Review - The Wicked King

Title: The Wicked King

Author: Holly Black

Published: January 8, 2019

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Pages: 336

Sypnosis:

You must be strong enough to strike and strike and strike again without tiring.

The first lesson is to make yourself strong.

After the jaw-dropping revelation that Oak is the heir to Faerie, Jude must keep her brother safe. To do so, she has bound the wicked king, Cardan, to her and made herself the power behind the throne. Navigating the constantly shifting political alliances of Faerie would be difficult enough if Cardan were easy to control. But he does everything in his power to humiliate and undermine her even as his fascination with her remains undiminished.

When it becomes all too clear that someone close to Jude means to betray her, threatening her own life and the lives of everyone she loves, Jude must uncover the traitor and fight her own complicated feelings for Cardan to maintain control as a mortal in a Faerie world.

Review: 
The Wicked King, the sequel to the Cruel Prince, and my favorite book series this year. 

Honestly, this book was over before I even realized I started it. Usually, I think 300 pages is more than enough, but I would like 600 pages this time. I'm sad to know that the third book will end soon, and I do not believe there will be a fourth book. I do not want to end this series, and yes, I know about The Lost Sisters and How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hates Stories, but it is not the same. (I still plan on reading them as well.) 

I did not know what to expect after finishing The Cruel Prince, and honestly, so much happened in the spawn of a couple of months in the book and only 300 pages. I do not understand how so much happened. Still, I do not know precisely what happened. There were at least two betrayals, one twist, and lots of action. 

First, I love Jude's growth, and I'm also curious about how her greed will develop. If the crown and the power will blind her or her choices will be for the people's best. I wonder when she will learn to balance the power of lies and trust and maybe realize that communication is the key in most relationships. Let's talk more about her greed. She understands that the power is tempting her, and there are times when she is scared because she realizes that some of her motives and actions are driven by her selfish desires. Yet, she is blinded by it in moments where she is given the option of more power. I love it so much since her blindness leads to her downfall and humiliation. The realization that her greed blocked out all of her rational thoughts was terrific and devastating to read. She knew deep down that it was not the best choice, but she still went for it.

So, regarding the humiliation. I love the plot twist at the ending. I had to put the book down for a couple of minutes since I ended up being embarrassed on her behalf, needed to breathe and calm myself down. I usually get too emotionally invested in books. If they are sad, then I will empathize. If they are angry, I am mad. The same applies to embarrassment, I was so embarrassed, and I did not expect that I just turned off my kindle automatically. I had to just take a break and tell myself that she is the main character. It will turn out okay in the end. Her downfall is fantastic, leading to an anticlimactic change in her life. It was honestly not a plot twist I expected, and I usually expect some type of plot twist. It also made the title of the third book make so much more sense.

Spoiler for Queen of Nothing - Read on your own risk
I'm still not too fond of Taryn. I did start book number three, and there is a minor change, but she has lost all of my trust. I hate Locke even more, and I'm not satisfied with how book three has started for personal reasons since I want to see him suffer. 

What are your thoughts about this book?