The Stolen Heir (The Stolen Heir Duology, #1) by Holly Black Review

This is a spoiler-free review! You can read my reviews of The Cruel Prince, The Lost Sisters, The Wicked King, The Queen of Nothing, and How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories on my blog, now!

Going into this spin-off, I thought that we would be getting the story from Oak's perspective - imagine my surprise when it was Wren that we were following. It certainly made things interesting, and honestly resembled Jude's perspective throughout the original trilogy. I absolutely know that Jude would be proud of how secretive Wren can be, and Cardan so pleased with how cunning Oak has become. Wren has this feral, ferocious behavior that comes from essentially being treated like a wild animal, but she uses it to her advantage and is able to channel that energy into achieving her goals.

The adventure in this book takes a different route compared to the original trilogy, as we see Oak and Wren on a journey together and face a number of obstacles, so much so that it felt like every turn had them encountering a new danger. This really pulled me into a new perspective of the world - sure, we saw our fair share of obstacles that Jude and Cardan experienced, but it truly felt as though as soon as Oak and Wren tackled one monster, three more appeared.

Reading this right after finishing A Day of Fallen Night by Samantha Shannon gave me some whiplash, as going from adult high fantasy to young adult fantasy certainly is disorienting - reading about modern day inventions felt foreign to me. I personally have never been a major fan of fantasy books that reference modern things, but it plays well into this world considering they interact between the mortal world and Faerie. There was not a ton of modern items mentioned in this book compared to others, so it was easy to overcome and move on with the fantasy aspect of the world.

The ending low-key had me gagged - I actually audibly gasped. I knew things were starting to take a certain turn, but to actually see it come to fruition was so fun. Holly Black truly utilizes every aspect of Faerie, and with that comes the manipulative tendencies of the characters. Seeing a few betrayals and a number of omissions to characters in order to advance their own agenda, The Stolen Heir maintains reader interest as the story moves forward. I cannot wait to see what is in store for this chaotic duo.

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How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories (The Folk of the Air, #3.5) by Holly Black Review

 

This is a spoiler-free review! You can read my reviews of The Cruel Prince, The Lost Sisters, The Wicked King, and The Queen of Nothing on my blog, now!

Cardan my little misunderstood king with a tail, I will always be your number one defender. I never doubted you for a second, even when you were throwing dirt into food or throwing people into rivers. I will always hate Balekin with a burning passion, and this novella just further justified the hate I harbored towards him. Absolutely obsessed with these little crumbs we have from Cardan's perspective of Jude throughout his childhood, how he notices her and Taryn from afar, how he slowly becomes fixated on her presence whenever she is near.

I feel as though many readers go into the original trilogy not truly understanding that Cardan is in fact cruel, but even more so, they do not understand that he has clearly been morphed and formed into the cruel prince that everyone knows. It was such a nice chance to see the background of Cardan's upbringing outside of the palace, and see how he viewed himself and how various people in his life directly impacted the way he guarded himself. Jude becoming a more prevalent figure in his life, even when he did not understand what he felt towards her, was a pleasant insight of Cardan's curiosity.

This novella's pacing is quick - full of a number of short stories and instances of Cardan's youth and current day experiences, readers are given a deeper look into his characterization and interactions throughout the years. I would have read double the amount of stories, as I find Cardan so interesting and multi-dimensional - I would have loved to see more of his perspective throughout the series.

It was refreshing to see Cardan's sense of self and his train of thought when it came to protecting others, especially in the way that he cares for Jude and her family. He is very much aware of the fact that if he and Jude are confronted by others, it will be Jude that picks up the sword and himself that watches the battle unfold, but he surely will be there by her side nonetheless.

The illustrations were a complimentary touch to this novella, and it was a treat to see Cardan in mortal clothes, considering we always have seen him dressed to the nines as the High King of Elfhame. I can finally go on with life knowing what he looks like wearing a hoodie, and if this novella was just two hundred pages of Cardan in varying mortal clothes, I would give it just as much love. I cannot wait to see what is in store with The Stolen Heir duology, and hopefully the High King and Queen will make an appearance, as I will never want to be rid of them.

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The Lost Sisters (The Folk of the Air, #1.5) by Holly Black Review

This review contains minor spoilers if you have not read The Cruel Prince - no major plot points are revealed. You can read reviews for The Cruel Prince, The Wicked King, and The Queen of Nothing on my blog now!

As many of my reader friends know, I am Taryn's Number One Hater and will be until the end of time. I will never forgive her for what she did to Jude, and while I understand that there are two sides to every story and she was a teenager, I cannot bring myself to even begin to come to terms with her reasoning. Nevertheless, it was high time I made my way through the novellas before embarking on The Stolen Heir.

Let me say this... Taryn is living in delulu land right from the start of this novella. Every other page I was reminding myself that she is a teenager and that teenagers do not always make the right choices, but my word, she sure knows how to make wrong choice after wrong choice like it is a competition. She definitely should have clocked the Locke situation from the bat -- it was painfully obvious when I was reading The Cruel Prince, and arguably even more clear in this novella.

Every single time Locke would speak to Taryn, the red flag lights were going off in my head. It was actually somewhat infuriating to see Taryn essentially walk through everything that she and Locke did, and still not understand until the very end that she should not have done these things to her own sister. Obviously, Locke is definitely deserving of some blame, as he was the root of the issues, so I will give Taryn just a drop of understanding, but never forgiveness.

The writing choice to make this a letter/explanation to Jude was something that I did enjoy -- it was weird to read in this perspective, as it is something that I tend to avoid. However, once you reorient yourself and put yourself in Jude's shoes, it makes the novella's flow and structure easier to adapt to after about ten pages.

I would certainly recommend reading The Lost Sisters to get a deeper dive into one of the many betrayal's in The Cruel Prince. It sheds a light on Taryn's decisions and the manipulation Locke spun throughout the first installment.

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The Queen of Nothing (The Folk of the Air, #3) by Holly Black Review

 

This is a spoiler-free review! You can read my reviews of The Cruel Prince and The Wicked King on my blog -- just click the links!

I seriously cannot believe I waited so long to read this series after having them on my shelf for years, but I am so glad that I got to read them so close to one another rather than waiting years for it to be over. However, that means it was over so much quicker than I wanted it to be. 

Jude is such a great character -- we too often see a female main character that does not fight for herself or is constantly trampled by the men that surround her in the story. Here, Jude is the one that is doing the trampling, and defending herself every chance she gets. She is clever and headstrong, and though she is young, she is able to command so many and control her fate, no matter the cost.

Cardan continues to impress me and I love the complexity of his character, and the development he went through as the series progressed. In The Cruel Prince he was truly one of the most unhinged male main characters I had come across, and his characterization was always being tested. He has been through so much and had to look within himself, with the help of Jude, to see what he was capable of and who he could be as a person.

Not even 100 pages into this book, I was once again giggling and kicking my feet in the air. I absolutely adore Cardan and Jude's hate-you-so-much-I-need-you relationship, and this book does not disappoint. We see this tension from both sides, and a subtle yearning that is just enough to show truth in their connection. Yes, there is not a ton of romance in this book, in the entire series in fact, but that is what makes it so special and raw to see when it does happen.

Before I read this series, I used to think that no sisters in a fantasy novel could be as annoying as Feyre's in A Court of Thorns and Roses, and yet here Taryn is, one of the most insufferable characters I have come across. Yes, she is a teenager, but so are Vivi and Jude, and they do not act like fools and take things for granted as Taryn does. She has betrayed her sister more times than I can count, and expects forgiveness every single time, as if she has done nothing wrong. Taryn asks so much from Jude, and unfortunately, Jude does give in sometimes, much to my detest.

Taryn does get some resemblance of what we can consider redemption, but I still do not forgive her for what she did to Jude in the first two books, and I do not think I ever will. She was foolish on so many occasions, and you cannot blame it on her age, since she and Jude are the same age. Lots of character development was being passed around to some characters that were acting horribly throughout the series, including Nicasia -- I never thought I would see the day that I was glad she was anywhere else but the Undersea.

Lots of characters got what the deserved in the end, and watching Cardan be so proud of Jude when she handles so many of them made my heart so happy. You can tell that they have a long way to go, but to see the encouragement from both sides is promising in hopes that they continue to grow together.

I loved the plot devices used in this book and the riddles that weaved their way into battles and curses as Jude and Cardan began their rule so early on. I found myself basically yelling at the pages to Jude for her to understand the answers, much like I found myself as I read A Court of Thorns and Roses. She may take some time to understand what lies beneath of this tricks, but she will always find the answer and stay true to what she needs to due.

I genuinely had such a fun time reading this series, and really enjoyed the playfulness and political agenda that was the backbone of the story. Romance was on the back-burner and I was happy to see it not completely overshadow the plot and character development. These are quick reads that leave the reader wanting more but ultimately satisfied with how the story played out in the end. I definitely recommend this series to those looking to get into fantasy on a lower-stakes level.

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The Wicked King (The Folk of the Air, #2) by Holly Black Review

This is a spoiler-free review! You can read my review of The Cruel Prince on my blog, here.

The ending of The Cruel Prince had me grinning so hard I thought my face was going to freeze, so I was very excited to dive back into this world and see what Cardan and Jude had in store for us. 

We pick up five months after the ending of the first book, and tensions are high as a new ruler reigns over Faerie. Jude and Cardan's dynamic is full of the same banter as in The Cruel Prince, but we can see this very subtle attraction between the two of them grow, even if they are actively going against each other at any chance they get. A vulnerability from Cardan that we had yet to see from him emerges throughout the book, and the effects of being High King and working with Jude continue to affect him in ways he did not anticipate.

There are so many incredible lines in this book that begin to unravel Jude and Cardan's feelings not only for each other, but for their positions in Faerie as they come to learn what they truly want. To see both of their character development in this sequel was subtle in every way that mattered.

Locke continues to be a thorn in everyone's side, and it is astonishing how Taryn is able to see anything redeemable in him, especially with what he put her -- and Jude -- through in the first book, and what he continues to do throughout this book as well. He is so annoying and seems to get away with everything, and even when admitting to it, Taryn looks the other way.

Taryn is an entirely different story. She continuously tells Jude that she does not want her to be angry with her anymore, and attempts to reconcile what she has done to her twin sister, but there is more to Taryn than meets the eye. I was not a fan of her character in the first book, and this book certainly cemented my negative feelings toward her.

To no surprise to anyone, Madoc is still the most shady person running around Court and causing problems to fulfill his own agenda trying to get Oak the crown and basically be the ruler of Faerie in place of his son. At some points, you can almost see that Madoc may have a care for Jude, but it is almost always immediately ripped away as he continues his schemes to benefit himself.

I really enjoyed the involvement of the Undersea in this book, it was nice to see another aspect of Elfhame and more political development as Cardan's rule continues to raise questions by some high-ranking folk of Faerie. The contrast of the Undersea compared to being on land goes further than dirt and sea, with their abilities of scheming and powers being on a completely different playing field. The way that Black is able to create an alluring contrast between the two allows the reader to transport themselves in an entirely new world.

We see betrayal from a number of people that Jude thought were on her side, and the consequences of these betrayal cause a domino effect on the fate of Cardan's rule as High King, and Jude's place beside him as his advisor. The politics in The Wicked King grow more serious compared to The Cruel Prince, and for that we see the push and pull between Jude and Cardan's partnership ruling over Faerie. I really enjoyed the political climate of this installment, and the constant power dynamic being played out by Jude and Cardan as their one year and a day comes closer and closer to an end.

A sequel that leaves the reader more shocked than the first, The Wicked King is a great installment that leaves the fate of Jude and Cardan uncertain to the very end. I will definitely be continuing with the series and cannot wait to read The Queen of Nothing to see their conclusion.

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The Cruel Prince (The Folk of the Air, #1) by Holly Black Review

This is a spoiler-free review! A list of trigger warnings can be found here.

I am finally getting around to starting this series after staring at these books on my shelf, and I am so glad that I did. From the title alone, you know that Cardan is going to be cruel, but I never imagined the things that he does, especially to Jude. It's absolutely insane and you cannot help but be on the edge of your seat, dying to get to the next page. My jaw dropped so many times at the things he, Valerian, and Nicasia would do to Jude, and while Locke was with them, he shows his true colors as the story goes on.

Being mortal in a land where no one else dies must be unfathomable, yet we see Jude live in a state where she has one foot in each door. She was robbed of her life in the mortal world, yet yearns for Faerie after living there for ten years. Jude longs for the life she once lived but never got to experience, yet her internal conflict remains that she cannot leave a magical world that she has grown accustomed to.

Dain and Locke both exude this energy that just draws you to them -- in Dain's case, you have a mistrust towards him but cannot help but be intrigued, and with Locke, his initial impression he gives is simply a cover for his other side -- or is it? Cardan's blatant antics and borderline torture of Jude and other members of the Gentry are presented upfront the minute we are introduced to his character, but I found myself rooting for any interaction that he would get with Jude.

I was giggling and kicking my feet at any time when Locke showed up in the beginning of the book -- the way he shares these raw moments with Jude melts my heart, and I could not read the pages any faster if I could. But in Faerie, not everything is as it seems, so my suspicions reminded as the story went on. I demand justice for Cardan's tail -- there should have been more scenes of it swaying around rather than just being mentioned. I do not care what the book community has to say about it, it deserves more!

Madoc continues to disappoint me from beginning to end, as being a horrendous person and father comes so easily to him. Taryn, Jude's twin sister, has me wanting to shove my hands into the pages and shake her by the shoulders, so that she may gain some common sense. You can understand her hesitation when Jude instigates fights with Cardan and the rest of his little gaggle of friends, but over the course of the story, she only becomes more irritating and illogical.

The Cruel Prince is full of political intrigue, sprinkled with some romance subplots that do not overshadow what this book is meant to focus on -- the line of succession and the cruelness of our dear Prince Cardan. The action was great and truly had me turning the pages as fast as I could, with complex characters who have -- you guessed it -- tragic backstories. Maybe it is because I have not dived into a fantasy series in a while, but the rush this book gave me was something I have not had in a long time. 

The series of emotions I went through during the last few chapters was exhilarating, and I will definitely be continuing with the series. I would recommend this series to fans of A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas and The Witch Hunter by Virginia Boecker. Let it be known, this book is less enemies to lovers and more about political intrigue, but captivates you in a way that you will find yourself involved in political espionage.

You can add The Cruel Prince and the rest of the series on Goodreads now, and follow the author to stay up to date on releases and publications.

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