Reviews with content warning for Sexual assault - The Stolen Heir

A fast, fun read that doesn't quite have the spark of The Folk of the Air.

I think Holly Black's writing has gotten more mature over time, and it's generally much smoother to read now. Wren's a great protagonist—sympathetic, unsocialized, impulsive—and Oak is likeable here, even if I felt that he was almost too easy to like and trust for the purposes of the story. It's obvious fairly quickly that all the wild rumours about him being irresponsible or cunning are exaggerated, but the book seems to want you to wonder at his true intentions, even when he literally can't lie about them.

My main complaint is with the weak ending, wherein

all the traits we've seen in Wren so far are abruptly thrown out, like her fierce hatred for imprisonment, over her discovering she has Mellith's heart and that Oak didn't mention it. It doesn't feel like nearly a big enough "betrayal" to warrant her 180 in personality and using the bridle on him, especially after making much ado about not wanting to see it on anyone. Not to mention Oak literally tells her outright that he was just keeping it from her so she would be able to truthfully say she didn't know where the heart was. Way more angst and development would have been needed to make that cruelty feel like a realistic next step, the way Jude betraying Cardan felt real in the original trilogy.

Still, I marathoned this within a day and immediately put a hold on the next book, so I can't say I don't recommend it. It's a good time, even if the character development doesn't always hold together towards the end.

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rory18's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

Only took off a quarter star because there was some weird nonsensical tense-switching. (At least in the audiobook)

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sophiehatters's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

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themichellegray's review against another edition

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adventurous dark medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

An average spin-off to The Folk of the Air trilogy that seemed only to be written as a way to capitalize off its predecessor's success. While this story added more lore to Faerieland's monarchy and explored the repercussions of a changeling's upbringing, there are far too many critiques to be ignored.

First and foremost, Oak's characterization was so wildly unbelievable compared to the beloved child we met in TFOTA. I understand this book takes place 8 years after QON and Oak has been forced into a dangerous position but there wasn't even a hint of the wholesome little boy we once knew. Nine year old Oak refused to learn proper swordplay and never showed an ounce of romantic interest in then-bridled Queen Suren. Holly Black simply copy and pasted Cardan's characterization onto Oak's teenage personality but toned down the cruelty/hatred.

Wren's storyline held so much promise since she had such a heartbreaking past to explore. Unfortunately, her characterization became convoluted amongst her confusing decisions and the forced romance. I never became invested in Wren because it felt as-if Holly Black didn't know how to explore the multi-faceted narrative when she's so accustomed to writing bad-ass female leads.

I went into this book expecting the author's clever twists and schemes but instead received a slow-paced quest and predictable ending. It wasn't as bad as the Modern Faerie Tales but nowhere near as captivating as The Folk of the Air trilogy.

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