Promise of the Witch-King

Lore & Background

The plot follows Artemis Entreri and Jarlaxle Baenre as they are hired by two dragon sisters, Ilnezhara and Tazmikella, to uncover artifacts left by Zhengyi the Witch-King, a powerful lich who once ruled the region. In the village of Palishchuk, a half-orc woman named Arrayan Faylin falls under Zhengyi's spell while deciphering a tome, causing her life force to form an exact replica of Castle Perilous. The pair joins a group of adventurers—including Commander Ellery, Mariabronne the Rover, dwarf Athrogate, wizard Canthan, half-elf Calihye, and half-orcs Arrayan and Olgerkhan—to investigate the fortress Facsimile.

During the adventure, Calihye blames Entreri for the death of her friend Parissus and vows to kill him, but Entreri disarms her and threatens slow death if she tries again. The wizard Canthan turns on Entreri but is killed. In a rare compassionate act, Entreri uses Canthan's dying life force to heal Arrayan's lover. Mariabronne is killed by a demon emerging from the eggs. Commander Ellery, who had been Jarlaxle's lover, attempts to assassinate him but is mortally wounded by Entreri. Athrogate duels Entreri and nearly kills him, but Jarlaxle traps Athrogate in a dimensional hole and forces his obedience. The remaining five companions defeat a dracolich minion of Zhengyi using Entreri's enchanted dragon statue. Jarlaxle salvages the dracolich's soul in a skull pendant and a magical figurine obtained from the dragon sisters.

Reader's Guide

Promise of the Witch-King is significant as the second installment of The Sellswords trilogy, a spin-off from the Drizzt line of novels. It reached number 15 on the New York Times bestseller list on November 13, 2005, indicating commercial success within the Forgotten Realms franchise. The book received mixed critical reception: Publishers Weekly praised its action and magical treasure hunt, while Kirkus Reviews called it formulaic and derivative. Pat Ferrara from mania.com lauded it as a tightly plotted, fast-paced entry in the series. The novel expands the lore of the Witch-King Zhengyi and the regions of Damara and Vaasa, and deepens the character arcs of Entreri and Jarlaxle as they navigate alliances, betrayals, and moral ambiguity. Its legacy lies in continuing the popular Sellswords storyline and introducing memorable secondary characters such as Athrogate and Calihye.

Did You Know?

• Promise of the Witch-King is book 2 of the Forgotten Realms trilogy The Sellswords.
• The book reached number 15 on the New York Times bestseller list on November 13, 2005.
• The plot involves a dwarf and a wizard as new companions, not the ghost of the Witch-King.
• Jarlaxle salvages the soul of a dracolich in a skull pendant and a magical figurine obtained from the dragon sisters.