Book Review: Queen of Nothing by Holly Black

​Rating: 3 STARS

Genre: Fantasy
Series/Standalone: Folk of the Air #3
How I got this book: Bought

He will be destruction of the crown and the ruination of the throne.

Power is much easier to acquire than it is to hold onto. Jude learned this lesson when she released her control over the wicked king, Cardan, in exchange for immeasurable power.

Now as the exiled mortal Queen of Faerie, Jude is powerless and left reeling from Cardan’s betrayal. She bides her time determined to reclaim everything he took from her. Opportunity arrives in the form of her deceptive twin sister, Taryn, whose mortal life is in peril.

Jude must risk venturing back into the treacherous Faerie Court, and confront her lingering feelings for Cardan, if she wishes to save her sister. But Elfhame is not as she left it. War is brewing. As Jude slips deep within enemy lines she becomes ensnared in the conflict’s bloody politics.

And, when a dormant yet powerful curse is unleashed, panic spreads throughout the land, forcing her to choose between her ambition and her humanity…

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Why are endings so often disappointing?

Maybe it's the fact that, as readers, we just don't want to say goodbye to characters that we've grown to love (or love to hate) or that we'll miss those worlds we lose ourselves in too much or that we just wanted MORE! 

Sadly, none of those things is true for how I feel about the end of this trilogy.

For me, this entire book felt a little lost, pointless, and the ending was predictable and way too neat and tidy. 

There were just so many moments where I felt that the whole thing was a bit stupid i.e. (no spoilers!) when Jude figures out Cardan's trick, when Nicassia DOES NOTHING and when Jude can't figure out the most obvious clue in the history of clues! 

I feel a bit like the characters were done dirty by the author, they almost seemed dumbed down, their relationships rushed and everything tied up with a pretty little bow that made no sense and contradicted past behaviour and key character traits.

I was angry that Nicassia had almost no role in the book. Where was the vengeance, the drama, and the blinding jealousy we've come to expect from this series? 

Why was Jude so compliant? Where's her spine, her defiance and the warrior nature that's she's built up over the past two books?

Maddox was boring, for want of a better word, and completely predictable. He had me rolling my eyes. 

And Cardan was too damn tame. He completely stopped being interesting. 

The big shock twist was completely predictable, and was I the only one picturing Jafar in Aladdin at this point?

Yes, this is a bit of a rant post, BUT I didn't completely hate this book. 

I still enjoyed being back in the world of Elfhame. I enjoyed the politics and the scheming, even if it was more toned down than I'd have expected and I did still, in some ways, find the relationship endearing. 

The pace moved quickly enough and I finished the book in just a few sittings. I can't say that I didn't enjoy reading the book, I did, but I didn't LOVE it the way I wish I had. 

Overall, I can't lie that I am disappointed with the end of this series, but I am glad that I got to spend time in this world.