A review by braytonaubree
The Wicked King, by Holly Black
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
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
Thoughts:
• this was my absolute favorite of the series, I LOVE this book so much & it makes my heart swollen just thinking about it
• I think the thing that enthralls me so much about this story & especially these characters, is that we are following Jude who is nothing special, she’s just human and that is so much more interesting & empowering to read than someone who is “destined” to be Other or has some special prophecy to fulfill, cuz that’s not who I am, I’m just regular & reading about regular people doing extraordinary things is magical to me
• it’s a SLOW BURN but the nature of their positions and the world they live in make the spice feel justifiably spread throughout even if it’s not a spicy moment (it is YA technically), the tension makes it feel like it is
• it was in the middle of this book that I had the realization this might be one of my favorite fantasy series ever
the dialogue & QUOTES, some of the most beautifully written phrases ever & that beautiful vocabulary carries through the world building, so it’s full of lush imagery
• just as high stakes & intense as the first one, if not more so
• it’s a perfect sequel to the first, in that, the tension only continues to build as we are following morally grey characters who continue to make choices that often conflict with basic morality & perceived loyalty
• the expansion of the world is so well done that even though we learn a lot more about the realms/characters it doesn’t ever feel like an info dump
For folks who like/are interested in:
• fantasy
• enemies to lovers
• Reign (CW)
• strong female main character
• war/stratagem
• tense
• fae/magical creatures
⚠️ Content Warnings:
• violence
• bullying/harassment
• this was my absolute favorite of the series, I LOVE this book so much & it makes my heart swollen just thinking about it
• I think the thing that enthralls me so much about this story & especially these characters, is that we are following Jude who is nothing special, she’s just human and that is so much more interesting & empowering to read than someone who is “destined” to be Other or has some special prophecy to fulfill, cuz that’s not who I am, I’m just regular & reading about regular people doing extraordinary things is magical to me
• it’s a SLOW BURN but the nature of their positions and the world they live in make the spice feel justifiably spread throughout even if it’s not a spicy moment (it is YA technically), the tension makes it feel like it is
• it was in the middle of this book that I had the realization this might be one of my favorite fantasy series ever
the dialogue & QUOTES, some of the most beautifully written phrases ever & that beautiful vocabulary carries through the world building, so it’s full of lush imagery
• just as high stakes & intense as the first one, if not more so
• it’s a perfect sequel to the first, in that, the tension only continues to build as we are following morally grey characters who continue to make choices that often conflict with basic morality & perceived loyalty
• the expansion of the world is so well done that even though we learn a lot more about the realms/characters it doesn’t ever feel like an info dump
For folks who like/are interested in:
• fantasy
• enemies to lovers
• Reign (CW)
• strong female main character
• war/stratagem
• tense
• fae/magical creatures
⚠️ Content Warnings:
• violence
• bullying/harassment
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Bullying