Fantasy Set During Spanish Inquisition

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The Bird King came as a surprise to me. As one of my first dives into fantasy, I was scared that I wouldn’t be able to follow the story or understand the world building. I didn’t have to worry because The Bird King is a historical fantasy that starts off in familiar territory during the Spanish Inquisition. The fantastical elements slowly build making it easy for those unfamiliar with fantasy to enjoy the story. G. Willow Wilson’s writing is very engaging. I’m not one for battles scenes especially ones taking place at sea but Wilson’s writing had me totally engrossed. There were two flaws in the story that prevented me from rating The Bird King higher. First, I had a problem with Fatima’s character arc, it was disappointing, she lacked character growth. The internal character flaw Wilson wants readers to believe exist doesn’t feel right. I also felt that she wasn’t rewarded properly. Which leads leads to my second major problem. Fatima’s reward was confusing and didn’t seem to be worth the journey. It felt that Fatima jumped from one golden cage to another. Overall, I really like The Bird King and look forward to reading more from G. Willow Wilson in the future.