The Wicked King by Holly Black on January 8, 2019
Genres: Young Adult Fiction / Action & Adventure / General, Young Adult Fiction / Fantasy / General, Young Adult Fiction / Social Themes / Bullying
Pages: 336
Format: Hardcover
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“Power is much easier to acquire than it is to hold on to.”
The follow up after The Cruel Prince, Jude must keep her 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.
Now I liked this sequel substantially better than the first! I am glad I decided to move forward with the series. The pacing of this book was much better than the first one. I immediately was drawn right back into the world and the politics. I said that Jude was annoying and childish in the first book, which she still is. But at some point in the story, I found myself thinking, “Didn’t I use to hate Jude and think she is annoying, she’s actually well written here!”. It definitely has its good sides and I can admit that the author is a great storyteller, but I just really wish she would write with more emotion. It continues to feel a little cold to me, which makes it harder for me to develop a connection to the characters and their relationships. It also makes me struggle to understand the motivations behind certain actions.
I gave this novel a four star rating. Overall, The Wicked King is a strong second book, definitely stronger than the first. It really develops on what was established in book one, but brings everything into a much larger scale, and raises the stakes so much.