The Wicked King (The Folk of the Air, #2) by Holly Black

Synopsis (via Goodreads): You must be strong enough to strike and strike and strike again without tiring.

The first lesson is to make yourself strong.

After the jaw-dropping revelation that Oak is the heir to Faerie, Jude must keep her younger brother safe. To do so, she 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 easy to control. 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.

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I borrowed an ARC from a friend because she's amazing. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Any quotes I use are from an unpublished copy and may not reflect the finished product.

I honestly don't know where to start with my review! There are so many things that I want to talk about, but I'm worried I'll accidentally give something away. Everyone is constantly scheming, and plotting, and planning -- it's hard to keep track! I'm amazed Jude has survived for as long as she has.

First of all, there were multiple betrayals that I never anticipated. I still cannot wrap my head around the complexities of this story! Faeries are unable to lie, so Black has to twist their words until they sound like the truth. It's really amazing. Jude can lie, but it also has its disadvantages. She's always looking over her shoulder, constantly taking risks that have dangerous consequences, and forever trying to stay one step ahead of everyone else. It's impossible for her to predict every move the Folk will make, and she can barely trust her allies. 

Seriously, this was an insanely good book! It didn't have as many physical confrontations, but that didn't keep people from waging war in their heads. Everything is a game, and everyone is looking for ways to outmaneuver their opponents. I held my breath and waited for something bad to befall Jude or Cardan, because they seem to have more enemies than anyone else. I also really wanted more romance between the two, but Black is being subtle and evasive. 

Madoc -- I can't decide if I like him or not. I believe he still has fatherly feelings regarding Jude, but he also sees her as his equal. They're on opposing sides for most of the book, and it was nice seeing them work together (briefly).

Taryn and Locke -- I'm not even going to go there. 

Balkekin -- He's still a bastard. 

Oak and Vivi -- They're two of my favorite characters! I really want them to play a larger role in the next book. Also, I like how protective Jude is of her siblings. She's a fierce friend and a formidable enemy.

There's so much going on in this series, it's hard to predict anything (believe me, I've tried). There are numerous players, and they all have different agendas. Two people might seem like friends one moment, only to betray each other with their next breath. It was insane!

The Wicked King definitely kept me on my toes, and I'm already jonesing for the next book! All of the players are in new positions, and it'll be interesting to see which of them strikes first. I know what I want to happen, but I'm going to expect the worse and hope for the best!

The Cruel Prince (The Folk of the Air, #1) by Holly Black

Narrated by Caitlin Kelly

Synopsis (via Goodreads): Of course I want to be like them. They’re beautiful as blades forged in some divine fire. They will live forever.

And Cardan is even more beautiful than the rest. I hate him more than all the others. I hate him so much that sometimes when I look at him, I can hardly breathe.

Jude was seven years old when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong there, despite her mortality. But many of the fey despise humans. Especially Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King.

To win a place at the Court, she must defy him–and face the consequences.

In doing so, she becomes embroiled in palace intrigues and deceptions, discovering her own capacity for bloodshed. But as civil war threatens to drown the Courts of Faerie in violence, Jude will need to risk her life in a dangerous alliance to save her sisters, and Faerie itself. 

“Because you’re like a story that hasn’t happened yet. Because I want to see what you will do. I want to be part of the unfolding of the tale.”

Oh, wow. The beginning of this book is brutal, and that's just the first unexpected twist to the story. I never knew what was going to happen next! Almost everything Jude decides to do is a surprise, and it wasn't often I was able to guess her next move.

I thoroughly enjoyed the story for The Cruel Prince. It's different, but in a good way. There's a love interest, but there's not. There's a good family dynamic, but there's not. Good friends? Yes and no. You never know what you're going to get from page to page, because the rules of the game are constantly changing.

It was interesting to see how two mortals would survive in Faerie (twins!), even though they were practically raised there from a young age. Humans are the equivalent of toys, and it doesn't matter who your "daddy" is. They have the same problems as other mortals, so they cannot eat faerie food, they're susceptible to compulsion, and their only advantage is that they can lie without consequence.

A little more character development and background information of the secondary characters would have been nice, but it didn't detract from the overall story.

It's so hard to review this book, because I feel like every small detail could clue you in on something big that happens, and I want you to be as surprised as I was! All I can say is: READ THIS NOW (and then we can talk about it 😉).

Unrelated: If you want to participate in the next DNF&Y, it's going to be posted on the last day of the month (February 28th). You'll be able to link up on here!