Literature & Fiction
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The Stolen Heir: A Novel of Elfhame (The Stolen Heir, 1)
An Instant #1 New York Times Bestseller!
An Instant #1 Indie Bestseller!
Return to the opulent world of Elfhame, filled with intrigue, betrayal, and dangerous desires, with this first book of a captivating new duology from the #1 New York Times bestselling author Holly Black.
A runaway queen. A reluctant prince. And a quest that may destroy them both.
Eight years have passed since the Battle of the Serpent. But in the icy north, Lady Nore of the Court of Teeth has reclaimed the Ice Needle Citadel. There, she is using an ancient relic to create monsters of stick and snow who will do her bidding and exact her revenge.
Suren, child queen of the Court of Teeth, and the one person with power over her mother, fled to the human world. There, she lives feral in the woods. Lonely, and still haunted by the merciless torments she endured in the Court of Teeth, she bides her time by releasing mortals from foolish bargains. She believes herself forgotten until the storm hag, Bogdana chases her through the night streets. Suren is saved by none other than Prince Oak, heir to Elfhame, to whom she was once promised in marriage and who she has resented for years.
Now seventeen, Oak is charming, beautiful, and manipulative. He's on a mission that will lead him into the north, and he wants Suren's help. But if she agrees, it will mean guarding her heart against the boy she once knew and a prince she cannot trust, as well as confronting all the horrors she thought she left behind.
An Instant #1 Indie Bestseller!
Return to the opulent world of Elfhame, filled with intrigue, betrayal, and dangerous desires, with this first book of a captivating new duology from the #1 New York Times bestselling author Holly Black.
A runaway queen. A reluctant prince. And a quest that may destroy them both.
Eight years have passed since the Battle of the Serpent. But in the icy north, Lady Nore of the Court of Teeth has reclaimed the Ice Needle Citadel. There, she is using an ancient relic to create monsters of stick and snow who will do her bidding and exact her revenge.
Suren, child queen of the Court of Teeth, and the one person with power over her mother, fled to the human world. There, she lives feral in the woods. Lonely, and still haunted by the merciless torments she endured in the Court of Teeth, she bides her time by releasing mortals from foolish bargains. She believes herself forgotten until the storm hag, Bogdana chases her through the night streets. Suren is saved by none other than Prince Oak, heir to Elfhame, to whom she was once promised in marriage and who she has resented for years.
Now seventeen, Oak is charming, beautiful, and manipulative. He's on a mission that will lead him into the north, and he wants Suren's help. But if she agrees, it will mean guarding her heart against the boy she once knew and a prince she cannot trust, as well as confronting all the horrors she thought she left behind.
Readers Top Reviews
JDMangel bucciThomas
I thought Holly’s first series would be hard to top and that this would be a lesser novel. But it holds beautifully on its own and was mesmerizing to read. I read it in a half-day and loved it. Can’t wait for the next book.
jenn
Loved this story! Its refreshing to have new characters in the wonderful world of elflahem. If your a fan of the first set of books The cruel Prince you will love this book. Its enlighten ing to have a grown up oak going on an adventure. When is a fantastic character to have the story told through her eyes.can't wait for the next book!
xgiaco13
This is a well done fantasy very much in line with the last series but not a retread. What Holly Black does so well is reflect the complexities of trauma and adolescence in a way that it’s not the main point but still a believable driving force of character motivation. Yet she doesn’t make violence or survival seem like a cheap plot devise. I love that in this world the fae are thoroughly other and truly cruel. Also, one of her ongoing themes is that one does not need to be perfect or even particularly good to deserve love. She’s a great writer and I look forward to the next installment.
kate
I had trouble putting this novel down after about the 25% mark. The emotional twists and turns have made my day difficult and I'm sure sleep this evening will be filled full of betrayals and oaths, stick men and spiders, trolls waking from their daily slumber, and all of this with a backdrop washed in the pain of recurring loss between two people drawn together who seem to miss each other time and again throughout their lives. I cannot wait for the sequel, so much so that I may be slightly offended that I will likely have to wait some time to read the continuation of this deeply complex, sticky web of a relationship.
Mainer
I've read most of Ms. Black's books and enjoyed them all, so it's especially nice to start the new year in the land of Fairie once more. Suren, or Wren, has left the land of Fairie to hide in the human world near the family that once adopted her. Once a queen, now she's living feral in the woods, eating garbage and spying on her former sister. Oak, the heir of Elfhome, finds her to help him on a mission to rescue Madoc, his Redcap father, from Wren's mother, who is up to her usual tricks. If you've read Ms. Black's other books, these are familiar characters, but I don't feel they're necessary as a preface to this book. You can pick up the story and the characters fairly well without knowing them beforehand. Wren is pitiful, abused by her parents and the rest of Fairie, yet she can't find a place in the human world. Oak is charming and tricky, untrustworthy though Wren tries hard because of their childhood bond. Multiple other fey appears, some horrific and others beautiful, but all cruel in their way, as one would expect. One of the things I enjoy most about Ms. Black's books is that she portrays fairies as what they are in most folklore, bloodthirsty and callous. She writes in the traditions of Lord Dunsany, Terri Windling, Charles de Lint, or Brian Froud. There are a few dark moments in this book, especially at the end. I can't wait for the sequel.
