The Wicked King by Holly Black

Shruthi | Holmdel High School, Grade 11

Rating: *****

The Wicked King by Holly Black is a spellbinding and thrilling sequel to The Cruel Prince for readers thirsty for more royalty, magic, and strategy. Jude Duarte, a human in a fairy realm, has made her way close to the throne by becoming the Grand King’s seneschal after she tricks him into binding himself to her through magic and gives him the crown. In this way, the king becomes her puppet, and she is the unannounced monarch of all of Elfhame. But the king never planned to rule nor is fit to and is ruthlessly wicked, and those who surround him are far wickeder. Jude must find a way to keep her spot and Cardan’s when kingdoms that were once their allies now refuse to bow down to the new King.

Holly Black, another favorite author of mine, draws upon the concept of faeries, creatures who are as beautiful and terrible as serpents. This book is a suitable read for even those who don’t have a taste for fantasy; anyone interested in stories of royalty, deception, and strategy will be an instant fan. I personally loved the story because of how clever the main character was and the amount of plot twists there were. Holly Black fishes out surprises out of nowhere, and it’s really entertaining. Read The Wicked King to see how a human rules a faerie kingdom.