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A review by judyc_elementz_mj
The Wicked King by Holly Black
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I was hoping this was going to be good. It did not disappoint. Everything that had been missing in the first book was here, along with a fast-moving plot, intricate pieces constantly moving around, and Jude trying to keep her head afloat and survive as a human in the land of Faerie.
From the beginning, I’d say that Jude’s position in Court and working with Cardan was dicey. I mean, she hated the guy, and the feeling was mutual. I was on the edge of my seating waiting for the shit to hit the fan. I knew it was coming.
Jude’s character, much like in book one, continued to evolve with her good side combating with her morally grey side. Her struggles only grew because nothing was as it seemed, and at the beginning, the potential of a traitor was introduced, so her natural paranoia and distrust of everyone in the Faerie court made her suspect them all at one time or another.
But even so, and without saying too much for people that haven’t read this yet, several things transpired that I DID NOT see coming. And the ending left me seriously wanting to head into Queen of Nothing right away. I won’t be waiting too long to read it. That’s a guarantee because I want to know what happens to Jude and everyone else.
Now, if I could give one criticism … I’m not entirely a fan of Holly Black’s writing style. Reminds me a bit of Stephanie Garber’s, which I don't care for, but thank goodness for the fact that Black can weave a much denser and richer story. That gives her a leg up and manages to steer me towards giving this a 5-star.
The other thing I’ve heard is that this is said to be described as a romantasy. Uh, hell no, it’s not. Is there a romance? Yes, but there might be all of a dozen pages that give a hint of it. The romance takes a back seat to everything else. It does lend some development between Jude and Cardan, but these two still distrust each other too much for it to move too much in that direction. Props to Holly Black for restraining herself with it because it was much more believable with how things transpired.
Other than that, I’d say this had all the elements of everything I love in a story. Amazing characters, a great plot with lots of twists and turns, fast moving and with enough action to keep me happy!!
From the beginning, I’d say that Jude’s position in Court and working with Cardan was dicey. I mean, she hated the guy, and the feeling was mutual. I was on the edge of my seating waiting for the shit to hit the fan. I knew it was coming.
Jude’s character, much like in book one, continued to evolve with her good side combating with her morally grey side. Her struggles only grew because nothing was as it seemed, and at the beginning, the potential of a traitor was introduced, so her natural paranoia and distrust of everyone in the Faerie court made her suspect them all at one time or another.
But even so, and without saying too much for people that haven’t read this yet, several things transpired that I DID NOT see coming. And the ending left me seriously wanting to head into Queen of Nothing right away. I won’t be waiting too long to read it. That’s a guarantee because I want to know what happens to Jude and everyone else.
Now, if I could give one criticism … I’m not entirely a fan of Holly Black’s writing style. Reminds me a bit of Stephanie Garber’s, which I don't care for, but thank goodness for the fact that Black can weave a much denser and richer story. That gives her a leg up and manages to steer me towards giving this a 5-star.
The other thing I’ve heard is that this is said to be described as a romantasy. Uh, hell no, it’s not. Is there a romance? Yes, but there might be all of a dozen pages that give a hint of it. The romance takes a back seat to everything else. It does lend some development between Jude and Cardan, but these two still distrust each other too much for it to move too much in that direction. Props to Holly Black for restraining herself with it because it was much more believable with how things transpired.
Other than that, I’d say this had all the elements of everything I love in a story. Amazing characters, a great plot with lots of twists and turns, fast moving and with enough action to keep me happy!!