A review by egurgens
The Wicked King by Holly Black

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. 

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Content Warnings

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

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