when a fae and a witch love each other very much

[hermionesviolin]

Abby posted in a Discord we're in about The Witch King by H. E. Edgmon and said, while summarizing the premise/first chapter, "Like, it's unclear so far exactly how witch works in this world? It's maybe an ethic identity?"

I DMed her to say she meant "ethnic identity."

Which led to this:

Abby:

Thanks. I mean, it’s also maybe an ethic identity, but that’s definitely not what I was trying to say.

me:

Abby: "I'm probably an atheist, and Elizabeth isn't. But our more important ethic identities are witch and fae, respectively."

Abby:

Elizabeth, a fae: “There are RULES and they are very important and must be followed precisely. Except when they’re stupid and don’t matter. Also, the rules are secret.”

Abalyn, a witch: “Be kind, do good, and burn shit.”

***

For anyone who's interested in the book, here's all of what Abby said (with typos corrected):

I just started audio reading The Witch King, by H. E. Edgmon (not to be confused with Witch King by Martha Wells), over the weekend, and for an allegedly YA novel, the first chapter is kinda smoking (and drops an f-bomb in the explicitly sexual meaning).

Plot synopsis: the Prince of the Fae was/is engaged to a witch, but the witch did something awful (has not been revealed what, yet) and ran away. Then also transed. Prince of the Fae has come looking for him and demanding the engagement be honored, because Fae Politics™.

Protagonist is the (former?) witch. (Like, it's unclear so far exactly how witch works in this world? It's maybe an ethnic identity? Maybe a racial identity? It doesn't seem to be exclusively female but...maybe it is? Like, protagonist has/had a bio dad, who is/was maybe a witch? Unclear.)

But trans dude protagonist is hella gay and there's a lot of smouldering sexual tension between him and the fae prince.

(This is all Chapter 1, so not really a spoiler in any meaningful way.)