Just in case anyone else was wondering, the documents mentioned in the end of this video are only in the BN editions!

Fun fact: ~Cardan isn't "The Cruel Prince"; (i forgot which one) but either Balekin is for the way he's been treating Cardan or Daine is for the way he turned out to be towards Jude ~Cardan isn't "The Wicked King"; his father is for the way he neglected Cardan for so long ~Jude isn't the "Queen of Nothing"; Cardan's mother is because she spent all those years neglecting him and being cruel just to have power, but she never got it and now Jude took control of the castle when she became queen

Spoiler: The whole Locke-Jude-Taryn thing just pissed me off. I wish that Jude could have killed him and I feel like she was hella too forgiving with Taryn for no reason. Taryn betrayed her twice and she didn’t really need anything to gain that trust back. It just makes no sense. Also, Taryn found out that Locke almost killed Jude and her reaction was like “Oh ok, nice.” But what I’m even more confused about is how Jude didn’t feel any sort of resentment towards Locke and Taryn. Taryn was her twin sister and she let Locke play with Jude’s feelings and thought that it was okay and even had the audacity of being mad at Jude.

Totally agree with everything you had to say about the ending! Spoilers I definitely liked this series for the characters, because the plot of QoN felt kind of predictable with the prophecy about Cardan being super literal. The stakes definitely didn't feel as high somehow? Or maybe that was just me lol. But does anyone else low-key want a short story about Madoc living with Vivi in the mortal world? I kept imagining him in dad shorts struggling to figure out technology and I love it.

I just finished the trilogy! Definitely agree that the second book is my favorite of the three, and agree that the third one felt a little too “all tied up with a bow on it” but at the same time I was satisfied with the ending and I like how it ended so I’m not too mad about it. I was surprised at how much I ended up liking Cardan for some reason, and I really liked Madoc for the character he was.

The wicked king is my favorite always

I prefer spoiler chats. I understand making some of the review spoiler free but I want a real discussion with spoilers for at least some of the video which is why I like your reviews! 90% of all book reviews on KZfaq are totally spoiler free so there are so many spoiler free reviews for people who don't want spoilers but almost no spoiler book reviews and chats for us people who don't care about spoilers.

I felt very similarly to you about book 3. I enjoyed it but it wasn't what I was expecting. Also, the black editions are so pretty! SPOILERS The tone was way happier than I was expecting. And I don't like that they never addressed that he's Fae and she's a mortal and going to get old and die. Yeah, she has access to earth magic now but that wasn't really explained well so I have no idea what that entails. There seems to be no mechanism in this world for humans to gain immortality. I also wish more people had stayed cruel/scheming. I did not need Jude to make up with her twin. I did not need the Fae to accept her. I would have loved to see scheming rulers of the Fae against their crafty court. I think Cardan's change in feelings toward Jude would have been more believable if we had gotten some of his perspective in book 2. I'd love a short story set in book 2 from his perspective to see how he went from playing life threatening pranks to I love you.

Spoiler comment below I personally think Cardan’s 180 turn could have benefited from maybe having a bit of his point of view in the second book while Jude was captured. We could have seen how he came to realize that he was in love with Jude.

i just finished the trilogy. About the third installment, i genuinely thought that Carden wont be back forever, i thought he was going to be a serpent forever and then jude was gonna be the great ruler as the royal astrologer has predicted? about how only when his blood's spill then the greatest ruler will raise?

After watching you I just realized Cardan's letters exist in some editions of the books and even more angry now that Lady Ashe intercepting the letters were never addressed again (like she did not get any consequences)

I missed out on the book trends that popped up over the last two decades. All I know is there were vampires, then werewolves and now, Fae? Is that the new thing?

the second book is the best in my opinion as well. in general the whole series are fun and easy to read.

Can we show some appreciation for the beautiful background! 😍 Love how you used it for Christmas a n d the books that you’re discussing! 🙌🏻♥️ Ofcourse as always: wonderful video! 🎄

I read trilogy over a couple of months due to availability but I really enjoyed it. Spoilers I feel like cardan like most other characters was being controlled even when he was "discarded". I kinda like some of the revelations that he was kinda just another pawn in the schemes the crown and really revealed how much of a terrible person he was and the kind of King Dane would have been doing anything to protect his place, everyone loved that guy. I liked that it was the fact that Cardan didn't want the power of the crown but made him a great king because he started going against what, it represented, his father and brothers. I also like that he was kinda unapologetic for being a douche but he no longer wanted to be that guy, not only because he loved Jude but because he was king and no longer truly under anyones power to not act publicly to his kinder nature. Taryn annoys me to no end but tbh I feel like the fae all seem super fickle anyway because they fae. I feel like Taryn was more fae in that respect she would betray anyone to belong. I never felt like Jude forgave her, she just didn't get her revenge, which I kinda felt like Taryn kinda doled out to herself by marrying Locke, she because just another scorned plaything. I think Macdoc was about to kill Jude she wasn't dead yet, but tbh I feel like we took a lot to see his bloodthirsty redcap ways finally unleashed on Jude. The whole snake thing was obviously to test her more than anything else and she thankfully made the right choice as queen. I feel the ending was happy because the characters were finally in a place emotionally and politically where they could be. No one will threaten their power for now and they can finally enjoy whatever peace they have. I like that the author addressed that in the end too, that it will definitely not just be smooth sailing for here on out, to assume that would be naïve.

I think the final book was a bad conclusion, it was rushed, messy and overall very underwhelming :( so sad because the first 2 books were really strong for YA imo

Thanks for the review! Also I love how you style your bookcases :)

so i've just binged this series over the weekend and i have THOUGHTS SPOILERS so the relationship between jude and taryn is definitely THE weakest part. i am so tired of 'i must forgive them because they're my family and haven't really done anything terrible have they' trope. i was so exited when their conflict was set up in book one/the lost sisters novella, but then by taryn's wedding it was kinda dropped and i was like oh well and have almost decided to not let it spoil the story for me, but THEN taryn pulled that switcheroo and helped madoc steal the army and IT WAS VILE. because in book one their conflict with jude was basically over a boy which is ugh in on itself but locke didn't mean anything to jude so i guess she'd let it slide, but in book two jude worked for her influence in the court, through her ambition, cunning and resilience she has achieved things taryn wouldn't even dream to achieve, but taryn just stole it, she just took advantage of jude and her hard work because they look the same AND all she had to say for herself was I'M SORRY.................................. i'm so angry. i kept waiting that jude would do the same thing to taryn, stab her in the back but noooooooooo they're SISTERS they looooove each other. anyway their mom has set a precedent of burning a pregnant woman down in a house, so it's not like it CAN'T be done in this universe :/// this is gonna sound weird but i don't like female protagonists very much partly because when two male close friends or relatives in a story have a serious conflict there's always a pretty big possibility that they will cut each other down, but two girls just can't possibly do that can they. because the female kind are just naturally so much more forgiving. also - cardan is definitely two different people in books one and 2&3. many authors that use the mean guy with a dark past trope want to have their cake and eat it - they want us to hate him in book one but love him in the last book. but not many of them actually pull it off. in this series it wasn't that aggravating because as jude says herself much of what she thought she knew about cardan wasn't the real him but a persona she made up in her head (she says she's been fighting her own shadow this whole time). so that is definitely an interesting idea to explore. that being said he's definitely cruel in book one, but not in a realistic way but in a mean popular high schooler way, which is two dimensional and uninteresting. basically up to dain's failed coronation cardan's a cardboard cutout and not a real character, as are his friends. i wish he was written more subtely in book one, like instead of calling jude mortal and throwing her into a pond like a ten year old, he could have said something much more scathing, done something much more wicked...... also while their romance is fun and entertaining i wish they had more scenes together so that we could explore their dynamic better lol this was a long rant, but despite all i've written i really liked these books and they have basically restored my faith in ya fantasy after it has been destroyed by some other popular series

my favourite is the second one as well. I agree with you on Queen of Nothing

I was just talking about this trilogy when you uploaded, so this will probably be a wordy comment. Sorry! Jude/Taryn are imo an (extreme and hyperbolic for dramatic purposes) example of a very realistic sister relationship, where the sisters are two different personality-wise and don't mesh conversationally. Especially the fact that their go-to conflict resolution is move on and all is forgiven without rehashing the fight (because when you don't have the endless ongoing conversation going, trying to discuss often just becomes a bigger fight). Honestly, my sister and I were sort of like that back in our high school years when we shared a room. A too- small apartment and being forced into all activities all the time together played a big role in the fighting and some of the mean things we did to each other. As soon as we moved out and moved on, the constant irritation went away. Which is kind of what I read into Jude/Taryn dynamic. And on a completely unrelated subject, "wicked" are my favorite type of fairy folk, so usually I find modern retellings very frustrating. My memory of lit class is a little fuzzy, so this definitely needs a proper source. Basically, "fey are sort of evil and people are their playthings" was a metaphor of feudal social stratification. It's an interesting optic for medieval nobility in their habitat, and imo has so much potential to talk about modern class issues and privilege, and at the same time be fun and exciting. It could be complex, avoid passing easy generalized judgements or being preachy. This Platonic idea of a book I have in my head is probably why all the fey retelling books I've actually read feel so underwhelming. Lit theory was a poor choice of elective.

My favourite's also the 2nd one! And I do agree with you on the last book. I also expected more conflict from other characters. But that necessarily doesn't mean I didn't like the direction it went with the curse and everything. But this is one of my all time fav series and Jude and Cardan are two of my most loved characters. I love this series to the moon and back!

Loved your review! And I agree, the second book was the best. I also thought that the character change was too abrupt

Omg i soooo love it when you do that funny voice 😂 just cracked me up again! 😆 just finished the series and i soo feel you with aaall you said 👍🏻 love watching your videos! Just great

Totally agree that this third book wasn't what I was expecting at all.

I absolutely loved the 3rd book. Finish it today. I hate that it ended though.

I see spoilers in the comments so i just wanted to drop a like & comment on the video to let you know i watched lol. These stories really catch my eye especially about how unfairly Jude is treated mainly by Cardin as you said. I do like the fairy tale stuff so I'll definitely be giving this trilogy a shot when i can. Anyways happy reading & a blessed day to you all 🌟

The wicked King was my favourite as well. Probs the only series I have read that didn’t have middle book syndrome

Did you get your editions from Barnes and Noble? Its the only place I have seen it in the black covers. If you did do the books have the emblem Barnes and Noble exclusive edition on them?

Do you plan on reading any more Holly Black in the future? I read the Curseworkers trilogy (a more urban fantasy story) and I really enjoyed it. But, like Folk of the Air, a lot of the relationships are pretty morbid and messed up, especially the dynamic the MC has with their family.

I kind of get the feeling Holly Black was trying to wrap everything up as quickly as possible, and makes me wonder if she has a new project in the works. The bow on the ending was waaaay to nice; and characters had a COMPLETE 180 in their personality (ahem Madoc) that it just kind of felt cheap. And the two big events were way too predictable!

I loved it so much. I like them all as a story

I love the 2nd book the best the 3rd book was my second favorite I just feel like a lot more happened in that book then the third book but what do u think about the Ghost and Taryn do they like each other

i didn't have the notes from Cardan in my edition. :( But I honestly enjoyed the whole series a lot.

I just finished the third book and I totally agree with you. Also, random question! Where the heck did you get your glasses from? They are so pretty!

There is very little of actual Cardan being on scene in any of these books I noticed, especially the last two

Is this along the lines of the Ash Princess, esk?

I definitely love the whole series, but Wicked King is my favorite also! I enjoyed the 3rd book but... SPOILERS BELOW!!!!!!! I wasn't crazy about him turning into a snake. Mainly because I knew he wasn't gonna be stuck that way, it wasn't high stakes enough I guess. But overall I really enjoyed all 3 books!!! One last thing omg I hate Taryn and I definitely think Jude shouldn't have forgiven her so completely, so quickly!!

Does anyone know what the cover of these look like without the sleeve? I'm trying to decide on what edition i should get.

The first book was brutal. So many deaths. If Black would be killing characters in books 2 and 3 at the same same rate as in 1, no one would be left.

I really enjoyed the series cruel princes by holly black!! I hope ur reading going well??? Happy reading to u!!

I just came here from finishing the series. Was hoping it would be a spoiler-filled review, because there are many events that I wanted to hear your thoughts on. There are only three booktubers, you being one of them, whose opinions I take seriously, but among them only you've talked about this series, and even then it wasn't full of spoilers. Any readers of this series you'd love to talk with me about it? (P.S: I listened to only less than a min of this video and wrote this comment because I was expecting it would be FULL of spoilers. And I'm saddened that it isn't.)

*SPOILERS* I absolutely agree with you regarding the relationship between Jude and Taryn. I also agree with you on Cardan's character change to a certain point. I am, however, so so happy that Jude and Cardan got their happy ending. Was it super realistic? No. But they're my babies and I love them so I'm happy for them :). Honestly, just a good relationship between Vivi, Oak, Jude, and Cardan with a touch of more realistic-ness (you know, without everything working out perfectly) would have been a nice ending for me. I did feel like the 2nd and 3rd books were kinda rushed, ESPECIALLY the 3rd one. Like, with how small it was, Holly could have totally made it longer. I also would have really liked it if, like you said, Cardan and Jude were able to scheme together. But I'm still satisfied with it. (Also, little side note, I hate Locke more than words can say)

So I was actually going to buy book 3 tomorrow, after finishing book 2 today. But now everyone says it’s bad and stuff. But when I read the two first chapters of book 3 in the end of book 2 I kinda liked it. Because now cardan is suddenly mean again and I am excited to read his reaction when Jude returns to fairy. Backseat we all know that Jude and Cardan are end game. But have anyone read the book after the trilogy “how the king of fairy learned to hate stories” or something like that. Should I read the one too or is it bad???

are the books The Lost Sisters and How The King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories mandatory to the series?

i haven't read queen of nothing yet but i have so many mixed emotions about the first two honestly. i think my issue is with cardan and how toxic he is which makes me not want to read the third one whether they end up together or not because of all the horrible things he's done to her. idk maybe it's just me but i really don't find myself overly in love with him like a lot of people are, he's just such a gross person that i feel like holly black romanticized and it was really severe the things he did to her earlier on in the trilogy. but on another note, i really like the world idea and the writing style i just wish cardan wasn't romanticized the way he was and if they do end up together it'll be a bit of a let down because i feel like authors always try to make a point to put characters in a relationship even if it literally makes no sense at all which is really frustrating especially because i'm not a huge romance lover, *especially* when it's displayed the way holly black did it. plus am i the only one here who thinks that jude could've been badass and a queen by herself? i mean idk, it may be unrealistic but she still doesn't need a man.

I honestly do not understand how anyone can ship Cardan and Jude. That to me is like shipping a victim with her abuser. It makes zero sense to me.

Is anyone else wondering how long it took her to turn all her books around so that the spine isnt showing? No, just me? Okay. Wait, you got to read Cardan's letters? I wouldve loved to see that it felt odd that they were never exposed, because it felt like part of the story was missing without them. I really wanted to see what he wrote. I feel similarly to you about The Queen of Nothing, but I was really underwhelmed with the climax. Given Madoc's reputation I expected more from him with the rebellion; not for even a moment did I think anyone was in actual danger. Also, the curse on the crown is the most redundant thing I've ever witnessed. (Spoiler Warning) The curse was created to prevent anyone from overthrowing the crown by nefarious means (and to protect the craftsmanship), but all this time all anyone had to do was chop off the head of the cursed person and all will be back to normal? The consequences dont match the intent of the curse is all I'm saying. P.S. I like when there is a spoiler free section followed by a spoiler chat afterwards. That way if I havent read it yet I may get the opinion, but if I have I may join the discussion. Just make sure there is a spoiler warning prior to divulging into spoilers.

Hi is the cardan's letter to jude here in this edition?

The only think I don't understand is that why some people think Carden is beyond redemption while the only worst thing he'd done was to rip the wings off a fairy. All his other wicked things he had done to Jude was merely a school prank, nothing more.

👑

I don’t know if it’s just me, but I feel like Jude was an idiot (brave and courageous , yes) but just blinded by her own internalisation & plotting most of the time, so much that she missed very important facets of truth, particularly with Cardan in both WK and QoN. I felt her to be quite frustrating as the main character and had to skim over some of her scheming etc..as I just found it tedious.I think the main character in a book should have some degree of emotional intelligence...?

I've been quite interested in this trilogy since the first time you've introduces The Cruel Prince, Elle. However, from the synopsis & your words, I'm getting a lot of Feyre from ACOTAR vibes from the MC, especially in the temperament department, and that worries me, as Feyre is my least favourite character from that series. Am I right? Are they similar? 😧

Me having listened to the audiobooks and not seeing the cute notes: :( :( :(

Ok I just need some to clarify for me: is abuse being romanticized in this book? Because if so I won’t read

❤

Why does she's kinda look like Millie Bobby Brown