Reviews

The Wicked King by Holly Black

mssarahmorgan's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense fast-paced

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

5.0

sabcfs's review against another edition

fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

3.0

tinydonats's review against another edition

4.0

I loved the ending of this book. IMO it's the best way to end a second book in a trilogy series: right on the cusp of the action to the end.

There was a lot more romance in this one than the first book and I liked the tension. I felt the enemies-to-lovers big time. They did a lot of things I was not expecting them to. The betrayals?? The riddles?? Fae are crazy, I'm telling you. They are too unpredictable ugh but it was fun. This was a wild ride.

tiamariatamera's review against another edition

2.0

Mixed feelings. Mainly confused, I feel like I read the whole book having not read the first one, as the politics got me lost sis. I was unsure of who knew what and what everyone's positions were throughout, along with what the plot actually was. Jude controls Cardan - Jude has trouble juggling all her jobs, but refuses advice from ANYONE - Queen of the Sea sorta gets savage, but there's no real battle - the fandoms angry at Cardan for his betrayal, even tho its justified? There were so many little events throughout, but no main goal any of the characters succeeded towards the climax, the book was aimless. Like yeah Jude was trying to keep Cardan in check to ensure Oak can receive the throne YEARS later, but there were no goals possible to be solved in that span of time that I was aware of and were actually riveting. At the start, page 50, I said to myself 'the only climax I foresee for the characters actions to have any sense of accomplishment and substance was for Jude to be crowned Queen', oops there's the whole point of the book.

I feel I lost my love for the badass attitude of Jude, it just became obnoxious, and for her to be a savage to everyone 24/7 was tiring for me. I think once I lost my love for her, my love for the world slowly dwindles. I still found great interest in characters like Cardan, and Locke and Madoc's characters are really interesting to me, probably because they actually made obstacles and events for Jude to overcome. But I still found it enjoyable because of all the little plot connections throughout, the occasional blips of romance and some character intrigue. I think the plot was a bit messy and political aspects were lost, but that's just my opinion and its probably the way I read it; solidly paced for a few days - weeks spent ignoring the book - days spent reading The Gilded Wolves - then read the rest in two days. oops.

lostwithintheinkandpages's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful 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

gkat4's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.5

mel_anne's review against another edition

adventurous emotional tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

itsme_casslee's review against another edition

adventurous hopeful inspiring 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

3.5

synfje's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny tense medium-paced

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

5.0

niaamore's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

| Favorite Quote | Our eyes meet, and the odd smile on his face is clearly meant for me. I remember what it was to hate him with the whole of my heart, but I’ve remembered too late. Pg. 317

| My Review | I knew it!! Wow, what a fantastic read. Holly Black has done it again! So many twists and turns, and so satisfying every time. I thought I predicted the ending climax, and then it twists again! Brilliant, just brilliant. Can’t wait to read the last book :)