A review by 5aru
The Queen of Nothing by Holly Black

adventurous dark emotional fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I honestly have nothing to say other than I really, really enjoyed this book. The enemies-to-lovers trope is carried out masterfully to the end, and although I found the plot slightly less satisfying for the only slightly suspicious convenience of its resolutions, the relationship between Cardan and Jude was certainly a strong point — one that kept me going until I bit the entire trilogy off in four days. It’s rare to find a young adult book with such fleshed-out protagonists, whose flaws are so well developed and actually hinder their progress until they learn to weaponize them; who are cruel or pricks or at the very least morally grey, without rendering them unlikeable simply due to their ineffable charisma; characters who scheme and one-up each other constantly, drawn to one another because of the thrill of it. And it is even rarer, perhaps, to find a main relationship that remains gripping and engaging in spite of its predictability.

If I were truly objective, I suppose the writing isn’t the best and there are things that could be improved, but isn’t this the truth of anything? And with the way Cardan’s character gripped me, I would excuse far more in a YA-oriented novel than what Holly Black got away with. In short, read them.
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