I love the world of Elfhame and this snippet of The Stolen Heir has me so excited to get my hands on the book so I can dive back into this amazing world Holly Black has created.

Firstly I’d like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me to read the first to chapters of this amazing book early!! 😍❤️

For me Holly Black is an autobuy author for sure and let me tell you this book packs a punch from right at the very beginning!! I already feel so emotionally attached to Wren, her plight is already weighing on my chest and I can’t wait to carry on reading to find out how her journey is going to continues. I just know this book is going to be phenomenal and I’m so excited to get back to Elfhame!! It’s five stars already!!

This was AMAZING!! Everything I wanted and Everything I didn't know I needed. As this was just a sampler I'm not giving a full review but Oak and Wren were perfect exactly as I imagined them to be and I'm counting down the days until Book 2!!

Anyone who is a fan of Holly Black's fairytale imagination is going to love this new story. It is set in the same world as the Elfhame series but focuses on the Court of Teeth and its rebel queen, Suren. It's a story about lost and found families, about belonging and of course about magic and romance. I loved this sampler and have just eagerly begun reading the full novel now that it has been published.

What an amazing start to a book! I loved being back in Elfhame and I love seeing more of Oak in this story. I cannot wait to read this book fully!

As a long time fan of the Folk of the Air series I was over the moon when Holly Black announced she was revisiting the world! It was so nice to back in Elfhame and I can't wait to read the full copy now it's released!

Thank you Hot Key Books & Netgalley for this sampler!

Thank you netgalley for sending me this ebook arc!! As I am a big fan of the Folk of Air series I could not wait to read this! It was so nice to get lost in the world that Holly Black created again! I already love the characters in this book and I can not wait to read the whole book!!!

This was just a sampler, but it made me buy the book so it definitely worked. It's another visit to Elfhame, so if you love that world then you will love The Stolen Heir.

Thank you Netgalley UK for providing the firs three chapters of The Stolen Heir! I'm a big Holly Black's fan and I've been waiting for this novel since it was first announced. I had it pre-ordered but I'm so glad I've got to read the excerpt a bit earlier! I love the style, the pacing, the familiarity of Elfhaime and meeting the characters in a new version of themselves. I can't wait for the sequel!

Edit:
Audiobook edition January 2023:

I borrowed the unabridged audiobook of ‘The Stolen Heir’ by Holly Black and found the entire book, especially its audiobook edition, a better experience than the sample.

Its narrator, Saskia Maarleveld, was excellent presenting first person Suren’s account. As a result, I increase my rating to 4 stars and certainly plan to read the second volume when it is published.

Sample: December 2022
Bonnier Books U.K. Hot Key Books provided the first three chapters of ‘The Stolen Heir’ via NetGalley as a sample of this upcoming release. It is the first in Holly Black’s new YA duology and returns to the world of Elfhame.

Some years have passed since the events of ‘The Queen of Nothing’ and this book focuses on the experiences of Suren (Wren), the changeling queen, and Prince Oak, the heir to Elfhame. The Prologue is set in the past as Wren’s changeling nature is first revealed and later she is dumped back in the human world. Chapters One and Two are set in the novel’s present and Chapter Three again returns to the past as Wren and Oak interact as children. From there it is ‘to be continued’.

I had read and enjoyed the Folk of the Air series three years ago yet as I started reading this sample I felt plopped down and was left wondering who was who and what was going on. I wish that Holly Black and her editors would take a leaf from those SFF authors who provide lists of Dramatis Personae or some opening exposition to provide context for their current project.

While I felt a little lost at the outset I did have access to the previous trilogy and was able to reference ‘The Queen of Nothing’. Yet I continue to feel that it was shortsighted to assume that all readers coming to ‘The Stolen Heir’ are going to have the familiarity that the author or keen fans have. I feel that this is especially important if they are seeking to attract new readers.

Due to this I am giving the sample 3 stars. Still, I expect that I will eventually do a combined read/listen of the complete book based on my positive experience of the other Elfhame books.

A sample of the book, Kindly given by the publishers, this brings you back to the world of the Folk of Air series and I loved it! Holly Black’s writing is engaging from the start and I can’t wait to see what happens next.

This is a great sample. If you're thinking of reading The Stolen Heir, please do!

I was expecting more Jude and Cardan but that's my fault.

Intrigued by this sample that has a great setup and sense of the story ahead. I’m excited to be back in the world of Elfhame. Holly Black has a special way of completely captivating my attention from the very beginning. Very excited to read the published copy.

Thank you netgalley for the sampler of the stolen heir.
I love Holly Black's writing I own all her books including multiples of my favourites, so knew I would love this just as much and am so happy to be back in Elfame with a grown up Oak.
It's starts off with some background on Suren as we only caught glimpses of her in the cruel prince books and I'm intrigued to know more of her character.
Overall a gripping first glimpse that makes me want to binge the whole book.

A nice little sampler. I like Suren's voice. She feels like the product of an ancient people and the daughter of monsters.

I loved everything about this little sampler, bringing us back into the world of Elfhame and all its trickster Fae. To see Oak as a man, grown into a world full of spy's and political intrigue has me wondering at the type of person he could be - wicked like his brother, scheming like his sister, or different entirely? And Wren is an interesting character too. Different to what we've seen before, a changing Brough back into Elfhame to cruelty and loveless conditions after an early childhood surrounded by mortals who adored her. It will be interesting to see her dynamic with Oak, and where their adventure will lead them. Will they save Elfhame, or destroy it?

Brilliant series. Read and loved books 1&2. This sampler definitely whetted my appetite for what was next to come. Really looking forward to reading The Stolen Heir

I had almost forgotten how incredible it is to be completely swallowed up by a story! The worldbuilding and atmosphere are just incredible, and every location is more vivid and beautifully realised that the next. You are able to _taste_ the world, making this world incredibly immersive!
It is also impossible to not love all the characters with your entire heart. They are multi-dimensional and complex, flawed and utterly perfect. If you loved the Cruel Prince series, don't even hesitate and buy this book (I think I almost preferred it to the original series), but even if you are just looking for a wonderfully written, unputdownable fantasy stories with characters that will live rent-free in your head, PICK THIS BOOK UP!

How can you not love Holly Black? Reading this sample has just made me want to read the whole thing! Such a tease, thank you netgalley for this opportunity to get a sneak peek!

The Cruel Prince trilogy (The Folk of Air series) was a great read so I was looking forward to seeing a continuation here. This is just a sampler of the first 3 chapters, but it gives a good sense of the tone and direction of this story. The action has moved here to an older Oak and the protagonist is a side-character who made a few brief appearances in the original series who is something of a feral character at the beginning here.

Strong start and would love to read more! I would definitely recommend to fans of the original series.