Blackbird Rising (The Witch King's Crown, #1)

by Keri Arthur

A modern fantasy novel inspired by the King Arthur legend...

For hundreds of years, the Witch King’s sword has been buried in stone awaiting the next hand to draw it.

Many have tried. None have succeeded.

Gwen is the last in a long line of De Montfort witches whose duty it is to protect the sword of all power. But when she returns to King Island to perform the blessing, a mysterious pulse of blue light tells her that someone has attempted to draw the sword. Before she can investigate any further, demons attack. She only survives with the help of a mysterious stranger who disappears as quickly as he appears.

Gwen and her grandmother, Moscelyne, soon discover that minor gateways into Darkside—the traditional home of both demons and dark elves—are being forced open by magic. Even worse, someone is now sending demons after the Witch King’s heirs.

As vital artifacts are stolen by Darkside and the deaths draw altogether too close to home, Gwen and Mo—with the help of old gods and an ancient order of knights once thought dead—scramble to unravel the clues and stop the murderous would-be king from claiming the crown.

If they fail and the wrong hand draws the sword of power, he can unlock the main gateway into Darkside and unleash utter hell onto an unsuspecting and unprepared England....

• ISBN10: 0648497348
• ISBN13: 9780648497349
• Publish Date: 3 February 2020
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: AU
• Imprint: various Australia publishers
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 370
• Language: English

Reviews

[Quirky Cat]

Blackbird Rising is the first novel in Keri Arthur’s newest series, The Witch King’s Crown. As you can probably guess from the name, this is a new take on the Arthurian legend. I know there have been a lot of these coming out lately – but trust me, this one is unlike all of the others. The twists are much harder to predict, and the focus is a brilliant new perspective.

Inspired by the legend of King Arthur, this is a modern fantasy, one full of magic, lore, and responsibilities. The sword of the Witch King has sat in the stone for hundreds of years. And its Gwen’s job to make sure it remains safely there.

It’s been the job of every woman in the De Montfort line. So it’s something she’s well prepared for. Or so she thought. But there’s strange magic on the air, and it brings with it new allies, sudden danger, and a series of murders.

“Someone was out there, watching from afar. While there was no immediate sense of danger, unease still crawled across my skin.”

Blackbird Rising was an intense and richly detailed novel. One that I still haven’t been able to get out of my head, and it’s been almost a week. I loved this novel and Arthur’s take on Arthurian legend, and the long term impact that lore would have.

Gwen is a spunky and sassy character, one who has been well trained for her job. It was easy to appreciate her humor and determination. What’s more, Arthur presented us with a character that knew her limits – such as when to let somebody else step up for the fight. I respect that. And no, it wasn’t an instance of letting the men fight for her, I promise!

In fact, that’s related to some commentary that ran throughout the book. Social imbalance and sexism came up several times over the course of Blackbird Rising. Sometimes they were key parts to the story, other times they were cleverly woven in. I personally appreciated seeing Arthur’s take on the matter, especially since it felt relevant to Gwen’s predicament on more than one occasion.

Keri Arthur’s worldbuilding was once again shown off to great effect in this novel. This is a modern world, yes. But it is also full of magic, lord, and bloodlines that carry the responsibility and weight of both.

I couldn’t get enough details about the different bloodlines, their specialties, and their lore. I’m very much looking forward to seeing their appearances (or even mentions) in future novels for that very reason.

Alongside the main plot (which was delightfully dark and gritty) there are a lot of subplots and hints strewn about. I think I can guess where one or two of those elements are going to lead. But for everything else? I’m looking forward to being surprised.

As a huge fan of Keri Arthur, I’m not in the least bit surprised that I ended up loving Blackbird Rising. I am still wholly impressed by what she delivered, and can’t wait to see what the next installment of this series will bring.

Check out more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks