Book: How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories by Holly Black
Read From: 25th November - 30th November 2021
Rating: 2/5 stars
Summary: Before Cardan was a cruel prince or a wicked king, he was a faerie child with a heart of stone. In this sumptuously illustrated tale, Holly Black reveals a deeper look into the dramatic life of Elfhame's enigmatic high king. This tale includes delicious details of life before The Cruel Prince, an adventure beyond The Queen of Nothing, and familiar but pivotal moments from The Folk of the Air trilogy, told wholly from Cardan's perspective.
Before I get into the things I didn’t like so much about this little book, let’s start out with some positives - because there was definitely a few things I found likeable! Firstly, the illustrations were absolutely gorgeous and it was amazing to see these characters and some creatures within the world brought to life in order to animate the different stories. I also really liked the initial story from Aslog and how there were several different variations that were amended throughout the book to reflect the current stages of Cardan’s life.
However, I think I’d have liked this a lot more if The Folk of the Air was a favourite series of all time. I really enjoyed it at the time of reading but it’s definitely not a standout trilogy for me. So I think in turn, it definitely affected my enjoyment of this little book. I can’t help but feel like it wasn’t really needed (except obviously for those who adore the series), it didn’t really add anything to the story or the world for me that I didn’t already know and I didn’t find it to be the most memorable read at all.
I wish I'd read some reviews before going in because like many other people, I expected a novella rather than a series of short stories. Had I known about this before going in, I would have probably altered my expectations so stupidly, it's my own fault that I was let down. I think the episodic nature of this book made it hard to connect to and engage with the story. Also, I know the whole point of this book was that it focused on Cardan but I really wanted more Jude! Even in the instances she did make an appearance I wish she had been there for a little longer.
Despite my review, the last thing I want to do is put anyone off reading this - and in the event you’re so much as on the fence about it I would still suggest it’s worth a read to see what you think. I have to say it’s probably better appreciated by those with a strong connection to the original trilogy, but this won’t always be the case so definitely give it a try for yourself, even if only to appreciate the beautiful illustrations.