Holly Black - The Wicked King (The Folk of the Air #2)
5⭐
Genre: Fantasy, YA, Fiction
Pages: 322
Format: Paperback
Publisher: Hot Key Books
Date Published: 22nd August 2019
Big thanks to Hot Key Books for the copy of this book and TandemCollectiveUK for having me on their #TheFolkOfTheAir #TandemReadalong on Instagram.
Book Blurb:
You must be strong enough to strike and strike and strike again without tiring.
The first lesson is to make yourself strong.
After the jaw-dropping revelation that Oak is the heir to Faerie, Jude must keep her brother safe. To do so, she has bound the wicked king, Cardan, to her, and made herself the power behind the throne. Navigating the constantly shifting political alliances of Faerie would be difficult enough if Cardan were easy to control. But he does everything in his power to humiliate and undermine her even as his fascination with her remains undiminished.
When it becomes all too clear that someone close to Jude means to betray her, threatening her own life and the lives of everyone she loves, Jude must uncover the traitor and fight her own complicated feelings for Cardan to maintain control as a mortal in a Faerie world.
My Review:
I enjoyed The Cruel Prince but The
Wicked King was just on another level. I loved it so much…Everything…The characters
and how they all grew so much throughout the series, the drama, the tension, the
suspense, the secret love, the power, and the betrayal….This book has it all
and OMG it was that good!
This second book follows where the
first left off. Cardan is now a King, whilst Jude is ruling Elfhame in secret as Cardan's
right hand and Oak is safe with Vivi in the human world. However, of course, it
can’t stay like this for a long time in Faerie…There’s always someone that
wants to steal the crown and the power and Jude needs to think of ways to keep
hold of her newfound fame and power. If only that was easy when the Queen of
Undersea joins forces with Balekin to win back the crown. Also, some people
close to Jude easily betray her again to support the Queen of Undersea. So,
Jude has to be extra careful, whilst also planning how she can stay in power
for as long as she can.
I really liked Jude in this book.
We got to see her as a very strong and determined person, who also knows how to
lead, plan and manoeuvre politically. She is a natural leader. However, in this
book we also see some of her weaknesses, her growing feelings towards Cardan,
her missing her sister and Madoc, who she does consider a family. At points, she
was struggling to hold onto the power and at points, she questioned if it was really
what she wants. It was so interesting to see those different sides of Jude.
This book had a perfect balance
of tension, suspense, drama and action, which not only kept me on my toes but
also made me develop love-hate relationships with most of the characters, including
Cardan. Oh, and the book finished on such a cliffhanger that was so well
played.
Cardan also grew on me as a
character. Now we got to know his past and upbringing, and it is easy to see
why he was so cruel to people, especially to Jude. Also, I liked how he tries
to make amends with people that he hurt and also become a better version of
himself. However, I do feel that Jude is helping him to become better, like some
kind of good influence on him.
There was a bit more romance in
this book too, which I was so excited for…So I am hoping that the last book in
the trilogy will have a lot of love and romance.
Overall: Such a great book, with amazing
characters, with so much tension, suspense, action and drama. Writing is also
superb. The complex but beautiful Faerie world that Holly Black created is just
brilliant. Can’t wait to read the third instalment and find out what happens to
Jude.
About the Author:
Holly Black is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of over thirty fantasy novels for kids and teens. She has been a finalist for an Eisner Award and the Lodestar Award, and the recipient of the Mythopoeic Award, a Nebula, and a Newbery Honor. Her books have been translated into 32 languages worldwide and adapted for film. She currently lives in New England with her husband and son in a house with a secret library.
https://blackholly.com/
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