Holly Black’s return to Elfhame A new book has been released in the same world as The Cruel Prince

Grace LaubenthaL COPY EDITOR

“In Faerie, there are no fish sticks, no ketchup, no television.”

This was the opening line to The New York Times-bestselling author Holly Black’s “The Folk of the Air” series. The Cruel Prince, released in 2018, was the first book she published that takes place in Elfhame, though her previous series, The Spiderwick Chronicles, of which she was a cowriter, also takes place in the same world.

The trilogy takes place in the Shifting Isles of Elfhame, and is told through the perspective of a mortal girl, Jude Duarte.

Jude has lived at the High Court since her parents were murdered, but many of the Faerie Folk dislike humans. She wants to belong to the only home she’s ever known, and she’s determined to find a way to do so.

However, in Elfhame, not everything is as it seems. Even though the Folk cannot lie, they can hide the truth. Jude must determine who is truly on her side and who she can use to advance herself in the Faerie world.

One of the people she works with is Prince Cardan, the youngest son of the High King. They form a dangerous alliance, risking their lives to save Faerie.

The story is one of political intrigue with a subplot of romance. It involves deception, betrayal, trickery, and bloodshed.

Fans of the series often rave about the enemies to lovers’ romance, but first time readers who go into the series expecting a romance will come out disappointed.

Romance is not a dominant aspect of the books.

When I read the books, I found that they have a perfect mix of Faerie politics and romance. It is only when readers expect it to be the main story being told that they feel dissatisfied.

The Cruel Prince was followed by The Wicked King, and the series concluded with The Queen of Nothing until the novella, How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories, was released in 2020.

That novella was the last readers had seen of Elfhame until January 3rd of this year, when Black released a new book including characters seen in the previous series.

The Stolen Heir is the first in a duology taking place in the world of Faerie. This time, however, instead of following the story of Jude and Cardan, one of the main characters is Oak, Jude’s younger brother.

Oak is the heir of Elfhame and, in a desperate attempt to save his father, partners up with the protagonist, Suren, a queen cast out of her kingdom in exchange for taking her mother down in the process.

The two characters, along with Oak’s friend and guard Tiernan, form an unlikely alliance as they work for their own gains.

This book is a road trip-style novel that contains many riddles and plenty of deception.

It has a different energy than The Cruel Prince, and doesn’t actually have Jude or Cardan appear on page, but it still gives readers the satisfaction of journeying back to the world they remember.

As someone who enjoyed The Cruel Prince a lot, I was happy with The Stolen Heir because it didn’t try to replicate the previous series.

It is a story in and of itself, taking small elements from the trilogy but creating something entirely new at the same time.

As of February 8th, The Stolen Heir is rated 4.20 out of 5 stars on Goodreads. In my opinion, this is a worthy rating for this book.

It was very enjoyable to read and the journey the characters go on provides much more information about the world the book takes place in.

The second book in the duology, The Prisoner’s Throne, will be released in February of 2024. The first book was told through the point of view of Suren, but this one will be told through Oak’s eyes.

In this book, I predict that there will be a lot more of Jude and Cardan. Adding these two beloved characters is sure to add a fun dynamic to the new duology.

To see the characters years after their story concluded will certainly be appreciated by the fans.

The Folk of the Air series is a perfect introduction to fantasy for readers who haven’t previously read within the genre, but is also an entertaining story for present fantasy readers. Holly Black is a masterful author with a precise writing style. I would recommend her works to fans of Sarah J. Maas and The Witcher. Black’s stories have shocked readers with plot twists all throughout her career, and she’s sure to continue doing so in her future novels.