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A review by jcj25
The Stolen Heir by Holly Black
5.0
A classic Holly Black tale from Elfhame, with her signature elements of danger, violence, treachery, and intrigue in both familiar and new, twisted ways. The protagonist, Wren, has a harsh and terrible backstory, which firmly roots her untrusting tendencies, and particular 'charming' traits of her captor/quest partner/adversary/love interest, Oak, make navigating her way through half-truths all the more difficult. There are echoes of the Jude/Cardan dynamic from the Folk of the Air trilogy, but I felt the differences were distinct enough for this story to stand on its own.
However, if you have not read The Cruel Prince, The Wicked King, and The Queen of Nothing, do yourself a favor and enjoy that brilliant trilogy first, before returning to Elfhame with this one to see how the younger side-characters from that story have grown into a story of their own.
Note: This is the first half of a duology, the second half of which won't come out until 2024, so reader beware! But I'd still recommend reading it now, and just torturing yourself with the wait.
However, if you have not read The Cruel Prince, The Wicked King, and The Queen of Nothing, do yourself a favor and enjoy that brilliant trilogy first, before returning to Elfhame with this one to see how the younger side-characters from that story have grown into a story of their own.
Note: This is the first half of a duology, the second half of which won't come out until 2024, so reader beware! But I'd still recommend reading it now, and just torturing yourself with the wait.