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A review by inkdrinkers
The Stolen Heir by Holly Black
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
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore and Violence
Moderate: Murder, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Abandonment