the trope "enemies-to-tovers" often leaves a numbing aftertaste when it comes to romance, because it is almost never done right. key word: almost. holly black is one of the very few authors who has not only portrayed the animosity between her two leads with absolute perfection, but also made their love feel sickeningly natural. a love that borders obsession, the initial acknowledgement of which makes a person want to wretch their guts out, and the begrudging acceptance of which does not ease their tendency to hold their beloved at the edge of a knife — that is what one refers to "enemies-to-lovers", and it is effortlessly mastered by holly black in the trilogy. the romance between cardan and jude grows at an agonising pace, as is preferred when a couple starts off as foes. the author did not substitute the term "enemies" for "rivals" or "mild annoyance". this alone earned the series a massive thumbs-up from me. of course, it is not primarily a story about affection and slow-burn (which is precisely why it is well-done). it interweaves political play, twisted family dynamics, and a whole lot of fantasy jargon. it does get a little boring at times, and involves certain scenes that may make you squirm with the sheer amount of second-hand embarrassment laced into them. i almost did not finish the cruel prince after getting hit by a certain chapter, but i'm glad that i pushed through, because the ending as well as the other books in the series were truly worth the experience. just a suggestion: please read "letters to jude from cardan" after finishing "the wicked king". it is readily available online and it makes the third part infinitely more beautiful.