The Wicked King by Holly Black
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Well, it took me a while to recover from this one.
I’m still speechless. What can I say about this story without giving anything away or unintentionally preparing the reader for any of the twists that will await them?
I like Jude. She isn’t perfect, but I appreciate her attempts at sorting out the epic mess she finds herself in. Although, I’m not sure she knows exactly how serious her troubles really are.
The King of Elfham is certainly something else. As cruel and rude as he behaves most of the time, he provides an interesting contrast to Jude and everything she is trying to stand for and do.
This story was so full of countless twists and turns, surprises and failed plans that it made my head spin, in a good way.
It was an entertaining and spellbinding read that distracted me from my regular scheduled life and provided me with a well needed break.
Writing a review on a second installment of a trilogy is, I find, always the most complicated, since it continues from the first book and one does not want to spoil anything by accident. One is also not able to give a definitive opinion of the story as a whole, because at the end of book two everything is suspended in mid air as the reader awaits (im)patiently the publication of the conclusion.
As the second book in a trilogy, or as I like to call it the “bridge book” between books one and three, it holds up amazingly well. Many a trilogies have succumbed to the sequel curse, being full of fluff and unnecessary detail, but The Wicked King builds on the intrigue, strategy, internal and external conflict, and fabulous imagination.
Overall, I got a copy of The Wicked King from my local library back in January when it first came out, but because of my very stupid and very demanding course I had no time to read it until very recently.
This may have been of my advantage, since the conclusion is supposed to be released in November. So, my patience won’t be tried too much, thankfully.
Obviously, having said all that, The Wicked King is a wonderful treat for all who enjoy young adult fiction and fantasy. I would highly recommend it.
