Reviews tagging 'Bullying'

The Wicked King by Holly Black

58 reviews

seastheday's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional funny tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• 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 couldn’t put this book down. Okay, I only did  because I have young children. But, otherwise I wouldn’t have put this book down! Listening to Jude slowly talk herself into paranoid madness was so fun to watch. I love and hate Carden’s incongruous ways. He was foolish but learned to play the game. He is akin to Sansa Stark in that way. I love the push and pull of power between Cardan and Jude. Most of the time I’m not even sure who I want to have the power. As a side note, I fucking hate Locke. STILL. And now

Ghost AND Taryn’s

are on my list with their names underlined! I don’t think any of them can really be redeemed. And I don’t think they’re meant to be. I want to pick up Queen of Nothing RIGHT NOW. But alas, I cannot as I have not bought it. I want to know what happens next and steam roll through it this weekend. But I must wait on the library.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Violence, Kidnapping, Murder, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: War

Minor: Child abuse, Slavery, Torture, and Vomit

spatterson7's review against another edition

adventurous emotional 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

4.25

---

Content Warnings

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

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.

---

Content Warnings

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

matildasouthern's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny lighthearted 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

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Physical abuse, and Kidnapping

Moderate: Bullying, Grief, and Murder

Minor: Violence, Blood, and War

fraugremlin's review against another edition

adventurous medium-paced

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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Racism, Violence, Blood, Alcohol, War, and Classism

orakuruno's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional tense fast-paced

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

4.5

Now this is an enemies to lovers

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Toxic relationship, Murder, Alcohol, and War

Moderate: Bullying, Confinement, Drug use, Gore, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, and Toxic friendship

Minor: Sexual content, Slavery, Torture, Trafficking, and Kidnapping

vereadsbooks's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

It took me a while to return to Elfhame, but I finally did it! I loved the first book, The Cruel Prince, and I knew I’d enjoy reading The Wicked King just as much. It didn’t disappoint at all. The book was fantastic!

Oak is safe and sound in the human realm with Vivi. Cardan sits on the throne, still controlled by Jude, who operates behind the scenes, scheming and strategizing every move. Jude tries to stay one step ahead, knowing enemies surround her. She lays the groundwork for her plans, but she faces strong opponents.

The Queen of the Undersea, Orlagh, seeks to break the peace treaty she had with the previous king. She thinks Cardan is weak and uses this opportunity to rule the Fae Realm. Meanwhile, Prince Belkine schemes against Cardan from prison. And then there is Madoc. His dual role in Jude’s life is intriguing. Madoc is her father figure but also the murderer of her parents. He sees her potential and respects her to some extent, which means he wants to take the power she holds.

This book is absolutely insane. The intricate political maneuvering and unexpected plot twists captivated readers in The Wicked King. The fairies are dangerous. Its fickle and treacherous nature is even more pronounced in this installment.

The chemistry between Cardan and Jude is electric. This is truly an enemy-to-lovers story. Their mutual hatred is intense, yet the attraction between them is so strong that they cannot deny it. I still haven’t gotten over that ending. (I knew he would betray her. I didn’t imagine it would be like this.)

Holly Black is the queen of the fairies. Through her writing, this fantastic, wicked, and harsh world comes to life, trapping us in its web with no way out.

The Wicked King is addictive, like fairy fruit. This book contains political intrigue, deception, romance, fantasy, enemies-to-lovers dynamics, betrayal, and a lot of drama within its pages.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Confinement, Death, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Torture, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

2blueshoes's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

After a first book so mind bogglingly horrifying, I surprised myself by truly enjoying this sequel. The Cruel Prince felt like a sort of nightmarish junior high, where love isn’t real, everyone is miserable, and no one wins. The Wicked King felt a bit like high school, with characters finding their footing, and forging real relationships - and of course the stakes are much higher. 

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. 

---

Content Warnings

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

picaresquedreamer's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional inspiring tense medium-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

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Confinement, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Alcoholism, Toxic relationship, and Alcohol

Minor: Bullying and Emotional abuse

magdapuczynska's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

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

4.5

I gobbled this thing up quicker than any other book. It's a big improvement from the first book in the series and just the right mix of plot and spicyness. I'm looking forward to the next book.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Bullying, Confinement, Death, and Emotional abuse

Moderate: Infidelity and Sexual content