By: Katie Volk
The highly anticipated spinoff to Holly Black’s bestselling “Folk of the Air” trilogy features a tale enticingly wrought with foreboding and longing.
Young adult author Holly Black’s recent release, “The Stolen Heir,” is the first book of her new duology in “The Stolen Heir.” Black revisits and builds off the fictional world she created in her extremely successful “Folk of the Air” series. Due to the widespread success of her previous series, many fans of fantasy hold high expectations of Black’s novel that takes place over 10 years after the final events of the “Folk of the Air” series.
“The Stolen Heir” follows the story of Prince Oak, the little brother of the protagonist from the “Folk of the Air” series, Jude Duarte. The young, manipulative prince of Elfhame embarks on a deadly and strenuous quest to the North of Elfhame with a runaway queen called Wren. Their journey north tests their patience with each other and enables the two protagonists to grow an unbreakable bond. Oak and Wren’s journey is action-packed and filled with betrayals, pain and an unexpected alliance between two seemingly incompatible characters.
There was a lack of overused tropes in the novel, which makes “The Stolen Heir” distinct from other books in the genre. “The Stolen Heir” offers a story filled with political schemes and mischievous plotting and features heartfelt scenes between characters as well. The dynamic balance of romance and intense scenes, compounded with the element of fantasy, results in an enjoyable read.
Readers were instantly able to be drawn into the book due to the familiarity of the fictional world and the characters. Readers of the “Folk of the Air” trilogy are already accustomed to the setting of Elfhame and its societal and political dynamics. However, it would not be difficult for readers unacquainted with Black’s fictional faerie universe to be submerged into this fantasy novel.
The creative setting is an entertaining world that readers enter. Elfhame is full of originality and supernatural elements.
The compelling characters make the reading experience increasingly more captivating. Oak is a calculating yet charming character, and his flaws make him more alluring to read about.
Wren is independent and headstrong for a girl her age, making her relatable for a younger female audience.
Readers that await cameos from Jude and Cardan cannot help but feel slightly disappointed that Black does not give them bigger roles in this book. Previous protagonists, Jude and Cardan, are beloved by all fans of Black’s past works, so readers were very underwhelmed by the lack of involvement of these cunning characters.
Despite the entertaining and immersive plot, the pacing of the book was slightly unbalanced. The first 100 pages felt slow and was difficult to stay engaged. In spite of the slow start, the middle to the end plot seemed to gain momentum rapidly, resulting in an extremely enjoyable ending that left readers eager for the next book in this duology.
Black wrote a phenomenal story that exemplifies immense character growth throughout. Oak grew from a cunning and manipulative character to one who is compassionate and capable of having humane emotions. Wren also grew from being completely independent to trusting and accepting. The story as a whole was inspiring and moving for readers.
Overall, “The Stolen Heir” is an entertaining read for fans of high fantasy novels. The book features an alluring and entertaining storyline with captivating characters. However, this spinoff of the “Folk of the Air” books fails to live up to its legacy, leaving fans of Black’s past works disappointed and underwhelmed.
“The Stolen Heir” was published on Jan. 3 and is available at Barnes & Noble and Amazon. On Amazon, the novel can be bought for $17.
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