The Wicked King

Name: The Wicked King (The Folk of the Air, #2)
Author: Holly Black

by Holly Black

Genre

Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance

Year

2019

Pages

332

Contents

Overview

In The Wicked King, Jude Duarte holds a dangerous place at the heart of Elfhame: mortal seneschal to High King Cardan Greenbriar, whom she secretly controls through a binding vow. Her goal is to keep the throne stable long enough for her younger brother Oak, the hidden heir, to remain safe and grow up away from Faerie’s brutal politics.

But power in Faerie is never secure. Cardan resents Jude’s control even as he begins to look more like a true king, while Jude must navigate the Living Council, her foster father Madoc’s ambitions, her twin Taryn’s troubled marriage to Locke, and the rising threat of Queen Orlagh and the Undersea. As court revels turn cruel and alliances shift, Jude is forced to decide whether manipulation, loyalty, fear, or trust can keep a kingdom from collapsing.

The novel explores power and its costs, the instability of desire, family betrayal, political survival, and what it means for a mortal girl to claim authority in a world designed to dismiss her.

Plot Summary ⚠️ Spoilers

Jude Duarte remembers a childhood lesson from Madoc, the redcap general who murdered her parents and raised her in Faerie: taking power is easier than keeping it. That lesson defines her life five months after she has forced Cardan Greenbriar onto the throne of Elfhame. Publicly, Jude is Cardan’s seneschal; secretly, she commands him through a vow lasting a year and a day. She hopes to keep the kingdom stable until her younger brother Oak can someday rule safely, but the court is full of dangers she cannot fully control.

Cardan’s early reign is unstable. He welcomes Grimsen, a legendary exiled smith, without extracting an oath, and appoints Locke as Master of Revels despite Jude’s objections. Mother Marrow nearly traps him in a marriage geas, and Balekin, Cardan’s imprisoned brother, sends secret messages from the Tower of Forgetting. When Jude investigates, Balekin refuses to reveal his plans, but Jude abducts the guard Vulciber and learns that Balekin has been communicating with Queen Orlagh of the Undersea. Orlagh appears to be preparing to break the treaty with Elfhame and may be using Balekin as an alternative claimant to the crown.

Jude tries to manage threats while increasingly exhausted. Taryn, her twin, reappears before her wedding to Locke, seeking reconciliation and asking Jude to attend. Jude accepts, though she distrusts Taryn’s motives. Meanwhile, an apparent drunken disaster in Cardan’s room proves to be an attack: Nicasia, Orlagh’s daughter and Cardan’s former lover, fired a crossbow in jealous rage at a girl in Cardan’s bed. Jude conceals Nicasia’s guilt after learning that Orlagh wants Cardan to marry Nicasia or face war. Cardan’s vulnerability and Jude’s attraction to him complicate her political calculations.

The Living Council doubts both Cardan and Jude. Baphen explains that the High King is mystically bound to Elfhame, which makes Cardan’s blood and conduct politically significant. Jude warns the Council about Orlagh and Balekin, but they initially dismiss her. Madoc, now watching Jude as a rival rather than a child, urges her toward an alliance against the Undersea. Jude resists his control but agrees that Cardan must not marry Nicasia, since that would endanger Oak’s claim.

At Locke’s Hunter’s Moon revel, Locke humiliates Jude by naming her Queen of Mirth, a cruel role usually forced on glamoured mortals. Jude refuses to break and turns the spectacle into defiant political theater by commanding a dance with Cardan. The revel is interrupted when envoys from the Undersea arrive with Orlagh’s ultimatum: Cardan must marry into the sea or face consequences. Cardan rejects the demand before the court. In Council afterward, Jude’s warning about Balekin’s dealings with Orlagh is taken seriously, and Cardan threatens to make Nicasia a hostage if Orlagh continues pressing him.

Jude tries to manipulate Balekin through Lady Asha, a prisoner in the Tower who turns out to be Cardan’s mother. Asha reveals secrets about Jude’s mother Eva, including a prophecy that Eva’s child would become a greater weapon than Justin could forge, but Jude sends Asha back to the Tower to use her as bait. At the same time, Madoc plans to bring Oak to Taryn’s wedding as bait for the Undersea. Jude works with him reluctantly, hoping to control where Orlagh strikes. Cardan learns from Nicasia that the Undersea intends to act during the wedding.

Before the wedding, Jude is ambushed by seven masked riders and badly wounded, but survives and hides the injury. At Locke’s estate, her plans to protect Oak begin to unfold, but the real disaster is elsewhere. Madoc overhears Jude commanding Cardan and realizes she controls the king. Heather, Vivi’s mortal girlfriend, is harmed by Faerie magic and then glamoured by Vivi to forget, angering Jude. Jude notices that Taryn is wearing earrings Jude lost during the ambush and realizes Locke was one of her attackers. Then news arrives that the Undersea has attacked the Tower of Forgetting. Jude goes there with the Ghost and Vulciber, finds guards drowned and Balekin freed, and realizes too late that the Ghost has betrayed her. He turns her over to sea Folk.

In the Undersea, Jude is imprisoned, tortured, and glamoured by Orlagh, though Dain’s old geas makes her immune. Jude pretends to be controlled and learns that Orlagh and Balekin may use Oak as a puppet heir, but Grimsen may also forge Balekin a new crown if Cardan dies. Balekin orders Jude to regain Cardan’s trust and murder him. Cardan bargains for Jude’s release, but the price is terrible: the Undersea attacks the Court of Termites, killing many and wounding Lord Roiben’s consort, while Balekin returns as Orlagh’s ambassador.

Jude, weakened and traumatized, learns that Madoc has barred her from the palace. She finds the Court of Shadows lair destroyed by the Ghost and cannot reach the Roach or the Bomb. Desperate, she goes to Balekin, accepts poison meant for Cardan, and uses the chance to get back into the palace. She breaks into Cardan’s chambers, warns him, and reveals Balekin’s assassination plan. Cardan admits he paid Orlagh’s price because he wanted the Undersea to understand that harming Jude had consequences. The Roach and the Bomb arrive, confirm the Ghost’s betrayal, and help plan a response.

At Locke’s masquerade, Balekin’s plan unfolds differently than expected: Cardan has already been poisoned with wraithberry, and Balekin tries to frame Jude. Cardan publicly insists Jude stay with him, letting her remove him from the hall. Jude obtains the antidote by tricking Balekin, then kills him in a fight. When she returns, Cardan is recovering, but Taryn has impersonated Jude and persuaded him to release Madoc from his vows to the crown. Madoc now commands part of the army independently.

With Balekin dead and Madoc in rebellion, Cardan asks Jude to free him from his obedience vow. He offers marriage instead: Jude will become Queen of Elfhame with direct authority, and Cardan will rule by his own will. Jude accepts, and they exchange vows privately; the land blooms in response. But Orlagh soon arrives demanding Jude as justice for Balekin’s death. Cardan confronts the Undersea, raises a new island from the sea, traps Nicasia, and forces Orlagh into a truce. Then, before the court, he sentences Jude to exile in the mortal world until pardoned by the crown. Jude protests that she is Queen of Faerie, but she is taken away. In the mortal world, living with Vivi after Heather has left, Jude grieves Cardan’s betrayal while beginning to think again like a queen in exile.

Characters

Jude Duarte

The mortal seneschal who secretly controls High King Cardan at the start of the story and tries to preserve the throne for Oak. Her intelligence, ruthlessness, and hunger for power drive the political plot, while her vulnerabilities are exposed through captivity, betrayal, and her growing bond with Cardan.
Cardan Greenbriar

The High King of Elfhame, initially bound to obey Jude but increasingly capable of ruling in his own right. His resentment, charm, wounds from Balekin and Asha, and complicated attraction to Jude shape the struggle over whether he is puppet, partner, or sovereign.
Madoc

Jude’s redcap foster father and the Grand General of Elfhame, whose lessons about power continue to define Jude. He alternates between mentor, family patriarch, and political rival, ultimately maneuvering to free himself from the crown’s control.
Taryn Duarte

Jude’s twin sister, whose wedding to Locke becomes a central stage for political traps and personal betrayals. She seeks reconciliation with Jude but later impersonates her to help Madoc manipulate Cardan.
Vivi Duarte

Jude’s older sister, living in the mortal world with Oak and Heather. Her efforts to keep a mortal life collide with Faerie’s dangers, especially when Heather learns the truth and Vivi uses glamour to manage the consequences.
Oak

Jude’s younger brother and the hidden heir whose safety is the reason Jude holds Cardan’s throne in trust. His existence makes him a target for Madoc, Balekin, and the Undersea’s political designs.
Oriana

Oak’s mother and Madoc’s wife, who is deeply protective of Oak. Her tenderness toward Oak and distance from Jude reveal the family tensions behind Jude’s political choices.
Locke

Taryn’s husband and Cardan’s Master of Revels, whose love of spectacle turns cruelty into court entertainment. His games humiliate Jude, strain Taryn’s marriage, and intersect with the ambush against Jude.
Nicasia

Princess of the Undersea and Cardan’s former lover, torn between jealousy, love for Cardan, and loyalty to Queen Orlagh. Her actions reveal Orlagh’s marriage demand and later place her at the center of Cardan’s confrontation with the Undersea.
Queen Orlagh

The ruler of the Undersea, who pressures Elfhame through threats, marriage demands, and alliances with Balekin and Grimsen. Her political aggression drives the conflict between land and sea.
Balekin Greenbriar

Cardan’s imprisoned brother, who conspires with the Undersea to regain power. His abuse of Cardan, manipulation of Jude, and pursuit of a new crown make him one of the book’s central antagonists.
Grimsen

A legendary smith returned from exile by Cardan, whose magical craft can alter the balance of power. His willingness to make weapons and possibly a new crown makes him crucial to both war plans and Balekin’s ambitions.
The Roach / Van

A leader of the Court of Shadows and one of Jude’s key spy allies. He warns Jude against acting alone, trains Cardan in spycraft, and helps assess the damage after the Ghost’s betrayal.
The Bomb / Liliver

A Court of Shadows operative skilled with potions, explosives, and infiltration. She supports Jude’s schemes, helps treat Cardan’s poisoning, and has a long, emotionally significant bond with the Roach.
The Ghost

A Court of Shadows spy and royal guard who once trains and supports Jude. His betrayal to the Undersea leads to Jude’s capture and the destruction of the Court of Shadows’ lair.
Heather

Vivi’s mortal girlfriend, who is brought into Faerie without understanding its dangers. Her curse and later restored memories expose the harm caused by Vivi’s secrecy and glamour.
Lady Asha

Cardan’s mother and a prisoner in the Tower of Forgetting. Jude uses her as a channel to manipulate Balekin, while Asha’s history reveals Cardan’s childhood neglect and secrets about Eva.
Eva

Jude, Taryn, and Vivi’s late mother, remembered through Jude’s trauma and Lady Asha’s stories. The prophecy connected to Eva’s child adds mystery and danger to Jude’s family history.
Randalin

The Minister of Keys on the Living Council, frequently challenging Jude’s authority and pushing cautious political solutions. He represents the Council’s distrust of both Jude and Cardan.
Baphen

The Royal Astrologer, who explains the High King’s mystical bond with Elfhame. His explanation helps Jude understand that Cardan’s kingship has powers and consequences beyond her manipulation.
Mikkel

An Unseelie minister on the Living Council, present during debates over Grimsen, Balekin, and the Undersea. His comments help show the Council’s divided and pragmatic response to royal instability.
Nihuar

A Seelie minister on the Living Council who participates in debates about Cardan’s behavior, Grimsen, and the Undersea crisis. She is also present during key public confrontations involving the crown.
Fala

The Grand Fool, who disrupts Council seriousness with mockery and antics. His presence underscores the unstable mixture of politics and performance at Cardan’s court.
Val Moren

Eldred’s mortal former Court Poet and Seneschal, who offers Jude cryptic warnings about managing too many schemes. He later refuses to help her because of an old bargain never to choose a mortal over a faerie.
Lord Roiben

Ruler of the Court of Termites, whose support Jude once secured through a promised favor. After the Undersea attacks his court, he demands vengeance and pressures Jude to answer for Cardan’s concession.
Dulcamara

Lord Roiben’s envoy and knight, who repeatedly reminds Jude that Roiben’s favor can be called in. She demands Balekin’s death after the attack on the Court of Termites.
Kaye

Lord Roiben’s consort, badly wounded when the Undersea attacks the Court of Termites. Her injury gives Roiben and Dulcamara personal grounds to demand satisfaction.
Mother Marrow

An ancient hag who attempts to bind Cardan through a marriage geas and later bargains with Jude in the market. Her dealings show how dangerous gifts and bargains are in Faerie.
Tatterfell

Jude’s old nursemaid, transferred to Jude through Madoc’s household obligations. Her presence brings comfort but also reminds Jude that Madoc’s influence can reach into her private rooms.
Vulciber

A part-troll guard at the Tower of Forgetting whom Jude abducts and turns into an informant. His information first reveals Balekin’s secret exchanges with the Undersea.
Snapdragon

A hob-faced owl messenger associated with the Court of Shadows. Snapdragon carries messages, watches events, and helps reconnect Jude’s allies after the Court of Shadows is attacked.
Sir Rannoch

A knight who reports Balekin’s death to Cardan and later enforces Jude’s exile. His role anchors the formal authority of Cardan’s public judgment.

Themes

In The Wicked King, Holly Black deepens the central question of the series: what does power cost, especially when it is held by someone who has always been made to feel powerless? Jude’s rule through Cardan begins as a triumph, but the prologue’s lesson from Madoc—taking power is easier than keeping it—echoes through every chapter. Jude can command the High King, manipulate prisoners, and outmaneuver courtiers, yet the Living Council dismisses her, Madoc circumvents her, and Cardan’s own authority grows beyond her control. Power here is never stable; it must be performed, defended, and constantly renegotiated.

Control versus trust is the book’s most painful theme. Jude’s bargain with Cardan gives her obedience but not loyalty, intimacy, or true partnership. Her secrecy about Balekin, Nicasia, Lady Asha, and the Undersea protects her plans while corroding the fragile alliance she needs. Cardan’s proposal of marriage reframes rule as shared authority, but his later exile of Jude proves that trust in Faerie is always entangled with strategy.
Survival through hardness defines Jude’s mortal identity. She trains through pain, poisons herself to resist enchantment, endures humiliation as Locke’s Queen of Mirth, and survives captivity in the Undersea by turning performance into armor. Yet the novel repeatedly asks whether becoming untouchable means becoming cruel. The Roach’s observation that Jude enjoys manipulating the Folk forces her to confront how much Faerie has shaped her.
Family as love and betrayal runs through nearly every alliance. Madoc is both murderer and father, Taryn both twin and political instrument, Vivi loving yet dangerously careless with Heather’s memory, and Cardan marked by abandonment from Asha and abuse from Balekin. The betrayals by Taryn, Madoc, and the Ghost sting because they arise from bonds Jude wanted to believe in.
The performance of identity also dominates the novel. Masks, glamours, disguises, impersonation, and courtly spectacle blur truth: Taryn impersonates Jude, Orlagh believes Jude glamoured, Cardan performs drunken weakness while poisoned, and Jude performs obedience to Balekin. In Elfhame, appearance is not superficial; it is political reality.

By the end, Jude is Queen in exile—a paradox that captures the book’s deepest irony. She has gained the title she craved, but lost the land, the crown’s protection, and perhaps Cardan himself. The novel leaves power not as possession, but as a dangerous story others may choose to believe—or laugh at.