How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories by Holly Black and Rovina Cai (Review)

Title: How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories
Author: Holly Black
Illustrator: Rovina Cai
Type: Fiction
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
(Hachette Book Group)
Date published: November 24, 2020

A complimentary physical copy of this book was kindly provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Note: This book is part of a series, and there are likely some spoilers in the synopsis below.

An irresistible return to the captivating world of Elfhame.

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 . Revealing a deeper look into the dramatic life of Elfhame’s enigmatic high king, Cardan, tis 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.

⤖ My Review ⬻

It was such a treat to go back to the world of Elfhame! It’s seriously one of my favourite fictional worlds–I would live there, no joke. How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories follows two timelines, taking us both back in time, as well as providing us with a glimpse into Jude and Cardan’s lives after the The Queen of Nothing ends.

I could spend forever in Elfhame, or even in the human world, as long as a bit of Elfhame spills into it, so it’s no wonder that I soaked up the tales in How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories like a sponge. I was also left needing more, of course.

Can I also say how well the artwork suits Holly Black’s writing? The characters, the setting, the atmosphere–Rovina Cai’s style is perfect and exactly how I envisioned everything looking. Now, I’m also more than half hoping that they will release illustrated editions of The Cruel Prince, The Wicked King, and The Queen of Nothing! I don’t generally buy different editions of the same book, but I would definitely do that if they re-release the rest of The Folk of the Air series as illustrated editions.

Yes. That would be incredible. I could go on and on about how perfect this book was, and how happy I was to spend more time in this world, but I will stop myself here. I will also finish by saying that I’m really hoping for another full-length novel set in the world of The Folk of the Air because as great as How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories was, it was nowhere near enough to sate my appetite for the world and characters that I have come to love so dearly.

⤖ About the Author ⬻

Holly Black is the author of bestselling contemporary fantasy books for kids and teens. Some of her titles include The Spiderwick Chronicles (with Tony DiTerlizzi), The Modern Faerie Tale series, the Curse Workers series, Doll Bones, The Coldest Girl in Coldtown, the Magisterium series (with Cassandra Clare), The Darkest Part of the Forest, and her new series which begins with The Cruel Prince in January 2018. She currently lives in New England with her husband and son in a house with a secret door.