Salutations readers for the final review in “The Folk of the Air” series by Holly Black (for now).
If you happen to stumble upon this article but have no idea what I am talking about, well I suggest you go ahead and read the reviews for the previous books in this series, 'The Cruel Prince', 'The Wicked King', and 'The Queen of Nothing'.
If you have already read those and are now here to find out if the final book is worth reading then read on my friend!
But of course, before we can begin allow me to just remind everyone of the ranking system I use when doing these reviews;
- Characters and Character Development
- World-Building
- Overall Plot and Spice (aka drama)
- Writing style
- Aesthetics
With that out of the way, we can now tumble down the rabbit hole that Holly Black has created for us in this final book.
This book is not what I had expected when it arrived at my doorstep, for one it is gorgeous. A hardcover book that is fully illustrated both inside and outside, I was truly stunned by the beauty of it. But what really caught me off guard was the content.
This book isn’t essential to read in order to enjoy the original trilogy, however, it does add depth to the story that as readers we have come to know and love. Holly Black provides us with a rich backstory for the previously mysterious male lead Cardan, explaining why he is the way he is. She also indulges the reader by showing us scenes of life after the end of the events in “The Queen of Nothing”.
To me it's like an indulgent treat; rich and satisfying in every way. After reading the fast paced trilogy, “How The King of Elphame Learned to Hate Stories” is like a breath of fresh air (even though saying the full name will leave you gasping for air).
The final ranking may seem startlingly low compared to the other books in this series but that is only because it is written in a way that is reminiscent of a children’s storybook, which I found to be very endearing but might be harder for other readers to enjoy, and the fact that the stories lack any real depth since they are intended to build off of Black’s previous work.
- Characters & Character Development: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
- World-Building: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
- Overall Plot and Spice: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
- Writing style: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
- Aesthetics: ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
So the average score is:
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ of 5
And this brings us to the end of this series...for now! There are already rumours that Holly Black has a new story brewing that is set to take place in Farieland, so let’s keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best.
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