A review by ramunepocky
The Queen of Nothing by Holly Black

adventurous challenging hopeful sad tense
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Bruhhh, this book had me stressed, it had me laughing, it had me trying to hold back tears. The beginning was very infuriating ngl, and I had to keep putting it because I was getting irritated, not because the book was bad, bc it is actually amazing, but just because I found it very frustrating that Jude kept blaming Cardan for her exile and hating him when the answer was staring her right in the face. And if she’d taken a second to think and not automatically assumed that he was always trying to hurt and undermine her then she would have been free from exile a long, long time ago. Though I guess it did have it benefits considering she wouldn’t have ended up with Grima Mog as an ally if she hadn’t taken those jobs in the mortal realms. 

I love Jude so much. She is so incredibly badass and strong. I love that she is not afraid to make herself the villain if it calls for it and that she has the general attitude that if the fey are bad then she will be so much worse. I respect that so much. I did find her frustrating in this book, but that is only because I wanted her to have more faith and trust in Cardan, which she did not. Which I understand because he was cruel to her, but I wish she could have recognised the influence she’d had on him and how much he’d changed during their reign together instead of defaulting back to assuming that he was constantly trying to undermine and hurt her. It was like Jude, pls, wake up, that man is so smitten for you, have some sense. I loved seeing her grow in this book and how strong she was even when she was absolutely terrified. I loved seeing her grow into her role as Queen and she really proved how fit for the role she was when Cardan was turned into the Serpent and she still managed to keep the fey under her control, to exert her power and to do what was right. 

There was a time when I first read TCP when I wasn’t sure on who my favourite character was and then when I read it the second and third time I knew for sure, and as I read TWK and this book, it was absolutely cemented that Cardan is my favourite character. My heart breaks for him seeing him in pain and learning more about his traumatic past with his neglectful and abusive family members. And all because of some stupid prophecy that was just worded in the typical fey way of deceit. Like c’mon people. But I love him so much. He makes me laugh, he makes me cry, he always had a way of holding himself so that he never revealed his true pain, but you could see it there underneath in all the ways he acted. One of my favourite things about Cardan is that he is actually so clever, but everyone constantly underestimates how clever he is. He always manages to deceive and word things in that specific way to lead others astray whilst telling a truth as faeries cannot lie. I love that he was so specific in his wording of the banishment because he had faith in Jude’s ability to work it out and pardon herself, and it breaks me to know how much it broke him when she just didn’t come back. It was so incredibly stressful when he tried to do the right thing by breaking the blood crown because being king is so much more than wearing a crown and he turned into the serpent. But the way that even lost in all that anger and pain and animalistic instincts, he still always recognised Jude. It makes me so happy knowing that he got his happy ending and that he finally gets to be happy, like he deserves, and that he finally knows and believes that he is capable of being loved. It hurt me so much to know that he genuinely believed himself to be someone who no-one could love, and that Jude had to take him step by step of how she fell for him to finally see that he was allowed to be happy and that someone could love him. Cardan please, you break my heart so much. 

I also absolutely adore the Court of Shadows. I adore their dynamic with each other. I loved how much they trust and admire Jude. I love how willingly they accepted Cardan into their group and how he is as much as a member of the Court of Shadows to them as he is their King. I was genuinely so relieved to know that The Ghost hadn’t betrayed them of his own volition in TWK and that he’d been used because Locke, Madoc, etc, etc knew his true name and could make him do things against his own will. Taryn catching him and speaking his true name and telling him to forget all the commands he’d been given was one of the two only good things she’d done this entire series (the other being murdering Locke bc that bitch deserved it). I loved that the three of them got their happy ending too and that they got to continue to work for the crown, and that The Roach and The Bomb finally confessed to one another and got to be together. 

I also love Vivi!! I’m glad that her and Heather managed to work things out and that Heather gave her the ultimatum of starting again and telling her everything from the get-go because the two of them truly loved each other and I didn’t want for them to end up apart and Heather forgetting Vivi after leaving Faerie like Vivi was originally going to glamour her to. 

I could absolutely write more about how much I loved the general worldbuilding and politics of this book and seeing Jude come out on top even through the difficulties she faced, but my brain is tired of typing. 

OVERALL though, I loved this book so much and it is my favourite of the trilogy!!! 

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