Where does one even start with The Wicked King?

Once upon a time there was a human called Jude Duarte who was raised in the land of the fae. Bullied, attacked and vilified, she was made to feel less than until she took matters into her own hands and became a king-maker, puppeteer. Now she wonders if the strings she's cast out are still under her control, and if they're not, she may be in big trouble.

I honestly wasn't sure what to expect from the Wicked King after the absolute rollercoaster that was The Cruel Prince but I loved this. I really loved seeing Jude really grown into her role as 'advisor' to Cardan, and I also appreciated seeing how insecure she still was - both in her role within the fairy world, and with her feelings for Cardan.

I don't think the relationship between Jude and Cardan is ever portrayed as particularly healthy, and I know people have issues with it but I love how jagged and dangerous it is. Their interactions always leave me on the edge of my seat - I never know if they're going to rip each other's clothes off or stab each other with swords.

Jude's time as prisoner in the Undersea left me shook, honestly. I was so scared for her, and I feel like it's truly the first time that we as readers have seen Jude in a real life and death situation where she had no Madoc, no Cardan, no Court of Shadows to back her up. She was completely out of her comfort zone, and it was truly hard to read. I actually would have loved to have spent more time in this particular part of the fae world though, and would love a novella or even a novel about Nicasia or someone from this court.

I loved the ending - I felt so happy for a moment before it all blew into smithereens. I honestly can't wait to see what happens next (though I know for a fact that a funeral is coming!)

I wish this book was longer, it would be my only gripe - I feel like we only got a handful of what was potentially out there, and I think that this world is so dense and amazing I always just expect really big books because my mind has expanded the world so much for me. I could read books set in this world forever, honestly.