This book does not have the turning points, the plot twists which we are all accustomed to whilst reading about Elfhame. Illustrator Rovina Ca did such an amazing job of capturing his likeness and personality in her work. Holly Black adds to Cardan’s character and the world of The Folk of the Air series without just rewriting the story from another character’s point for view. Registered office address: Unit 34 Vulcan House Business Centre, Vulcan Road, Leicester, Leicestershire, LE5 3EF. I suppose I would have plummeted out of the air,” Jude tells him with troubling equanimity, her expression saying, Horrible risks are entirely normal to me .

I hate that this was a novella and not a whole novel because diving into Cardan’s mind was such an interesting little adventure. You get to, finally, see the world through the eyes of the infamous ‘cruel prince’ and get a glimpse into how his mind works. Funny how I hate angst until it's Cardan being angsty, and that angst involves him scribbling a certain Jude Duarte's name over and over again while ink drips onto his clothes but he's too busy pining over Jude to care.its really effective at building cardans character and expanding upon his development from the series. Because, to me, if you’re just writing the story again but from a different characters perspective then you probably should have just included their point of view in the original story rather than just rewriting the story again. Black's writing is both contemporary and classic; her world is, at this point, intensely well-realized, so that some plot twists seem almost inevitable. How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories is a novella that focuses on Elfhame's enigmatic High King, Cardan.

And how this lead to him liking human tales, being surprised by their imaginations, and collecting more human books. She tells a story about a boy with a heart of stone, who finds himself in a predicament with a monster girl who won’t scare him away, until his heart starts beating again. Each chapter is paired with lavish and luminous full-colour art, making this the perfect collector’s item to be enjoyed by audiences both new and old. I am incredibly biased over this series because so much of my heart and nostalgia are wrapped up within this world, but I honestly think there is just so much to love on every page of this book.We also get to see so much of Cardan’s perspective during The Cruel Prince, much like we did with Tarryn in The Lost Sisters, and it was everything. How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories is a gorgeous book, from cover to content, that makes for a comforting, cozy, magical reading experience. An illustrated addition to the New York Times bestselling Folk of Air trilogy that started with The Cruel Prince, from award-winning author Holly Black. A rare second volume that surpasses the first, with, happily, more intrigue and passion still to come. Cardan is my favorite character in The Cruel Prince series (or any of Holly’s books, I think) and this truly was such a magical, wonderous, unforgettable addition to this world.

I truly think reading this book a day before release (bless you Waterstones and my mail person) was the best reading experience I’ve had all year, and for that alone this book was probably the easiest five star I’ve given in a year of not a lot of five star reads. It’s definitely worth paying a little extra to own a hardback edition of the book as it’s absolutely stunning. Woven throughout are three iterations of a story, initially told to a young Cardan, each version different in specifics and moral but all centered on a boy with a heart of stone and a monstrous, cursed bride.

Some might think of him as a strong draught, burning the back of one’s throat, but invigorating all the same. At Books2Door, we believe that reading is a fundamental skill that every child should have to help improve their vocabulary, grammar, and critical thinking skills. Our team is made up of book lovers who are dedicated to sourcing and providing the best books for kids.

Even the part set after Queen of Nothing doesn’t have enough of them together, but he does try to outwit and outplan her. Over the course of the book, we see him torn between being happy with the privileges of being part of the royal family and hurt by the reality of his life. repressed trauma incandescent rage JUDE JUDE JUDE JUDE self-loathing more incandescent rage JUDE JUDE JUDE JUDE JUDE JUDE revenge more repressed trauma must get drunk JUDE JUDE JUDE JUDE JUDE so no head? Not to make this too deep, but Cardan very slowly realizes that he is not responsible for the terrible acts his family committed; both to him and to the people they ruled over. A prince of Faerie who once slept in the hay of the stables listening to the sounds of faerie steeds, of deer and elk, and even the croaks of great riding toads, who listened to the stories of Aslog of the West.I feel blessed to read about each time Holly gives us a new book, and this will for sure be a favorite of mine for all of 2020. Seeing all the background details to events that took place gives the reader such a better understanding almost like you’re in the mind of the character and nothing beats that! And then all throughout his life, she tells his alternate versions of this same story, each version with a new meaning for a new version of Cardan himself. In this sumptuously illustrated tale, Holly Black reveals a deeper look into the dramatic life of Elfhame's enigmatic high king.