“‘I have heard that for mortals, the feeling of falling in love is very like the feeling of fear.’ Jude has tricked Cardan onto the throne, binding him to her for a year and a day. But the new High King does everything in his power to humiliate and undermine her. Meanwhile, a traitor is scheming against her. Jude must fight for her life and also battle her own complicated feelings for Cardan. Now a year and a day seems like no time at all…”
What is the book about?
Jude has managed to trick Cardan onto the throne and he has made an oath to be in her control for a year and a day. But the new High King isn’t happy with this arrangement and does everything in his power to humiliate and undermine Jude, trying to make her seem like the weak, vulnerable mortal every expects to see. Jude tries to control the situation and the one doing all the hard-work, which Cardan is simply the image of the High King of Elfhame. Jude thinks that everything might be alright, if she can just mange to extend Cardan’s oath a little longer. However, a traitor is scheming behind her back, and more people want her dead than ever before. Now, Jude isn’t just fighting for her life, but she must also battle her growing, strong and complicated feelings for Cardan. In the beginning a year and a day seemed like enough time, but now it seems like no time at all. Jude must find a way to keep herself in control, or she will lose everything she has worked for…
What were your initial thoughts on the book?
Obviously, immediately after finishing The Cruel Prince, I was already desperate to begin The Wicked King and continue my adventure with Jude and Cardan. The ending of the previous book had left me anxious to discover what happened next and I was ready to fall in love with yet another incredible book. Before starting I read the blurb and was even more intrigued to read the book (and I thought that was impossible). I really wanted to know who the traitor was – especially since there were endless possibilities – and I wanted to know if Jude wold be able to find a way to keep control of Cardan for longer. After admiring the gorgeous cover, I finally began to read the book and I wasn’t at all surprised by what I found. It took a measly few seconds for Holly Black’s incredible writing to transport me back into Faerie and to make me feel like I was really there. Once I began to read I just couldn’t stop and found that every time I would open the book I would look up to see that it was hours later, much longer than I had wanted to read in the first place. Every chapter was perfect and left me feeling even more curious and in love with the story. I adored every page from the start, all the way to the end.
Who was your favourite character and why?
There were many characters that I liked in this book – just like last time – but I think that my favourite chapter is most likely Jude. Firstly, (and I know that this has nothing to do with the actual character) I absolutely adore her name. Jude Duarte just sounds so cool and I think it really suits her; I am just so obsessed with her surname in particular. Another reason why I really liked Jude was because of how she was still a moderately relatable character. Although she lived in a world full of powerful, immortal creatures, she was still a human and made some mundane, mortal mistakes. She trusted people, not just because the Fey can’t lie, but because she had no reason to not have faith in people who see to care for her and who have proven their loyalty. Everybody makes mistakes, and Jude is not an exception. She put too much faith in the Fey not being able to lie, that she forgot that she is human and has the potential to do wrong, without even realising. She was easy to relate to, especially in how she reacted to her mistakes. As soon as we make a mistake, we try to blame others but deep down we blame ourselves, and Jude was exactly like this and sulked like any human would do. One final reason why I chose Jude as my favourite character was because of her strength. She was such a powerful character and wouldn’t back down no matter what. She wanted something and she didn’t wait to get it easily from Madoc – the man who took Jude and her sisters in after he murdered their parents – she just went straight out there and worked for it on her own. She was a really inspiring character in the way that she didn’t give up, even when things got tough, and that, when she made mistakes, she would take the burden onto herself and find a way to fix it. So many people give up as soon as they make one mistake, or as soon as it gets a bit too hard, and I think that Jude is a great character to persevere (and she lives in a world where people are out to kill her and where murder isn’t necessarily illegal, so some people should stop being cowards and face their simple problems).
What was your favourite part of the book and why?
I loved the whole book, and obviously every part was amazing, however, there was one part that I think I would say was my favourite one: just before the ending. Now the ending left me completely shocked and I seriously wanted to chuck the book across the room and scream as loud as I could. But, just a single chapter before, only a few pages away, I was extremely happy and excited because of what had happened. Just before the catastrophic ending, for a few pages only, I finally felt like there was a possibility that everything would work out fine and that Jude and Cardan’s interesting plan and resolution would actually help them both achieve their hopes for Faerie. I really liked how I felt a sense of calm and I was finally not on the edge of my seat, after spending the whole time before tense and anxious for the next plot twist. That is probably why the ending shocked me so much and made me so annoyed, but there is still a whole book left for me to read, which will hopefully resolve all the problems in Faerie and give everyone a happy ending (well those who are alive anyway).
What was your overall impression of the book?
Overall, The Wicked King was an incredible book and it is absolutely unquestionable that The Folk of the Air series is becoming one of my favourite series. Firstly, I must mention the stunning cover and the remarkable plot. It is very rare that a book will have a beautiful cover and an incredibly well-written and enjoyable plot, however both of the books in the series that I have read have been unusual and delighting exceptions, and the third and final book is looking very promising. I really enjoyed the plot, particularly because of how many unexpected plot twists there were and I was barely able to see a single one of them coming. I really loved being surprised so many times and enjoyed the exciting and anxious feelings that came with waiting for a new turn in the story. Another reason why I really loved the book was because it included so many of my favourite book genres and combined them into the perfect book. I loved the fantasy, adventure and action qualities The Wicked King had – and also the many signs of murder and thriller – but, most of all, I really enjoyed the magnificent romance parts of the book. The enemies-to-lovers romance and the clashing of the characters was always fun to read about and, although it was very frustrating, I also enjoyed how the characters were still trying to deny any feelings between each other. The romance element was just so entertaining and I very glad to continue seeing the harsh kisses and the crazy arguments between the characters. One last thing that made me absolutely love The Wicked King was the fast-pace of the book. I really liked how everything flowed really well and it felt like the book was just one incredible story, instead of being separated into short chapters. I loved how easy it was for me to get lost in Faerie and how I was able to finish the book quite quickly, but not so fast that I missed everything. I really despise slow books that seem to go on forever, and I was very glad that The Wicked King wasn’t one of them. Everything in the book was amazing and I can’t wait to read the third and final book – The Queen of Nothing.
Which book did you like better, the first or the second?
Both The Cruel Prince and The Wicked King were amazing books and I loved both of them a lot, however I think that the second book – The Wicked King – was the better book. One reason why I liked this book better was because I thought it was a lot more fast-paced. I felt like the plot flowed a lot more and that everything was a lot more planned out. This may also have been because I thought the plot was a lot more interesting and enjoyed this one more than The Cruel Prince plot, however both were very good. Secondly, I really liked the book because there were a lot more plot twists. This also links to the pace of the book but I felt like every second I was discovering something new and being sent in a different direction, and I really liked it. Most of them were quite unexpected and it was very strange to see so many good characters become traitors. In particular, one plot twist that rendered me completely speechless was the ending. I had to re-read it 10 times over just to check I had really read the right thing and, after being confident in what I had seen, all I wanted to do was throw the book as far from me as possible – I loved it. The ending of The Cruel Prince had made me very curious to read the next book, however the final chapter of The Wicked King just left me so shocked and desperate that I almost forgot that I have to sleep to survive, or else I would have read the whole of the third book in just one night. One last thing that I found make The Wicked Kind the better book was that the romance was a lot more obvious and engaging. I really loved the whole enemies-to-lovers concept of the book and how much they despised each other, but also themselves because they loved each other too. It was such a complicated relationship and I really enjoyed getting to see a lot more of the intimate couple moments and the angry kisses that they shared. Overall, I really liked both the book and I am sure that the third book will be just as great, but so far my favourite book is The Wicked King.
Would you recommend this book?
I definitely recommend reading The Wicked King, particularly for readers 14 or over. It is a really great book full of romance, adventure and murder – a perfect combination. I think that fantasy lovers will absolutely enjoy this book, but I obviously suggest reading The Cruel Prince (the first book in The Folk of the Air series) before or you are going to be extremely lost and confused.
Summarise the book in one sentence. (Verdict)
A magical and murderous experience full on endless plot twists that will have you on edge.
Reviewed by Jimena Gutierrez Reviriego
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