A review by aralalala
The Wicked King by Holly Black

adventurous emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

Once again, I am writing this a hardcore light-hearted romcom girly:

It only started to get interesting for me around Ch. 11. Prior to that felt very much like a slow build-up and a background for the story, a little catching up on how things have been since the end of The Cruel Prince, and I honestly wasn’t all that engaged. It wasn’t so hard to keep going but there were moments when I felt like I was just forcing myself to flip the page, all in the hopes of getting some more Jude-Cardan content. I JUST WANNA BE HAPPY AND I JUST WANT THEM TO BE HAPPY PLS

But when I paused at one point, for the sake of pausing, I stumbled upon a reel on bookstagram about how the series is often viewed as a romance when it’s not. And then it hit me: it’s not. 

As the fact sunk in, I started to see the series in a whole new light in such a way that I felt much more excited to get into the rest of the story than when I initially started it this morning—or maybe because the plot has gotten a lot more exciting at that point. Either way, my appreciation towards it was more than when I started.

Setting aside the preconceived notion that the series offers a whole lot more romance than it actually does, I got to really enjoy watching this story unfold as it is. It offered a consistent character and story development from the first book. Cards were dealt, secrets revealed, new things unearthed. I think the best part of it all is how it makes sense. It didn’t feel like wasted time nor did it feel like a filler book simply written to bridge the gap to the last installment. Everything makes sense and it’s a wonderful build-up to the last book.

It’s so beautifully written, and I said it also in my review for the first book that I’m amazed by the author’s writing from a technical standpoint, but this book delivers just as much. She somehow does it all so perfectly, how she gives details at just the right amount—not too much that it’s obvious, and not too little that it doesn’t make sense. I’m also amazed by how much vision she has for where she wants the story to go. Everything still ties up from the first book and I hope it’s the same until the end.

The last chapter, knowing there’s a third book, had me at the edge of my seat. The anticipation of something going wrong was right there. Taryn’s words from the first book rings in my head:

“Nice things don’t happen in storybooks,” Taryn says. “Or when they do happen, something bad happens next. Because otherwise the story would be boring, and no one would read it.”

Now, with the right perspective and the climax leading to the end near, I’m so excited to get to the third book!

PS: I’d love to see this on the big screen tbh
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