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spatterson7's review against another edition
- 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
4.25
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Bullying, Death, Toxic relationship, Blood, Medical content, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Confinement, Drug use, Infidelity, Self harm, Sexual content, Torture, Vomit, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, Abandonment, Alcohol, and War
noellegrace8's review against another edition
- 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
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.
Graphic: Confinement, Death, Violence, Blood, Murder, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Self harm, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, War, and Classism
Minor: Ableism, Alcoholism, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual assault, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Xenophobia, Vomit, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
bookishfads's review against another edition
- 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
Mike drop (not really, I'm sure this is a common opinion).
If you got disappointed by the first book, yet you enjoyed at least a third of it, check out the next one. Cardan gets way more development and gets more likeable, Jude remains the complex protagonist that I love so much, the characters tangle up more in their various plots and feelings. Backstories are expanded, court drama goes on, dragging Jude's family into it. Holly Black writes with so much passion and puts so much poetry and reflection into her work (and quite a bit of silliness and weirdness).
Why four stars? Some parts felt unfinished or undercooked; it's been five months since we've seen our love-hate duo and yet we get so little of their dynamic in their current position before plot kicks in. The romance is improved but I'm still waiting for it to become more than just bare-bones attraction. The book in general could have done so much more and that irks me because the writer hardly used that potential, especially when it comes to expanding this world.
Rating second books in trilogies is complicated, the first book does all the heavy lifting of worldbuilding and exposition, while their endings are rarely satisfying and rely on the third book for resolution. Ironically, this is why they can also be so loved by fans: they treat us with familiarity and create hype. The Wicked King has a very nicely rounded arc, yet the ending still creates more tension, so if you pick up this book, I strongly believe you'll go for the third.
Now for the spoiler part:
The first book didn't build the solid foundation the second book pretends to have with its romance, but I played along for the sake of the story. The ship moments between them were delicious and I'd be lying if I said I disliked them, but they fall flat since they aren't rooted in much.
They crush on each other? That's it?
Cardan made Jude's life miserable from day one. We got something like an apology, when she comes back from the Undersea, but that's so far into the story! Cardan's character offers so little that Jude could fall for. It's a book about fae so some toxicity in the romance is okay, but that doesn't mean Jude should just fall for the pretty fae prince because plot said so.
I've never seen enemies to lovers have such insta-love vibes.
I don't mind if she loves him for being cunning and manipulative - he's fae and she's... Jude. However, she just falls for him because he's pretty and gives her attention (even though her brief relationship with Locke showed how aware she is that attention and love aren't the same, that mature first book Jude evaporated for some reason). I see what the author is trying to do, having Cardan secretly look out for Jude, but Jude doesn't. She needed more to develop so much care for him and more to trust him so much she didn't even make him give safety promises in the end. Banishing her was the least he could do and don't tell me Jude wouldn't have been prepared for it.
Still, I absolutely love the ending, how Cardan used Jude's feelings against her, a parallel to the first book and a great mark of his development. The fact that we can't discern at what point did he decide to betray her: was it during their vows? Or after Balekin's death is discovered? Or maybe during the scene where she tells him to seduce Nicasia? Did Jude plant that idea in his mind by suggesting something he found so repulsive? Either way, perfect setup, I cackled like an evil witch. These traitors so deserve each other. I just wish their affection was more believable, in a book that makes loving your parents' murderer sound plausible.
Madoc was as brilliant as always. I was wondering at what point will the twin trope be used and it did not disappoint. Madoc is just looming in the background, a vague threat to Jude's power and we completely forget about Taryn and what she's capable of. Madoc, Taryn and Jude form this triangle of mixed feelings that keeps expanding.
Locke is an asshole, yet one I expected to be more relevant to the plot for someone so annoying. Waste of character, if you ask me.
Balekin was a creep, seeing Cardan confront him was so satisfying. Another great point to his development. Cardan can be seen as the hero of this arc, trying to escape Jude and manage the power he didn't want.
Solid twist with the Court of Shadows, but I wish we got a proper reason as to why the Ghost betrayed everyone (even before the discovery, my guess was that it was him because he wanted to go back to the human world or something similar).
Nicasia has a somewhat interesting arc, but it didn't go anywhere yet. Orlagh could have been so much more for the story, even though I enjoyed how unlucky she got with Jude's geas.
Overall, this book had so many ways it could have gone. It didn't realize its full potential, which is sad, but the ending is perfect for setting up the last one.
Graphic: Sexual assault and Vomit
Moderate: Sexual content, Torture, Blood, and Murder
Minor: Alcoholism, Child abuse, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
About the graphic warnings2blueshoes's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Yes, the FMC is still deeply un relatable to me, and her choices made me want to pull my hair out in frustration.
Yes, all of the characters continue to operate so far beyond morally grey areas they are all difficult to root for.
And yet, somehow in the midst of the ever-more-complicated political schemes and endless list of confusing character names… I found myself loving this story. The plot twists were plentiful and intelligently written (I guessed exactly one). There was such steep character development that the FMC and MMC became entirely different people. There was relationship angst, but it was elegant rather than despicable. There was exactly one spicy scene and it was fade to black. The MMC’s tail wasn’t mentioned, praise be.
If you don’t care much for back story or world building, read a synopsis of book one and jump to book two. It will absolutely have you on the edge of your seat - or in my case - yelling “OMG” loudly in the car.
I will immediately read book three.
Graphic: Violence, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Confinement, Torture, Toxic relationship, Forced institutionalization, Kidnapping, Gaslighting, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Bullying, Gore, Slavery, Suicide, Vomit, Medical content, Trafficking, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and War
catrose97's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Confinement, Blood, and Alcohol
Moderate: Bullying, Death, Murder, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Sexual content and Torture
bookmark3brodi's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Alcoholism, Child abuse, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Medical content, Kidnapping, Grief, Medical trauma, Murder, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
margaret_k30's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Graphic: Toxic relationship
Moderate: Violence, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Gore, Self harm, and Vomit
vendy_kha's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Graphic: Bullying, Drug use, Torture, Violence, Kidnapping, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal death, Confinement, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, and Abandonment
wrensreadingroom's review against another edition
5.0
Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body shaming, Bullying, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexual content, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Forced institutionalization, Blood, Vomit, Police brutality, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, War, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, and Deportation
cady_sass's review against another edition
- 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
4.25
That’s it that’s the review. I am shook. One thing about holly black ….. she never writes what you think she’s writing
Graphic: Animal death, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Infidelity, Self harm, Sexual content, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism