This is a spoiler-free review! You can read my review of The Cruel Prince on my blog, here.
The ending of The Cruel Prince had me grinning so hard I thought my face was going to freeze, so I was very excited to dive back into this world and see what Cardan and Jude had in store for us.
We pick up five months after the ending of the first book, and tensions are high as a new ruler reigns over Faerie. Jude and Cardan's dynamic is full of the same banter as in The Cruel Prince, but we can see this very subtle attraction between the two of them grow, even if they are actively going against each other at any chance they get. A vulnerability from Cardan that we had yet to see from him emerges throughout the book, and the effects of being High King and working with Jude continue to affect him in ways he did not anticipate.
There are so many incredible lines in this book that begin to unravel Jude and Cardan's feelings not only for each other, but for their positions in Faerie as they come to learn what they truly want. To see both of their character development in this sequel was subtle in every way that mattered.
Locke continues to be a thorn in everyone's side, and it is astonishing how Taryn is able to see anything redeemable in him, especially with what he put her -- and Jude -- through in the first book, and what he continues to do throughout this book as well. He is so annoying and seems to get away with everything, and even when admitting to it, Taryn looks the other way.
Taryn is an entirely different story. She continuously tells Jude that she does not want her to be angry with her anymore, and attempts to reconcile what she has done to her twin sister, but there is more to Taryn than meets the eye. I was not a fan of her character in the first book, and this book certainly cemented my negative feelings toward her.
To no surprise to anyone, Madoc is still the most shady person running around Court and causing problems to fulfill his own agenda trying to get Oak the crown and basically be the ruler of Faerie in place of his son. At some points, you can almost see that Madoc may have a care for Jude, but it is almost always immediately ripped away as he continues his schemes to benefit himself.
I really enjoyed the involvement of the Undersea in this book, it was nice to see another aspect of Elfhame and more political development as Cardan's rule continues to raise questions by some high-ranking folk of Faerie. The contrast of the Undersea compared to being on land goes further than dirt and sea, with their abilities of scheming and powers being on a completely different playing field. The way that Black is able to create an alluring contrast between the two allows the reader to transport themselves in an entirely new world.
We see betrayal from a number of people that Jude thought were on her side, and the consequences of these betrayal cause a domino effect on the fate of Cardan's rule as High King, and Jude's place beside him as his advisor. The politics in The Wicked King grow more serious compared to The Cruel Prince, and for that we see the push and pull between Jude and Cardan's partnership ruling over Faerie. I really enjoyed the political climate of this installment, and the constant power dynamic being played out by Jude and Cardan as their one year and a day comes closer and closer to an end.
A sequel that leaves the reader more shocked than the first, The Wicked King is a great installment that leaves the fate of Jude and Cardan uncertain to the very end. I will definitely be continuing with the series and cannot wait to read The Queen of Nothing to see their conclusion.
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