I’m a little oblivious sometimes. I picked up these books not because of buzz online, not because they were recommended to me, but just because I wandered through the YA section of my local library.
And let me tell you… I’m glad I did.
The Cruel Prince was an amazing read. So amazing that, quite honestly, I blew through it in just a couple days and immediately went in search of the next one. Which – yay! – was already out. The Wicked King didn’t take me much longer, and I will definitely be reading the third, The Queen of Nothing, when it comes out.
I’m not going to go into the plot much here. I will say that I thoroughly enjoyed both books. Black’s characters are engaging, the plot is twisty and dark, and the story is a wild ride from start to finish. With, I expect, more to come when the third installment is released.
If I had to give stars here, I’d go with 4.5 out of 5 for The Cruel Prince and 4 out of 5 for The Wicked King (second books have it rough – it’s often hard to match or top the first in a series). The books are un-put-downable. As I said, the plot, characters, and writing are highly engaging.
But (you knew there was a but coming, right?)… there are things about these stories that make me uncomfortable. They’re not the first books I’ve read where that’s been an issue, and they won’t be the last, but I wanted to address it because I think this is important.
****JUST IN CASE YOU NEED IT – SPOILER ALERT****
Ok, if you’re still here, you’ve assumed the risk. I would categorize these as only light spoilers, but I don’t want anyone to caught by surprise. On we go.
I’d like to talk about my feelings on the relationship between Jude and Cardan. There is a lot of (legitimate) criticism about the way relationships are portrayed in various media – Game of Thrones gets it, Twilight got it, etc. I think it is important that these issues are discussed, particularly when they come up in fictional stories aimed at young adults. Some relationships are toxic. Some are abusive. Some are downright ugly and dangerous. In real life, I would say these things are unacceptable.
Jude and Cardan have an unhealthy relationship from the start, and it only gets worse. It also progressively involves stronger and stronger attraction between the two of them, that seems to be deeply tied in with and inseparable from their hatred of each other. It makes me deeply uncomfortable to watch the two of them grow closer together in spite of the ugliness beneath the surface.
And also, I want them to get together. I want them to work out their differences. I want them to forgive and stop being horrible to each other. Because you know what? This *isn’t real*. It’s pretend, and its kind of fun. Also, it’s kind of hot. Black’s writing is very good at making the very bad irresistible.
I’ll give you an analogy to illustrate why I feel this way. Some of my very favorite movies are apocalyptic or post-apocalyptic movies (EXCEPT zombie movies, which are just creepy AF). They’re dirty, gritty, brutal, and often terrifying. They’re depressing, horrifying, and gruesome. They’re also exciting, wild, and escapist on a level that’s just off the charts.
But the thing I love most about them is this: when I walk out of the theatre, I *love* this world we live in *so* much. I appreciate the little (first-world) comforts of my life so much more… like hot and cold running water, grocery stores that are well-stocked, a (generally) orderly system of government, and the fact that people aren’t constantly trying to murder me.
Much like my feeling about apocalyptic movies, reading about awful relationships makes me appreciate the good ones in my own life so much more. Without all the actual suffering and torment of having to go through one.
So here’s the conclusion I’ve come to: I don’t want a relationship like the one Black wrote between Jude and Cardan for myself. I wouldn’t wish that mess on anyone I’ve ever known, for that matter. If I was trying to teach a child or young adult what a healthy relationship looks like, I would definitely not use them as an example. But it is ok to dive headfirst into a total fantasy sometimes. Even one that makes you deeply uncomfortable.
R. Singer Writing 