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callidoralblack's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
- Loveable characters? Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Toxic relationship, Child abuse, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal death, Gore, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Infertility, War, Alcohol, Blood, Kidnapping, Abandonment, Slavery, Grief, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Classism, Death, Murder, Toxic friendship, Violence, Physical abuse, Torture, and Pregnancy
cadence_e's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Domestic abuse, Gore, Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, and Violence
northern_wind's review
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Torture, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, and Violence
Moderate: Grief, Death, Blood, and Murder
vr_alyssa's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
I am really glad she wrote it from Wren's perspective, rather than Oak. I like where its going - I like that its further developing the world in which its set. But I also thought it was slow. The only character development is near the end when she's completely fed up with Oak's bullshit, and that' s more a mood than a development, really. At times it felt more like a novella-like in between story.
I definitely have to re-read The Cruel Prince series before the sequel comes out.
I definitely have to re-read The Cruel Prince series before the sequel comes out.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Violence, and Child abuse
iuliaq's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse
donatio's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I did enjoy Black's writing as always but the characters did not draw me in like Jude and Cardan did. I was intrigued by their personalities but in the end there was too much of the not telling someone, a trope I think is overused by now, and I was confused by the romance. Suren and Oak were neither together nor only friends yet they did not say a word about it, like? And why are the love interests always taller than the protagonists? I am kind of tired of it.</spoiler >
It was a nice read and I will continue the story but it cannot compare to Jude's story.
It was a nice read and I will continue the story but it cannot compare to Jude's story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Torture, Abandonment, Alcohol, Child abuse, Child death, Medical trauma, Body shaming, Gore, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Blood, Body horror, Cursing, Deadnaming, Death, and Physical abuse
ella7211's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Kidnapping, Torture, Murder, Emotional abuse, Child abuse, Gore, Death, Forced institutionalization, Domestic abuse, and Violence
andra_mihaela_s's review
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
3.5 stars for "The Stolen Heir"
In this new duology we follow Suren, the traitorous Queen of The Court of Teeth, and Prince Oak, heir to the Elfhame throne, as they try to find a way to stop Lady Nore, Suren's mother, from building an unstoppable army of monsters and conquering everything.
CW: child abuse, mental trauma, child slavery, gaslighting, descriptive scene with murder and violence; etc.
I really enjoyed the first half of this book! Suren was very interesting and just the right character to follow for a new series in this world. We get to know her a little from Jude's perspective in the final book of "The Folk of the Air" trilogy, but here...the shift in focus is monumental and very illuminating as to why Suren was treated by her parents as she was. It is sad and disheartening to read her memories, experiences and to see her response full of aggression when she feels cornered.
With her, Holly Black subverts the girl who dreams of being a princess trope and shine a light on real-life abuse and trauma abandoned children face daily. :(
As I said, her character arc through this quest story was consistent and very much a subversion for the first part of the book; later on...her interactions with Oak...although logical and born from extreme need to feel close to someone, made me loose a little bit of interest. Luckily I really like the ending and how the author choose to play the reveal of her backstory and the culmination of the fight our protagonists embarked in.
Regarding Oak...IDK...for me, he feels lacking something to equal, or even surpass Cardan. I liked that he is different and that his dangerous side lies somewhere else and with a different aspect of his personality than Cardan, but I don't think the author went fully in the direction she set out Oak to evolve...almost like she wanted to keep him half-baked; and not to transform him in a new flavour of cruelty specific to the Greenbriar family....a shame really....:(
Loved to see/ hear about some old characters that I loved in the original books!(Madoc is one of them!!!! ^^)
The atmosphere and writing is on point as usual when it comes to a dark fairytale story. Holly Black doesn't disappoint in this area! But the plot....>...>....well...I must confess that I was bored in some places...I enjoyed some aspects..like the relationship dynamic between Tiernan and Hyacinthe; Suren and those 2 and somewhat Suren and Oak...but the quest itself felt like a second thought to me..which is strange as it was ALWAYS the focus...IDK...We visit some places and we have some interactions with highly interesting characters like the Queen of Moths..Annet...and Bogdana, but they remain a backstory in what I think was a missed opportunity to complicate the story and increase the stakes.
I'm not saying this one is a complete disappointment or anything of the sorts..but those who said that expecting the same political machinations and intense interactions as with "The Fold of the Air" trilogy is a mistake where right. This is definitely darker and more sad in some aspects (mainly in terms of our MCs as individuals), but lighter when it comes to the action and actual stakes....0_0
I recommend this to anyone that enjoyed the previous series...I think they can find things to intrigue them, if not really enjoy the story; and to those readers that hated Cardan but wanted more of the world and characters!
Enjoy
In this new duology we follow Suren, the traitorous Queen of The Court of Teeth, and Prince Oak, heir to the Elfhame throne, as they try to find a way to stop Lady Nore, Suren's mother, from building an unstoppable army of monsters and conquering everything.
CW: child abuse, mental trauma, child slavery, gaslighting, descriptive scene with murder and violence; etc.
I really enjoyed the first half of this book! Suren was very interesting and just the right character to follow for a new series in this world. We get to know her a little from Jude's perspective in the final book of "The Folk of the Air" trilogy, but here...the shift in focus is monumental and very illuminating as to why Suren was treated by her parents as she was. It is sad and disheartening to read her memories, experiences and to see her response full of aggression when she feels cornered.
With her, Holly Black subverts the girl who dreams of being a princess trope and shine a light on real-life abuse and trauma abandoned children face daily. :(
As I said, her character arc through this quest story was consistent and very much a subversion for the first part of the book; later on...her interactions with Oak...although logical and born from extreme need to feel close to someone, made me loose a little bit of interest. Luckily I really like the ending and how the author choose to play the reveal of her backstory and the culmination of the fight our protagonists embarked in.
Regarding Oak...IDK...for me, he feels lacking something to equal, or even surpass Cardan. I liked that he is different and that his dangerous side lies somewhere else and with a different aspect of his personality than Cardan, but I don't think the author went fully in the direction she set out Oak to evolve...almost like she wanted to keep him half-baked; and not to transform him in a new flavour of cruelty specific to the Greenbriar family....a shame really....:(
Loved to see/ hear about some old characters that I loved in the original books!(Madoc is one of them!!!! ^^)
The atmosphere and writing is on point as usual when it comes to a dark fairytale story. Holly Black doesn't disappoint in this area! But the plot....>...>....well...I must confess that I was bored in some places...I enjoyed some aspects..like the relationship dynamic between Tiernan and Hyacinthe; Suren and those 2 and somewhat Suren and Oak...but the quest itself felt like a second thought to me..which is strange as it was ALWAYS the focus...IDK...We visit some places and we have some interactions with highly interesting characters like the Queen of Moths..Annet...and Bogdana, but they remain a backstory in what I think was a missed opportunity to complicate the story and increase the stakes.
I'm not saying this one is a complete disappointment or anything of the sorts..but those who said that expecting the same political machinations and intense interactions as with "The Fold of the Air" trilogy is a mistake where right. This is definitely darker and more sad in some aspects (mainly in terms of our MCs as individuals), but lighter when it comes to the action and actual stakes....0_0
I recommend this to anyone that enjoyed the previous series...I think they can find things to intrigue them, if not really enjoy the story; and to those readers that hated Cardan but wanted more of the world and characters!
Enjoy
Content Warnings
Graphic: Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Confinement, Child abuse, Violence, Torture, and Slavery
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Abandonment, Murder, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Gore, and Gaslighting
Minor: Stalking
inborinth's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
5.0
“My greatest weakness has always been my desire for love. It is a yawning chasm within me, and the more that I reach for it, the more easily I am tricked. I am a walking bruise, an open sore.”
Este libro fue una obra maestra de principio a fin. Las emociones que transcurrieron por mi mente a lo largo de la historia se sintieron extremadamente reales, fuertes y crudas.
No estaba segura qué iba a encontrar en este libro, ni siquiera tenía en mente qué personajes iban a estar presentes. Pensé que solo se trataría de Oak. Pero, el hecho de haberme encontrado con Suren (Wren) me generó muchísima curiosidad.
¿Cómo la autora iba a darle paso a la voz de este personaje? No tenía idea. Aún así, el resultado final fue bellísimo. Wren es uno de mis personajes favoritos. El crecimiento que tiene a lo largo del libro es increíble. Las relaciones con los demás, pero más importante, la relación con ella misma. Su feroz personalidad, su forma de encarar en mundo. Todo.
Presenciarlo me maravilló y estoy ansiosa y completamente nerviosa por leer el siguiente libro. Holly Black no deja de sorprenderme.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Abandonment, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Torture, Domestic abuse, and Emotional abuse
cleoisreading's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse
Moderate: Domestic abuse
Minor: Violence