THE MOST IMPORTANT REVIEW OF 2020

The Queen of Nothing
by Holly Black
Little, Brown and Company | November 19, 2019

     He will be the destruction of the crown and the ruination of the throne.
     Power is much easier to acquire than it is to hold on to. Jude learned that 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 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 terrible curse is unleashed, panic spreads throughout the land, forcing her to choose between her ambition and her humanity...

I held off on reading this series for the longest time but became addicted after finishing the first book. It was agonizing waiting for the library patron to finally return to the book. All the teasing—The Novl with their sneak peeks and the waiting—did not make the book all the more worth it. The Queen of Nothing was underwhelming. This cannot be it... That's it?!

The installment is rushed, and it's not just because of the speed at which I devoured this novel; it lacked the careful orchestration, the criminal mastermind, and the ruthless intellect I loved in the first book. It died slowly with every installment. Where is the Machiavellian Jude I know and love? Where is the electric banter between Jude and Cardan? Where is the effort to weaving the elaborate, complex, and intriguing story? I sped through the book quickly. Although there are ultimate showdowns, it was rather lack-luster. It was strictly business. 

I miss the detailed description of the land, clothes, and food. I guess those bells and whistles were glamour for the story in the previous installments. 

Although the story was rather bland, the story was able to further flesh out characters. Jude becomes honest with herself and has to make a serious decision. Madoc shows how conniving and willing he is to get what he wants—I hate him, but he's a great character. Some characters redeem themselves. Blah blah blah. I have nothing else to say about this finale. It really sucks that another promising trilogy fails.