Book Shelf: The Wicked King (The Folk of the Air #2) by Holly Black

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 younger 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. 

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Review:

The Wicked King is the explosive sequel to Holly Black’s stunning novel The Cruel Prince and is a exhilarating follow up that gives its predecessor a run for its money with its twists, turns and shocking developments.

Jude Duarte has bound herself to former faerie prince Carden in the hopes of protecting her brother Oak. Having been placed on the throne thanks to Jude’s slight of hand, King Carden is an unwilling puppet; bent to Jude’s will and the face of her control over the crown. Navigating the ever changing political alliances of Faerie is difficult for Jude as Carden does everything in his limited power to defy and humiliate her even as he struggles with the fascination and desire he has for her. Desire that Jude shares despite her best intentions not to. As it becomes clear that someone close to her plans to betray her, Jude must discover who the traitor is before everyone she loves is lost.

Last year The Cruel Prince became an unexpected favourite read of mine and as quite possibly my most anticipated read of 2019, The Wicked King had a lot of expectations to live up to. Something it certainly does and then some! Brilliantly written The Wicked King is a deftly woven story of political intrigue, court deception and ulterior motives. Holly Black details a vivid and darkly luscious world of Faerie that comes alive through the eyes of human protagonist Jude who has spent the majority of her life carefully navigating the treacherous land she calls home.

As far as main characters go, there is a lot to like about Jude Duarte. Despite being mortal, Jude has spent her life learning to survive in the cruel, manipulative world of Faerie. Jude is intelligent, quick on her toes and perceptive. She’s kind and caring towards those she loves, but it’s the calculating and capable sides of her that have kept her alive…and now in control of arguably the most powerful person in Faerie.

I genuinely do love Jude. I feel like after only two books she’s grown substantially as she has taken on more power and responsibility. In The Wicked King, Jude is a far cry from the weak human she was in the first book and as she continues to weave together her plan to protect her brother Oak, I definitely enjoyed seeing this new determined and dedicated side to her.

Then there’s the wonderful chemistry between Jude and Cardan that is continually explored in The Wicked King. Theirs truly is a love-hate relationship—heavy on the hate—but I absolutely adore the way Holly Black has created their romance. It’s so fiery and passionate and deceptive. You never know if they want to kiss or kill one another which only makes the rare moments where they give into their desires all that more potent. I know their motivations (mainly Cardan’s) are very much still shrouded in mystery, but I honestly think that what they have between them has the power to be truly life changing. And I for one certainly think Cardan isn’t the cruel, devious person he occasionally comes across as.

Shocking and unexpected, The Wicked King introduces readers to new branches of this delectable faerie world so expertly crafted by Holly Black including the devious and murderous Undersea and builds to a jaw dropping conclusion. Leaving readers at quite possibly one of the most opportune moments, The Wicked King thoroughly entrances and will have you hanging out for the next novel, The Queen of Nothing to be released as soon as humanly possible!

Rating:
Source: Sent for review by publisher (Thank you guys!)
Publisher: Hot Key Books
Format: Paperback
Australian RRP: $19.99
Release Date: January 8th 2019
Buy: Angus & Robertson | Booktopia | The Book Depository | Amazon
Final Thoughts: Simply superb; this series is one that will take your breath away. Can't wait for the next novel!