BOOK REVIEW: The Stolen Heir by Holly Black
An epic journey back to Elfhame.
I will admit that this was one of my most anticipated reads of January, and let me just say that it did not disappoint. Returning to Elfhame was amazing, even though in reality, the story didn’t actually take place in the part of the Elfhame world we are used to.
If you are looking for an amazing character driven book, look no further. I wasn’t exactly sure what the book was going to be about; literally went into it blind just knowing the world it was set. There were some assumptions I had made…Oak was going to be the main character and there was some connection to this other girl who was the heir to a rival court. There is definitely a reason you shouldn’t make assumptions.
This book was focused primarily on Wren which surprised me. So, before I get too far into my thoughts, just a quick setup of the story. The story picks up several years after the Folk of the Air trilogy ended. Oak was sent into hiding in the human world and Jude and Cardan basically are running the show. Oak has come back as heir to the throne and finds himself on a quest to save his not-so-amazing father. However, he decides to find Wren, an young fae woman about his age, who also grew up in the human world before being stolen back. He needs her help to complete his quest.
There were several things I loved about this book, and I will say that Oak really wasn’t one of them. I did, however, love Wren’s character development and the incorporation of the “journey”.
I’ll start with Wren. For the first part of the book, I wasn’t really sure where it was going. That in itself isn’t a deal breaker for me because I am much more interested in character driven stories than plot driven, but I do still like to have a sense of direction. It was during that time; however, that we learned about Wren (Suren) - who she is, what her childhood was like and what her connections to Oak and the Court of Teeth are. We see her basically at her worst. She is animalistic, living amongst the animals in the woods surrounding her adoptive childhood “unfamily.” She grows and doesn’t really speak and has created a den full of random things. She has lost the norms surrounding social interactions.
As she joins Oak and Tiernan, she very slowly begins to discover who she really is and what she is truly capable of. As she regains the more human behaviors and engrains herself more in the fae world, she becomes more determined to understand who she really is. There hasn’t been a lot of honesty in her life and that doesn’t really change with Oak, but with him, it seems to hurt more. It starts with lies and treatment and uncertainty surrounding her mother, Lady Nore, who, naturally, is the destination of the journey that this misfit group is on. Clearly, Oak knows more than he is willing to share with the desperate Wren. Seems a little cruel and self-serving - which is basically how I felt about Oak most of the book.
Wren is driven by some of those more classic thematic ideals - desperation to be loved and the powerful need of self-acceptance. Her need to feel love dictates and drives many of her decisions, even some of the smaller decisions are based on that human connection. When she sees love in other people, she grieves the loss of the love that her human family showed her that was stripped violently away when she was taken back to the Court of Teeth. As the story progresses, we see this second thematic focus develop more clearly. She begins to piece her identity together, and there are several points where she really struggles with accepting of what it means. However, the twist at the end, which I didn’t see coming, changed everything for Wren. What else did it change? My opinion of her. It really was like a switch was flipped. I went from really liking her character and her struggles and development to not being so thrilled with her. It was almost like the shock of everything was so much that she turned into the thing that she was trying so hard to not be.
To quickly touch on the journey. You know, the plot. Well, apparently Lady Nore has something Oak wants, and he is desperate to get it. At any cost. Which seems to include the cost of Wren. Whether it’s her freedom or her life, it’s not really clear. What is clear is that Oak knows way more than he should, and he definitely doesn’t share that information with others.
Over the course of the journey, they have many different interactions and little side adventures. This is part of why I like this type of plot structure. It allows our main characters to have unique moments with a variety of side characters who are in the midst of the story one second only to be out a short while later, replaced with new ones. And, let’s just say there are a lot of really fun side characters that they interact with. Some are more like nasty little creatures, but others are a little nicer; however, all have their own agendas.
I really did enjoy their time in the Court of Moths and their time with the trolls the most. These provided some of the more important moments in Oak’s character reveal. I don’t really feel that he had any true character development though. It was definitely more like we were allowed to see more of who he has been through the entire course of the book. The ending, which takes place in the Ice Needle Citadel, was only climatic in what it does to propel Wren’s character development. As this is just the first half of a duology, the conclusion of this book is simply used to set up the next one.
Where does this book land on my bookshelf?
Top shelf for sure! There were a few things about the book that were just OK, or didn’t come across as successfully as they might have, but I still absolutely loved the story and the characters. I was hooked and engrossed as they progressed through their journey to get to the Citadel and Lady Nore. I really enjoyed the Cruel Prince and the following books in the Folk of the Air Trilogy. It’s not one of my all time favorites, but I definitely enjoyed them and would put them all on my top shelf. It probably would have even helped a little had I gone back and at least reviewed (I don't really re-read) The Queen of Nothing, just so I could have reviewed some of the events and characters. There are lots of references in this one, so my one recommendation is you really should read the trilogy before starting this duology. Overall, I loved it. I recommend it. I can’t wait to read the next one!
Don’t forget to check out my other fun sites!
Website for book lovers: www.azdesertbookworm.com It has links to my podcast Speaking LITerally, book reviews, breaking literary news, games, links to small business and more! I also have a lot of content on my Instagram! Check it out - @azdesert_bookworm
Speaking LITerally podcast! Our monthly misadventures into all things literary. Separated by the Atlantic, Liz and I come together in our love of reading!!! Find us wherever you listen to your other favorite podcasts! Click here to find us on iHeartRadio!
If you are really bored you can read about some of my personal adventures in life raising two teenagers, commentating on professional wrestling shows and loving a husband who is fighting Chronic Myeloid Leukemia and all the lesson I learn along the way. Educate This.