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How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories

Contributors

By Holly Black

Illustrated by Rovina Cai

Read by Caitlin Kelly

Formats and Prices

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.

  • Praise for How The King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories:
    "Offers new delights along with familiar moments retold...fans will rejoice in every dark, luscious moment."
    Kirkus
  • Praise for The Queen of Nothing:
    *"Whether you came for the lore or the love, perfection."
    Kirkus, starred review
  • *"A compelling final piece in a powerful set."
    Booklist, starred review
  • "We're being promised a 'jaw-dropping' finale...Based on the ride she's taken readers on so far, we'd expect nothing less."
    Entertainment Weekly
  • Praise for The Wicked King:
    *"A stunning and compelling sequel."
    SLJ, starred review
  • *"A heady blend of courtly double-crossing, Faerie lore, and toxic attraction swirls together in the sequel to THE CRUEL PRINCE.... Black's writing is both contemporary and classic; her world is, at this point, intensely well-realized, so that some plot twists seem almost inevitable."
    Kirkus, starred review
  • *"[A] dangerous journey filled with mystery, betrayal, intrigue, and romance.... Larger-than-life action in a kingdom packed with self-centered, evil, and manipulating characters also doles out real life issues."
    VOYA, starred review
  • *"A rare second volume that surpasses the first, with, happily, more intrigue and passion still to come."
    Booklist, starred review
  • Praise for The Cruel Prince:
    "Lush, dangerous, a dark jewel of a book. Black's world is intoxicating, imbued with a relentless sense of peril that kept me riveted through every chapter of Jude's journey. And Jude! She is a heroine to love--brave but pragmatic, utterly human. This delicious story will seduce you and leave you desperate for just one more page."
    Leigh Bardugo, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom
  • "I require book two immediately. Holly is the Faerie Queen."
    Victoria Aveyard, #1 bestselling author of The Red Queen series
  • * "[S]pellbinding.... Breathtaking set pieces, fully developed supporting characters, and a beguiling, tough-as-nails heroine enhance an intricate, intelligent plot that crescendos to a jaw-dropping third-act twist."
    Publishers Weekly, starred review
  • * "Another fantastic, deeply engaging, and all-consuming work from Black that belongs on all YA shelves."
    School Library Journal, starred review
  • * "Jude, who struggles with a world she both loves and hates and would rather be powerful and safe than good, is a compelling narrator. Whatever a reader is looking for--heart-in-throat action, deadly romance, double-crossing, moral complexity--this is one heck of a ride."
    Booklist, starred review
  • "This is a heady blend of Faerie lore, high fantasy, and high school drama, dripping with description that brings the dangerous but tempting world of Faerie to life. Black is building a complex mythology; now is a great time to tune in."
    Kirkus Reviews
  • Praise for The Darkest Part of the Forest:
    A Kids' Indie Next List Book of the Year
  • *"Black returns here to the dark faerie realm that spurred her initial success, and if anything, she's only gotten better, writing with an elegant, economical precision and wringing searing emotional resonance from the simplest of sentences."
    The Bulletin, starred review
  • *"Black returns to the realm of faerie for her latest novel, and the results, as any of her fans would expect, are terrific."
    VOYA, starred review
  • "Black's stark, eerie tone; propulsive pacing; and fulsome world building will certainly delight her legion of fans."
    Booklist
  • "This edgy, dark fantasy will be a hit with young adults who like their magical creatures to live in a recognizably contemporary world."
    Library Media Connection
  • "Like a true fairy tale, Black's story weds blinding romance and dark terrors, but her worthy heroes are up to the challenge of both."
    The Horn Book
  • "It's an enjoyable read with well-developed characters and genuine chills..."
    Publishers Weekly

On Sale
Nov 24, 2020
Publisher
Hachette Audio
ISBN-13
9781549187537

About the High Queen of Faerie

Holly Black is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of fantasy novels, including the Novels of Elfhame, The Coldest Girl in Coldtown, the Spiderwick Chronicles, and her adult debut, Book of Night.  She has been a finalist for an Eisner Award and the Lodestar Award, and the recipient of the Mythopoeic Award, a Nebula, and a Newbery Honor. Her books have been translated into 32 languages worldwide and adapted for film. She currently lives in New England with her husband and son in a house with a secret library.

#FolkoftheAir

From NOVL Nation

About The Cruel Prince

“Trust is a dangerous thing to play with in this world, and the weight of it isn’t light. There is so much depth to the politics in The Cruel Prince that, to me, it felt like a real place.”

—Shelby, A Bookish Fangirl

The Cruel Prince is now my new current obsession, I’m going to be rereading this again before the end of the year, I’m going to be tumblr-ing on it every single day until the sequel comes out. I’m going to be talking about this book until the end of my existence, I’m going to be still be talking about this book even when my bones in the grave turns to star dusts. That’s how much I adore this book.”

—Chia, Sincerely Chia

“High fantasy—beautiful fairies included—court intrigue, enemies to lovers, deception, scheming, plotting and betrayals. A frankly unexpected amount of blood and death and an amazing FMC. Need I give you any more reasons to drop everything and go read this book?”

– Antonella, multicoloredbookreviews.home.blog

“I was hooked from the very beginning in this beautiful Faerie world. I enjoyed all of the twist and turns to the betrayals.”

–Alyssa, Goodreads

About The Lost Sisters

“With a narrator as unreliable as Jude and with a story that delves so deeply into family dynamics, The Lost Sisters is necessary and completely changed my perception of Jude and Taryn’s relationship. After having read, I’m left with a much deeper appreciation of Jude and Taryn, their positions in Faerie, how they view one another in this land of monsters, and how much they ultimately love each other.”

—Lindsay, Lindsay Bilgram

“You will feel every single emotion that you felt in The Cruel Prince all over again, but this time you’ll learn something deeper; that what we read in The Cruel Prince is really just the tip of the iceberg.”

—Amy, A Court of Crowns and Quills

“I was completely riveted. You can feel the emotions, sorrow and regret from Taryn and though I felt so much anger towards her actions I could see her reasoning a bit clearer. It also fills in some questions I had from The Cruel Prince (like what did Cardan whisper to Taryn?? We find out here!)”

—Kristen, My Friends Are Fiction

“Though Taryn is still a character I love to hate, her side sheds some light on the way she was feeling and the way her relationship with Locke developed. I have to admit, the girl has a bit more backbone than I thought she did.”

—Erin, As The Book Ends

“It’s captivating and enchanting, with poetic language that turns vices to feasts and love to battle. I actually really enjoyed this glimpse into Taryn’s story and found her transformation and motives to be fascinating and so real.”

—Robby, Robby Reads

About The Wicked King

“THAT ENDING, holy mother of pearl!”

—Shelby, A Fangirl Life

“Let me abate your fears. The Wicked King is just as good, if not better than The Cruel Prince. I was definitely worried the ‘second book slump’ would come into effect here—as it usually does with some of my favorite books. The Wicked King doesn’t slump. Instead, it flies.”

—Emily, Emily’s Writing Diary

“The undeniable attraction between Jude and Cardan is as fiery as ever, and their every interaction is a memorable moment that simmers with an array of emotions.”

—Angie, Sparks in Words

“Holy sweet mother of cliff hangers.”

—Ash, Ashes of a Book Dragon

“One constant of the book is the reminder of how faeries are different from humans in their viewpoints, violence, cruelty, and capriciousness.”

—Daphne, Daphodilli

Bookclub Guides

Image of The Cruel Prince Downloadable Book Club Guide

Peek the Audiobook

Holly Black

About the Author

Holly Black is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of fantasy books, including the Novels of Elfhame, The Coldest Girl in Coldtown, the Spiderwick Chronicles, her adult debut, Book of Night, as well as an Arthuriana picture book called Sir Morien. She has been a finalist for an Eisner Award and the Lodestar Award, and the recipient of the Mythopoeic Award, a Nebula, and a Newbery Honor. Her books have been translated into 32 languages worldwide and adapted for film. She currently lives in New England with her husband and son in a house with a secret library. She invites you to visit her online at blackholly.com.

Learn more about this author