The Wicked King- Holly Black

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One might believe that after a book like The Cruel Prince that precedes The Wicked King, Holly Black may only be able to do so much in order to continue the plot. However, she manages to leave you baffled along with an exhilarating experience plagued with moments of double-crossing and the evil bargains of the Fae. 
After nearly five months of overthrowing the tyrannical rule of Balekin, the elder sibling of Cardan, Jude Duarte finds herself in a new position of power which comes with numerous benefits coupled with an unmooring sense of danger. As she walks on eggshells in order to keep the Faerie Kingdom running, she realizes it is rather much more difficult and burdensome to hold onto power as compared to obtaining it in the first place. Plotting and scheming her way through the newly established High Court of the Wicked King, it seems rather impossible to feel a moment of rest as Jude must control and navigate through the constant riddlesome alliances of the Fae who despise her for being human. To add to her troubles, the Queen of the Undersea is actively trying to break the alliance between the land and the sea and threatens to shed blood if her expectations and conditions are not met. Jude's evil Faerie father and twin add to the ripples of tension in Jude's life which is further complicated due to her feelings for Cardan. 
Black creates a world of mistrust and scheming that adds an element of cynicism to the perspective of the reader and leaves them constantly worrying and jumping to their own conclusions as to who might be the snake in the grass. While Black manages to weave a world of characters deeply entrenched in the politics of the Fae, there lacks a certain depth and character growth in the novel which could have added to and nourished the fantastical world being portrayed. A huge delight to read especially after its predecessor, Holly adds a terrifying amount of tension which comes with unexpected twists and betrayals that makes it absolutely difficult to put the book down. 

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