Reviews tagging 'Gaslighting'

The Wicked King by Holly Black

22 reviews

elderwoodreads's review against another edition

adventurous mysterious tense fast-paced

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

5.0

Normally I feel like sequels can't help but fall a little flat. This, however, is an exception to that rule. Black did an amazing job keeping the energy and excitement from The Cruel Prince and I was clinging to every page. She does a great job with foreshadowing, where one the last piece clicks into place you realize everything you missed on the journey there. I absolutely cannot recommend this enough. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Death, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Murder, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Sexual content, Grief, Death of parent, Alcohol, and War

Minor: Drug use, Sexual assault, and Gaslighting

annorabrady's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious 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

I love this series and the ease at which the author twists the plots. I love the dance of the romance, the mysteries of the deceptions constantly in motion, and the way the story makes Jude's actions and thoughts both understandable and frustrating though in a way that is satisfying in the end. 

I also love the nod to other stories written by Holly Black. I especially enjoyed the direct reference to The Darkest Part of the Forest. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Self harm, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

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

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

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: Death, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail

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

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

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

micapellin's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body shaming, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Murder, Gaslighting, War, and Injury/Injury detail

sirkeili's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

I really enjoyed how Jude's weaving of lies and truth were central to this tale, and yet she ultimately fails as humans are prone to do. I also enjoyed Cardan taking on more of a role, and becoming a more ambigously grey character, rather than starkly black or white. 

Even Taryn's betrayal threw me off, though I should've expected it considering she isn't afraid to throw her sister in the line of fire if it benefits her outcome even the slightest bit. I do hope she gets her comeuppance, though, she is too proud and too eager to appear the superior sibling.

With how it ended, I am interested to see how Jude gets out of this predicament, and what game of chess Cardan is playing now, because obviously he has become the King on the board protecting his Queen. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Confinement, Death, Drug use, Torture, Blood, Medical trauma, Murder, Gaslighting, Alcohol, War, and Classism

Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Violence, Kidnapping, and Sexual harassment

lisa_m's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This ending!!!! I hate it so much and I love it! It makes me so so mad but also it is brilliant.

This book truly makes me a hypocrite. I never thought I could love something so much that I also absolutely hate. I guess that's quite fitting for the book though.

Cardan is so horrible and I honestly don't know why I like this book. It has so many things I usually would hate in a book but somehow I am just hooked. I guess I just really like the writing. The world building is really great and the characters have a way of getting to you.

The ending was exactly what I expected and also the biggest plot twist.

I assumed that Cardan and Jude would get married but I never thought that he would betray her like that!! I thought that after he saved her and she saved his life they would bond and finally be the power couple I know they are destined to be. I don't know what to expect from the next book truly but I am so excited and ready. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Confinement, Death, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Murder, Gaslighting, Abandonment, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

egurgens's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional informative mysterious reflective sad 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

4.75

To be honest, I don’t like this book as much as I did the first one. Although Jude is just as much of a badass as she was in the first one, there is a lot more at play in this book, and she doesn’t get to show it off as much as in the first book.  This book was also a little slower than the first one, although the ending was still super dramatic. The first book seemed to maybe be driven equally by both plot and character development, but this one seems to favor plot over character. Let’s just say, I’m pissed at the ending, and I’m mad at a great many characters. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Confinement, Death, Gore, Physical abuse, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

Moderate: Animal death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Physical abuse, Sexism, Vomit, Grief, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and Alcohol

molly_rose's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Violence, and Murder

Moderate: Bullying, Toxic relationship, Blood, and Gaslighting