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Reviews tagging 'Physical abuse'
How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories by Holly Black
26 reviews
claudiamacpherson's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I honestly didn’t expect to like this as much as I did. It’s very short, and I flew through the audiobook in a few hours. I love when books are a little bit meta with themes of storytelling, and of course I loved seeing more of Jude and Cardan. It was refreshing to have Cardan as a narrator; since the Folk of the Air trilogy is all from Jude’s point of view, I had wanted something from Cardan’s point of view. Honestly, I kind of wish some of this story had been incorporated into the trilogy.
Happy ending meter (no specific spoilers, just the vibe of the ending): Happy! Which is to be expected, but it really was quite cute.
Moderate: Child abuse, Physical abuse, and Violence
sarahsbooklife's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Sexual content, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, and Murder
plumpaperbacks's review against another edition
emotional
funny
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I was excited for more content in the Folk of the Air world, and this little novella collection certainly delivered. Cardan is one of my favorite lovable dumbasses, so I devoured these stories in just a few hours. Also, the entire book is absolutely gorgeous. Rovina Cai’s illustrations are stunning, and I think her portrayal of Cardan is among the best I’ve seen.
Now for some thoughts regarding each novella.
Now for some thoughts regarding each novella.
- The King of Elfhame Visits the Mortal World: 4 stars. Fun, but not really substantial.
- The Prince of Elfhame is Rude: 4 stars. My criticism here is the same as it is for the previous novella.
- The Prince of Elfhame Hates (Almost) Everything and Everyone: 4.5 stars. It was interesting to see how Cardan and Nicasia met.
- The Prince of Elfhame Gets a Moth Drunk: 3.5 stars. Though it wasn’t as interesting as the title suggests, I did like seeing Cardan’s softer side. (He just won’t admit he has one.)
- The Prince of Elfhame is Mildly Inconvenienced: 3 stars. This was kind of pointless, but seeing Jude and Taryn from Cardan’s perspective is definitely interesting.
- The Prince of Elfhame Gets Wet: 3 stars. Again, this was kind of pointless, but I enjoyed seeing his crush on Jude develop.
- The Prince of Elfhame is Given Two Stories: 4 stars. I’m not sure if I’m supposed to but I kind of like Aslog. (Note: This doesn’t last.)
- The Prince of Elfhame Learns to Hate Stories: 4 stars. The best word to describe Cardan is “fool”, as evidenced by this story. I love him anyway.
- The Prince of Elfhame Stomps Around: 4 stars. Alternate title: The Prince of Elfhame Has a Crush on a Mortal. We love to see it. At least, I do.
- The King of Elfhame Tries to Do One Good Thing: 5 stars. YESSS JURDAN CONTENT. Also, I love seeing Cardan in the mortal world, 10/10 would read more. This is one of my favorite stories.
- The King of Elfhame Gets What He Deserves: 5 stars. Cardan really is a dumbass, but it’s fine. He means well—most of the time—and he’s entertaining regardless. This is my other favorite story. (Yes, my favorites are the ones that involve Jude and Cardan. I’m a simple lesbian that just loves to see her favorite heteros together.)
Some of these made me laugh, and others really made me pity Cardan. It’s a super short book, easy to speed through, and if you’re a fan of this series, I can’t recommend it enough. Cardan might hate stories, but I love them.
Graphic: Child abuse, Drug use, and Alcoholism
Moderate: Bullying, Physical abuse, and Infidelity
Minor: Death, Sexual content, and Violence
beccatalksbooks's review against another edition
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Minor: Physical abuse
lauraeerika's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
tense
fast-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Moderate: Drug use, Child abuse, and Physical abuse
bwaymadeline's review against another edition
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
i love jude and cardan so much it physically hurts me! was absolutely fascinating to learn more about cardan <3
Moderate: Physical abuse
Minor: Sexual content
there’s quite a lot of alcohol mentioning/ingestion of faerie substances! none too graphic, just really during revels
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