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The Wicked King
368 pages
A razor-sharp dance of power, betrayal, and intoxicating tension in a world where every smile hides a poisoned blade.
What it feels like
Reading this book feels like walking a tightrope over a pit of vipers while wearing a crown of thorns. It is a masterclass in sustained, agonizing tension, blending cutthroat political maneuvering with a romance so sharp it draws blood. The atmosphere is intoxicatingly treacherous, steeped in the dark glamour of a fairy court where beauty and cruelty are indistinguishable. The prose is sensory and ruthless, perfectly mirroring a protagonist who must harden her heart to survive. It moves at a propulsive, breathless pace, dragging the reader through shifting allegiances and whispered threats toward a jaw-dropping emotional crescendo. This is a story for anyone who loves morally gray ambition, enemies who cannot stay away from each other, and the sheer thrill of a perfectly executed betrayal.
- Mood
- treacherous
- intoxicating
- tense
- shadowy
- Tone
- ruthless
- cynical
- sharp
- darkly romantic
- Pace
- propulsive
- Themes
- the corrupting nature of power · toxic ambition · vulnerability versus strength · the cost of survival · enemies-to-lovers tension
- The writing
- Sharp, sensory, and darkly lush, balancing fairy-tale decadence with brutal pragmatism.
- The arc
- Begins with a desperate, white-knuckled grip on power and spirals into a devastating, world-tilting betrayal.
- Who it's for
- Readers who crave morally gray heroines, high-stakes political scheming, and knife-edge romantic tension.
Content notes
- violence
- blood
- emotional manipulation
- toxic relationships
About the book
YOU MUST BE STRONG ENOUGH TO STRIKE AND STRIKE AND STRIKE AGAIN WITHOUT TIRING.
THE FIRST LESSON IS TO MAKE YOURSELF THAT STRONG.
JUDE HAS BOUND THE WICKED KING, Cardan, to her, and made herself the power behind the throne. Navigating the constantly shifting political alliances of Faerie would be difficult enough if Cardan were biddable. But he does everything in his power to humiliate and undermine her, even as his fascination with her remains undiminished.
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.
From author Holly Black comes an enchanting and bloodthirsty sequel to the novel The Cruel Prince.
This description comes from the publisher. The Wicked King is the second book in the Folk of the Air series, the first of which is The Cruel Prince.
Description from Open Library.
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