#I want Jude and Cardan to kiss and commit political assassinations together

[booreadsbooks]

The Wicked King (The Folk of the Air #2); Holly Black, Review

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (one more than last time oooo)

"There is only now. There is only tomorrow and tonight and now and soon and never."

Thank you to my friend who convinced me to keep reading the series, and lent me the book so that I actually did. A slay for real.

The shortest possible review I could say is this: The Wicked King had a lot more of the things I liked from the first book (excellent world building, tense political intrigue and scheming spy antics, some pretty good humor) and a lot less of the things I didn't like (Taryn, general high-school bullying antics). Overall the stakes felt a lot higher, and I really loved the constant push-and-pull power struggles that Jude was facing on every side. Some of the characters I still hate (and what are you gonna do, they're teens) but I'm glad I got to see more of the spies. Cardan, shockingly, got to be much more tolerable in this book (and he was the source of a lot of the humor).

4 stars and not 5 cos... IDK. This needed something to push it to 5. Don't ask me what though, I don't know. Maybe a Taryn death.

Go below the cut for specific thoughts, as always:

There are spoilers here, by the way, massive ones so... you've been warned.

Jude corruption arc continues with this absolute banger of a scene: Taryn, the annoying sister who won't go away (she haunts me every moment) brings Jude her stuffed animals from home, and this happens:

"Once she's gone, I take my stuffed animals and seat them next to me on the rug. Once, they were a reminder that there was a time before Faerieland, when things were normal. Once, they were a comfort to me. I take a long last look, and then, one by one, I feed them to the fire. I'm no longer a child, and I don't need comfort."

God she's so young. I just love that this whole scene illustrates exactly how young she is. Like, she's playing big scary adult, she feels like she is but... a scary adult would not feel the need to "prove" her maturity like that. The Wicked King is basically Jude constantly trying to prove that she's as tough as everyone around her, falling apart, and not actually recovering and resting until she's absolutely forced to do so. And I love that arc for her, and can't wait to see her do more murder once she realizes the MASSIVE HINT in Cardan's banishment (until the crown allows you to return... girl. Be so fucking for real. You literally called yourself the queen... I was so mad like how can she be so smart and so stupid at the same time).

As for Cardan, I'll be honest, taking a break between book 1 and 2 was probably for the best, because it made Cardan much more likeable when I could only distantly remember how evil he is. He's still dumb, and a cruel prince king, but he's also much funnier when I'm not thinking about high school bullies. Favorite Cardan moment:

"So what?" I ask. "Our choice is to endure her games, no matter how deadly, or engage in a war we cannot win?" "Cardan shakes his head and drinks another cup of tea. "We show her that I am no feckless High King." "And how do we do that?" I ask. "With great difficulty," he says, "Since I fear she is right."

Also, Cardan has a hate/murder kink. Not copying down all the reasons I know, this, but if you read the book it is very obvious.

Anyway, one other thing I wanted to mention was that I really enjoyed the part where Jude was captured by the undersea. Not that I liked to see her suffer like that, but also kinda... I did. BECAUSE it was cool to go back to her roots as "spy" Jude, instead of Seneschel Jude. And her tricking them and being sneaky was fun. Also, because I feel that we were always going to lead to a weakened state Jude, she was burning herself out way too fast. This was the opportunity we needed to actually achieve Recovery Jude!! Who will come back to Fairieland as soon as she stops being dense better and more badass than ever.

And Madoc... Madoc when I catch you! When I catch you Madoc...

EDIT: “Kiss and Tell” by I Don’t Know How But They Found Me is unapologetically Jude and Cardan coded, sorry I don’t make the rules

[itsgalaxy29]

The Wicked King Review

This book was absolutely fanomable. It exceeded my expectations and desires completely. In my opinion, the book had excellent pacing; there was never a dull moment, like some might feel there was in The Cruel Prince. The plot was intriguing, especially the political aspect. It really captured what it is like to have to adapt to a shift in power as well as alliances. Jude’s character is one of the strongest YA protagonists I’ve read in a long time. Her movitavions are completely her, as well as her many flaws. The development of all the characters and relationships was also done very well to a point I could see the dynamics change when usually I don’t notice anything at all. This was a 5/5 star read, and even though it’s only the beginning of 2019, I can tell this is going to be one of my absolute favorites of the year.

Spoilers Below

Political aspect

In the beginning of the novel, Jude is running Elfhame by herself, with no help from Cardan or the council. And Jude is perfect for that role. She is ambition and at a huge disadvantage being human. But she is power hungry to a fault. And fights every second for that power, no matter the cost.

“I am playing the High King in her little pageant” page 32.

It was so interesting to watch Jude plan and be a true ruler from the background. She negotiated, tricked, deceived. So much so that Cardan never truly believed he was king. Jude was the Queen of Elfhame all along. She truly learned that “power is much easier to acquire than it is to hold on to” (6).

But to see her be a true match for Madoc once again was so satisfying. Jude is constantly underestimated, and while that might play to her advantage, it was super frustrating to watch. When Macod found out she had been commanding Cardan all along? Perfection. He won’t underestimate her again, that’s for sure.

Plus the fact that he is now not sworn to any court scares me. He could attack at any turn.

Now the undersea is a whole different story. They are the constant threat in this book that Jude is rightly obsessing over. The entire time, Jude tries to outmaneuver and protect the throne. Is Balekin involved? How can I manipulate that connection? What do I have to do to protect Oak? “Someone you trust has already betrayed you”. The threat of the undersea is there, and will still be there in the Queen of Nothing. I look forward to seeing how it all plays out in the end.

Jude

I love Jude so much. She is one of my favorite characters because of how real she is. Yes she’s clever and ambitious and sometimes even cruel, but we see her weaknesses clearly. She is human in a faerie realm. She has a hunger for power. She is alone. She is vulnerable. It’s not like she’s unstoppable. We know her to be self-conscious in Queen of Mirth and afraid in the Undersea. For once, a character is portrayed like an actual person.

When she is in the undersea Jude knows she is “almost broken” (241). There is no one for her to talk to and she is truly isolated from everyone she knows. Despite this, she is resilient. She

Survives the undersea, and recovers. She kills Balekin, a prince of fairie, because she outwits him.

So “let’s assume [she] know[s] everything… Everything. Always” (53).

Cardan

In this book, we get to know Cardan a little bit more. Why he is so cruel and what he is truly capable of. I really appreciated seeing this other aspect to his character, as it makes him more complex than before. Throughout the whole book we are told Cardan is actually really clever, which I knew to some extent, but the ending really showed me how clever he really is. Cardan got everything he wanted by actually wanting it in the first place; by having actual desires. This is a huge development from the first book, when he had no motivation to do anything productive; only committed cruelties. But now as the High King he puts his mind to work. He gets himself unbound from Jude, accesses to all the powers of Elfhame, and manipulatives everyone in the process, something we haven’t seen him do before without violence.

I also think this book further establishes Cardan’s beliefs and own morals. He will not be a murderer. No matter what. He sees this as his one virtue, so when this virtue is inherently broken by Jude when she murdered Balekin after him specifically telling her not to not only breaks him, but turns him furious.

Jurdan

Do I even have to say anything? Everything was perfection. Everything. The Wicked King starts off with them completely at odds with each other. They both hate each other. Cardan for the betrayal of the Cruel Prince and Jude because of her feelings and also how difficult he makes it to be the crown she is saving for her brother. But as the novel progresses, their relationship develops into mutual compliance and even care. “I am shaking, I realize. The aftereffects of believing someone tried to assassinate Cardan, of realizing he could have died” (52).

He gets under her skin in ways no one else can. They match, in a twisted way. Both are extremely clever and vicious, but neither trusts easy. That’s why it’s so significant when they start to trust one another, when Cardan put Jude before his people, Cardan especially; “I trust you. I trusted you” (300).

Of course the sexual tension is off the charts. And of course it starts at the very beginning of the book with this beauty: “Kiss me again… Kiss me until I am sick of it” (57). And pages 143-146. I don’t even know what to say. It was written beautifully and encapsulated the atmosphere perfectly.

“I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you so much that sometimes I can’t think of anything else.” Remind you of anything? Jude Jude Jude Jude Jude…

And this line:  “of all the things he’s ever done to me, making me like him so much is by far the worst.” This line is their relationship in 20 words. They obviously deeply care for each other, but they both hate these feelings with such intensity that it isolates them from each other.

Totally off topic, but when Jude goes to the castle for the first time after getting back from the undersea and Cardan thinks someone is trying to kill him, but immediately relaxes when he realizes it’s Jude and then pull her onto the bed on top of him?? Amazing. (264)

Taryn and Locke

Now, I hate Locke as much as anyone else does, but I also find his character so fascinating. He creates stories for his own amusement and always figures out how to make it more interesting. He is cunning and unrelenting. He has a way to make people want to be around him and do what he pleases. That’s why Jude like him and why Taryn married him. Designing the entirely of the Queen of Mirth was for his own pleasure. He wanted to see Cardan’s and Jude’s reaction because he was curious.

And for the first time in this book, we see Locke’s weaknesses. He needs to be in control of the story and he can get jealous very easily. He attacks Jude for this reason. He needs to win the control back from Jude afraid she terrified him.

Taryn on the other hand I don’t find compelling in the slightest bit. I understand her motives; Why she married locke. Why she distances herself from Jude in the Cruel Prince. Why she so desperately needs to fit in. But in spite of all this, I’m still so angry with her. She already betrayed Jude once, and then she does it again? In favor of the man who killed her mother and father and going against her twin sister. I get that she needs to adapt and fit into fairie, but if she so easily betrayed the person who she loves the most who’s to say she’s capable of loyalty at all?

The Twists/ Queen of Nothing Predictions

The ghost’s betrayal really threw me off. I loved him and I was shocked and hurt by his commitment to a dead Prince. It caused Jude suffering a month’s torment in the undersea and in the end made everything fall to pieces (at least for Jude).

The marriage. Oh my god. That came out of nowhere but I was so happy when it happened. Jude is technically the official Queen of Elfhame now. And Jurdan is married! Married!

Now the exile to the mortal realm crushed my soul. Cardan planned it out really well, I’ll give him that. He used Jude’s own ring, got himself out of the contract, and tricked Jude all in one. I’ve seen a lot of people saying that Cardan did this to protect Jude, but I don’t think that’s the case. I think he found out about Jude murdering Balekin and decided after that. The idea might have been in his head for a while; in fact we know it was because he states he needs to make his own decisions and be the actual King of faerie. But I think he decided to what extend to really do that moments before doing so.

As for how Jude will get back, I think she will use the crown Grimsen had built and find a loophole in the exile. I’m really hoping it doesn’t take her that long to do so though. I need Jude to get back to faerie and be back in her element as soon as possible. Queen of Nothing is the last book and there’s so much that needs to be told. Jude and Cardan have to development their relationship again. They have to figure out the ruling situation. They have to deal with the Undersea. So many things to do in so little time!

Overall, I loved this book so much. I cannot wait for the final installment to see how it ends.

Sidenote: Vivi needs to get her shit together. Telling Heather about faerie literally seconds before going there was not the right move. But I’m rooting for them.