forward in the book, things will snap together and start to make sense. As soon as they do, the book is a rush of action and revelation even when it quickly becomes evident that there is going to be little conclusion in this volume. The stories of Han and Raisa loosely weave together and apart in a way that will leave the reader eagerly anticipating the next page. And for every revelation we receive, there is a hint that we are only hearing a part of the story.

This first volume of the Seven Realms offers a lot of promise, and I'm looking forward to reading the next volume to see if Chima pays off. If you're looking for a story with conflicting love interests, magic, and the threat of a kingdom spiraling into war, the first act of the Seven Realms series is a good place to start. Enjoy!

This is one of those instances where it was clear that the author's writing has really grown from their first series to the their second. Cinda Williams Chima's first series (The Warrior Heir) was anything but weak. I liked it a lot when I read it. But where that trio didn't quite flow or feel quite right, this one felt like a more complete world.

We follow Hans Allistair, the former street lord who is trying to go straight, and Raisa Marianna the headstrong and insulated Princess Heir of the Fells. Hans lives in a world that requires careful negotiating with the city guards (bribes and avoidance are the best methods), carefully saving money to get by, and a particular divide between wizards and others. (People are particularly wary of wizards after the Demon King broke the world and careful rules have been in place to keep this from happening again.) Hans tries to fit in and stay out of trouble but trouble seems to follow him, in particular because he has a pair of silver cuffs that he cannot remove and does not know where they came from. Raisa lives in the castle, carrying out her every whim (which mostly involves making out with boys she knows she can never be with because as the heir she must marry for the good of the realm), when she realizes that there is more going beyond the castle. She discovers how poor people, how much resentment there is towards the royal guards and the wizards. Her mother is a particularly weak queen and the succession is being threatened. Removed as she is from her queendom, Raisa knows she must do something to help her people and keep those who wish to steal her birthright from succeeding.

One of the things I really enjoyed was how separate Hans and Raisa's lives seemed, yet they were deeply intertwined in more ways than they could ever imagine. Sure, they run into each other for a few chapters, but those chapters are only the most obvious ways that they are connected.

Another one of Williams Chima's great skills involves surprise. No matter what you expect or who you think is important, there is always a little more going on than is originally apparent.

For once I can't think of any particular complaints I had while reading. I like all of the characters, the story is interesting, and there is nothing in particular that stands out as a weak spot. If I had to come up with a complaint, it's that it seems like Hans and Raina seem to be headed in the direction of being a couple and for some reason that rings false to me. (There's nothing to really prove that, but that's the sense I got.) In fact, I feel like we're just getting to the best part. If this book is any indication of where her writing is going, I can't wait to get the second book (though I may have to wait until it comes out in paperback since I can only afford so many hardcover books.)

Sometimes novels that focus on two or more characters and split the time between them take too much time to develop each part of the story, leaving the reader bored and wondering, "what's the point?". But I never found myself asking that about The Demon King. Chima's world is fantastic in its new self and at the same time grounded enough in reality that it will be easy for even for the anti-high-fantasy reader to slip into and stay connected when reading. Good exposition, well weaved politics, and memorable/unique characters throughout the entire novel bring this story to life. Especially Raisa. OMG, excuse me for going fangirl for a moment, but Raisa is one of the coolest YA heroines out there. She's opinionated, strong willed, adventurous, and pushes people to push her to become a better queen. She's completely aware of the fact that she's been sheltered as a princess, and is hungry to step into a role which gives her the power to help people. Rare qualities for a character in her position, which made getting to know her incredibly entertaining.

And I can't forget Han. Oh, poor Han. Street-smart and quick on his feet, he still has the strength to move forward even after getting his ass kicked by the corrupt local Guard. Multiple times. What a guy.Though he is your typical cocky street kid with a heart of gold (can anyone say, Aladdin?), his perspective of the story provided a good balance to Raisa's princess-party life.

Though I admit that that I found Raisa's side of the story more interesting (if you couldn't tell), the end of the book left me wanting to read more about Han. It's been a while since I've gotten so attached to a series. The Demon King was a wonderful first installment to Chima's Seven Realms series, one that any reader should be able to enjoy. It's got a bit of something for everyone!

Okay, this book was pretty much a 500 page prologue, not a lot of action, pretty much just setting up the main story line. And, surprisingly, it wasn't boring at all. I hung onto every word and couldn't stop reading. Great character development. And the story that it is setting up will be a very good one. The dialogue was written greatly, it kinda made up for the lack of fighting scenes. They talk a lot about the history of their world. And there was a lot of action then. Honestly, Cinda Chima needs to write a prequel of this book that is set during the war that took place all of those years ago. That would be an interesting book.

There was a bit more romance in this book then is preferable to me. This Princess Raisa girl has like seventeen boyfriends and can't seem to make up her mind between which she likes most. The whole book book pretty much leads up to her name day. That's the birthday where she becomes old enough to get married. And everybody is pressuring her to make a good choice in who she marries and pretty much the two boys she likes most are forbidden for her to marry. I will never understand the logic of girls.

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The other main character, Han "Cuffs" Alistar, is kinda the opposite of Raisa, and no, not just by gender. While Raisa is Princess, heir to the throne, Han is nearly homeless, trying and very close to failing to support his mother and little sister. And he is constantly in danger of the bluejackets, police of the Seven Realms, because of his former life as a gangster. He really reminded me of Johnny Depp's character in Pirates of the Caribbean, Jack Sparrow. To everyone else he is smooth, witty, not the smartest guy but clearly can take care of himself. He is used to getting out of bad situations. But when there is a chapter that is written from his point of view you can really tell he has no idea what he is doing, making things up as he goes. It's pretty funny to see these transitions.

This book was very well written and sets up what will be a great novel in the sequal, The Exiled Queen. I will be reading it as soon as I can and am very excited. It will be a great book. I just hope it'll be worth all of the setting up.

Austin [...]

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

The Demon King is the first book in Cinda Williams Chima's "Seven Realms" Trilogy, and it's left me speechless. This book is absolutely sensational! It's a light, easy read and Cinda hasn't made the mistake of adding character upon character and sacrificing plot to create an epic

I admit, it's not an in-depth read, but it's so exceptionally well written and wonderful characters that huge sweeping plot twists aren't required to keep your attention. What keeps the reader's attention is great flow and well developed believable characters.

The Demon King makes a great introduction to those that haven't read fantasy before, and for those well versed in the genre it brings back that feeling of `first love'.

I did find trying to understand Han Alister and his background a little confusing, as we were launched into background information without any real build up; that that's the limit of my complaints with this story.

A gradual build up of plot and intrigue, of power and relationships; The Demon King is a must read, in fact, it's a must read twice... well, it's certainly a keeper. Buy it, buy for your friends, buy for your family, but never ever lend it, this is going to be the most stolen book in my bookcase, I just know it.

If you're reading review to decide whether or not to pick up this series, let me just tell you that yes, you should. A YA series can be tricky: it could tend too much toward the pre-teen end of the spectrum, not have believable characters, be not much more than a poor re-write of other stories, or fizzle out at the end and leave the reader unsatisfied. This series does none of those things.

The Demon King is an intriguing and page-turning start to a series that keeps building to the very end of The Crimson Crown. The character development is excellent; the world's landscape, politics, magic, and history are all well described; the romance is both heartwarming and heartwrenching; friends unexpectedly become enemies and vis versa; and by the end of the series, all of the loose ends are tied up skillfully and without shortcuts. It is YA not because of content - it is an easy, exciting, and enjoyable read for any age. I will almost certainly pick up the series again someday, and I can't wait to read more from Chima!

This novel was really enjoyable after getting through the first 75 pages or so. It takes a while for the plot to reveal itself, and the reader has to be patient as all the pieces are put in place for the action to begin. It was enjoyable reading from Hans’ perspective, especially once he took on his streetlord persona. I found him to be charismatic and interesting. I liked that the fantasy is set in a queendom, and I hope that before the series ends, I’m able to see a strong female character leading the country. Overall, I do hope to continue this series but I’m not sure when that will be.

i read this book because our library had just gotten a new shipment of books and my librarian and english teacher said the series was good. so i started reading this book nnd i couldnt stop, this book(and the rest of the books in the series) held my attention throught the whole story there wasnt a boring scene in it.
the main characters, han and raisa, were strong people with their own personality. i think they make a great couple. the plot in the book was well thought out and was very captivating.
the main reasoni gave this book 5 stars was because i luved the story so much and its a story i could read multiple times and never get tired of it.
also i would like to thank tbe authour of this book for writing this amazing book.

I went into this book with the worst attitude, expecting to quit on it before getting very many chapters in. I used to read a ton of epic fantasy but have gotten pickier about what I read. I started this one thinking it was a stereotypical story, which perhaps it is, but I was quickly swept up in all the characters' lives and the politics of their world. I can't wait to start the next book.