About The Wicked King by Holly Black (The Folk of the Air Series, Book 2 of 3.5) – Dark Faerie Politics, Betrayal and Dangerous Power
The Wicked King by Holly Black takes Jude Duarte deeper into Faerie, where power is never safe and trust can disappear in a moment. After the ending of The Cruel Prince, Jude knows that Oak is the true heir. To protect him, she has placed Cardan on the throne and bound him to obey her for a limited time. Jude is now the hidden power behind the king, but ruling from the shadows is harder than she expected.
Cardan constantly tries to embarrass, provoke, and weaken her control. At the same time, Jude cannot ignore the pull between them. Their anger, attraction, and need to outsmart each other make every meeting dangerous. Holly Black’s official description presents the book as a story of shifting political alliances, betrayal, and Jude’s struggle to keep control while remaining mortal in Faerie.
Power Is Harder to Keep Than to Win
In the first book, Jude fought to gain power. In The Wicked King, she learns that keeping power can be even harder.
She has influence over Cardan, but that control has limits. The Court is full of nobles, enemies, spies, and people with their own plans. A single mistake could expose Jude’s secret position or place Oak in danger. Every choice has a cost.
Readers get secret plans, hidden motives, changing alliances, and court games where words can be as dangerous as weapons.
Jude is also fragile because she is human. She has no natural faerie magic to protect her. She survives through intelligence, courage, planning, and a willingness to take risks.
Jude and Cardan Become Even More Complicated
Readers who enjoyed the tension between Jude and Cardan in The Cruel Prince get more of it here.
Cardan is now king, but Jude secretly controls many of his actions. That creates a strange balance. Jude has power over him, yet Cardan still knows how to unsettle her. He can be cruel, clever, proud, and unpredictable.
Their relationship is not soft or simple. Their attraction grows inside a fight for control. They argue, test limits, hide feelings, and try to understand what the other person truly wants.
If you like enemies-to-lovers stories where trust takes time, this book gives that dynamic much more room to grow. Holly Black’s official page describes Cardan as trying to undermine Jude even while his fascination with her continues.
A Betrayal Could Destroy Everything
Jude already knows that Faerie is full of lies, but in The Wicked King the danger comes even closer.
Someone near her may be planning to betray her. That threat could harm Jude, the people she loves, and the plan she built to protect Oak.
Now Jude must find the traitor before the traitor acts.
She cannot fully trust the people around her, and she cannot easily step away from the throne. Every conversation can hide another purpose. Holly Black’s official page describes Jude as needing to uncover the traitor while also dealing with her complicated feelings for Cardan.
Why This Book Feels Bigger Than The Cruel Prince
The Cruel Prince builds the world and shows Jude fighting for a place inside it. The Wicked King expands the consequences.
Jude is no longer only trying to prove that a human can survive in Faerie. Now she is helping decide what happens to the kingdom itself.
The stakes are higher because her choices affect Cardan, Oak, her family, the Court, and the future of Faerie. This makes Book 2 especially satisfying for readers who liked the political side of the first novel.
The story spends more time on royal power, alliances, control, loyalty, and betrayal. Jude wanted power, and now she must live with what power demands.
Why Readers Keep Turning the Pages
The book combines political, personal, and emotional tension. Jude may lose control of the throne, someone close may betray her, and she still cannot easily understand what Cardan truly feels.
Romance, family, and politics keep affecting one another, so every choice can create a new problem.
Who Will Enjoy The Wicked King?
This book is best for readers who have already finished The Cruel Prince. It continues directly from Book 1, so starting here would remove much of the meaning behind Jude’s plans, Cardan’s position, and Oak’s importance. Holly Black identifies The Wicked King as the sequel to The Cruel Prince.
You may enjoy The Wicked King if you like:
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Young adult fantasy
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Dark faerie worlds
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Court politics and royal power
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Enemies-to-lovers tension
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Slow-burn romance
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Strong female protagonists
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Morally grey characters
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Betrayal and hidden motives
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Family loyalty
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Dangerous alliances
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Clever power games
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Fantasy stories with major twists
It is a good match for readers who want romance to support a larger fantasy plot instead of taking over the whole story.
A Premium Printed Copy for Your Fantasy Shelf
Bookish Wonderland offers The Wicked King in a reader-friendly printed format for people who care about physical quality as well as story.
The book uses premium eye-soothing cream paper for a softer reading surface. Crystal-clear printing keeps the text sharp and easy to follow. High-quality stitched and glue binding adds strength so the pages stay secure through regular reading and shelf storage.
The Wicked King by Holly Black Book Price in Bangladesh
Readers searching for The Wicked King by Holly Black book price in Bangladesh often want a copy that balances price, print quality, and reliable delivery.
Bookish Wonderland makes it easy to order from home. Cash on Delivery is available across Bangladesh, with delivery inside and outside Dhaka. Customers in Dhaka can also request fast or urgent delivery when available.
This is useful if you have just finished The Cruel Prince and want to continue Jude and Cardan’s story without a long break. You can also collect the books in sequence so the political twists and relationships make sense.
What books are in the The Folk of the Air series by Holly Black?:
There are 3.5 books in this series. They are:
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The Cruel Prince by Holly Black (The Folk of the Air Series, Book 1 of 3.5)
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The Lost Sisters by Holly Black (The Folk of the Air Series, Book 1.5 of 3.5)
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The Wicked King by Holly Black (The Folk of the Air Series, Book 2 of 3.5 )
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The Queen of Nothing by Holly Black (The Folk of the Air Series, Book 3 of 3.5)
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How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories by Holly Black (The Folk of the Air Series, Book 3.5 of 3.5)
Best Sellers Rank of This Book
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#3,209 in Books
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#2 in Teen & Young Adult Fiction on Bullying (Books)
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#8 in Teen & Young Adult Sword & Sorcery Fantasy
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#13 in Teen & Young Adult Fantasy Action & Adventure
A Strong Choice for Readers Who Want More Than Romance
The Wicked King does not depend on romance alone. Its strength comes from the way love, fear, loyalty, ambition, and power keep colliding.
Jude may control Cardan in one moment and lose ground in the next. Cardan may seem careless, but he is never simple. Friends can become threats. Enemies can become useful. Even a victory can create a new problem.
If The Cruel Prince made you curious about how far Jude would go to gain power, The Wicked King asks a harder question: what will she sacrifice to keep it?
The answer comes through dangerous choices, political pressure, betrayal, and an ending that pushes the story toward The Queen of Nothing.
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| Primary Specification | |
| Series Name | The Folk of the Air Series |
| Author | Holly Black |
| Narrator | Caitlin Kelly |
| Genre | Young Adult Fantasy, Dark Fantasy, Faerie Fantasy, Political Fantasy, Romantic Fantasy, Enemies-to-Lovers |
| ISBN-13/ISSN | 0316310328 |
| ISBN-10 | 978-0316310321 |
| Publisher | Little, Brown Books for Young Readers |
| Publishing Date | January 8, 2019 |
| Language | English |
| Reading Age | 15+ years |
| Format | Printed book |
| Physical Specification & Quality | |
| Paper Quality | Premium eye-soothing cream paper |
| Binding Quality | High quality stitched and glue binding (for longevity) |
| Print Quality | Crystal-clear print |
| Pages | 368 pages |
| Country | USA |
| Logistics Information | |
| Weight | 373g |
| Length | 8.5 inch |
| Width | 5.6 inch |
| Height | 1.35 inch |