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This is the second book in the Folk of Air series by Holly Black, and it focuses on Jude, but more on what she’ll do now that she has Cardan under her command as King.

        This storyline brings in other characters, too. For example, Cardan’s mom. It also gives a bigger part to Nicasia, and the people of the undersea. It shows their motives, past deals made, and where everyone really stands in this kingdom of fae. Cardan is just as lovable as he was in the first book, and Jude is just as badass. However, Taryn will definitely start to get on your nerves, even more now.

        This book did a good job at showing that despite all her impressive feats, Jude is not invincible. She’s vulnerable to certain things, and to certain people, as well. This brings me to the romance aspect of this book. If there’s one thing that I would choose to keep above all else if this book were to ever be adapted into a movie or a TV show, it has to be the romance. The little quotes that Cardan says to her, all the little actions, and, of course, the fact that even though they were practically made to despise each other, they just can’t. Oh, and the absolute longing they have for each other throughout it.

        However, the ending pretty much broke my heart, and I’m really really hoping it gets fixed in the next book because I wouldn’t be able to live if it stayed like this until the end (though I’m pretty sure it won’t…hopefully.) 

        The plot of this one was just as good as the first, but definitely focused on a different aspect of the lands, which I actually enjoyed a lot. I think it did a really good job on opening up more about other characters and their values and motives, which can sometimes be hard when it’s written in first person, but everything intertwined perfectly in this novel.

        It definitely deserved the surge of fame it got on social media (which is what made me want to read it) and I would definitely recommend this, especially if you’re a fantasy lover. I absolutely adore the world this is set in, and I’ll definitely be reading the third book, as well as buying all of the follow ups. This has been one of my favorite series so far, and I really really hope my expectations are held up with the last book in the trilogy. Between the characters and the plot and the fantasy aspect of this book that just takes you to a different place, it’s hard not to love it.

        Just as good as the last one in my opinion, which is always something I love to see. I feel like sometimes authors lose their touch with the second book, but that was definitely not the case here. The entire book seemed well thought out, and my affection for the characters definitely grew during reading. I think this was an amazing sequel to the first book! I'd give it a 9.5/10.

Check out the Wicked King from NBPL.