My thoughts on the Folk of the Air series

The Folk of the Air Series, written by Holly Black, is a trilogy filled with thrilling adventures, complicated familial relationships, and an intriguing romantic subplot. There are three books in the series: Cruel Prince, Wicked King, and Queen of Nothing.

I got this series for Christmas and began reading it shortly thereafter. I had seen a lot of hype surrounding the series online, as well as incredible art of the characters from one of my favorite artists, Frostbite Studios.

Initially, I was nervous getting into the series. I don’t often read dark romantasy, which I wouldn’t necessarily describe this series as, but that was my impression going into the story. However, after the first few chapters, I was hooked.

The story covers Jude Duarte - which is an amazing name - a mortal girl who lives in Faerie with her adopted father, two sisters, step-mother, and step-brother. Her father, a general, killed her parents as an act of revenge, and we are introduced to the world in one short chapter. Though this has garnered some controversy online, I do happen to like this chapter, as, in the context of the prologue, we understand why Black introduced Faerie in this way.

Jude Duarte is a cunning, at times ruthless, yet ambitious girl forced to survive in a cruel world that belittles humans. Her nemesis is none other than Prince Cardan Greenbriar, the youngest son of the King. He and his friends torture her and her twin sister, Taryn. Meanwhile, her sister Vivienne wants nothing more than to live in the human world, though she is a fae.

The world is unkind to Jude and Taryn. They are constantly at risk of being glamored, forced to do the will of the fae, or being poisoned by the tempting fruits of the land.

When Jude picks a fight with the true-to-title cruel Prince Cardan, he takes revenge, leading to multiple near-death experiences. Yet, she learns of his obsession with her after discovering a letter with her name scrawled across it multiple times.

After she agrees to be a spy for Cardan’s older brother, Prince Dain, soon to be crowned King of Elfhame, she is forced into many adventures and, through a geas provided through Dain, she is immune to the fae’s glamour.

The series covers her rise to power, her romance with Prince Cardan, as well as familial betrayal and loyalty, all through the lens of a teenage girl deprived of her parents’ love.

Now, my thoughts on the series are largely positive and have earned a spot on my ‘bookshelf of fame.’

Jude as a character took some time for me to get used to, and I do feel distinct aspect of her personality, such as her cunning or ruthlessness, were often muddied by her insecurities. Since it is in first person, we don’t fully understand just how powerful, fearsome, or beautiful she is, which is true to the nature of insecurity, yet, it would have been nice if Black had developed a few of her more distinct character traits throughout the series.

Jude’s relationship with Cardan is, initially, incredibly toxic, and I was wary of a supposed romance between them. While Jude and Cardan are hardly a good example of a healthy relationship, the further it develops, the sweeter it gets. We get to see Jude finally be vulnerable and watch as Cardan develops from the cruel prince to a devoted husband.

Madoc, Jude’s adoptive father, is another key character, and I found him terrifying, yet necessarily so. The relationship between him and Jude was complex, heartbreaking, and, ultimately, tragic. It was so often the catalyst to Jude’s development as a character, and I found that Black did an incredible job of showing Jude’s simultaneous loyalty and fear towards her ‘father.’

Vivienne, Taryn, and Oak, Jude’s siblings, are three other key characters who, other than Taryn, I adored. Vivi is charming, rambunctious, and has a devil-may-care attitude. To advise Christians who may not be comfortable reading about same-sex relationships, Vivi is dating another girl throughout the series, but it is non-explicit and not key to the plot. Taryn is Jude’s identical twin, yet is her opposite. Careful, considerate, and largely unwilling to take risks. She is a morally gray character, beautifully written to capture the complexities and trauma of growing up in the tragic circumstances she was forced into. Oak is a child throughout the series, though his character is instrumental, and though his person is not as developed due to his age, there is a spin-off series I am excited to read.

The rest of the characters are brutal, harsh, and self-seeking. However, that is so often a reflection of the real world, and I found myself contemplating the reality of power and control on a deeper level through this series.

The plot is largely well-structured, although the pacing can be slow at times across the three books. I will say, the series has as happy an ending as it can, which I find important to divulge (I won’t normally read a book if I’m not certain of the levels of tragedy I will be exposed to).

Some content warnings: there are mentions of abuse, control, human trafficking, manipulation, murder, violence, sexual assault.

For Christians looking for clean fantasy, this book is clean, however, two sex scenes are mentioned with little detail, one in each of the last two books. There is also limited swearing and kissing. Overall, I didn’t feel bothered by any of the book’s content, but I do want to be up-front with any potential issues.

Overall, I highly recommend this series. Black did an incredible job of weaving this story and developing the characters, and it will continue to be one of my favorite series.