How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories cover art

How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories

The Folk of the Air

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How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories

By: Holly Black
Narrated by: Caitlin Kelly
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About this listen

Once upon a time there was a boy with a wicked tongue...

Before Cardan was a cruel prince or a wicked king, he was a faerie child with a heart of stone. In this sumptuously illustrated tale, Holly Black reveals a deeper look into the dramatic life of Elfhame's enigmatic high king. This tale includes delicious details of life before The Cruel Prince, an adventure beyond The Queen of Nothing, and familiar but pivotal moments from The Folk of the Air trilogy, told wholly from Cardan's perspective.

This new instalment in the Folk of the Air series is a return to the heart-racing romance, danger, humour and drama that enchanted readers everywhere.

©2020 Holly Black (P)2020 Bonnier Books UK Fantasy Fiction Literature & Fiction Royalty Science Fiction & Fantasy Magic Heartfelt

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All stars
Most relevant  
Nice addition to the series. I hope the next book still has Jude and Carden in it

Nice addition

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“Some might think of him as a strong draught, burning the back of one's throat, but invigorating all the same.
You might beg to differ.
So long as you’re begging, he doesn’t mind a bit.”

I had a stack of books I planned / hoped to read this month, and because I completely forgot about pre-ordering this book it was not on my list.

Did I ditch my entire tbr the moment it arrived? Yes, yes I did!

Holly has a way of captivating me completely. I zoned out and devoured this in one quick sitting.

I loved the flow and the direction the story went in. It was nice to get an insight into Cardan, not just as he is now but as he was growing up.

I didn’t think it was possible to fall even more in love with Cardan, but alas, it has happened.

I loved everything - and the illustrations added an extra touch of magic to this beautiful story.
I’m so glad I own a copy of this book, it will definitely be one I reread often.

“You didn’t hear the story I told,” he goes on. “A shame. It featured a handsome boy with a heart of stone and a natural aptitude for villainy. Everything you could like.”

Reread: April 1st

"A heart of stone can still be broken."

I decided to give the audio a try after a recommendation and I'm so glad I did. I absolutely love how it was read, it added a little something extra to something I was already familiar with, and I love that.

Physical read & audio review

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Good Narrator and a good little story. It is very short so I wouldn't recommend to spend a token on this one. But I listened to this through the included catalogue so it made it worth it.

A good little add on

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I loved The Folk of the Air series, and this novella is a really fun extra for fans of the main series. Great narration as always, and a nice insight into Cardan.

Gorgeous addition to the series

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It was nice to have a little insight back with the characters, I had missed them. Also I love stories.

Great!

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It was so good I wish it was twice as long if not longer! Great narration and great story! Loved it every minute and I am going to listen at least once more!

Amazing

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Good story, well narrated. Much shorter than other books, but enjoyable all the same. Easy listening.

enjoyable

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It has the same enchanted fairy tale like tone as the other books in the series, more so actually as we follow Cardan from childhood and get to understand a little better why he was the way he was. Loved it. Great performance, Caitlin is exceptionally talented at narrating fairy tales.

Great short book

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I love the Folk of the Air series and this little book is a welcomed bonus. Caitlin is definetly one of my all time narrators and her voice is perfect for such a magical series. Both Jude and Cardan sound exactly how I 've imagined they would

Perfect bedtime story

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It's a nice addition to the series, not as action packed as I expected. But still worth adding to your collection if you loved the first four books of the series, four been the prequel lost sisters. I would have given it five stars, but I felt like it was missing some of the cruel edge and characteristics of the main book. Carden almost felt like a cute kitten rather than a dangerous lion, like in the original books. I only point this out because I loved him so much in the series, he left an unforgettable impact on me after reading these.

Stories and the meaning behind them.

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