The King Slayer - Review

The King Slayer - The Witch Hunter #2 by Virginia Boecker

“I think, in time, you’ll either be my greatest mistake or my greatest victory.”

Former witch hunter Elizabeth Grey is hiding within the magically protected village of Harrow, evading the price put on her head by Lord Blackwell, the usurper king of Anglia. Their last encounter left Blackwell ruined, but his thirst for power grows stronger every day. He’s readying for a war against those who would resist his rule—namely Elizabeth and the witches and wizards she now calls her allies.

Having lost her stigma, a magical source of protection and healing, Elizabeth’s strength is tested both physically and emotionally. War always means sacrifice, and as the lines between good and evil blur once more, Elizabeth must decide just how far she’ll go to save those she loves.
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I received a copy from the publisher (via NetGalley) in exchange for an honest review!
What I say: I reread book one The Witch Hunter before starting The King Slayer because I wanted to make sure I had all the plot points fixed firmly in my mind - this is a connected duology/series and not a standalone. 

The best way I can describe the books is as a YA historical fantasy set in a kind of fictional London. Elizabeth is a former witch hunter who now works to fight the tyranny of her former boss aka Blackwell the usurper (that sounds all very Game of Thrones). 

I loved Elizabeth in the first book so I had high expectations for her and the story. Did it live up to these expectations and match up to the previous instalment? Yes, mostly. Elizabeth is a very different person to the girl we first met, and for the most part this is a good development, but I did get a little annoyed with certain aspects of her journey aka how she was with John.

I'm a big John fan and was more than a little concerned we may suddenly been drawn into ex-girlfriend issues. Apart from a few petulant moments, and to be honest I totally understood why he was so annoyed by Elizabeth at times, he was still the loveable yet bad ass healer I loved.

It was interesting to see more of the secondary characters and I'd love to read more about Malcolm. I loathed him before and am now hugely conflicted about hi. His biggest flaw seemed to be ignorance when it came to Elizabeth and the position he put her in.

I enjoyed the story and big revelations. I'm convinced there's more to come in Boecker's world...

4 Stars in my Sky!