Reviews tagging 'Gaslighting'

The Wicked King by Holly Black

20 reviews

diana_raquel's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Grief, Sexism, Violence, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Blood, Confinement, Cursing, War, Gore, Death, and Toxic relationship

Minor: Drug use, Infidelity, and Sexual content

vereadsbooks's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcohol, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Torture, Toxic friendship, and Toxic relationship

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

lizy's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Gaslighting, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Murder, Violence, and Torture

Minor: Vomit

cady_sass's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark tense fast-paced

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

4.25

Waaaaait wait wait. WHAT!!!! 
That’s it that’s the review. I am shook. One thing about holly black ….. she never writes what you think she’s writing 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal death, Death, Death of parent, Infidelity, Murder, Toxic friendship, Torture, Violence, Abandonment, Blood, Toxic relationship, Grief, Classism, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Bullying, Child abuse, Kidnapping, Self harm, and Sexual content

druzyquartz's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny tense medium-paced

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

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: War, Violence, Toxic relationship, Murder, Gaslighting, Blood, Toxic friendship, and Injury/Injury detail

elderwoodreads's review

adventurous mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

Normally I feel like sequels can't help but fall a little flat. This, however, is an exception to that rule. Black did an amazing job keeping the energy and excitement from The Cruel Prince and I was clinging to every page. She does a great job with foreshadowing, where one the last piece clicks into place you realize everything you missed on the journey there. I absolutely cannot recommend this enough. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Injury/Injury detail, Confinement, Abandonment, Murder, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Blood

Moderate: Sexual content, Grief, War, Alcohol, and Death of parent

Minor: Drug use, Gaslighting, and Sexual assault

annorabrady's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

I love this series and the ease at which the author twists the plots. I love the dance of the romance, the mysteries of the deceptions constantly in motion, and the way the story makes Jude's actions and thoughts both understandable and frustrating though in a way that is satisfying in the end. 

I also love the nod to other stories written by Holly Black. I especially enjoyed the direct reference to The Darkest Part of the Forest. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Self harm, Kidnapping, Sexual violence, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Torture, and Toxic relationship

becca_w_'s review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Bullying, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Alcoholism, Animal death, Blood, Gore, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Death, Child abuse, Drug use, Gaslighting, Murder, Toxic relationship, Violence, Alcohol, Body horror, Grief, Medical content, and Vomit

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Colonisation, Fire/Fire injury, War, Kidnapping, Toxic relationship, Medical trauma, Misogyny, and Toxic friendship