The Lost Sisters by Holly Black

 

Over the weekend, I read The Lost Sisters by Holly Black. This fantasy novella is part of the Folk of the Air series and takes place during the beginning of The Cruel Prince from the perspective of Jude's twin sister, Taryn. After she receives a note from Prince Cardan's friend, Locke, Taryn sends a message back with the encouragement of her older sister, Vivienne. Although Taryn has her doubts at first, Locke begins to visit her at night, wanting to keep their relationship a secret. As the conflict between Jude and Prince Cardan escalates and she gets caught in the crossfire, Taryn becomes angry with her sister for not backing down and frustrated that Locke won't stand up for her. When Taryn hears a fiddler, Edir, singing about her after Jude wins the Summer Tournament, she decides to make a daring proposal to take control.

I was more than happy to read another story taking place in the Folk of the Air universe when I learned that there was a novella that I hadn't had the chance to read yet and thought it was definitely a valuable addition to the story. It was interesting seeing events from Taryn's point of view because I don't think Jude considered how her actions would affected Taryn. I also liked how it made Taryn an active participant in the story, rather than a passive character. While she sees her life as similar to the fairy tales she read as a child and takes lessons from them, she also doesn't want to make the same mistakes her mom did. That really resonated with me because of how The Cruel Prince opened. I actually liked this book so much that I wish the whole book series was re-written from Taryn's viewpoint, especially knowing the fate of Taryn and Locke's relationship. If you enjoyed The Cruel Prince, The Lost Sisters is a must-read.