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A review by mollymortensen
The Stolen Heir by Holly Black
4.0
Trigger Warning: Grossness.
Wren has lived a terrible life. She's been alone and homeless since Jude disbanded the Court of Teeth. They (Jude and company) really needed to take care of her after what happened. They knew her mother was abusive, why leave Wren with the woman? Wren is a fine character. I'd like her a lot more if I wasn't comparing her to Jude. She's just not as smart, tough, or ambitious. She gets better towards the end though.
My main issue with Oak is that he comes off too much like Carden, so I was constantly comparing them, and he's no Carden. On paper he sounds so much better; smarter, stronger, nicer, but Carden knew he was cruel, he didn't pretend to be otherwise. Oak thinks he's a good person, then does nasty things and feels bad about them, but doesn't take responsibility.
This is more of a quest type story, which I've never liked much, but it's well written so I wasn't bored or feeling like they were facing unnecessary detours to delay them.
Oak's guard, Tiernan, exists to make Wren feel badly. He's so mean to her. I didn't mind Hyacinthe (the bird guy), even though he was a traitor to the crown.
There are lots of secrets and plots. The book succeeded in making me feel, but it was mostly anger. Why is everyone so mean to Wren? It actually got better when Wren and Oak weren't getting along. I just don't feel them as a couple.
As usual with Black, the ending was the best part. It was so exciting and dramatic! I guessed the twist quite early on,
It ends rather unconcluded. I definitely need book two!
Summary for when I read book two:
Suren, aka Wren, was a changeling. Growing up in the human world, then kidnapped by monsters who turned out to be her parents at age 9. To get her to go with them, they enchanted Wren's foster parents, making them terrified of Wren after her glamor was removed revealing her true fairy nature.
Wren's parents held her for two years where they did horrible things to her, including putting her in a magical bridle to control her. They needed her to be their puppet Queen so they could defy the Crown. Wren's parents joined Madoc when he tried to steal the throne. (Jude the main character from Cruel Prince's adopted father.) In the battle, Wren's father was killed and Madoc banished to the human world (and made so he can't touch a weapon) Wren's kingdom, the Court of Teeth, was disbanded. (This happened in Queen of Nothing.)
Shortly after that Wren ran away from her mother and back to the human world. After what happened with her foster parents, she felt like she couldn't go back to her home to her unfamily. (As she calls them.) But she spied on them for years. Occasionally breaking into their house at night without them knowing. Wren's been living in the woods and freeing humans from fairy curses.
Oak is a prince of Elfhame. (His real parents were the high king's consort & the high King's son Dain. Jude she grew up thinking Oak was Madoc's kid and her foster brother.) Oak has been facing assassination attempts for the past eight years.
Oak was friends with Wren eight years ago and he visited her in the woods four years ago after a particularly awful attempt on his life. She didn't want to see her dirty, wild self in a torn dress, so she hid, and told him to go away. She told him he wasn't her friend, because he hadn't been her friend. He didn't ask his sister to let Wren stay in Elfhame.
After that Oak decided to become a target to stop those who wanted to hurt his family. (He's an amazing fighter, but we don't know that until later.)
When Wren is attacked by Bogdana, a hag, who she knew as a child from the Court of Teeth, Oak saves her and asks her to help him stop her mother, Lady Nore. Because Lady Nore was magicked that she had to obey Wren. Nore stole Queen Mab's bones (Carden’s great great grandmother) which give her the power to animate objects. Like creating warriors out of sticks.
Teirnan is Oak’s guard and friend. Hyacinthe was their prisoner, and Teirnan’s ex. Wren let him free from the Queen of Moth’s dungeon and removed the curse turning him into a falcon, so he swore loyalty to her. (all the soldiers who followed Madoc and didn't repent were cursed to be falcons.)
Oak had to duel the Queen of Moth's champion to free Wren and after that things were angry and bitter between them.
Wren figured out that Nore kidnapped Madoc and was demanding a ransom. Wren originally thought Nore was wanted a magical heart (known as Mellith's heart), but turns out she wants Wren. (Mellith was Mab's foster daughter, but Mab wanted her real daughter to be queen after her, so she tricked Mellith's mom, a hag, into killing Mellith. The hag then cursed Mab using her dead daughter's heart, so Mab can't use her full power without the heart near, which is why Nore needs it, to use the bones to their full potential.)
Wren learned from Bogdana that her parents made her out of snow and the hag breathed life into her. Bogdana threatened to take that life back and kill her unfamily of Wren doesn't do as she says.
Wren and Oak break into the palace, where they're caught. Wren overheard Madoc tell Oak that he should kill Wren because she's going to be pissed when she learns how he played her.
Wren outsmarts her mother, then we have a large battle. Wren is injured and gets back Mellith’s memories and realizes the truth, that she is Mellith reborn. (And Oak has known since the Thistlewitch.) Wren has the power to undo magic and destroys the stick monsters, and accidentally kills her mom. Then she frees Bogdana, because the hag was Mellith's mom. Wren lets Madoc and Tiernan go, but puts the bridle on Oak and puts him in her dungeon.
Spoiler
(A character's tongue is cut out in detail.)Wren has lived a terrible life. She's been alone and homeless since Jude disbanded the Court of Teeth. They (Jude and company) really needed to take care of her after what happened. They knew her mother was abusive, why leave Wren with the woman? Wren is a fine character. I'd like her a lot more if I wasn't comparing her to Jude. She's just not as smart, tough, or ambitious. She gets better towards the end though.
My main issue with Oak is that he comes off too much like Carden, so I was constantly comparing them, and he's no Carden. On paper he sounds so much better; smarter, stronger, nicer, but Carden knew he was cruel, he didn't pretend to be otherwise. Oak thinks he's a good person, then does nasty things and feels bad about them, but doesn't take responsibility.
This is more of a quest type story, which I've never liked much, but it's well written so I wasn't bored or feeling like they were facing unnecessary detours to delay them.
Oak's guard, Tiernan, exists to make Wren feel badly. He's so mean to her. I didn't mind Hyacinthe (the bird guy), even though he was a traitor to the crown.
There are lots of secrets and plots. The book succeeded in making me feel, but it was mostly anger. Why is everyone so mean to Wren? It actually got better when Wren and Oak weren't getting along. I just don't feel them as a couple.
As usual with Black, the ending was the best part. It was so exciting and dramatic! I guessed the twist quite early on,
Spoiler
(That Wren had Mellith's heart. But I didn't realize Bogdana was Mellith’s mom!) I didn't like how Wren put the bridle on Oak. After she was so against someone being controlled and captured it didn't fit her character no matter how pissed she was. Stick him in the dungeon, sure, but the bridle is such a nasty thing.It ends rather unconcluded. I definitely need book two!
Summary for when I read book two:
Spoiler
Suren, aka Wren, was a changeling. Growing up in the human world, then kidnapped by monsters who turned out to be her parents at age 9. To get her to go with them, they enchanted Wren's foster parents, making them terrified of Wren after her glamor was removed revealing her true fairy nature.
Wren's parents held her for two years where they did horrible things to her, including putting her in a magical bridle to control her. They needed her to be their puppet Queen so they could defy the Crown. Wren's parents joined Madoc when he tried to steal the throne. (Jude the main character from Cruel Prince's adopted father.) In the battle, Wren's father was killed and Madoc banished to the human world (and made so he can't touch a weapon) Wren's kingdom, the Court of Teeth, was disbanded. (This happened in Queen of Nothing.)
Shortly after that Wren ran away from her mother and back to the human world. After what happened with her foster parents, she felt like she couldn't go back to her home to her unfamily. (As she calls them.) But she spied on them for years. Occasionally breaking into their house at night without them knowing. Wren's been living in the woods and freeing humans from fairy curses.
Oak is a prince of Elfhame. (His real parents were the high king's consort & the high King's son Dain. Jude she grew up thinking Oak was Madoc's kid and her foster brother.) Oak has been facing assassination attempts for the past eight years.
Oak was friends with Wren eight years ago and he visited her in the woods four years ago after a particularly awful attempt on his life. She didn't want to see her dirty, wild self in a torn dress, so she hid, and told him to go away. She told him he wasn't her friend, because he hadn't been her friend. He didn't ask his sister to let Wren stay in Elfhame.
After that Oak decided to become a target to stop those who wanted to hurt his family. (He's an amazing fighter, but we don't know that until later.)
When Wren is attacked by Bogdana, a hag, who she knew as a child from the Court of Teeth, Oak saves her and asks her to help him stop her mother, Lady Nore. Because Lady Nore was magicked that she had to obey Wren. Nore stole Queen Mab's bones (Carden’s great great grandmother) which give her the power to animate objects. Like creating warriors out of sticks.
Teirnan is Oak’s guard and friend. Hyacinthe was their prisoner, and Teirnan’s ex. Wren let him free from the Queen of Moth’s dungeon and removed the curse turning him into a falcon, so he swore loyalty to her. (all the soldiers who followed Madoc and didn't repent were cursed to be falcons.)
Oak had to duel the Queen of Moth's champion to free Wren and after that things were angry and bitter between them.
Wren figured out that Nore kidnapped Madoc and was demanding a ransom. Wren originally thought Nore was wanted a magical heart (known as Mellith's heart), but turns out she wants Wren. (Mellith was Mab's foster daughter, but Mab wanted her real daughter to be queen after her, so she tricked Mellith's mom, a hag, into killing Mellith. The hag then cursed Mab using her dead daughter's heart, so Mab can't use her full power without the heart near, which is why Nore needs it, to use the bones to their full potential.)
Wren learned from Bogdana that her parents made her out of snow and the hag breathed life into her. Bogdana threatened to take that life back and kill her unfamily of Wren doesn't do as she says.
Wren and Oak break into the palace, where they're caught. Wren overheard Madoc tell Oak that he should kill Wren because she's going to be pissed when she learns how he played her.
Wren outsmarts her mother, then we have a large battle. Wren is injured and gets back Mellith’s memories and realizes the truth, that she is Mellith reborn. (And Oak has known since the Thistlewitch.) Wren has the power to undo magic and destroys the stick monsters, and accidentally kills her mom. Then she frees Bogdana, because the hag was Mellith's mom. Wren lets Madoc and Tiernan go, but puts the bridle on Oak and puts him in her dungeon.