THE WICKED KING BY HOLLY BLACK REVIEW

 

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 5/5

FULL MARKS!!
So I liked this one more than the first, there were more characters development, more "action", more treachery, more drama like A LOT, there was ROMANCE. The story was more complete but more incomplete at the same time, THAT ENDING!!

The spectacular characterization of CARDAN in this book... no words.
□ He's up and downs, how conniving he really was, how deluded he had everyone into thinking he was a fool when indeed he's quite intelligent, and power driven too like the rest of them.
□ Although for me, he's my favourite character of them all, I specially like, how he doesn't need to cross the line (murder) to win. The only honorable thing in the whole book.
□ He's special relationship with Jude was very gratifying to read, how it developed and how it all ends in one second. They really have great chemistry and good plotting minds. They make the perfect ROYAL COUPLE.

Let's talk about the JUDE of this book:
□ She really OBTAIN power just like she wanted, at first I was happy and proud of her, but throughout the book I got the feeling more and more that she was losing herself to that power and she was turning into what she most hated, quite the hypocrisy of the year. So I had a LOVE-HATE relationship with her through almost 60% of the book.
□ Her messing with drugs, what a tenacious woman she is, I admire her for how strong she is but please let's not indulge in drugs Jude. Her sparring had quitely improved and made her more of a warrior in this book, all her action scenes were excellent, beautifully portrayed and oozed strength, the power of women.
□ I liked reading her thoughts and feelings towards CARDAN, how confused she was, how of a mess, they were and how much she would reject having l those feelings. They truly were adorably naive, trying to play dumb.
□ The strained relationship with her twin sister and his (fucker) fiancè, I really didn't liked reading about them, I didn’t trust them since the beginning, more so Locke. But at the end was quite a shock reading everything unwind. (I hope she doesn't forgive them)

This book is all about TREACHERY , 90% of the characters are all traitors, liars and fakers, some you don't even see it coming, which makes it more interesting and really FRUSTRATING, makes you wonder when you will be able yo take a breath...

The writing style was as good as the first book, NO MISTAKES, the dialogues were well written and developed, made sense too. There were descriptions and explanations of things happening and of places, the book was easy to follow and QUITE ENGAGING!!!

In the end, I LOVED this book and could not get enough of it. I'm obviously diving into the next right now.
I highly recommend this book, it was and engaging and exciting reading, quite the rollercoaster but well deserved. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!!
Happy reading 🖤💜

QUOTES:

“You don’t understand. She wants us to be married. She wants me to be queen.”

I am so surprised that, for a moment, I just stare at her, fighting down a kind of wild, panicky laughter. “You just shot him.”

“You think I performed a trick because Cardan likes me better than you,” I say. “But you shot at him with a crossbow bolt. Of course he likes me better.”

Nicasia frowns. “Did you kiss Cardan?”

“I don’t know if I am supposed to answer,” I say, looking around in what I hope appears like honest confusion. “But yes.”

“More than once? Does he love you?”

I didn’t realize how much she’d hoped I was lying when I’d told her I kissed him. “More than once, but no. He doesn’t love me. Nothing like it.”

“Okay,” I say. “I’ll do it. I’ll marry you.” 

He slides my ruby ring off his finger. “I, Cardan, son of Eldred, High King of Elfhame, take you, Jude Duarte, mortal ward of Madoc, to be my bride and my queen. Let us be wed until we wish for it to be otherwise and the crown has passed from our hands.” (The real games begin now!)

I speak. “I, Jude Duarte, take Cardan, High King of Elfhame, to be my husband. Let us be wed until we don’t want to be and the crown has passed from our hands.”

“Cardan, son of Eldred, High King of Elfhame, I forsake any command over you. You are free of your vow of obedience, for now and for always.” (Now! It's getting even more interesting and more exciting, a King's games now.)

I have become the Queen of Faerie.

“I am the High King of Elfhame,” Cardan reminds her. “And I mislike being given orders. You attacked the land. You stole my seneschal and freed my brother, who was imprisoned for the murder of our father, Eldred, with whom you had an alliance. Once, we respected each other’s territory.

“I have allowed you too much disrespect, and you have overplayed your hand.

“Now, Queen of the Undersea, we will have a truce as you had with Eldred, as you had with Mab. We will have a truce or we will have a war, and if we fight, I will be unsparing. Nothing and no one you love will be safe.”

(The last quote is my favourite one, Cardan being the real and true King of Elfhame, that was a long time coming now.)