Holly Black - The Stolen Heir (The Stolen Heir Doulogy #1)
4⭐
Genre: Fantasy, YA, Fiction
Pages: 358
Format: Hardback
Publisher: Hot Key Books
Date Published: 3rd January 2023
Big thanks to Hot Key Books for the copy of this book and TandemCollectiveUK for having me on their #TheStolenHeir #TandemReadalong on Instagram.
Book Blurb:
Eight years have passed since the Battle of the Serpent. But in the icy north, Lady Nore of the Court of Teeth, has reclaimed the Ice Needle Citadel. There she is using an ancient relic to create monsters of stick and snow who will do her bidding and exact her revenge.
Suren, child queen of the Court of Teeth, and the one person with power over her mother, fled to the human world, where she lives feral in the woods. Lonely, and still haunted by the merciless torments she endured in the Court of Teeth, she bides her time by releasing mortals from foolish bargains. She believes herself forgotten until the storm hag Bogdana chases her through the night streets. Suren is saved by none other than Prince Oak, heir to Elfhame, to whom she was once promised in marriage and who she has resented for years.
Now seventeen, Oak is charming, beautiful and manipulative. He's on a mission that will lead him into the north, and he wants Suren's help. But if she agrees, it will mean guarding her heart against the boy she once knew and a prince she cannot trust, as well as confronting all the horrors she thought she had left behind.
My Review:
It didn’t hit me as much as The
Folk of the Air trilogy, but it was so great to be back in the Fae world. As always,
loved Holly Black’s writing and the suspense, twists and scheming that surrounds
Elfhame. However, it was a tad weird to read about Oak being all grown up. It
took me a little while to adjust to the fact that he is now a teen. Again,
Black created such an amazing world, and the way she writes just makes you feel
that you are right there in the Fae world with the characters, experiencing
what they are experiencing.
The book follows Suren (Wren) who
is saved by Oak, and who takes her on a mission to the Lady Nore of the Court
of Teeth to bargain Madoc’s release. Oak is adamant that with Wren's help, he will
be able to free his father from Lady Nore. Wren reluctantly agrees, mainly because
she still thinks there is a friend in him that she can trust. However, she also
realises that Oak is not the boy she once knew anymore and that he is able to
charm anyone, even her.
I liked that the story was from
Wren’s POV, but at the same time, I really wanted at least a few chapters from
Oak’s perspective. I just think it would have helped me to realise that Oak is
now all grown up and maybe I would have liked him more than I did in this book.
I just felt that he is a bit like Madoc mixed with Locke (the cruelty mixed
with charm). However, I do think that Wren’s POV allowed a deeper glimpse into the
history of The Court of Teeth, as well as gave us the backstory of Wren.
Overall: I really enjoyed reading this and it was
definitely my comfort read, especially as it was great to be back in Elfhame
and Fae world. Also, although you can read this book as a standalone, I was
really happy that I read The Folk of the Heir trilogy first, as otherwise, I don’t
think many things in this book would have made sense. So, I do recommend
reading The Folk of the Air trilogy first. I am however, really excited for The
Prisoner’s Throne, as this book finished on a brilliant and yet shocking cliffhanger
and truth be told, I need answers and I need to know what happens next to both
Wren and Oak!!!
About the Author:
Holly Black is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of over thirty fantasy novels for kids and teens. She has been a finalist for an Eisner Award and the Lodestar Award, and the recipient of the Mythopoeic Award, a Nebula, and a Newbery Honor. Her books have been translated into 32 languages worldwide and adapted for film. She currently lives in New England with her husband and son in a house with a secret library.
https://blackholly.com/
No comments:
Post a Comment