How Does 'The Wicked King' End?

The ending of 'The Wicked King' is a masterclass in betrayal and political maneuvering. Jude, who’s been pulling the strings as Cardan’s seneschal, gets outplayed at her own game. After securing power for Cardan and herself, she thinks she’s untouchable—until Cardan turns the tables by banishing her to the mortal world. The twist? He secretly marries her first, making her the Queen of Faerie but trapped away from her throne. It’s brutal because Jude’s scheming got her exactly what she wanted (power) but in the worst way possible (isolated and powerless). The last scene with her screaming into the ocean is haunting. This sets up 'The Queen of Nothing' perfectly—you know Jude won’t stay down for long.

Let me break down that explosive finale. After pages of Jude’s clever machinations to control Cardan and the High Court, everything unravels in the last chapters. Cardan, who seemed like a puppet king, reveals he’s been ten steps ahead all along. He exiles Jude right after their secret marriage—a move that’s equal parts romantic and ruthless. The symbolism here is wild: Jude spent the book fearing betrayal, only to be betrayed by the person she least expected (and secretly loves).

The fallout is deliciously messy. Jude’s adopted sister Taryn betrays her by siding with their abusive father figure Madoc, who launches a coup. Cardan’s 'banishment' might actually be protection, but Jude’s too furious to see it. What makes this ending special is how it subverts power fantasies—Jue wins the crown but loses everything else. Holly Black doesn’t do tidy resolutions; she leaves you with political instability, broken trust, and a heroine who’s literally screaming mad. If you enjoy endings where every character is morally gray and nothing is resolved cleanly, this is perfection.

Side note: The maritime imagery in the final scene—Jude staring at the sea she can’t cross—mirrors her emotional state. She’s always been an outsider in Faerie, and now she’s physically exiled. It’s poetic cruelty that’ll make you immediately grab 'The Queen of Nothing.'

That ending wrecked me in the best way. Jude’s arc culminates in her finally getting the crown… through marriage to Cardan, the boy she’s hated/loved all series. But it’s not a rom-com moment—it’s a gut punch. Cardan’s banishment order proves he’s no longer the drunken brat from book one; he’s a ruler willing to sacrifice even Jude for Faerie’s stability. The irony? Jude taught him to be this cunning.

What stuck with me was the emotional whiplash. One chapter, Jude’s confident she’s outsmarted everyone. Next chapter, her sister Taryn kneels to Madoc (their warmonger 'father'), and Cardan’s coldly sending her away. The marriage twist adds layers—is this Cardan’s way of protecting her from worse fates, or pure revenge? The ambiguity is brilliant. Jude’s final scream into the waves isn’t just anger; it’s realization that in Faerie, even victory comes with thorns. If you love endings where the protagonist wins by losing everything, this’ll haunt you for days.