Reviews tagging 'Grief'

The Wicked King by Holly Black

22 reviews

elderwoodreads's review against another edition

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. 

---

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

theintrovertsbooks's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Murder, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, Violence, Toxic relationship, Medical content, Drug abuse, Death, Confinement, Gore, and Blood

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Death of parent, War, Physical abuse, Infidelity, Animal death, and Slavery

Minor: Infertility, Incest, Grief, Child abuse, and Bullying

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

---

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

kccool12255's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious 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? No

5.0

YESSS. I LOVE IT SO MUCH. The romance, the plot twists *mwah*. Beautiful, gorgeous, and the JUDE AND CARDAN SCENES? Absolutely. I love these books with my whole heart, they are so BRILLIANTLY written.

I have but two complaints: I wish Jude had manipulated Cardan into marrying her SO she can become a queen (and THEN she falls in love with him), because I feel like she’s both smart enough to think of that, AND it’s in character for her.

I like how Locke is included, but his storyline is getting just too tedious. BUT I LOVE IT SO MUCH. 

I recommend this book to anyone who liked the first one, the fantasy genre, and the enemies-to-lovers trope.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: War and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Sexual content, Murder, Death, Grief, and Emotional abuse

Minor: Violence, Body horror, and Death of parent

bugcollector's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional slow-paced

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

2.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, Murder, Blood, Death, and Gore

egurgens's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad 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

4.75

To be honest, I don’t like this book as much as I did the first one. Although Jude is just as much of a badass as she was in the first one, there is a lot more at play in this book, and she doesn’t get to show it off as much as in the first book.  This book was also a little slower than the first one, although the ending was still super dramatic. The first book seemed to maybe be driven equally by both plot and character development, but this one seems to favor plot over character. Let’s just say, I’m pissed at the ending, and I’m mad at a great many characters. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, Torture, Bullying, Confinement, Body horror, Death, Gaslighting, Blood, Classism, Forced institutionalization, Gore, Grief, Toxic friendship, Kidnapping, Medical content, Toxic relationship, and Violence

Moderate: Vomit, Gaslighting, Grief, Physical abuse, Sexism, Alcohol, Animal death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, and Drug use

mellysay's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious sad tense medium-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

4.5

Omg. 
This was… incredible. I loved it. It’s a good sequel and I loved everything about it. I was hooked and read it in like 2 days. A friend of mine said: “the first 150 pages will be so boring but after that the story will take pace” she did not lie. and I was so determined to get past those first 150 pages. I don’t know, if you’ve watched game of thrones or other alike series / movies you will be familiar with the boring parts. Where it is only people talking strategy, how to keep the crown, how to make the people at peace. You know? Nothing happened really. No relationship building, no plot that thickened, just some pages of Jude running around the castle and playing high king. But after 150 pages the book was 5 ⭐️! Therefore I give it a simple 4,5 ⭐️. 
Can we talk about how good Holly Black is at writing? Omg I enjoyed every bit of her well written text Language. I almost cried a little. Holly Black is truly the Fearie Queen. Somebody give her a price and some money for the amazing world she built for us! 

 
Now can we talk about the story!? 
I freaking loved Cardan. I grew very fond of him thanks to all the backstory about him. To how he was so kind to Jude at the end. I liked him because of everything. I truly believed that poor Jude Duarte found peace and some kind of love and comfort when she married Cardan. I really thought he was honest, because he liked Jude so much. I mean two whole books and finally they confessed how they felt about each other. But no! Cardan built a island and laughed at her while he banished her from Fearieland. Of course. Our Jude will never know happiness. 
And lets talk about Jude. How can she just trust Taryn again after all she’s done? Taryn just came into her room and was like “yo, start talking to me because I want you on my wedding” and dumb Jude was like “yes of course so silly of me, I was in a silly goofy mood 😜 “ I wanted to scream at her. ALSO what the frick is wrong with Locke? I hate him so much smh 🤦 anyways. Poor Jude she has been through IT. How much will Black put here main character through before it is enough? I feel so much for Jude because she can never rest. If she isn’t I life threatening danger, then she is taking poison and is close to dying because of that. So dumb. Take a break woman. But I love Jude too much ❤️❤️ Strong independent woman💪💪💪 I hope she doesn’t grow found of the human world in the next book because she needs to find her way back to fearieland and kill the high king. I felt like sometimes things happened too fast. Like oh she just spent a month under water and oh? She just married the high king 👑 

Overall a very good book. And as you can see I am very passionate about it. I see that as a good sign.  
I love this book and will forever cherish it❤️

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death, Death of parent, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, Sexism, Sexual content, and Sexual harassment

corin15's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense fast-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? It's complicated

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Moderate: Blood, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Kidnapping

scarlettx's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Grief, Murder, Slavery, Toxic relationship, and War

saoreads's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad 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? It's complicated

5.0

It seemed that Cardan was more humane than the mortal Jude. To reiterate, it seemed. The Elfhame High King has become more clever than ever I loved that part.  What left an impression on me were Cardan's words, " As the High King, I must lead. But I must also be just." Love how he got it all covered, like two birds in one stone, it was an unnerving plan with lots of caution.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Abandonment, Blood, Confinement, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, Grief, Kidnapping, Murder, Slavery, Torture, and Violence