Rule of Wolves by Leigh Bardugo and How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories by Holly Black

Over the past month, I read Rule of Wolves by Leigh Bardugo and How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories by Holly Black. Rule of Wolves continues right where King of Scars left off. Nikolai and Zoya are now planning to go to battle against the Fjerdans, while Nina is living with the family of her new friend, Hanne, as a spy. At the same time, there is a terrible blight that brings death and destruction wherever it appears. Nikolai, Zoya, and Nina, along with their allies, must find a way to bring peace to their land even when the odds are against them. Although I enjoyed reading this book for the adventure and magic, I did not love it as much as I loved King of Scars. There were things I liked and disliked about the plot, especially towards the end of the book. Although I didn't mind that the end left the story open for another book, I was frustrated how the author handled one of my favorite characters, the Darkling, after being delighted by the chapters from his point of view. Although he's supposed to be one of the villains, I can't help but like him. I find him fascinating, so I always want more of him. I've always thought he would be better used as an antihero than a villain because he's Grisha and wants the same thing as other Grisha, like Zoya and Nina, want: to be able to live without fear of persecution. With that said, it was fun seeing the characters of Kaz, Jesper, Wylan, and Inej from the Six of Crows duology again during their small cameos. I would recommend Rule of Wolves if you've read King of Scars.

On the other hand, How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories was a delight from beginning to end. This book is a collection of short stories taking place in the Folk of the Air universe from Cardan Greenbrier's perspective. These short stories are tied together by his meetings with a troll woman, Aslog, who told him two tales before the events of The Cruel Prince. At some point after The Queen of Nothing, Cardan and Jude have to go to the human world where a troll is wreaking havoc. Cardon finds out that it's Aslog and decides to try being the hero. I loved reading about Cardan's childhood, moments from the trilogy, and the adventure taking place after The Queen of Nothing because the stories expanded on the development of Cardan's character. Not to mention, the art in the book is gorgeous. My only complaint is that the book was too short, and I wish more moments from the trilogy with Jude were included. How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories is definitely a must-read for all Cardan Greenbrier fans.