How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories (The Folk of the Air)

Return to the captivating world of Elfhame with this illustrated addition to the New York Times bestselling Folk of Air trilogy that began with The Cruel Prince, from award-winning author Holly Black.
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. #1 New York Times bestselling author, Holly Black reveals a deeper look into the dramatic life of Elfhame's enigmatic high king, Cardan. This 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.

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Published Nov 24, 2020

208 pages

Average rating: 8.1

138 RATINGS

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Community Reviews

What Bookclubbers are saying about this book

✨ Summarized by Bookclubs AI

Readers say Holly Black’s book enriches Elfhame's world, especially through Cardan’s perspective, with stunning art that delights fans. Reviewers agre...

faetedfantasy
Aug 18, 2024
8/10 stars
I can never get enough of these characters and Holly Blacks writing!
Enid Cangiano
Dec 29, 2025
10/10 stars
This was a fast read and what I'd consider a filler but unlike most filler stories I really enjoyed this.
Jovanna Abdou
Dec 19, 2025
6/10 stars
The jump between Cardan's upbringing and his being together with Jude feels like something is missing in between. Like all of the other books in the series, Holly Black's writing always leaves something to be desired. It would have been nice to have more romantic, comedic, scenes with Jude, especially after three books of Slow Burn.

The pictures were soooo pretty though! I looked forward to turning every page so I could look at the illustrations.
not_another_ana
Dec 29, 2024
6/10 stars
3/5

I liked Cardan's POV and the illustrations were lovely but I do feel cheated by which scenes were shown from his perspective. It would have been amazing to see the coronation or Jude's exile, for example.
DanniPhantomReads
Nov 13, 2024
10/10 stars
Everything I’ve ever loved and needed from Folk of Air Series, I love Cardin!

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