Finally, it’s here–my book review for The Wicked King! I waited all year for the second book in Holly Black’s Folk of the Air series to be officially released, and when it finally dropped on Jan 8, 2019, I devoured its entire contents in the span of just half a day. Front to end–I couldn’t stop. The Wicked King was even better than its predecessor–The Cruel Prince–and one week later my heart is still feeling flutters and aftershocks from the magic it induced.
A Book About Power, Lies, Deceit, and Betrayal – Emerging Themes of The Wicked King
In book two, we find Jude five months after we last left her at the conclusion to The Cruel Prince. She now runs the Kingdom of Elfhame as Cardan’s seneschal while he sits on the throne, indulging in its debaucheries while she secretly pulls all the strings.
“Power is much easier to acquire than it is to hold on to.”
Madoc, The Wicked Queen
A reoccurring theme is ever-present throughout the full length of the novel–Power is much easier to acquire than it is to hold on to. Jude has control over Cardan for just one year and a day, and she is aware of the looming deadline nearing when she will be forced to order Cardan to abdicate the throne or lose her control over him. With the deadline fast approaching and the awareness that Oak is still not old enough to take the throne, Jude struggles to find a clever way to get him to agree to extending their agreement / bargain.
Even more frustrating than her slipping power over King Cardan is her slipping power over her own heart as she is both confused and horrified by her growing attraction for this man whom she hates as much as he hates her. The two of them continue to fight their attraction for each other as they manipulate, deceive, and begrudgingly trust each other in a world where it’s hard to tell what emotions are real and just how much is only a game.
“I hate you,” I breathed into his mouth. “I hate you so much that sometimes I can’t think of anything else.”
-Jude, The Wicked King
Secrets, lies, deceit, and betrayals abound throughout the book, and it’s one of the best parts of the read, ever-increasing the suspense and tension.
“I hope it unnerves them to know that I am lying. After all, if the insult to me is pointing out that I am mortal, then this is my riposte: I live here, too, and I know the rules. Perhaps I even know them better than you since you were born into them, but I had to learn. Perhaps I know them better than you because you have greater leeway to break them.”
-Jude, The Wicked King
This is a book for readers who love romance. This is also a book for readers who don’t.
If You Don’t Like Romance…
If you’re not a fan of the romance that seems to dominate every other YA fantasy novel, then this book is for you because the romantic emotions take a backseat to the power dynamics (or other emotions). In fact, I wouldn’t call either lead character’s emotions romantic at all. There’s sexual tension, yes, and desire. But the feelings are unwelcome and often tinged with a hatred just as strong as the longing as they both fight to gain power over one another, rid themselves of weak emotions, and hate each other simply because they cannot hate each other at all.
If You Do Like Romance…
And if you ARE a fan of having romance tangled up in your fantasy, this book is for you because–although the romance is not the prime focus of the book–it’s one of the best written romances I have ever read and will have you turning page after page just to reach another scene with Cardan and Jude, just to discover what they will do next and how it will all unfold. I haven’t felt so much longing for two characters to get together in a long time. I haven’t felt this many heart flutters in a long time. Holly Black has a way of making the reader feel the emotions on the page–feel the longing, the desire, the torment of wanting something so bad that it physically hurts.
This Wicked King Review was Originally Published 2019/01/17 at 6:07 am
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