The Wicked King (The Folk of the Air, #2)

The Wicked King by Holly Black

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
Received: Hachette Book Group Canada
Published: January 9th, 2019
Publisher: Little, Brown BFYR
Recommended Age: 14+
Pacing: Slow
Genres & Themes: Young Adult, Fantasy, Faeries, Scheming, Political Intrigue, Romance, Family Relationships

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BLURB:

After the jaw-dropping revelation that Oak is the heir to Faerie, Jude must keep her younger brother safe. To do so, she has bound the wicked king, Cardan, to her, and made herself the power behind the throne. Navigating the constantly shifting political alliances of Faerie would be difficult enough if Cardan were easy to control. But he does everything in his power to humiliate and undermine her even as his fascination with her remains undiminished. When it becomes all too clear that someone close to Jude means to betray her, threatening her own life and the lives of everyone she loves, Jude must uncover the traitor and fight her own complicated feelings for Cardan to maintain control as a mortal in a Faerie world.

Black Wings Beating – Alex London

Black Wings Beating by Alex London

My rating: 2 of 5 stars
Received: Raincoast Books
Published: September 25th, 2018
Publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux
Recommended Age: 12+
Pacing: Fast
Genres & Themes: Young Adult, Fantasy, War, Animals, Adventure, LGBTQIA+

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BLURB:

The people of Uztar have long looked to the sky with hope and wonder. Nothing in their world is more revered than the birds of prey and no one more honored than the falconers who call them to their fists. Brysen strives to be a great falconer–while his twin sister, Kylee, rejects her ancient gifts for the sport and wishes to be free of falconry. She’s nearly made it out, too, but a war is rolling toward their home in the Six Villages, and no bird or falconer will be safe. Together the twins must journey into the treacherous mountains to trap the Ghost Eagle, the greatest of the Uztari birds and a solitary killer. Brysen goes for the boy he loves and the glory he’s long craved, and Kylee to atone for her past and to protect her brother’s future. But both are hunted by those who seek one thing: power.