January 10, 2019 – Raya's Reads

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.

review Yay! A sequel that I love even more than its predecessor!

The start was a little slow for my taste. But what kept me going was the anticipation of nothing good. The stakes are higher than ever before! Jude is between a rock and a hard place here. I wouldn’t fancy myself in her shoes. Still, some of her decisions continued to annoy and frustrate me to no end.

My favorite characters were Cardan and Madoc. I actually felt for Cardan more than any other characters during most of the book. It also helped that we get more insight into his upbringing. What wouldn’t I do to get inside his head! Another character whose head I would love to get inside is Madoc. His ambition for power and affection for Jude are so conflicting and complexly entwined that makes me eager to see what’s in store for him!

Jude’s relationship with both Madoc and Cardan are what I enjoyed the most. Madoc and Jude keep betraying each other and yet it’s obvious that the so-called father and daughter both have a soft spot for each other. I know we’ll see more of their relationship in the next book and I can’t wait for it. On the other hand, I have no idea where we are headed with Cardan and Jude. The tension between them was on point! The power play and trust issues, the self-contradictory feelings, the mutual betrayals – it’s definitely not a healthy relationship, but it’s certainly the most irresistible part of the series for me!

The reversals in this book were just so good! They kept me hooked till the end. I admit that the title of the third book kinda gave away one twist for me but my expectations were thwarted even with that! The characterization, the conflicts, the twists are all spot on! Now I’m left with bitter feelings toward Holly Black for making me wait two years for the next!