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

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.”

“Humans are disgusting,” he said primly.

There was absolutely no reason to think of Jude in that moment. She was utterly insignificant.

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.

 Cardan thought, hating even the shape of her name. 

It was only later that it disturbed him to think back on the shape of her boot in the soil, as though she was the only real thing in a land of ghosts.

The sight of the human servants unnerved him. Their empty eyes and chapped lips. Nothing like the twins from the palace school.

He thought of one of those girls frowning over a book, pushing a lock of brown hair back over one oddly curved ear.

He thought of the way she looked at him, brows narrowed in suspicion.

He imagined her as a mindless servant and felt a rush of something he couldn’t quite untangle - horror, and also a sort of terrible relief. No ensorcelled human could look at him as she did.

He told himself this was nothing more than a prank, a way to pay Balekin back for ill treatment, by stealing away one of his servants.

Cardan wasn’t saving her, and he would never do this again.

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.

Lily

no amount of jude and cardan content will ever be enough for me, they are the definition of soulmates.

it felt so good to be back in elfhame, no fictional world has ever captivated me in the way it has.

Rand

anastasia

big ab

i’m very very picky over short stories and novellas, but this was really good. it actually added depth and layers to an already interesting story and it was cutesy. very much enjoyed. it’s not necessary to read if you read the cruel prince, but i strongly encourage ending with it.

Renata

pls when cardan hit locke agh i wanted to do that sm and the way cardan speaks abt jude agh he’s so in love with her 

- “Jude says, "I beg you not to make it so dramatically.” 
 “So long as vou're begeing." he says.” 

my judecardan <333

Raven K

This series will forever be one of my favorites. I don't wanna leave it but that's what rereading is for 💗!

Hannah

now i’m back to missing them all over again

Narrated by: Caitlin Kelly / / / 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.

Love love love this book. If you want more Jude and Caden than this is for you. Also more into Carden’s backstory. 

Leah Diaz 

becky oh

Let's just say I'm a lucky girl to get a hold of this book and read it.


So finally, my gorgeous Cardan gets his own story and has all my attentions. And (unsurprisingly), my heart has melted. His past seems to be all twisted up and cruel which just made me NEED more of him!! 

"You really are terrible, you know that? I don't even understand why the things you say make me smile."


As per usual, the fantasy is epic. It's so beautifully described and all the new creatures I was reading were also vivid (with added bonus of some illustrations here and there) that I somehow imagined the characters more clearly. And talking about those illustrations, I so recommend you to read this book in a physical copy!! I doubt reading in a digital one will make the illustrations beautiful. Some drawings of Cardan and Jude were similar to the fanarts I saw on the internet. Cardan, with his deadly black eyes and raven-dark hair. Jude with her two twisted up horns (her hair) and always seems to be wild. 

In 'How the King of Elfhame learned to Hate Stories', we also get to see what happens next to Cardan after 'The Queen of Nothing'. Let me just tell you, that Cardan gets to try bubble teas and dumplings, wearing t-shirts&jeans&jacket. So 'mortal' looking. Although (a tiny spoiler) he wouldn't take off his golden rings.

I fell in love with reading about Cardan's dark past because when I first read the folk of the air trilogy, I didn't know about his childhood. And now Holly Black has introduced his old times, I can finally see how things worked out.

And so you can see, I JUST TOTALLY LOVED IT!!!


"There is one thing I did like about playing hero. The only good bit. And that was not having to be terrified for you."

I WISH THIS WAS LONGER. BEAUTIFUL DRAWINGS AND I'M IN LOVE CARDAN 

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

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