Holly Black

Return to the captivating world of Elfhame with this illustrated addition to the New York Times bestselling Folk of Air trilogy that began with The Cruel Prince, from award-winning author Holly Black. Once upon a time, there was a boy with a wicked tongue. Before he was a cruel prince or a wicked king, he was a faerie child with a heart of stone. #1 New York Times bestselling author, Holly Black reveals a deeper look into the dramatic life of Elfhame's enigmatic high king, Cardan. This tale includes delicious details of life before The Cruel Prince, an adventure beyond The Queen of Nothing, and familiar moments from The Folk of the Air trilogy, told wholly from Cardan's perspective. This new installment in the Folk of the Air series is a return to the heart-racing romance, danger, humor, and drama that enchanted readers everywhere. Each chapter is paired with lavish and luminous full-color art, making this the perfect collector's item to be enjoyed by both new audiences and old.

The Folk of the Air #3.5

How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories

Taryn

“It doesn't matter if the boy with the heart of stone is a hero or a villain; it doesn't matter if he got what he deserved or if he didn't. No one can reward him or punish him, save the storyteller. And she's the one who shaded the tale so we'd feel whatever way we feel about him in the first place. You told me once, stories change. Now it's time to change your story.” ~ Cardan

The boy lived on an island where he made a nuisance of himself, finding ways to belittle people that made them hate themselves, but hate him more. 

…and an old sofa from which mushrooms grow. 

One novel, titled The Duke’s Duke, with a photo of a shirtless man on the cover, rests beside sequels: Too Many Dukes and Duke, Duke, Goose. 

Louise D'haens

Many times in his first nine years, Prince Cardan slept in the hay of the stables when his mother didn't want him in their suite of rooms. It was warm there, and he could pretend he was hiding, could pretend that someone was looking for him. Could pretend that when he was not found, it was only because the spot he'd chosen was so extremely clever.

"You must be Prince Cardan," she said. "And youre the princess of fishes." He sneered

Kaitlyn

He lets himself lean against her, lets himself hear the warmth in her voice. “There is one thing I did like about playing the hero. The only good bit. And that was not having to be terrified for you.”

Her hands go to his shirt, pushing it aside to look at the wound on his shoulder. Her fingers are cold against his flushed skin. It's nice. He hopes she won't take them away.

"And you think it was sunrise I was waiting for and not my queen. Do you not hear her footfalls? She has never quite managed the trick of hiding them as well as one of the Folk. Surely you've heard of her, Jude Duarte, who defeated the redcap Grima Mog, who brought the Court of Teeth to their knees? She's forever getting me out of scrapes. Truly, I don't know what I would do without her."

He pushes the chair off, getting to his feet. The metal bits cling to his clothing, touch his skin with tỉny ant bites of fire. Jude wouldn't have made a mistake like this, he is dead certain. She would have been on guard from the moment she entered the woods.

Why didn't you hate everyone?" he asks. "Everyone, all the time." "I hated you," Jude reassures him, bringing her mouth to his.

But every night, Jude haunted him. The coils of her hair. The calluses on her fingers. An absent bite of her lip. It was too much, the way he thought about her. He knew it was too much, but he couldnt stop. It disgusted him that he couldn't stop.

On their way back toward their homes, Cardan tried to tell himself that he could grow used to the Undersea, that he would learn how to survive there, to make himself consequential, to find some pleasure. And if, as he had floated in the cold darkness, his thoughts turned to the curve of an ear, the weight of a step, a blow that was checked before it could land, that didn't matter. It meant nothing, and he should forget it.

Jude, Cardan thought, hating even the shape of her name. Jude.

Cassidy Nolan

“The next time you want to make a point,” Jude says, “I beg you not to make it so dramatically.”

His shoulder hurts, and she may be right about the iron poisoning. He certainly feels as though his head is swimming. But he smiles up at the trees, the looping electrical lines, the streaks of clouds.

“So long as you’re begging,” he says.

“And you think it was sunrise I was waiting for and not my queen. Do you not hear her footfalls? She has never quite managed the trick of hiding them as well as one of the Folk. Surely you’ve heard of her, Jude Duarte, who defeated the redcap Grima Mog, who brought the Court of Teeth to their knees? She’s forever getting me out of scrapes. Truly, I don’t know what I would do without her.”

“You don’t think monster girls and wicked boys deserve love?”

If he gets himself killed like this, she is never going to let him live it down.

Oak gave up his room so they could sleep there, and although the bed is small, Cardan cannot mind when he takes Jude in his arms.

But every night, Jude haunted him. The coils of her hair. The calluses on her fingers. An absent bite of her lip. It was too much, the way he thought about her. He knew it was too much, but he couldn’t stop.

It disgusted him that he couldn’t stop.

Jude looked up at him, and in her eyes, he recognized a hate big enough and wide enough and deep enough to match his own. A hate you could drown in like a vat of wine.

Cardan ought to have been the boy with the heart of stone in Aslog’s story, but somehow he had let his heart turn to glass. He could feel the shattered shards of it lodged in his lungs, making his every breath painful.

“No?” Aslong inquired. “It’s simply this. A heart of stone can still be broken.”

"as long as you're begging," can't fault him for that one really

rain

Very cute - nothing crazy or ground-breaking - but it was nice to be back in the world again and learn some more about Carden’s past and see a tiny glimpse into the future. 

Katie Allard

I love holly black … truly that woman has my whole heart

soph 

After finishing the series I couldnt hold my myself back from getting my hands on this one. The short stories are so pure and help to shape your view on all that happened during the trilogy. With stories from prior, during, and post The Cruel Prince trilogy I ate this book up in an hour. The beautiful illustrations throughout the pages also really put the stories over the top. I cant recommend this book enough if you enjoyed The Cruel Prince trilogy and want to fill some of the gaps.

Anna

Linsey Mombert

tori 👻

laia

arwen

Helena

Joselly Williams 

i didn’t think it was possible to fall deeper in love with cardan but here i am

Loved reading about Cardan’s POV I couldn’t stop reading. He is SOOOOOO babygirl pathetic boyloser boyfailure MWAH

Selin Igten

wah... cardan 
it’s ok really decent writing i loved the artworks very nice

i love it sm 🥺 but...... where jude at

Ana Luiza

Ah, foi legal. Gosto muito do Cardan e as histórias foram legais de acompanhar. Acho que enriqueceram o personagem bastante. Mas tem alguma coisa faltando com certeza, contos normalmente me trazem esse sentimento, mas esse foi ainda mais. Cardan merecia um plot maior mas ao mesmo tempo a trilogia merecia ser unicamente de Jude, então talvez uma história diferente, dai uns anos, possa vir do ponto de vista dele, que também é um personagem muito interessante. Queria ter esse livro físico pq parece ser lindo

Julie Rubens

The whole Cruel Prince series is so amazing! I love the art in this book so much and the fact that you get to see some of the story from Cardan’s pov! Cardan is such an amazing character and I loved seeing more of his relationships with the others.

Madison Keiran

3.5 stars. “The next time you want to make a point,” Jude says, “I beg you not to make it so dramatically.”

“So long as you’re begging,” he says. 
 
🤭😭😭😭

Tatiana

Of course I loved this book because I’m in love with Cardan. The Cruel Prince series is beloved by so many and this book definitely does it justice. The illustrations are breathtaking, and coupled with the stories makes it really captivating.

Very cute :)

Julia Moran 

Jude and Cardan will forever remain one of my favorite couples :)

Jade Lexi

this is so cute i love the illustrations, the stories and everything, i'm thinking of passing this down to my future children 💖

fatru tamzil

I didn't really like The Folk of The Air triology but this one? Five stars. I love how the structure itself is like folktales meet personal marrative, and how, throughout the text, it's walways tries to seduce (yes, seduce!) us into thinking: so what is a hero and a villaon and what do they deserve? 

“Everyone finds different lessons in stories, I suppose, but here’s one. Having a heart is terrible, but you need one anyway. “Or, here’s another: Stories can justify anything. It doesn’t matter if the boy with the heart of stone is a hero or a villain; it doesn’t matter if he got what he deserved or if he didn’t. No one can reward him or punish him, save the storyteller. And she’s the one who shaded the tale so we’d feel whatever way we feel about him in the first place. You told me once, stories change. Now it’s time to change your story." 

" [...] You didn’t get what you deserved, but you don’t have to live inside that one story forever. No one’s heart has to remain stone.”

Julie Failde

This was really a fun read and I loved jumping into it right after finishing Queen of Nothing. I want more Jude and Cardan but still love love loved it.

How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories The Folk of the Air #3.5

Reviews

Highlights