Audiobook Sample
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- Title: Wicked King
- Author: Holly Black
- Narrator: Caitlin Kelly
- Length: 10:22:42
- Version: Abridged
- Release Date: 08/01/2019
- Publisher: Hachette Book Group USA
- Genre: Teen, Tough Topics
- ISBN13: 9.78E+12
The moment Caitlin Kelly’s voice first whispered through my headphones, I was transported back to that moonlit night in Oaxaca when Abuela Rosa told us stories of duendes and trickster spirits. There’s a similar magic in how Kelly brings Holly Black’s Wicked King to life – that perfect alchemy of danger and allure that makes Faerie feel as real as the desert wind on your skin.
As someone who’s spent years collecting oral traditions from Mexico to Morocco, I can tell you this audiobook captures something special about the way stories used to be shared – passed from teller to listener with all the intimacy of a secret. Kelly’s performance doesn’t just narrate; it conjures. When Jude schemes, you hear the steel in her voice. When Cardan purrs his wicked taunts, you feel the heat rise to your cheeks. It’s masterful storytelling that reminds me why I fell in love with spoken narratives during those nights around campfires in the Atacama.
The political machinations of Elfhame unfold with all the intricate tension of a Mesoamerican ball game – every move potentially fatal, every alliance fragile as spider silk. Black’s genius lies in making Jude’s mortal vulnerability palpable even as she outmaneuvers immortal foes. Kelly’s narration highlights this beautifully, letting Jude’s human breathlessness contrast with the eerie, measured tones of the Fae. I found myself holding my breath during the throne room scenes, just as I did when watching Mayan elders play palin under the Yucatán stars.
What struck me most was how the audiobook enhances Black’s themes of power and control. In my travels, I’ve seen how the illusion of authority often matters more than its substance – whether in a Moroccan souk or a Faerie court. Kelly’s vocal shifts between Jude’s internal monologue and her carefully constructed public persona make this duality visceral. You can practically taste the iron tang of Jude’s swallowed pride when Cardan humiliates her, and feel the delicious shiver when their dynamic inevitably shifts.
The production quality deserves special praise. The subtle echo effects during palace scenes create an acoustic space that feels grand and oppressive by turns. During a particularly tense negotiation scene, the slight amplification of whispering voices made me lean in closer, just as I would around that Oaxacan hearth. It’s these thoughtful touches that elevate this from simple narration to true auditory theater.
If I have one critique, it’s that some of the battle sequences could benefit from slightly more varied pacing – there were moments when the rhythm flattened when it should have soared. But this is minor compared to the overall achievement. Kelly’s handling of the romantic tension is particularly masterful, with each charged silence between Jude and Cardan weighted like ripe fruit ready to drop.
For listeners who enjoyed The Cruel Prince, this sequel delivers everything you loved – and then some. The political stakes feel higher, the betrayals cut deeper, and the chemistry between Jude and Cardan simmers with even more delicious tension. It’s like returning to a foreign city you thought you knew, only to discover secret alleyways and hidden courtyards at every turn.
As someone who’s spent a lifetime studying how place shapes story, I’m in awe of how Black and Kelly together build Elfhame’s sensory world. You can smell the damp stone of the dungeons, feel the prickle of magic in the air, hear the rustle of silk gowns in shadowed corridors. It’s the kind of rich worldbuilding that makes me want to pack my bags and go wandering – even if, like Jude, I’d probably last about five minutes in Faerie before getting myself into trouble.
With wanderlust for your next great listen,
Marcus Rivera
