The Queen of Nothing by Holly Black
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
My sweet nemesis, how glad I am that you returned.
Cardan
This was mostly a satisfying ending to a gripping trilogy. I reread the previous two books before starting The Queen of Nothing just to refresh my memory, so I got to enjoy the world of Faerie in all its terrible glory.
The epilogue of The Wicked King saddened me. Did Cardan have to exile Jude after their quick yet super sweet wedding? I understood that he was mad at her for killing Balekin, but weren’t they done with all the deception and vengeance? Er, but then I learned that Jude could pardon herself as the High Queen. You can only imagine my frustration with Cardan.
Jude’s life in the mortal world was pretty exciting. She remained in contact with the Fae, completing a variety of dangerous quests for them so that she had money to pay the rent. I liked that Jude didn’t want to rely on Vivi’s magic to make ends meet. Jude was a skillful girl who had evaded death lots of times, so she didn’t need cheap glamours. Physical battles were a different matter, though. Jude probably wouldn’t have defeated Grima Mog without resorting to trickery.
I didn’t expect Taryn to be the reason for Jude’s return to Faerie. I hated Taryn for her betrayals in books 1 and 2 and thought that she was the worst sister in the history of YA fiction. Did having different priorities in life justify her actions? Nope! When she showed up at Jude’s front door, an alarm rang in my head. Until now, I don’t understand why she ended up killing Locke (though he was really an annoying and unfaithful husband). This part of the story seemed contrived, a forced way to keep the plot moving. Still, I’m glad because it paved the way for Jude’s reconciliation with Cardan.
Speak of the devil. I disliked that Cardan was barely in the novel. He had had a significant presence in the prequels, so why the sudden absence? I assume the book’s negative reviews are a result of Cardan’s transformation into a giant serpent. Hahaha. It was like a random ode to a familiar fairy tale. I felt it, too, guys! It also hurt when Jude considered bridling Cardan and controlling him for a lifetime. Jude’s desire to rule nearly got the best of her.
Ultimately, I loved that Jude proved Madoc wrong and chose love instead of power. After everything that Jude and Cardan went through, they genuinely deserved a happy ending to their cruel love story. Thank you, Holly Black! I can hardly wait for the Cardan novella to come out this year.
High Literature 