The Wicked King

The Wicked King was an amazing sequel to Cruel Prince, an intriguing YA fantasy that revolved around trying to keep her control over Cardan and fighting the trouble brewing in court. The story was about deceit, mind games, trust, betrayal, court politics, game of power, secrets, cruelty, and love. Most of the chapters ended with quote worthy lines. Plot was more tense, dark and filled with mind games and politics. First half of the book was a bit steady paced with all political things, managing meeting, ravels and Court of Shadows with attack that kept things spiced up but as Taryn’s wedding neared things became exciting and the second part of the book was just brilliant with so many twists and turns. Characters were as interesting and complex as first book. There was a good development in Jude and Cardan. I enjoyed reading more about Cardan and also Jude’s parents. Most of the characters were unlikable and I didn’t trust any of them which made plot tense and tight. The world was great. I enjoyed exploring the undersea and knowing more about how the power of High King actually works and what Cardan can do with it. There was some progress in romance. Me and @readingtonic2020 both agree that it can’t be love if they don’t trust each other fully but we are curious how it’s going to develope. It’s not normal kind we see in other books. Overall, Wicked King was brilliant, fascinating, captivating and wicked YA fantasy filled with bloody politics and amazing twist and turns. I highly recommend this book if you like, Royal politics and political intrigue power game complex characters and plot cruel and twisted world enemies-to-lovers arc Blood-thirsty YA fantasy

I thoroughly enjoyed The Wicked King! The tension, betrayal, and twists were amazing, and Jude is such a fierce character. Her dynamic with Cardan kept me hooked, and the story was unpredictable in the best way. Plus, the book quality is awesome—the cover and pages are beautiful and well-made. I couldn’t put it down and can’t wait to dive into the next one!

Book Title: The Wicked King Author: Holly Black Format: Paperback Book Title: The book title is absolutely appropriate to the story. Book Cover: The cover is symbolic and understood when you read the story. My review: Book 2 in the series and it's already getting so intense! 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. Ah! I am so shook, I don't even know where to start! I feel so much for Jude and as the book progressed I think I've fallen in love with her all the more. The strength and the endurance she's developed for herself always posing a formidable front is astounding and it makes you forget that she's human! This one particular fight scene which takes place just a day prior to her twin sister's wedding and the after effects it had on Jude literally reminded me of her being a human in the world of fae! I still maintain that I am absolutely disappointed with her older sister Vivi and her twin Taryn. There is still so much they could do for her! Locke is a great antagonist and his character actually makes me wanna whack him on his head! The s***** tension between Jude and Cardan is off the charts epic and my god, I could feel the scent wafting off the pages. That end twist! OMG, I definitely did not see it coming! It was so HOT to see Cardan take charge! That d***** that he used was mind blowing even though it pissed me a little on behalf of Jude! As well as the time Jude had to spend in the undersea - *shudders*. Overall, book 2 was spectacular with all the lies, deceit, vio****e, twists and off the charts chemistry! Final Verdict Title: 4/5 Cover: 4/5 Plot:4.25/5 Characters:4.25/5 Language and Vocabulary: 4/5 Final overall rating:4.25 /5

Reached in hand with good condition ! Happy with the purchase !

The quality is super amazing and it arrived in good condition. I would totally prefer this if you want to buy.

It's amazing. Oh Cardan, my boy. Kiss me. Kiss me until I'm sick of it. He says THAT

Wow! I didn't know what I was signing up for before starting this series and what a marvellous decision that turned out to be. The first book of the series was an average read for me, but this book totally took my breath away. Totally an upgrade of "The Cruel Prince". Likes: 1) Top-notch writing: The writing style of holly black is out of this world. Even though I don't like fairytale setting, I loved the sequel way beyond my expectations. 2) Jude + Cardan: They've totally become one of my all time favourite characters. I found myself thinking of their reunion when they were not together in the scene. I'm rooting for them. 3) Good Pacing: Unlike the first book in the series, this book totally improved in terms of pacing which won't let you get bored. 4) Got kinda vibe: It is full of twists and turns that will give you "Game of Thrones" kind of vibe. All these schemes and betrayals keep you fully engaged in the story. 5) Unimaginable Plot: You cannot guess what's coming your way, not in the slightest. Dislikes: 1) Scarce action scenes: Action scenes are not much in the series. So, beware action lovers... You've been warned! 2) I didn't find much to dislike, but everything to appreciate. I disliked "Locke", if that counts. 😅 I love it so much that it's impossible for me to fabricate into words. Trust me, if it's not in your TBR list then it's time for you to jump right into it. It deserves all the hype it's getting. Especially, the sequel. The first book laid the groundwork for the sequel and the sequel totally outdone its first part. I'm excited to find out what's gonna happen in the third book of the series.

Amazing ♥️♥️

Alrighty, I take back what I said about the previous book not having enough substance. When I reached this book and the story took off, I was comfortable in who everyone was and what part they were playing. What I love about Holly Black's writing is that it draws you in, takes you for an adventure, gives you warm fuzzies, cold shocks and moments of joy, but not only that, it doesn't unnecessarily mess with your emotions or the characters. I often see authors make conflict, misunderstandings, etc that are supposed to cause angst and drama where they just end up frustrating me. Holly Black balances character relationships with the flow of the story to keep them in balance. The story follows Jude as she has to embrace her new role as the most powerful woman in Elfhame - being just a mortal, this is very challenging but she manages it with her usual flair and finesse and stress. I love this character, the only female character that I haven't found obnoxious in a long time. She is real, she is relateable and I can understand her thought processes and I love that she isn't the usual 'wonder girl' trope. Cardan's character development is also wonderful, you feel his emotions and concern and confusion through the writing. We get a little glimpse into his past and start to understand who he is. Jude does her best but the net she sets for everyone else is slowly entangling her as well. New enemies appear, new challenges and terribly events take place. This is a middle book that doesn't feel like a middle book normally does - it's not a 'filler'. I lapped this up in two evenings. Thank you Holly Black for an absolutely enthralling read for a true fantasy lover. 5 stars!

I started reading this series reluctantly as part of a book club. I was not interested in fantasy and fairy books . So the first book I read was the cruel prince . I found the first book to be very slow for the first half of the book as I’d was alot of character building . However I became pleasantly surprised near the end which made me want to continue and read the 2nd book which is this one The Wicked King . I must say I was pleasantly surprised! I absolutely loved this book and have turned into a lover of these types of books . I have now read all of the books in this series . Highly recommend giving this series a chance . It’s soo good!

The Wicked King by Holly Black was such a strong follow-up to the first book. It didn’t lose momentum at all, in fact, if anything, it felt even faster-paced. I flew through this book. I was never bored, never felt like it dragged, and I was fully locked in the entire time. What really stood out to me again was the strategy and political tension. The scheming, the power plays, the constant shifting of control. it was all so entertaining to read. Watching everything unfold and trying to keep up with who’s outsmarting who kept me completely on my toes. I also really loved seeing Cardan grow into his role more. That development was so satisfying, and I found myself genuinely rooting for him. As for the romance… I won’t lie, I was hoping for a bit more. I love romance, so part of me wanted it to fully bloom here, but it’s definitely still in that slow-burn phase. That said, the moments we did get were really good, and I’m okay with waiting if the payoff is worth it. The ending, though? So good. I actually loved seeing Jude get humbled a bit, it added another layer to her character and made everything feel more real and balanced. And that final stretch completely got me. I’m genuinely upset I don’t have the third book on hand because I need to know what happens next. Overall, I’m giving this 4 stars. It wasn’t perfect for me, but it was incredibly entertaining, fast-paced, and full of unexpected twists that kept me engaged the whole way through. Also, as someone who’s still getting into fantasy, this series has been such a good entry point for me.

Este segundo libro te engancha más a la historia y de verdad que se vuelve más interesante, no podía dejar de leerlo, y cuando lo termine quería saber que pasaba después.

I like the fact that the female character is strong and vulnerable at the same time, in a world where she starts with many disadvantage (being a mere human in a world of creature with magic on their side) and turns that weakness into a strength. She is clever and exhausted having to watch her back constantly..a super human quite simply..all the characters have nuances nothing is just black or white..The ending is once again unexpected and a cliffhanger..The question is that there is always a resilient source of hope in all the characters and it seems to me that even the author herself hasn't quite figured that out what that source is..this life force has deeper roots..all it can not sustain the strain..too exhausting! it's taken for granted, as it is there for all of us, even if we don't focus on it much...the reason behind all this striving....