Book Review | How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories (The Folk of the Air, #3.5) by Holly Black

How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories

Author: Holly Black  // Published: November 24, 2020

★★★★

An illustrated addition to the New York Times bestselling Folk of Air trilogy, that started with The Cruel Prince, from award-winning author Holly Black.

An irresistible return to the captivating world of Elfhame.

Once upon a time, there was a boy with a wicked tongue.

Before he was a cruel prince or a wicked king, he was a faerie child with a heart of stone . #1 New York Times bestselling author, Holly Black reveals a deeper look into the dramatic life of Elfhame’s enigmatic high king, Cardan. This tale includes delicious details of life before The Cruel Prince, an adventure beyond The Queen of Nothing, and familiar moments from The Folk of the Air trilogy, told wholly from Cardan’s perspective.

This new installment in the Folk of the Air series is a return to the heart-racing romance, danger, humor, and drama that enchanted readers everywhere. Each chapter is paired with lavish and luminous full-color art, making this the perfect collector’s item to be enjoyed by both new audiences and old.

Goodreads

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“Having a heart is terrible, but you need one anyway.”

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Holly Black has been a favorite of mine for a few years now. Whenever I’m looking to read a weird book I know she’s my go to. I love her books for that reason. But I also always say the same thing when reading her books, and that’s that they’re too short. The same applies to How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories.

I’ve been looking forward to reading this since Holly announced it. The Folk of the Air series is one of my favorites, and getting a story about Cardan was everything I wanted. Not to mention the illustrations are to die for! The illustrations really captured Cardan perfectly and they added so much to the book. So much praise to Rovina Cai! Hr artwork made the whole book feel so much like a fairy tale.

I loved seeing a little bit of Cardan’s past here. We also got a glimpse of what some scenes from The Cruel Prince were like from his point of view. I enjoyed getting to know Cardan better and to understand why he was the way he was. The things that contributed to his personality. What he was like before and after Jude came along. As well as what life is like after the events of Queen of Nothing.

I absolutely loved coming back to this world as twisted as it sometimes can be. I loved the stories we were given and I’m really hoping that in the future Holly will give us more. I’m truly not ready to part with these characters just yet, especially after reading this one.

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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.

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