I totally understand why this is a classic now. It's long but powerful. It's humorous and serious by turns. Just a fun and yet deep take on King Arthur, Guenever, and Lancelot. 

Friday Featured Spotlight~TWR Blog Tour: Kingshold

4.5

Book source ~ Tour

Jyuth is an ancient wizard who founded the Kingdom of Edland and put the butt of the first king on the throne in Kingshold. Over the great span of years he’s had to return to kill a corrupt king and put a new one in place, so this time is no different. Except this king and queen are exceptionally corrupt and perverse and have left no heirs to inherit the throne. So, a weary Jyuth declares that there will be no more kings. There will instead be a Lord Protector and anyone can run for the position. However, only those with 1000 gold crowns can vote. This is an obvious advantage to the nobility of Edland and the mass of poor citizens don’t like it. When Mareth, a middle-aged drunken bard who happens to be a third son of a nobel, is put forth as a candidate the people rally behind him. But is it enough?

What an epic fantasy! Mareth isn’t the only one who can tell a good tale. The author really drops the reader right into this story and then takes off running. There are several points of view that bring it all together and it is enthralling. I like the world and the characters are awesome. The whole election thing is interesting, too. But there are also sinister forces at work and things aren’t always as they seem. Intriguing! While this story has a conclusion there is obviously more about this world that needs told. Things are brewing, people! I’m looking forward to more stories about Edland, Kingshold, and the characters I’ve come to care about. May they all survive what’s coming.

I'm a big fan of Holly Black (ever since her first novel Tithe), and I have thoroughly enjoyed this series, which was wrapped up so nicely in the last novel.

To be honest, the most impressive thing for me in this conclusion of the series is how much I realized I'd come to love and become attached to the secondary characters such as Jude's sister Taryn and her foster father Madoc.

The ending was almost a bit too neat, but there was plenty of intrigue and romance to make up for it. :) 

I have been a fan of Holly Black for awhile now. I love her first Faerie series starting with Tithe, so I had been excited to see her return with a totally in-universe Faerie tale trilogy! The Cruel Prince was wonderful and thrilling as usual, but The Wicked King makes good on the first book's premise and promise and develops the characters and plot in a wickedly delightful fashion (as fitting the world of Faerie) with enough wonderful twists to have you not prepared for the biggest one.

I was thoroughly captivated. <3