I’d been hankering to do a re-read of this trilogy for a long time, and had never quite managed to get around to reading the companion novel How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories. So, when Holly Black announced that she was releasing a new book in this world, The Stolen Heir, it seemed as though fate was offering me the perfect excuse.
I’ll be honest, when I first read this series I didn’t quite understand the hype. I enjoyed it, don’t get me wrong, but it just didn’t quite hit the mark. This time round though, it was completely different. The enemies to lovers vibes just hit completely different and I was loving it. I was basically living for any moment that Jude and Cardan were on the page together, or she was even just thinking about him - and she does so often. I particularly loved the interactions between them, knowing that as a Faerie he can’t lie.
“Have I told you how hideous you look tonight?” Cardan asks, leaning back in the elaborately carved chair, the warmth of his words turning the question into something like a compliment.
“No” I say, glad to be annoyed back into the present. “Tell me.”
"I can't.”
I took my time with this read through, annotating and tabbing my paperback copies, whilst also comparing to my beautiful LitJoy editions with Holly Black’s annotations. It was so nice to savour the read instead of simply ploughing through and devouring it as quickly as possible. I’ll definitely be trying to take more time in future.
Weirdly, I had actually forgotten much of the storyline since my first read, and reading The Queen of Nothing again was like reading if for the first time. I was shocked, excited and desperate to find out how it ended - every readers dream! And now I’m excited to carry on and read the other books from this world.
My hands are shaking. He captures them and kisses my knuckles with a kid of reverence.
“I want to tell you so many lies,” he says.
I’d definitely recommend rereading this series if you’ve been feeling even slightly inclined too, and if you’ve not read it before it’s perfect for fans of detailed world building and grown up fairytales.
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ✨
Complete trilogy
YA
Genre: Fantasy
Faeries | Enemies to Lovers | Spies and Assassins | Strong FMC | Betrayal | Fight for the Throne