Saturday, January 21, 2023

The Wicked King by Holly Black - ESSENTIAL

The Wicked King (Folk of Air #2) by Holly Black
, 322 pages. Little Brown, 2019. $13 

Language: PG (3 swears,0 ‘f’); Mature Content: PG-13 (nongraphic make out, unsexual nudity and partial sexual nudity); Violence: PG-13 (infrequent, vague murders) 

BUYING ADVISORY: HS - ESSENTIAL 

AUDIENCE APPEAL: HIGH

Jude has made progress. . She has established her place in court. She has made sure Oak is safe in the human world with Vivi and Vivi's new girlfriend, Heather. And she has power over her own puppet High King, the former cruel prince. However, as Jude learns that someone close to her has betrayed her, she will not only fight for her honor, but for this wicked world that has become her home, a task that becomes increasingly difficult as she also battles her growing feelings for Cardan.

Black writes a book full of political scheming, clever plots, and intelligent characters. One of my favorite things about this trilogy is the way the Black has managed to not only create an inhuman race, but develop and portray them as believable and brilliant people. This is not a light-hearted book about fairies and romance, but rather a political exploration of playing one's cards, of bargaining, and of trust.

Sierra Finlinson 

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