The Wicked King by Holly Black

The Wicked King (The Folk of the Air #2) by Holly Black, 336 p.

"After the jaw-dropping revelation that Oak is the heir to Faerie, Jude must keep her brother safe. To do so, she has bound the wicked king, Cardan, to her, and made herself the power behind the throne. Navigating the constantly shifting political alliances of Faerie would be difficult enough if Cardan were easy to control. But he does everything in his power to humiliate and undermine her even as his fascination with her remains undiminished.

When it becomes all too clear that someone close to Jude means to betray her, threatening her own life and the lives of everyone she loves, Jude must uncover the traitor and fight her own complicated feelings for Cardan to maintain control as a mortal in a Faerie world."

This second book in the series suffered a bit from a sophomore slump, but not too badly. The court intrigue and family drama is always a good enough storyline to keep me coming back, but the relationship between Cardan and Jude is very frustrating.