Reviews tagging 'Trafficking'

The Wicked King by Holly Black

4 reviews

orakuruno's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

Now this is an enemies to lovers

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Death, War, Murder, and Alcohol

Moderate: Confinement, Blood, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Drug use, Bullying, Violence, Toxic friendship, Grief, and Gore

Minor: Kidnapping, Sexual content, Trafficking, Torture, and Slavery

2blueshoes's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

After a first book so mind bogglingly horrifying, I surprised myself by truly enjoying this sequel. The Cruel Prince felt like a sort of nightmarish junior high, where love isn’t real, everyone is miserable, and no one wins. The Wicked King felt a bit like high school, with characters finding their footing, and forging real relationships - and of course the stakes are much higher. 

Yes, the FMC is still deeply un relatable to me, and her choices made me want to pull my hair out in frustration. 

Yes, all of the characters continue to operate so far beyond morally grey areas they are all difficult to root for. 

And yet, somehow in the midst of the ever-more-complicated political schemes and endless list of confusing character names… I found myself loving this story. The plot twists were plentiful and intelligently written (I guessed exactly one). There was such steep character development that the FMC and MMC became entirely different people. There was relationship angst, but it was elegant rather than despicable. There was exactly one spicy scene and it was fade to black. The MMC’s tail wasn’t mentioned, praise be. 

 If you don’t care much for back story or world building, read a synopsis of book one and jump to book two. It will absolutely have you on the edge of your seat - or in my case - yelling “OMG” loudly in the car. 

I will immediately read book three. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Violence, and Murder

Moderate: Confinement, Forced institutionalization, Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, Injury/Injury detail, Abandonment, Kidnapping, and Torture

Minor: Bullying, Gore, Pregnancy, Trafficking, Vomit, War, Death of parent, Medical content, Slavery, and Suicide

laneys_library's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

This books is AMAZING! I couldn’t stop reading! I think it might just be my favorite book I’ve ever read. The ending shocked me and I can’t wait to start the Queen of nothing!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Blood, Violence, Murder, Death of parent, Bullying, Body horror, Child abuse, Trafficking, and Torture

Moderate: Gaslighting, Fire/Fire injury, Genocide, Injury/Injury detail, Emotional abuse, Gore, Kidnapping, and Grief

Minor: Vomit, Toxic relationship, Cursing, War, Toxic friendship, and Sexual content

wrensreadingroom's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Trafficking, Murder, Gore, Emotional abuse, Vomit, Suicidal thoughts, Self harm, Mental illness, Eating disorder, Drug use, Deportation, Bullying, Animal cruelty, Toxic friendship, Slavery, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, War, Fire/Fire injury, Death of parent, Death, Cursing, Confinement, Body shaming, Blood, Animal death, Forced institutionalization, Toxic relationship, Torture, Police brutality, Physical abuse, Kidnapping, Grief, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Abandonment, Violence, Sexual content, and Panic attacks/disorders