Reviews tagging 'Bullying'

The Wicked King, by Holly Black

30 reviews

eggfartz's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Alcohol, Confinement, Violence, Blood, War, Abandonment, Bullying, Kidnapping, and Murder

marenm's review

adventurous reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism and Alcohol

Moderate: Bullying, Confinement, Injury/Injury detail, Body horror, Murder, War, Vomit, Animal death, Kidnapping, and Torture

becca_w_'s review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual content, Bullying, Infidelity, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Alcoholism, Animal death, Blood, Gore, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Death, Child abuse, Drug use, Gaslighting, Murder, Toxic relationship, Violence, Alcohol, Body horror, Grief, Medical content, and Vomit

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Colonisation, Fire/Fire injury, War, Kidnapping, Toxic relationship, Medical trauma, Misogyny, and Toxic friendship

camiclarkbooks's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

This is my second time reading “The Wicked King,” but my first time listening to it on audiobook. 

The second book in Holly Black’s “Folk of the Air” series is a rich fantasy story that balances the wonder of fairyland with its dark mythology. 

The first book in the series, “The Cruel Prince,” took its time to establish the world and let the readers get to know the characters. While the build up was slower than some might expect, it offered more solid ground for Black to be able to further the trilogy’s plot in “The Wicked King.” 

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Content Warnings

Minor: Blood, Bullying, Classism, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

tabbycattwrites's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional sad medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

The first book was hard to get through (my issue, not the story's). The second was much easier.  Never a dull moment. Literally. I feel like I need a flowchart for the betrayals and double crosses, but I loved that even though the ultimate betrayal was predictable the motive is unclear!  Totally hooked me in for the third book.  Too many dangling threads.  I must have a resolution!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Animal death, Toxic friendship, Blood, Bullying, Toxic relationship, Death, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, and Murder

Spoiler

Jude is singled out for some vicious, dangerous bullying/hazing because she's human. She kills in self-defense. And her relationship with Cardan is emotionally unhealthy.

vaguely_pink's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Death, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Alcohol, Murder, War, Violence, Body horror, Confinement, Bullying, Alcoholism, and Death of parent

Minor: Abandonment, Animal death, Gaslighting, Child abuse, Toxic friendship, Physical abuse, Vomit, Torture, Classism, Sexual content, Emotional abuse, and Kidnapping

em1ani's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional tense medium-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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Emotional abuse, Alcoholism, Violence, Blood, Bullying, Death, Murder, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, and Gaslighting

catglasses's review against another edition

adventurous challenging mysterious fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.0

As good if not better than the first book in the trilogy. Very exciting, could not put down. the romance does progress much more and it is just as filled with plot twists. although if you are not comfortable with torture in the means of starving and the denial of fresh water then this is not a book for you.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying, Violence, Torture, and Gore

braytonaubree's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Thoughts:
• this was my absolute favorite of the series, I LOVE this book so much & it makes my heart swollen just thinking about it
• I think the thing that enthralls me so much about this story & especially these characters, is that we are following Jude who is nothing special, she’s just human and that is so much more interesting & empowering to read than someone who is “destined” to be Other or has some special prophecy to fulfill, cuz that’s not who I am, I’m just regular & reading about regular people doing extraordinary things is magical to me
• it’s a SLOW BURN but the nature of their positions and the world they live in make the spice feel justifiably spread throughout even if it’s not a spicy moment (it is YA technically), the tension makes it feel like it is
• it was in the middle of this book that I had the realization this might be one of my favorite fantasy series ever
the dialogue & QUOTES, some of the most beautifully written phrases ever & that beautiful vocabulary carries through the world building, so it’s full of lush imagery 
• just as high stakes & intense as the first one, if not more so
• it’s a perfect sequel to the first, in that, the tension only continues to build as we are following morally grey characters who continue to make choices that often conflict with basic morality & perceived loyalty 
• the expansion of the world is so well done that even though we learn a lot more about the realms/characters it doesn’t ever feel like an info dump 

For folks who like/are interested in:
• fantasy
• enemies to lovers 
• Reign (CW)
• strong female main character
• war/stratagem
• tense
• fae/magical creatures

⚠️ Content Warnings:
• violence
• bullying/harassment

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence and Bullying

readsbyak's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional hopeful mysterious fast-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

5.0

Brilliant, amazing and  enjoyable read .

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Blood, and Bullying