How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate

Modern Faerie Tales Trilogy by New York Times-bestselling author Christopher Golden features lavishly illustrated additions.

Cardan narrates his tale in this book, beginning with meeting an odd-looking troll while living at his stables as a boy and journeying deeper into Faerie until becoming High Queen of Elfhame and other kingdoms that pledge their allegiance to her.

The Troll’s Tale

Snapper, Tumbler, and Willy Wee are three young troll children living in a magical forest full of magical creatures, playing pranks on innocent magic animals they don’t even understand! As they play their anarchistic games that cause hilarious antics that other supernatural beings won’t forget – or forgive! Join them as they play their anarchistic games that lead them on exciting escapades through which elves, nixes, and other faerie folk will never forget – or forgive.

Holly Black brings readers an irresistibly entertaining novella in this lavishly illustrated addition to her Folk of the Air series, set immediately following The Cruel Prince and The Queen of Nothing. Through a series of mini-stories and a concluding chapter set after both reports have concluded, this enchanting novella presents more insight into Cardan’s dramatic life than they could imagine!

How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories features exquisite artwork by Rovina Cai and promises an unforgettable reading experience for fans of the series. Packed with whimsical, dark, and gloomy illustrations – even on pages without full-color images! – How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories will delight readers while transporting them back into its heart-pounding romance, danger, and humor that made the first three books in this trilogy so beloved by old and new audiences alike!

The Crown of Elfhame

Mab Greenbriar asked Grimsen, an accomplished blacksmith from Elfhame, to craft her crown of Elfhame. This magnificently handcrafted crown can only be worn by descendants of one of Mab’s royal children and bestows power only available through them; at every coronation, the new ruler must renew her oaths of allegiance to pass it along in its chain of descent.

Five months have passed since the events of The Cruel Prince – Cardan has now become King, and Jude is still his Seneschal; she hopes to extend her power until Oak becomes old enough to rule over Faerie. Jude lives with Vivi and Oak, working odd jobs for Faerie creatures as she supports herself by performing odd jobs for them in the mortal world.

Bayern tells Jude to convince Grima Mog to stop eating the humans that inhabit the mortal realm; however, she declines and instead goes to an emergency meeting at the palace to warn everyone that Orlagh may attempt to capture her again.

The High King of Elfhame

Holly Black’s New York Times-bestselling Folk of Air trilogy began with The Cruel Prince, and this illustrated edition brings us back to Elfhame – both its world and its high king, Cardan – where more dramatic details unfold before The Cruel Prince was published as well as new adventures beyond Queen of Nothing and familiar scenes told entirely from Cardan’s point of view.

The story unfolds through a series of vignettes primarily told by Cardan to Nicasia. At their core is an account related to him as a child by Aslog–that of how boys always lie and even those considered pure can sometimes succumb to temptation from within themselves and have evil tongues. Each time this tale is told, its contents vary, as does how it’s said; as boys change, so do stories.

One thing that struck me about this book was its stunning design. Everything about its construction was impeccable, from its dust jacket to its naked spine and interior pages. Rovina Cai’s dark and whimsical illustrations perfectly encapsulated the Folk of Air series. Fans must own this must-have book!

Cardan’s Story

Holly Black offers readers of her beloved faerie kingdom trilogy an inside look into Cardan’s dramatic life–before he became a cruel prince or tyrannical king–through this illustrated edition. Readers are treated to glimpses from Cardan’s childhood, an adventure beyond The Queen of Nothing series, and familiar scenes from the Folk of Air series; this makes this collection a wonderful return trip to Elfhame!

Jude discovers at a masquerade ball that Locke is trying to kill her before their wedding, so she asks Cardan for help but instead dances with Taryn. Later, she tastes poison on her lips and realizes Cardan may have been poisoned; Jude rushes back to Hollow Hall only to discover Cardan has been taken away by guards.

With these mini stories, we see how Cardan slowly begins to explore who he is and understand that his heart can beat unapologetically. Black’s writing shows us a magnificent character arc for this prince who feels powerless over himself – watching him realize he deserves more is genuinely extraordinary. Rovina Cai’s illustrations bring Elfhame back to life again, making this series an absolute must-read!