How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories (Folk of the Air Series) by Holly Black
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Web ID: 147174048 reviews
3 stars
This collection of stories throughout Cardan’s life is intended to show his growth, from a child to an adult, but it also gives a further glimpse into the encounters he’s had with others throughout his life. One fairytale is told three times during the book, with a slightly different twist each time, with the moral/lesson further reflecting his growth and understanding of the world around him. While it’s a good addition to the series, for character development, I didn’t have strong feelings about it otherwise.
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Nice!
I loved Holly Black’s “ The Cruel Prince” Series and knew i needed to have this aswell. I ordered it and it can in amazing condition. 10/10
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
AMAZING ART!!!
I read the whole "Folk of the Air" series this week and this book was amazing. I loved getting a look at Cardan's life as a kid and his POV in some parts with Jude.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
a lovely return to a favorite series
Once upon a time there was a boy with a wicked tongue. Dressed in rags, raised on cat's milk, he soon discovered that the best way to be seen was to be unkind. Later you might get to know him as a cruel prince and a wicked king. But before that he was a boy trying to make his way in a world that could have destroyed him if he hadn't come to rule it in How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories (2020) by Holly Black, illustrated by Rovina Cai. How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories is a companion novella to Black's Folk of the Air trilogy which includes The Cruel Prince, The Wicked King, and The Queen of Nothing. The novella is largely focused on Cardan's childhood but a framing story is set after the events of the trilogy so be sure to read all of them first to avoid spoilers. This novella is really for the fans of the series. What a delight to return to the world of faerie and get another glimpse of my favorite monstrous girl (Jude) and my favorite wicked boy (Cardan). Black balances showcasing what comes after the original series in the framing story with flashbacks to Cardan's upbringing as a neglected-if-spoiled youth in the royal court. Questions of inevitability and change play out both for young Cardan and throughout the novella as Cardan encounters the same fairytale multiple times--each with subtle changes. This conceit brings the entire novella together with a dynamic finale while also nodding to the power of story--an element which imbues every book in this series. How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories is illustrated throughout with lavish full color artwork that brings Cardan and his world to live. Cai does a beautiful job giving life to these characters who already have so much personality in prose. A lovely return to a world that hints at even more stories to discover. Possible Pairings: The Language of Thorns by Leigh Bardugo, Legendary by Stephanie Garber, Fire and Hemlock by Diana Wynne Jones, Winterspell by Claire Legrand, The Perilous Gard by Elizabeth Marie Pope, The Diabolic by S. J. Kincaid, Spinning Silver by Naomi Novik, An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson, Bring Me Their Hearts by Sara Wolf, Places No One Knows by Brenna Yovanoff, Dust Girl by Sarah Zettel
Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Beautifal Drawings
I read this within the hour that I recieved it and absolutly loved it. I ended up tabbing so many pages because of how beautiful the artwork was. I also fell more in love with Cardan learning his stuggles and his heartbreak. I absolutly loved how we got to see more of how Cardan thought of Jude and their love for eachother and the pictures made this so much better. This is definitely going to be a comfort book for me because of how much I enjoyed it.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
Glad to be back in Elfhame!!
Of course I loved being back in the Folk of Air world!!! It's so enlightening getting a "behind the curtain" look at Cardan and his life. The illustrations are absolutely dreamy! Seeing all the in between of the trilogy we love so much, no matter how toxic Cardan is, was incredible to me. It makes his character so much.....just more, then he ever was. We now know so much more about why he is the way he is. We find out that Jude has always been under his skin, even when he didn't understand why. I hope this is not the last we hear from this world, but if it is then I feel as though the story is complete with this book of short stories. Definitely a 5 out of 5 in my book.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
It was good!
Loved the illustrations
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com
I really hope there's more like this!
I was just so dang excited for more of this world, and I enjoyed this a whole bunch. The art was very cool, and the story was fun. I hope this means there will be more in this universe, because I really enjoy it.
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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com