We also see her struggle with her conflicting emotions for Cardan but she can’t help but place barriers due to her past experiences with him.Ĭardan – Cold, Aloof – I am a bit on the fence about Cardan at the moment. The aftermath of the first book does leave her questioning where her loyalties should lie and this is what makes the plot so endearing. Now that she managed to outsmart everyone with her schemes, she has to face the harsh realities of being in power but more importantly, how she can still hold onto that power. Jude Duarte – Cunning, Determined, Power Hungry – In the first book, we seen Jude struggle with her status in the faerie world and she wants nothing more to move up the ladder.

I also expected this sequel to be a long read but I was surprised to find out it was only 336 pages so I ended up flying through it! They are not entirely black/ white or good/bad but I think that is what makes them fascinating to read about. In fact, it actually did the opposite! The characters were always a strong point to these novels since they are very different from any other book series I have read. With the second book, Holly Black expanded on the world but it was not too much that it become confusing. While I will say it was not as addicting as the first book, it still kept me intrigued with it’s mystery, character schemes and motives. Talk about major politics! When most sequels fall into the “second book syndrome,” I felt that Wicked King was a great follow up to the series. 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. But he does everything in his power to humiliate and undermine her even as his fascination with her remains undiminished. Navigating the constantly shifting political alliances of Faerie would be difficult enough if Cardan were easy to control. To do so, she has bound the wicked king, Cardan, to her, and made herself the power behind the throne.

The first lesson is to make yourself strong.Īfter the jaw-dropping revelation that Oak is the heir to Faerie, Jude must keep her younger brother safe. You must be strong enough to strike and strike and strike again without tiring. Published January 8th 2019 by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

The wicked king plot