Reviews tagging 'Toxic friendship'

The Wicked King by Holly Black

20 reviews

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.

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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

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

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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.

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Content Warnings

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

amazelan's review against another edition

adventurous challenging emotional mysterious 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? It's complicated

3.0

j'ai préféré ce second tome au premier, même si le début a été un peu long.
les intrigues et les retournements de situation sont mieux fait, tout n'était pas aussi facilement devinable que dans le premier tome.

les personnages sont également plusse intéressants,

même si je suis toujours très peu emballé.e par l'histoire entre Jude et Cardan

surtout l évolution de Cardan. Jude est également un peu plusse cohérente dans ses actions, plusse réaliste.

et la fin est très bien ficelée, elle donne envie de savoir le dénouement de tout ça.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Death

Minor: War

bookmark3brodi's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark funny mysterious tense medium-paced

• 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

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Content Warnings

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

laneys_library'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? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

This books is AMAZING! I couldn’t stop reading! I think it might just be my favorite book I’ve ever read. The ending shocked me and I can’t wait to start the Queen of nothing!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Bullying, Child abuse, Torture, Violence, Blood, Trafficking, Death of parent, Murder, and Alcohol

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Kidnapping, Grief, Fire/Fire injury, Gaslighting, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Cursing, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Toxic friendship, and War

wrensreadingroom's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

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

adventurous challenging dark tense fast-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

4.25

Waaaaait wait wait. WHAT!!!! 
That’s it that’s the review. I am shook. One thing about holly black ….. she never writes what you think she’s writing 

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Content Warnings

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

stevi_nicole's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense fast-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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence

Minor: Toxic relationship, Vomit, and Toxic friendship

druzyquartz's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny 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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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, War, and Injury/Injury detail