The enchanting and bloodthirsty sequel to the New York Times bestselling novel The Cruel Prince. 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 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.
Cardan to maintain control as a mortal in a Faerie world. Cardan to maintain control as a mortal in a Faerie world. Cardan to maintain control as a mortal in a Faerie world.more
So much better than the first book. I’m such a sucker for court intrigue and politics! Not to mention a smouldering ‘affaire-de-coeur’ that keeps you guessing and wondering in such a delicious way. In the day and a half it’s taken me to read this book I’ve been enchanted, glamoured and poisoned with wraithberries. Oh, my poor heart! This is one Wicked book-hangover.
I enjoyed The Cruel Prince. I loved The Wicked King.
If you are at all like me, you’ll read through it with a growing sense of frustration. There are so many secrets and so many games being played by so many players and the entire time I found myself wishing that a few people would just talk shit out.
But, in Faerie, secrets and lies are currency that nobody gives up readily. Trust is not something that comes easily to anyone, especially Jude. Who could blame her though, honestly.
It’s all one big game of deadly chess and the ending was a giant checkmate that I didn’t see coming. It’s going to be a long wait for The Queen of Nothing.
I loved the main character in this book and how desperately she was trying to remain human in a faerie world, and yet how little control she had.
More page-turning, unpredictable, edge of your seat fairy political intrigue. Fans of the first book will find themselves very satisfied indeed.
Excellent second book. Stakes are high for Jude as she tries to handle the power she’s grabbed from people who are all enemies. She has no one she can trust, least of all her puppet king Cardan, no matter how tempting that might be. The story focus is tightly on Jude who comes across more sympathetic in this second book than what she was in the first. But while she’s stronger now, so are her enemies. The ending is worthy of the devious faeries. I don’t know how I’ll be able to wait for the conclusion.
Very original
The Wicked King is wicked indeed!
What a story! This is what fantasy is for. I am lost for words. I need The Queen of Nothing asap! I need to see Jude fighting back.
Breathless and wanting more.
I have to remind myself that Holly Black is a YA writer. Her H/h usually have so much sexual tension I blush or get frustrated lol.
Holly Black wrote a fantastic sequel to Cruel Prince! I love the world she has built and enjoyed both Cruel Prince and Wicked King immensely. The story is so easy to immerse yourself in and the twists and turns the story makes aren’t always predictable. When I finished the Audiobook of Wicked King I was very tempted to start it all over again, but this time with the knowledge of the endings revelation. Knowing what i know now will change the way I see certain parts of the story. Kudos to Mrs. Black for insuring I would need to read the book at least twice .