The Prisoner's Throne by Holly Black

 

Yesterday evening, I finished reading The Prisoner's Throne by Holly Black. The conclusion to The Stolen Heir duology, this fantasy novel begins shortly after Wren locks up Prince Oak in the prisons of the Ice Needle Citadel for his betrayal. While Oak still loves Wren and wants to find a way for her to trust him again, he also knows that High King Cardan and High Queen Jude will do anything to bring him home to Elfhame. After Wren releases him from the prisons, he uses the opportunity to become engaged to her, so he has a reason to go back to Elfhame without any blood being shed. Aware of a greater conspiracy and the lingering possibility of war, Oak must decide if he can trust Wren or if he should remain loyal to Elfhame, even if it means ending Wren.

I was so excited to read this sequel and I enjoyed it from beginning to end. I really liked how this book was from Oak's perspective after The Stolen Heir was from Wren's because I was curious about what he was thinking after everything that happened and it filled in the blanks. While I wanted to be right about the thoughts I had after reading the first book, because the story is told through Oak this time, I wasn't completely sure of Wren's loyalty, especially when it seemed like she was working with her biological mother, Bogdana, to take the throne of Elfhame. I didn't want Wren to be one of the villains, though, and I had hope that she and Oak would work things out. This book was filled with suspense and plot twists and it kept me guessing as to how it would end. I was definitely anxious that either Wren, Oak, or another beloved character would die and that feeling wasn't exactly misplaced, but the ending was beautiful and made the pain worth it. It also made me happy that the author left a loose end for another book taking place in Faerie. I read the Barnes & Noble Exclusive Edition, so there was an interview with Holly Black at the end of the book, which I thought was super interesting because she discussed her inspiration for writing the duology. Anyone who enjoyed The Stolen Heir should read The Prisoner's Throne.

Summer Reading 2023

  

Welcome back to school, everyone! Here is an update of the books I've read since the middle of June. First, I read all five books of the Spiderwick Chronicles series by Tony DiTerlizzi and Holly Black: The Field Guide, The Seeing Stone, Lucinda's Secret, The Ironwood Tree, and The Wrath of Mulgarath. This fantasy series is about Jared; his twin brother, Simon; and their older sister, Mallory who find a mysterious field guide after they move into an old mansion. When unusual things begin happening, they discover the magical and dangerous world of faerie. In each book, they go on a different adventure before having to face and defeat the dreaded ogre, Mulgarath, and his goblin army in the finale. If you like fast-paced fantasy, I highly recommend this series.

 

In June, I also read Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo. This realistic novel-in-verse is about two teenage girls, Camino Rios and Yahaira Rios, who discover that they're sisters after their father dies in a devastating plane crash going from New York City to the Dominican Republic. Coping with the loss of Papi and the truth of his double life, Camino and Yahaira have to decide if they want to know more about each other and be a part of each other's lives. This novel began tragically, but I enjoyed trying to figure out the connection between the Camino and Yahaira before it was fully revealed. I definitely liked how they gradually learned to trust each other. This novel-in-verse is beautiful, and anyone who likes stories of loss and forgiveness should read it.

By the start of July, I read The Coldest Girl in Coldtown by Holly Black. This paranormal fantasy, taking place in a world with walled cities called Coldtowns where vampires and humans live together, is about a teenage girl, Tana, who wakes up one morning after a party in a house full of corpses. While exploring the house, she discovers two other survivors: her ex-boyfriend, Aidan, who is infected and a mysterious boy, Gavriel, who has a secret. To save the three of them, she decides to go to the nearest Coldtown where there is no guarantee of getting out again. While reading this book, I enjoyed the suspense of the plot and the small dose of romance. I just wish it had a sequel because the end left me wanting more. This book is excellent for anyone who enjoys horror and fantasy, especially vampire tales.

The next book I read in July was Geektastic: Stories from the Nerd Herd edited by Holly Black and Cecil Castelucci. This short story collection has tales about all sorts of geeks, including science fiction fans, fan fiction authors, cosplayers, and more. It also includes illustrations by comic book artists, Hope Larson and Bryan Lee O'Malley. Some of my favorite tales in the collection were "Once You're a Jedi, You're a Jedi All the Way" by Holly Black and Cecil Castelucci, "I Never" by Cassandra Clare, "The Stars at the Finish Line" by Wendy Mass, and "It's Just a Jump to the Left" by Libba Bray. I recommend this book to anyone who wants to embrace their inner geek.

Afterwards, I read another short story collection, The Poison Eaters: and Other Stories by Holly Black. This collection includes tales of vampires, devils, werewolves, faeries, and more. Two of the stories take place in the world of Tithe, which I read and reviewed earlier this year. I especially enjoyed "A Reversal of Forture", "The Dog King", "In Vodka Veritas", "Paper Cuts Scissors", and "The Land of Heart's Desire". Overall, it's a great collection and fantasy fantasy fans should read it.

By the end of July, I read Zombies vs. Unicorns edited by Holly Black and Justine Larbalestier. This collection is split evenly between unicorn tales and zombie tales as the editors argue over which is better. Black led Team Unicorn while Larbalestier led Team Zombie. All of the stories were fantastic, and by the end of the collection, I couldn't decide if I liked unicorns or zombies better. My favorite unicorn story was "The Care and Feeding of Your Baby Killer Unicorn" by Diana Peterfreund and my favorite zombie tale was "Cold Hands" by Cassandra Clare. If you're a zombie fan or a unicorn fan, this collection is perfect.

Finally, I read Beauty and the Beast by Elizabeth Rudnick in August. In this fantasy novel, a young woman, Belle, lives with her father, Maurice, in the the small village of Villeneuve, France. She doesn't feel like she belongs, though, and wants to go on adventures like in the stories she has read. When Maurice is imprisoned in a castle by a terrifying Beast, Belle decides to take his place. After the Beast saves her from a wolf attack when she tries to escape, they learn to look beyond their first impressions of each other. Meanwhile, the town war hero, Gaston, has set his eyes on Belle and spends his time trying to come up with a scheme to make her his wife. Beauty and the Beast has always been one of my favorite fairy tales because I grew up with the animated movie from 1991, so I especially enjoyed this novelization of the live action movie that was released in 2017. If you enjoyed either of the movies or fairy tales in general, you should read this book.

Ironside and The Lament of Lutie-loo by Holly Black

 

Last night, I finished reading the final book of the Modern Faerie Tales series, Ironside by Holly Black. This fantasy novel concludes the trilogy about the adventures of Kaye, Val, and their friends. At the coronation of her boyfriend, Roiben, Kaye makes the mistake of declaring herself to him after being pressured by two other faeries while drunk on faerie wine, even though he told her not to do so. Roiben gives her the impossible quest of finding a faerie who can lie and she's not supposed to talk, or even see, him until she completes the task. Then, when Kaye decides to tell her mom the truth that she's a faerie, Ellen's reaction of horror leads Kaye to go the Seelie Court with Corny to find Ellen's real daughter and bring her home. Upon learning that the Seelie Court's queen, Silarial, wants Roiben's throne and plans to use her to get it, Kaye has to find a way to both prevent the possible war and save him because she still loves him.

This was another excellent fantasy novel by Holly Black and it was a thrilling adventure from beginning to end. I knew there had to be a trick regarding the quest Roiben gave Kaye, but I was never able to figure it out until she did. Even though Kaye and Roiben betrayed each other in different ways, I was hoping that they would reconcile by the end of the story. While things between them got worse before they got better, I was pleased by the book's conclusion. I also loved that Luis continued to play a big role in the story after meeting him in Valiant. I enjoyed the relationship between him and Corny because it turned out they had a lot in common, especially regarding how their lives had been affected by their interactions with faeries. Additionally, I liked how Lutie-loo was a supportive friend to Kaye, watching over her mom, while Kaye went on her journey. Because the Seelie Court and Silarial posed such a huge threat to Kaye, Corny, Luis, and their loved ones, the story was not without tragedy. With that said, if you've read Tithe and Valiant, you should certainly read Ironside.

I also read a short story, The Lament of Lutie-loo, taking place years after the events of the trilogy. Roiben's sister, Ethine, is still gone, so Lutie-loo goes on a mission for Kaye to find Ethine's whereabouts. Lutie-loo ends up being captured and held as a hostage in the High Court where Prince Balekin wants to use her to gain the loyalty of Roiben and the Court of Termites. This short story was fun to read and I enjoyed that it featured characters from both the Modern Faerie Tales and Folk of the Air series. It serves as a bridge between the two series, so I would recommend it to fans of those books who aren't ready to leave the world Holly Black created.

Valiant by Holly Black

 

Last night, I finished reading Valiant by Holly Black, which is the second book in the Modern Faerie Tales series. In this fantasy novel, a seventeen-year-old girl, Valerie Russell, is about to go on date to a hockey game in New York City with her boyfriend, Tom. When Tom is late in picking her up, Val heads to the train station on her own, but then she changes her mind and goes back home to wait for Tom. There, she catches Tom and her mother together. Angry with both her mom and Tom, she ends up going to the hockey game alone. Not wanting face her mom, Val decides to stay in the city after the game and meets Lolli, Dave, and Luis, a group of teens who are homeless and live in the subway. After making a delivery to Mabry, a goat-legged woman, with Dave, Val is unsettled by seeing a faerie for the first time. She mentions what she saw to Lolli, who talks her into going into the troll tunnel for proof that faeries are real. When the troll, Ravus, catches them in his lair, Val agrees to make deliveries for him for a month if he lets Lolli go. Making the last of her first set of deliveries, Val comes across a dead mermaid. She immediately goes back to Ravus to inform him of what she saw. As she grows closer to Ravus, they try to solve the mystery of the faerie murders in the city even as she and her new friends become addicted to the substance they have her stealing from Ravus, which acts as a drug in humans.

This sequel is definitely the darkest and grittiest of all the books I've read by Holly Black so far, but I enjoyed the mystery and suspense of it because the plot kept me on my toes, trying to guess who was murdering faeries in New York City. I thought Lolli and Dave were a terrible influence on Val, but it was clear that Val was in a very dark place at the start of the story and I do respect that she grew to care about her new friends even if they were quite problematic. I definitely loved her relationship with Ravus, who agreed to teach her how to sword fight when she decided to keep making deliveries for him even though it was dangerous and other faeries suspected him of being the poisoner. I absolutely hated that she was betraying him by stealing Nevermore from his supply for her friends' needs and I was anxious about what would happen when he found out. Thankfully, this book has a happy ending and the climax was fantastic, showing how Val grew as a character. Anyone who likes the series starter, Tithe, or any of Holly Black's other books should read Valiant.

Perfectly Parvin by Olivia Abtahi and Tithe by Holly Black

 

Last week, I finished reading Perfectly Parvin by Olivia Abtahi. This romantic comedy is about Parvin Mohammadi, a half-Iranian American girl who wants to find a date to Homecoming her freshman year of high school. During summer break, Parvin befriended Wesley, a boy who would be going to her high school, on vacation at the beach and kissed him before they went home, but at freshman orientation, he suddenly breaks up with her. Heartbroken and humiliated, Parvin comes up with a plan to get her freshman orientation tour guide, Matty Fumero, to date her and ask her to Homecoming. Despite the objections of her best friends, Ruth Song and Fabián Castor, Parvin decides to act more like the girls in the rom-coms she has seen and less like her usual loud, cackling self. Complicating matters is Farsi lessons for which she is tutored on Wednesdays after school by Amir Shirazi. Although she comes to value their friendship, she feels confused when he starts to show that he wants to be more than friends because she thinks he shouldn't like her because she's not full Iranian like he is. As Homecoming approaches, Parvin discovers the importance of being herself.

Although I enjoyed this book for the most part because it was hilarious, I was a little disappointed and unsatisfied by the ending. Parvin was definitely really relatable, though, because I was boy crazy at that age, too. I just thought it was a terrible idea that she wanted to change everything about herself for Matty and felt bad for her friends because she was so focused on getting a date to Homecoming that she was forgetting about their plans for after school. It was definitely a journey over the weeks for Parvin as she realized what was truly important to her. I definitely loved her friendship with Ruth and Fabián when she did remember to hang out with them. Out of Parvin's love interests, I was rooting for Amir because she was always able to be herself around him. There was a heartbreaking moment towards the end of the book relating to the challenges that Iranians, and Muslims in general, face when coming to this country, even just to visit family. It definitely made me mad at the injustice. While it didn't have my favorite ending on the romantic front, I do recommend Perfectly Parvin to those who like humor, with a dash of drama.

I also just read Tithe, the first book of the Modern Faerie Tales series by Holly Black, over the weekend. This fantasy novel is about Kaye Fierch, a sixteen-year-old girl who travels with her mom Ellen's rock band. When Ellen's boyfriend, Lloyd, suddenly attacks her, they return to Kaye's childhood home in New Jersey to live with her grandmother. A week into staying at her grandmother's, Kaye and her friend, Janet, go to an old, semi-abandoned merry-go-round building to hang out with Janet's other friends. After Janet's boyfriend, Kenny, sees her magically make a carousel horse with shattered legs stand and then touches her, she runs away and finds an injured faerie knight named Roiben by the side of the road. Upon saving his life, she learns that she isn't who she thought she was her entire life and that she is to be sacrificed for the Tithe of a nearby faerie kingdom called the Unseelie Court. Caught between the Unseelie Court and their rival kingdom, the Seelie Court, Kaye has to determine who to trust for her own survival.

This fantasy novel was excellent and I loved it so much that I already started reading the second book in the series. I enjoyed the sense of adventure, despite the fact that it all took place in just one New Jersey town, and there was suspense from beginning to end. What drew me in the most, though, was the romance between Kaye and Roiben. I wanted them to be together from the moment that they met, even if there were some reservations on both their parts because they didn't know if they could trust each other. I also liked the friendship that Kaye built with Janet's brother, Corny, because he was the first human Kaye trusted with her secret and helped her infiltrate the Unseelie Court. My favorite of Kaye's "imaginary" childhood faerie friends was Lutie-loo because her personality was such a joy and she was loyal to Kaye. As the first book Holly Black wrote taking place in Faerie, Tithe is the perfect introduction to the world she created and any fantasy fan should read it.

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.

The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black

 

Yesterday, I finished reading The Darkest Part of the Forest by Holly Black. This fantasy novel is about siblings, Hazel and Ben, who live in the town of Fairfold where humans and fae exist together. Hazel has always wanted to be a knight while Ben has always wanted to fall in love. In the woods by Fairfold, there is a glass coffin with a horned boy who has been sleeping there for generations. One day, the glass coffin is found destroyed and the boy is gone. As a monster from the forest comes to attack the residents of Fairfold, Hazel must remember her years pretending to be a knight and figure out her connection to what happened the night the horned boy, with whom she and Ben have been in love since they were children, disappeared.

I have wanted to read this book ever since I finished the Folk of the Air trilogy because it takes place in the same universe and I enjoyed it just as much as I thought I would. It was definitely interesting to learn about the origin of Severin, who was an ally of Jude Duarte and Cardan Greenbrier. Hazel and Ben were definitely the stars of the book, though. I loved how determined Hazel was to protect and help Ben, even if she made some mistakes along the way, and it made me happy how Ben's dream was to fall in love like he read in fairy tales. I thought it was pretty cool how he was musically inclined, too. The romance in this book was sweet and the action scenes were full of suspense. If you like faerie-based fantasy, I would definitely recommend The Darkest Part of the Forest.

The Stolen Heir by Holly Black

 

Last week, I read The Stolen Heir by Holly Black. This fantasy novel, taking place in the Elfhame universe, is about the child queen of the Court of Teeth, Suren. Eight years after the events of the Battle of the Serpent, Lady Nore has reclaimed the Ice Needle Citadel. Suren, or Wren as her human family called her, is the only person who has power over her mother. After Wren helps a human man get out of an agreement with a glaistig, she is chased by the storm hag who helped raise her, Bogdana. Just in time, Wren is saved by Prince Oak, the heir to Elfhame. Oak is on a quest north with his guard, Tiernan, and wants Wren's aid. Although Wren believes she can't trust Oak and it means confronting the horrors of her past, she agrees to go with them. As they journey first to the Court of Moths for information and then to the Court of Teeth, Wren and Oak become closer, but there is a secret about Wren's past that could destroy their fragile relationship and change everything.

I am absolutely reeling from the end of this book. Although I thought it started out a bit slow at first, it definitely built in excitement and I didn't want to stop reading about halfway through. It was interesting to learn about Wren's past and I loved how her attraction to Oak grew despite her better judgement. While I had my suspicions about the plot twist at the end, I didn't really want to be right, so the big reveal was shocking and I can't exactly say I like how Wren handled the news. It made me see her in a less sympathetic light because she reminded me way too much of her parents, Lady Nore and Lord Jarel. I hope when she's had some time to calm down and reflect that she'll realize that she overreacted. I can't say too much more without spoiling, but I can't wait for the sequel, The Prisoner's Throne, which will be released next year. Overall, The Stolen Heir was amazing and all fantasy fans should read it.

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.

The Folk of the Air Series by Holly Black

 

Over spring break and the last few days, I read The Folk of the Air series by Holly Black, which is led off by The Cruel Prince. This dark fantasy is about a human girl, Jude Duarte, who watched her mother and father be murdered right in front of her in their own home and was then taken, along with her older and twin sisters, to the islands of Elfhame to be raised by the faerie, Madoc, who killed their parents. Ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to be a knight for the king of Elfhame and prove that she does belong, despite being human. Because Madoc is the Grand General of the king, Jude and her sisters are regularly invited to the celebrations of the royal court and go to school with High King Eldred's youngest son, Prince Cardan Greenbriar. Although Cardan is the most beautiful of all the faeries, Jude hates him because he constantly undermines and disrespects her and they end up playing tricks on each other to the point of cruelty. After her success at the Summer Tournament, Jude becomes a spy for Crown Prince Dain, Cardan's second oldest brother, to uncover the plans for an assassination attempt before his coronation. In exchange, Jude receives a geas that gives her protection against the glamour of faeries. Although Jude and her fellow spies find clues as to when the assassination attempt will be, there is a devastating coup at a point of weakness during the coronation. Badly shaken, Jude reluctantly decides to protect Cardan as her prisoner in order to take back the throne.

I enjoyed The Cruel Prince and its sequels more than any other book I've read so far this year. I couldn't stop reading it and felt completely immersed in the world that Holly Black created. One of my favorite tropes is enemies to lovers, and this series didn't disappoint at all. I definitely admired the main character, Jude, because she was strong and brave in a fantastical world where others saw her as weak. I also loved Cardan. Cardan was not an easy character to like, let alone love, at first, but after the events of the coronation, I saw a new side of him, just like Jude did. He was funny, clever, and charming, and I couldn't help but be drawn to him. I don't want to say too much about the rest of the series, but he definitely grows a lot and became one of my favorite characters. The Folk of the Air is full of political intrigue and betrayal and each book had several shocking plot twists that sometimes left me reeling. Other times, I correctly guessed at the plot twists through Black's careful foreshadowing. All in all, this book series is an incredible choice for every fantasy fan.