Reviews with content warning for Murder - The Stolen Heir

very interesting plot, and extremely complex characters, but i didn’t love the dynamic between wren and oak, as it just seemed too insta-lovey. wish we saw some of jude and cardan, however i do get that this is not their series. the book mostly did just feel like an introduction to the new story, so will hopefully get more invested as the series goes on

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dianaschmidty's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

3.5

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inkdrinkers's review against another edition

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adventurous dark tense fast-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

5.0

I had such high expectations for this book and it exceeded every single one of them.

Suren was a bridled princess, magicked to keep her head down, her sharp teeth in her mouth, and to listen to her parents - until the events of the battle of the serpent. Years later, she's merely Wren again, hiding in the forests outside her adoptive parent's home from her early years as a changeling girl. She is unknown, untethered, neither belonging to the world of Elfhame and fae, or the mortal world. But when an old foe tracks her down and an old friend kidnaps her for a quest, Wren must discover her true place in the world of magic.

God, this was incredible. I LOVED The Cruel Prince trilogy, but there were also a lot of things I didn't enjoy about it. I feel like The Stolen Heir took everything I love, turned it up a notch, and then hand-delivered me a main character that I couldn't help but adore. Wren was everything I wanted, a feral girl who simultaneously wanted to be loved while also desperate to understand herself and her power. The movement of her character through this solidified my love for her, down to her bad decisions and final stand. I feel like my love for her can just be summed up with this quote, "I'm hungry for kindness. Hungry for attention. I want and want and want."

Let's talk about OAK. I wasn't expecting to love him as much as I did, but somehow Holly Black managed to weave the image I had of a spoiled little prince out of my head and instead replace it with as charming of a fae as Cardan with all of Jude's feral and bloodthirsty qualities. He became this perfect marriage of the traits I like, while also becoming a twisted character that rooted around in my heart. I adored him, I adored the way he interacted with Wren, Tiernan, Hyacinthe, and Madoc. It just all felt so richly developed and written and I simply love the way Holly Black weaves stories together.

The moment I got an inkling where the end was headed I knew this would be one of those five star reads I wouldn't shut up about. I adored this, I think if you loved the Cruel Prince but felt like it was missing something you couldn't put your finger on, this will exceed your expectations like it did mine.

Content warnings: violence/murder (swords, blood, etc), child abuse (references prior abuse towards Wren), gore/body mutilation (on page), emotional abuse, abandonment

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isitcertain's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional mysterious tense fast-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

4.0

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savniapte's review

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adventurous emotional mysterious tense fast-paced

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

3.75

An excellent return to YA by Holly Black. When not compared to it's predecessors, it stands strong in terms of plot and compelling-ness while paying tribute to the original story, however one cannot help but notice the differences between the original Trilogy. While the original was less-driven by magic and relied beautifully on political machinations, in this book the presence of deus ex machina does cause it to pale slightly in comparison. Nonetheless, a wonderful must read with delightful characters, especially if you are a fan of the Greenbriar × Duarte clan.

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axelleb's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.75

The writing in this book is incredible. The plot full of twists and turns that I didn't see coming, which I love. The ending is making me regret reading this book so soon because it will be hard to wait for the next one!

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kayceeisbookish's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful inspiring mysterious tense fast-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

4.0

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ronniethereader's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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