I was tagged by Bookbuyer forever ago, then reminded this tag existed when I saw it done by Rain @ Bookdragonism, then reminded again when I finally caved and read The Wicked King. But can you really blame me for putting it off, knowing how long we have to wait for The Queen of Nothing? 

Some of these prompts involve spoilers for the books used to answer them; I’ve done my best to avoid giving away the specifics of major plot points or character revelations, but you may wish to proceed with caution. (By the way, if you want a refresher on The Cruel Prince before (re)reading The Wicked King or for when The Queen of Nothing finally comes out, I’ve got you covered 😉)

Rules:

• You must tag the original creator (Xandra @ Starry Sky Books)
• ‎Spoilers galore! You should probably read The Cruel Prince first! (You don’t really need to read The Wicked King, but that would be nice.)
• ‎Answer all the questions.
• ‎Try to tag at least 3 other bloggers.

Jude: a character who would probably kill you in your sleep

Andrew Minyard from All for the Game. (A lot of the other Foxes probably would too, but Andrew for sure.) I wanted to say Ronan Lynch as well, but Ronan strikes me as more of a heat-of-the-moment kind of killer; you’re probably not going to piss him off in your sleep.

.

Cardan: a character who seems like a bad guy™️ but is ultimately more complex than you thought

Hm, I know a lot of these since I love a good antihero / redeemed villain story. Spinning Silver has quite a few that qualify, and is a wonderfully-told, empowering tale besides. 

.

Locke: a character (or plot twist) that made you want to throw the book

The identity / reveal of the Big Bad in Ignite the Stars is pretty high on my list of “that did not just happen wtf nope” book moments — in a good way; I was thisclose to dropping my Kindle in shock, then when it sank in I was definitely ready to throw it across the room. I didn’t expect it the first time, and it hit me just as hard upon reread.

No spoilers here, though; a lot of my friends have yet to read it. (Y’all should go do that, then come vent in my DMs if you need!)

.

Taryn: a character who deceived you

Cady Sinclair from We Were Liars is the first unreliable narrator I can remember being really invested in, but wow was hers an intense story. Beyond that, I can’t really remember any characters who surprised me in the way this question implies.

.

Vivi: a book that was significantly different from the others in its series.

From the basic premise to the overall tone, Finale really stands out among the Caraval trilogy. I’ve actually been putting off writing a review because I liked it so much I’ve had trouble articulating why and how much, but I generally enjoyed everything about it: pacing, character and relationship developments, etc.

.

Valerian: a character who just needs to die (or, you know, get stabbed)

As long as Ayt Madashi of the Mountain Clan keeps trying to kill members of the Kaul family, she can get stabbed. (KARMA.)

.

Oak: a smol™️ character you would protect at all costs

Epsilon 17 from The Psionics is such a wholesome lil bean who deserves all the happiness in the world. She doesn’t need protecting, but I sure want to give it to her.

.

The Cruel Prince: a book that surprised you with a twist

The easy answer here is Descendant of the Crane because that’s not so much a book as a collection of plot twists. (So to speak; the character- and worldbuilding is also fantastic, as is the prose, and you should definitely read it if you haven’t yet.)

But Spin the Dawn also has a fantastic ending twist / sequel hook that just tore out my heart.

.

The Wicked King: a book you thought was better (or worse) than the first in the series

Since I thought The Wicked King was not quite as good as The Cruel Prince, I’ll go with A Closed and Common Orbit, which I also liked less than its predecessor. That said, neither TWK or Orbit was actually bad; I just preferred the first book in each series.

.

The Queen of Nothing: a book you’re excited for, but know nothing about

Oh man, where to begin?

• A Pho Love Story by Loan Le
• Rent a Boyfriend by Gloria Chao
• Come Tumbling Down (Wayward Children #5) by Seanan McGuire
• The Mysterious Benedict Society and the Riddle of Ages (#4) by Trenton Lee Stewart
• The Testaments (The Handmaid’s Tale #2) by Margaret Atwood
• Untitled Hunger Games prequel by Suzanne Collins
• Untitled third Villains book by V.E. Schwab

Tagging: Meeghan • Jamsu • Soph • Lauren • Michelle • and, as always, anyone else who wants to participate!