Queen of Nothing
by Holly Black
Rating: 4/5 stars
Summary (beware of spoilers to those who haven’t read it!):
He will be destruction of the crown and the ruination of the throne.
Power is much easier to acquire than it is to hold onto. Jude learned this lesson when she released her control over the wicked king, Cardan, in exchange for immeasurable power.
Now as the exiled mortal Queen of Faerie, Jude is powerless and left reeling from Cardan’s betrayal. She bides her time determined to reclaim everything he took from her. Opportunity arrives in the form of her deceptive twin sister, Taryn, whose mortal life is in peril.
Jude must risk venturing back into the treacherous Faerie Court, and confront her lingering feelings for Cardan, if she wishes to save her sister. But Elfhame is not as she left it. War is brewing. As Jude slips deep within enemy lines she becomes ensnared in the conflict’s bloody politics.
And, when a dormant yet powerful curse is unleashed, panic spreads throughout the land, forcing her to choose between her ambition and her humanity…
From the #1 New York Times bestselling author Holly Black, comes the highly anticipated and jaw-dropping finale to The Folk of the Air trilogy.
My Review:
Ahhh so very sad to see this series come to and end........ QUEQUE ENDLESS TEARS LIKE AHH I AM NOT EMOTIONALLY OK. But its fine, its fine. Will I miss my loves Cardan and Jude, oh course. Dearly. Like an outsider looking lovingly in on ones favorite quarreling lovers. But that being said I only know now to follow the works of Holly Black blindly because she is, and forever will be, a truly respected author of what one could only refer to as GENIUS.
“By you, I am forever undone.”
While this was not my favorite book in the series (I believe that goes to The Wicked King because... that is perfection wrapped up into some freshly printed pages) but that being said I truly did enjoy The Queen of Nothing.
It was very refreshing to get more of Jude in the human world vs the word of the Fae. I thought it added another layer/chapter to the story and I really quite like it. In fact the first half of the book can be summed up into about three words: PURE, GENIUS, FABULOUSNESS.
“Tell me what I must slay, what I must steal, tell me the riddle I must solve or the hag I must trick. Only tell me the way, and I will do it, no matter the danger, no matter the hardship, no matter the cost.”
The plot twists were fire, as per usual in The Cruel Prince series. I would expect nothing less. Judes life was threatened like over three times in the first half and that was like expected and normal because Holly Black over here just likes to put our babies in constant danger and fear like damn just reading this makes me wanna take a nap. Speaking of which Jude did get a little bit of blessed rest in these chapters which I was grateful for because... well deserved!
“I feel like a constellation of wounds, held together with string and stubbornness.”
Also I am creating a new paragraph here to talk about the love of my life, CARDAN. Like can this deliciously dark fae bae please never die and live eternally on in these blessed bookish pages, because I think yes. His character arc and not to mention all this softness and risk taking he does... like queue mouth drop. Omg I loved him in this. The only complaint is that I feel like I didn’t get as much Jude and Cardan dialogue... but thats because of a few plot things...I won’t go on because spoilers.
In short read this series. In super short read it. READ IT! (really its quite lovely).
The Dark Descent of Elizabeth Frankenstien
by Kiersten White
Rating: 3/5 stars
Summary:
Elizabeth Lavenza hasn't had a proper meal in weeks. Her thin arms are covered with bruises from her "caregiver," and she is on the verge of being thrown into the streets . . . until she is brought to the home of Victor Frankenstein, an unsmiling, solitary boy who has everything--except a friend.
Victor is her escape from misery. Elizabeth does everything she can to make herself indispensable--and it works. She is taken in by the Frankenstein family and rewarded with a warm bed, delicious food, and dresses of the finest silk. Soon she and Victor are inseparable.
But her new life comes at a price. As the years pass, Elizabeth's survival depends on managing Victor's dangerous temper and entertaining his every whim, no matter how depraved. Behind her blue eyes and sweet smile lies the calculating heart of a girl determined to stay alive no matter the cost . . . as the world she knows is consumed by darkness.
My Review:
This book was quite unlike anything I have ever read before. Seriously, like wildly original. Points to you Kiersten White.
I mean I must say the characters were a huge draw here. Particularly Elizabeth, I couldn’t quite ever figure her out which was cool because than it kept me guessing and plotting things out in my head and it never ended up being what I expected which becomes harder to do after ones read so much.
“Sometimes we were strangers even to ourselves.”
I also thought Victor was a bit of an evil genius slice of pie. His reliance/need for Elizabeth made for a really interesting complex relationship between the two. It totally was toeing the line between like is this a romance... or just a really toxic co dependency thing going on? Me being the villain/ dark character carnivore I am could not get enough of this dynamic.
“While I saw the destruction of the tree as nature’s beauty, Victor saw power—power to light up the night and banish darkness, power to end a centuries-old life in a single strike—that he cannot control or access. And nothing bothers Victor more than something he cannot control.”
The only thing that feel a bit short here was that the plot could get a bit dull at some points. In fact it was a little hard to feel motivated to read it at times because while it was good it just wasn’t gripping me the way I wanted it too?! While the plot significantly picked up in the end (those twists....) I still would have maybe ended it on a different note? Also I don't know if I love that this as a series? It read almost like a stand alone and I dont quite fully believe it needs a sequel? That being said I probably will pick up the sequel just to see what direction Kiersten White takes this next.
“I sought to puncture Heaven and instead discovered Hell.”
Overall was a solid read. Not one of my tops of the year but most certainly very unique and dark, and at times a tad creepy with very morally grey characters who your thinking... sociopath? while at the same time shipping them with their childhood lovers. Its all very risqué and dark and monster filled. Quite a steaming cup of tea mystery read. Despite my mixed thoughts I think you all should pick it up and give it a read!
So what are you alls thoughts? Please tell me. I am quite curious. Read any of the above? Heard about em? Lets chat it up!
-BubblyBooks
