Stolen Heir & Prisoners Throne
After reading the original, the folk of the air, trilogy and very much regreting it I was left with wanting read a book about fairies that was actually good. On paper, the trilogy should have been something I'd love. "It has whimsical creutaers, ıt has cool whimsical world, it has morally grey characters and generally grey morallity" I enjoy reading those topics, I wish they were actually in the book... But anyways, since the trilogy didn't gave what it promised I wanted to read a book thaht did keeps it's promises. I have seen people say that Holly Balck's other works is nothing like the trilogy and even it's sequals is vastly different. I looked at some of the ne star review an goodreads to see what people were complaing about, I came across a lot of people complaining about "Lore dumping","Oak having hooves" (you know, a non human charcter in a fantasy book having non human features) and "Not being like jurdan!!!". All of those thing were a win in my book so decieded to give the doulogy a try
So, I'm gonna summarize the books and give commentary as I go, then analyze the charcter indivudiley. Lastly, compare the duology to trilogy and give my overall thoughs
-Stolen Heir-
The book starts with introduction of wren,our main character. This already a better start then The cruel prince, which starts with the introduction of a side character. Wren was fae child raised by a human family, she grew up without knowing her true identity. Until her real fae parents show up force her back to elfhame so she can be their "queen"(prisoner). We do see wWen(or Suren as her fae family refer to her) in The Queen of Nohing. After the events of qon she stalkes her human family
-Prisoners Throne-
Characters
-Wren-
Wren's character is everything I wanted from Jude. Fristly the writing. The first book is written in first person like tfota but unlike tfota it's not only focused on wren. What do I mean by this? In tfota Jude feels the need to comment on everything that happens, she never steps away from the narative for readers to obsevre on their own and focus on differnt character and their stories. There is only one important character in tfota and evryone important because they have some kind of relation to that character. Even roach and bomb (the only characters who actually have a life outside of jude) are very minor characters and thier story is only o footnote. With Wren however, she just our point of view character. She and oak are on equal ground, oak isn't just a character who exists to amake wren look good. Wren also steğs away from the narative time to time and we get see the stories of the other characters. The first books also has what I call "one paragrah flasbacks". In tfota this was a way telling the reader how misrebale Jude is without actually having to show it, which feels fake and doesn't develop an emotianal connetion with the reader. Jude very important backstory which vital to her character is presented like a funfact .In tsh we get actually flassback alongside one paragrah ones, normal flasback develop and give the reader important information about wren while showing it. One paragrah flashbacks add small detials to wren that develops her in smaller ways, a better way using these flashbacks
secondly her personality. Wren, is very distustfull in begining of the series. Due to the things she went through she doesn't trust fae but this doesn't stop her from intracting with people and growing close to people. Unlike Jude, book forces Wren to go outside of her comfort zone and she goes trough a character arc thanks to this. She slowly start to become more social. She is also lowkey wild in start and "wild" as in "a rabid dog" which I really enjoy, it adds more charm to her. She loses this a bit as the book goes on but thats largely fine by me (except in tpt she is very... calm in that book which is kinda boring for me). And for the Jude comparison; Jude never goes through an arc, in the end she is the same person from first book expect she now has crown on her(which she didn't earn). She is also never forced out of her comfortzone. Even in cases that should be out of her zone, book/story bends itslef to accomade her needs(ex; Jude is good at fighting fairies and is fairly comfident about it. Gets exiled into mortal world where she feel like a outsider and knows very little about, still fights fairies in the mortal world)
Now for my one critisim of wren, her "evil" twist is badly done.