Review: The Wicked King by Holly Black | This series only gets better

My rating: 4.5/5
I'm so glad this book was not overhyped at all; it pretty much met my high expectations!

Check out my review of The Cruel Prince.

Implied spoilers below

My feelings right now

I just finished this masterfully-written book and it feels incredible to sit here writing this review since I haven't finished a book or written a review in a while. I've missed it! 

One of the things I've loved about this series is its ability to get me out of really bad book slumps. It's such an easy read and when I pick it up, it immediately reminds me why I love fantasy and intrigue so much. I've got to say, this ending surprised me so much. Holly Black really confused me and I genuinely don't know what to feel. Why would Cardan do that? Is it just payback? I actually cannot wait to find out. 

Is there room for Jude to be the badass she is without her power over Cardan? I definitely hope so. One of the best things about Jude is her genius plotting and incredible ability. She had me hanging on the edge of the seat because she was never predictable. Jude has risen from people's assumptions about her mortality and weakness substantially in this book and I adore that. Holly Black is a master writer and Jude's character is evidently carefully built. I was angered when Jude was thwarted by Taryn, and I felt Jude's misery and exhaustion as she navigated the constant web of responsibilities in this second installment. When Jude and Cardan were battling their simmering feelings for each other, I sympathized with the longing and self-denial that Jude underwent. That, my friends, is a sure sign of good writing. 

I loved Jardan's relationship (all the tension in this book!), I feel that there are so many layers within their relationship with the whole power dynamic they've got going, although I hope they resolve this soon. The scenes when they were together and just taunting each other were some of the best in the book, but I think they'll be even better working together. 

When I read The Cruel Prince, I discovered that a lot of people hated Taryn, and I didn't really understand why. Not that she didn't do evil and cowardly things, but she seemed very redeemable to me. But now, more than ever, I'm starting to really dislike her. First of all, she's spineless and lets Locke walk all over her. Also, she lacks loyalty and is pushed around by pretty much every other character. She literally doesn't care about anyone besides herself and Locke, and I get why people are tired of it! I'm over it too! 

I think this book is even better written than The Cruel Prince, I couldn't put it down. The main characters Jude and Cardan shine more than ever and the suspense just kept me going. It's definitely an excellent read and maybe I just haven't read in a while, but the story felt really original. 

I loved Cardan so much in this book, particularly towards the middle and end. In the first book, he was more of a 2-dimensional character but I think Holly Black gave us a lot more characterization and background to him in this book, and I can't wait for more. 

Overall, this is a very imaginative and entertaining read. The characters are solid and very well described. While the ending confused me a bit, I'm sure Black is just setting up for the next book, and I hope it'll be EPIC!!!

Thanks,
Yomna