[insert screaming] -- A WICKED KING REVIEW.

WARNING. If You haven't read The Cruel Prince, turn back now. You can read my review of The Cruel Prince HERE.

ABOUT

Title: The Wicked King

Series: The Folk of the Air #2

Author: Holly Black

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Release Date: January 8th 2019

Goodreads Page

Synopsis:

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.

I received an advance copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

i'm screaming. i am LITERALLY SCREAMING. OH MY GOD. WHAT HAVE I DONE TO MYSELF.

So The Wicked King picks up pretty much where The Cruel Prince left off, with Cardan and Jude. It's really five months later, but you know those immortal fae, time is irrelevant. Spoiler alert if you haven't read the first book, why are you here, and also go read The Cruel Prince!!

Both Jude and Cardan are chafing in their new roles in interacting with each other and learning the ropes as they both find themselves in these positions of power and the limitations and responsibilities that come with it. So so much happens as Jude acts as the advisor to the High King and must learn how to fulfil her role and also keep Cardan in check. Jude even finds herself thinking that it's much easier to attain power than it is to keep it.

The plot of this book is just so well crafted. Every page has you wanting to read more and keep knowing what is going to happen next. Holly Black's writing is so carefully and effortlessly crafted and addictive, ensnaring you in a spell.

I'm so so shook by the ending of this book. I literally can't even. I'm still trying to process it and I just can't even. I don't know what to even SAY about this book! It's so so good. I've fallen so hard for this series and the characters created in Holly Black's head. I'm not gonna lie, lowkey it's a mistake to read this book so early before its release date. The wait for book 3 is awful already because the ending of this one. holy shit. i'm screaming.

Can you tell that I was so shook by this book??? Honestly I did kind of make a huge mistake reading this book so early. LOL. I read this book in May and book 3 doesn't come out until 2020. Kill me. Or maybe speed up time.

I honestly don't know how to review books that I love sometimes. I'm just so overcome with emotion and so I don't know how to articulate my thoughts (mostly my feelings) into words. Also, the ending of this book literally took my breath away. Like I was so shocked by how this book ended that I just couldn't fathom what just happened.

The Wicked King is the sequel that The Cruel Prince deserves. It's very different than The Cruel Prince in that the first book is more about Jude and political manipulations and conspiracies. And while this still continues in The Wicked King, it's more about the chafing between Jude and Cardan and the roles they've found themselves in.

Anyways. Read this series!!!