I was very close to loving the previous instalment in this series, The Cruel Prince, for its writing style, its world-building and its twists and turns. But while I adored the flawed heroine, Jude, the sort-of villain, sort of potential love interest, Cardan, just didn’t quite spark my imagination, even though that’s my absolute favourite character type.
This time around, everything I enjoyed before was present and correct and perhaps improved. The characterisations, world-building and unpredictable plot only deepened. But with Cardan as king and Jude as his nominal advisor and actual power behind the throne, the stakes felt higher and everything felt a bit more mature than when they were all basically scheming schoolkids. And in turn, with more responsibility and more pressure, Cardan became a much more interesting character, simultaneously more likeable and more scary, and the sexual and political tension between him and Jude ramped up accordingly. As a result, the book really came alive for me. It was a compelling read throughout, though I particularly appreciated the two twists in quick succession at the very end.
This time around, everything I enjoyed before was present and correct and perhaps improved. The characterisations, world-building and unpredictable plot only deepened. But with Cardan as king and Jude as his nominal advisor and actual power behind the throne, the stakes felt higher and everything felt a bit more mature than when they were all basically scheming schoolkids. And in turn, with more responsibility and more pressure, Cardan became a much more interesting character, simultaneously more likeable and more scary, and the sexual and political tension between him and Jude ramped up accordingly. As a result, the book really came alive for me. It was a compelling read throughout, though I particularly appreciated the two twists in quick succession at the very end.