The Wicked King
by Holly Black
★ Top 10 book of 2019 · #6 on Best Books of 2019
Jude has bound the wicked king Cardan to her and rules from behind the throne, but he keeps trying to humiliate her. When a betrayal from someone close threatens her life, she must find the traitor while wrestling with her feelings.
Best for: Fans of dark faerie politics who have already read The Cruel Prince
The Wicked King is #6 on BookWard's Best Books of 2019, out of 84 2019 books that cleared our data bar.
What The Wicked King is about
Jude has done something bold: she has bound Cardan, the Wicked King, to her, and now she rules from behind his throne. This is the second book in Holly Black's Folk of the Air series, following The Cruel Prince. Power is not the same as safety, though. Cardan uses every chance to humiliate and undercut her, even as his fascination with her refuses to fade.
Worse, someone close to Jude intends to betray her, putting her life and the lives of everyone she loves at risk. As a mortal in a Faerie world, she has to find the traitor while holding on to her control, and while wrestling with her own tangled feelings for Cardan. It is a lush, bloodthirsty tale of court intrigue for readers who like rivals whose loyalties are never simple.
The Wicked King on the Best Books of 2019
The Wicked King came out in 2019. Of the 84 books first published in 2019 that met BookWard's data bar, it ranks #6 on our Best Books of 2019 list.
Why it made the list: 961 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.2 out of 5 (23 ratings); 54 are reading it right now. The list ranks each year’s books on how many readers have picked them up, how highly readers rate them, and how many are reading them right now.
It earns Being read right now.
Nearby on the 2019 list
- Guts Raina Telgemeier, #4
- The Silent Patient Alex Michaelides, #5
- Into the Pit (Five Nights at Freddy’s Scott Cawthon, #7
- Wrecking Ball Jeff Kinney, #8
See all Best Books of 2019 Best books by year
More years: Best Books of 2018 Best Books of 2020.
The numbers behind it
- Readers: 837 want to read it, 54 are reading it now and 70 have read it, according to Open Library.
- Ratings: 4.2 out of 5 from 23 Open Library ratings.
| Signal | This book (0 to 100) | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Reach | 94 | 55% |
| Reader love | 75 | 25% |
| Being read right now | 95 | 20% |
Questions about The Wicked King
When was The Wicked King published?
The Wicked King by Holly Black was first published in 2019.
Was The Wicked King one of the best books of 2019?
The Wicked King is #6 on BookWard's Best Books of 2019, out of 84 2019 books that cleared our data bar. 961 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.2 out of 5 (23 ratings); 54 are reading it right now.
Why is The Wicked King on the Best Books of 2019 list?
961 readers have shelved it on Open Library; readers rate it 4.2 out of 5 (23 ratings); 54 are reading it right now.
More of the best books of 2019
- Red, White & Royal Blue Casey McQuiston, #1
- A Good Girl's Guide to Murder Holly Jackson, #2
- Heartstopper, Volume 2 Alice Oseman, #3
- Guts Raina Telgemeier, #4
- The Silent Patient Alex Michaelides, #5
- Into the Pit (Five Nights at Freddy’s Scott Cawthon, #7
See the full Best Books of 2019, the Top 100, or new books on Rising.
How we know
This page uses public data: Open Library reader counts and ratings, and Wikipedia page views for recent years. The description is paraphrased from real source text. Rankings reflect reading interest, not quality or sales, and can be affected by data gaps. Lists update monthly.
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