Reviews with content warning for Murder - The Wicked King

I just want Cardan and Jude to be fully in love and understand that they can trust each other! I actually just had a thought that maybe he did that to protect her because he knows it's going to get dangerous for her to be in faerie? I hope that's why and not some other stupid reason.

Okay, anyway. Like the first book, this started off a little slow. I actually don't remember a lot of the beginning, but once things got hopping, they got hopping.

I'm referring to when Jude was kidnapped. Everything after that was thoroughly engaging.

As far as sequels go, I think this was a good one. It continued the story, changed the dynamics enough to keep things interesting, and set up a really spectacular ending. So now the question is: can Queen of Nothing live up to my expectations?

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rachelr_reads309's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional inspiring mysterious sad tense 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

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noellegrace8's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad 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

As stated in my review of The Cruel Prince, I really struggled to get into that first book. But I guess I got used to all the oddities, because I couldn't put this one down. There was less fluff, more politics, and it finally felt like the characters were the correct age for the things that are happening. They are adults now, making adult decisions and playing a dangerous adult game of power, authority, and death. I would no longer categorize this as "teen" literature, but "young adult." What really impresses me is that Holly Black manages to make me root for characters that are truly not good people, which is not typical for me. I wanted Jude to win in the first book. I was smug when she turned her knife on Cardan. But now in this one, I wasn't sure who to vie for. It seems like every time a character does something worth celebrating, they also do something that makes you hate yourself for liking them. The betrayals are painful but enticing. Also the cliff hanger??! My library is backed up 10 weeks for the last book and I am REELING about it. I don't know how I'm going to wait that long. This is fantasy done right, and true enemies to lovers (hopefully? Jury is still out on whether "lovers" is true...).

I don't factor the audiobook performance into my rating of the material itself, but I give Caitlin Kelly 4.5/5⭐. Again, by the second book in a series, I tend to get used to whatever problems I had with the voicing in the first. But honestly, there didn't seem to be as many parts where I felt the narrator wasn't portraying the correct emotion or tone of voice. A good performance, overall.

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chqrmspoken's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
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 thoroughly entertained. The enemies were enemying, the lovers were lovering. And trying to keep up with Jude's schemes was a nice challenge. Can't wait to see what happens in the next book and

how valid their marriage is. I'm still not entirely convinced.

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marshsano's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional 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

4.0

Personally, I find the second book far outperforms the first book. The stage has been set, and we’re finally given a chance to watch these characters breathe in the world that has been created around them. Jude is an excellent protagonist, balancing her kind nature with her deeply cautious attitude. I spent a lot of time angry at her decisions before immediately backtracking because in the sense of her character, she’s totally valid. Holly Black has done a great job at making these characters stand on their own.

This book also did a much better job as genuinely throwing me through a loop with outlandish betrayals and interesting schemes. I genuinely never knew what direction it was going in with each turn of the page.

My only wish is that I wish that Cardan’s journey had been portrayed more. There’s a scene in the end pages of the book where we are meant to believe he’s gone on this incredible self discovery journey, and while I think the bread crumbs were laid, I find his actual arc lacking. I love Cardan though, and he’s a fun character. I just wish we could’ve seen these developmental moments the book tries to make us believe happened.

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beckyyreadss's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional 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

4.0

My reading goal two years ago was to discover more authors. Holly Black is adored on Booktok and I wanted to read her first series which I did and thoroughly enjoyed and was so excited for the first book and obviously wanted to carry on with it.

This book follows Jude who we met in the previous book. She is trying to keep her brother safe after the jaw-dropping revelation that Oak is the heir to the Faerie. 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.

I understand the hype around this book, I enjoyed it, the storyline was strong, and the fantasy world was built up as the storyline moved along. It was a bit predictable, and I sort of guessed what was going to happen, besides the ending. However, I loved the mystery aspect and how Jude was like I'm going to do this but then actually did and proved everyone wrong and keep everyone safe especially her brother. I still love the tension between Cardan and Jude and was hoping that it would still grow even more. I still love Roiben and Kaye and I love their appearance.

I know it’s a young adult book, but God I wanted to punch these kids, the fae weren’t scary they were just immature. Again, I knew they were kids, but this is why kids shouldn’t have power at all. Also, Jude’s dad is still a massive prick and I hope it has a very painful ending. I think that’s one of the main issues I had. I always want to connect with the characters in a way and yet all these characters aren’t probably going to grow on me. Cardan being all wishy-washy was driving me nuts as well.

I would love for someone, for once, to be on Jude’s side and for the two-faced and betrayal to stop. It's driving me nuts.

I am hoping that the final book is going to fix all these issues and that someone will stick up for Jude as much as she sticks up for herself.

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keke_96's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional 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

4.5

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emamazee's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

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