Reviews with content warning for Murder - The Stolen Heir

Reviews tagging 'Murder'

The Stolen Heir by Holly Black

73 reviews

_alyssar_'s review against another edition

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dark tense medium-paced

4.0

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natashaleighton_'s review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

It should come as no surprise (as a self confessed Holly Black super fan) that I absolutely loved this! It was really good to see Oak and Suren again after the events of The Queen of Nothing and I enjoyed getting to delve into the details of Suren’s childhood both before, during and immediately after her time with Lord Jarel, Lady Nore and the Court of Teeth.

The writing was once again full of whimsy and magic, though of a slightly darker tone than what we previously saw in The Folk of The Air series—but I felt it suited the story (and Suren’s character arc) perfectly.

I admit, going into this I had expected Oak to be my favourite given how much I loved him in the original series but Suren (who now prefers to be called Wren) definitely stole the show in terms of character development and the layered, deeply emotional backstory we finally navigate. I honestly forgot how young she was when we last saw her, which only makes her experiences all the more heartbreaking.

I liked Oak, but he was certainly very different to what I had envisioned —given his time in the mortal world I expected to see a little more human influence in his character. Instead, what we got was a Locke/Cardan-esque fairy prince prone to secrets and manipulation. And though there were glimpses of Jude’s influence, I still wasn’t certain whether his motivations were in the best interests of those around him (namely Wren) —and as it’s told solely from Wren’s POV, we never really get to explore much of his character which was the only thing that disappointed me.

Wren’s arc definitely made up for it though and the chemistry between her and Oak was exceptionally good, and definitely mirrored Jude and Cardan’s interactions in The Cruel Prince (sans the cruelty and bullying.)

Overall, an action packed and plot twisty start to a new (spinoff) duology that takes us back into the magical court politics and bloodthirsty fae of Elfhame (and The Folk of The Air series).

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anastashamarie's review against another edition

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adventurous dark tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

⚠️ Warning: this one has a lot of childhood trauma in it.

❄️ As a character study of Wren and her trauma, this is A+. As an adventure odyssey, it's enjoyable. As a romantic fantasy, I kind of wanted more.

🏰 I wish the romance burned a little slower. I LOVE friends-to-lovers, but I don't think it had the chemistry I was seeking. There was also a surprising about of plot armor, and at times, it felt like the book was rushed, not in terms of pacing (pacing was actually pretty good) but in terms of publication? Like it wasn't as polished as a lot of Holly Black's other plotlines.

🗡️ BUT I love grown-up Oak's arrogance. I double loved the exploration of Wren's trauma and character. I loved getting to see Elfhame again. And, yeah, okay, even for my complaints, I will be anxiously awaiting the next one.

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allichuckran's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-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

3.5

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gellyreads's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Black just keeps fucking me up!! Oh my goodness! I wasn’t expecting this POV, let alone another Elfhame visit, and I fell in love with Wren quickly. The last couple of chapters felt a little kitschy, but that’s standard for this series.

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cosmichippie's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious tense 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

3.75

3.75 ⭐️ - Overall it felt nice to be back in the FotA world of Elfhame, it was sad to see how Wren’s life played out after QoN and where she was left off to. I felt like Oak was a bit bland as a character. I was under the impression this story would share more character development from his POV - wrong. I also couldn't help but feel that the relationship between Oak and Wren was a bit stale and surface level.

I would have enjoyed this a bit more had the ending not been so rushed, it felt like Wren’s character development was there and then she went villain a bit too fast, id love to see her in a more confident position throughout the story.

Although I found it short I did enjoy this story and I look forward to reading the next book regardless to see where this goes. I’d love to see what good Wren can do, and see her relationship with Oak blossom and mature a bit more.

Also a bit peeved about what Wren did to Oak at the end of the book but maybe that’s just me.

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