You must be strong enough to strike and strike and strike again without tiring.
The first lesson is to make yourself strong.
After the jaw-dropping revelation that Oak is the heir to Faerie, Jude must keep her younger brother safe. To do so, she has bound the wicked king, Cardan, to her, and made herself the power behind the throne. Navigating the constantly shifting political alliances of Faerie would be difficult enough if Cardan were easy to control. But he does everything in his power to humiliate and undermine her even as his fascination with her remains undiminished.
When it becomes all too clear that someone close to Jude means to betray her, threatening her own life and the lives of everyone she loves, Jude must uncover the traitor and fight her own complicated feelings for Cardan to maintain control as a mortal in a Faerie world.
“Power is much easier to acquire than it is to hold on to.”
The Wicked King is the second installment of The Folk of the Air series, the book resumes five months after the events of book one, The Cruel Prince. The plotting and court intrigue is taken to new levels in book 2 and if you think the cliff hanger in the Cruel Prince is bad, hold on to your edges because 2020 will feel like decades away when you finish The Wicked King.
Our eyes meet, and something dangerous sparks.
He hates you, I remind myself.
“Kiss me again,” he says, drunk and foolish. “Kiss me until I am sick of it.”
Cardan is sexy (sexier) — when before I found him to be a problematic douche. Jude is more complex and more self aware. I still hate Taryn. Locke can still go to hell (and burn slow). Elfhame remains as dangerous and surprising as legos on the floor at night.
I gave The Cruel Prince 1 ★ the first time I read it. I had the flu and I hated the book. I reread 3 months later, after reading other Holly Black books (which I loved) and improved the rating to 3 stars. I said what I said— 3 ★ is the best I could give the book. I can’t quite specify why, but something about the original book didn’t do it for me.
Now, The Wicked King!!! I have no edges y’all. I am shook. I sprinted through the reading of this book, much to the detriment of my to-do lists and obligations as a responsible adult. Holly Black did not come to play with y’all heifers with book 2. Cardan sits on a throne and Taryn rules. If you think the cliff hanger at the end of The Cruel Prince was unbearable, I’m sorry for you boo because it is taken to new levels of pearl clutching in The Wicked King. I am willing to volunteer as a window washer, waterer of house plants, or personal court jester to read book 3 as soon as possible. I’m giving this book all the stars, ALL OF THEM! ★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★★
It’s raining plot twists, on plot twists, on plot twists in book 2. The Wicked King is about power, having it, keeping it, stealing it and even giving it away. I don’t have all the words to give this book justice. I hated fae stories until Holly Black came for me.
“I’ve wanted this and feared it, and now that it’s happening, I don’t know how I will ever want anything else.”
The quotes taken from an ARC and may subject to change upon publication.
Advanced Reader Copy provided for honest review.
Trigger warnings for bullying, death, murder, kidnapping, abuse, discussion of past child abuse, and general violence.
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