Review: The Wicked King (The book that BROKE me)

Title: The Wicked King

Author: Holly Black

Rating: 5 Stars

Format: Paperback

Publisher: Hot Key Books

Date Published: 8 Jan 2019

Goodreads Description: 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.

Spoiler Free

This review might be a bit ranty because I LOVED THIS BOOK. It was absolutely everything I imagined it would be. Holly Black takes us back to the land of the Faerie 5 months after the end of The Cruel Prince. The writing was intense and fast pace, and Black always kept me guessing about what would happen next.

I also loved how the Folk are portrayed, not entirely evil, but of questionable morals. The world building is insane and has me constantly on edge. I want to live in the Faerie world, but I don’t think I would survive.

I loved the court intrigue and the politics of the Faerie, and I really wish we could dive a little deeper into the various courts. This book was lush, dangerous and glorious, and I cannot wait for The Queen of Nothing.

Characters

Taryn, Jude’s twin sister, will forever be my least favourite. She annoys me to no end and I could strangle her for what she did to Jude. She’s very morally grey, a character we need more females of, but I still don’t like her.

The Court of Shadows, especially Roach and Bomb, are my favourite. I wish we could get more of their stories, and just more of the Faerie world in general.

Spoilers

OKAY SO. Can we talk about THAT scene between Cardan and Jude? I had to put the book down after reading it xD. MY HEART STOPPED. I’m not going to go into the whole “Cardan and Jude have an abusive relationship and we shouldn’t support it” debate, because honestly, it’s a piece of fiction. He’s an immortal Faerie prince. It’s not real. Should they be the standard for relationships? No.

BUT I still love them both and I am a sucker for enemies to lovers romances.

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