The Folk of the Air

The Folk of the Air by Holly Black

Review by Antares

The Cruel Prince is a riveting story about a human girl in Faerieland and Fae prince so cruel, so heartless, no one expects any good from him.

Jude Duarte. What do I have to say about her? First off, she is incredible. No sarcasm, I've never loved a female character like her. She is witty, brave, cunning and daring. I am unbelievably in love with her and Cardan. Like who couldn't love them? I love their individual development and their relationship development. Both were amazing.

But do you know what I love about reading books like The Cruel Prince? The PAINNNNN! If you read all three books, you'll know what I mean. I LOVE Cardan and Jude so much it hurts. I love my OTP it hurts. I love their banters it hurts! Most of all, I love how well developed the stories are it hurts.

I think I'm repeating myself.

(Spoliers from now on)

Here are few notes I got down (Which is surprising because I can't do anything but read the book over again) from The Cruel Prince, The Wicked King and The Queen of Nothing.

• When I first started reading I didn't think I'll end up liking it because Cardan was considerably a jerk, but later onwards I learn that everyone in the book had morally gray dynamics, including Jude. So technically, even though Cardan was horrible (At one point) to Jude and such a dolt in the first several chapters, he somehow redeemed himself by the end of The Cruel Prince (Not entirely but sort of). And by the end of the Folk of the Air series, Cardan was nothing like the guy in the beginning of the series. NOTHING.
• In the beginning I knew Cardan probably had a crap past or a crap present, but OH MY GOD. So like it's not bad enough he has a horrible past (I'll get into it later) that he's given an abusing, shitty, disgusting, brother. (Even though I'm discussing TCP right now, I just want to say I didn't think I could hate Balekin more, but he proved me wrong in TWK). Now, Cardan's behaviour with others doesn't justify with him having a shitty brother. 

It doesn’t make me like him any better, but for the first time he seems real. Not good, but real.

But I'm glad we first see him as a cruel character. It gives a good feeling when there is development.

• What sucks is that we know Jude is finally fighting for herself by going into the tournament, but we don't really see the stand up. In the first few chapters we already see Jude as a cunning, brave woman so we don't really see her before she fights for her right. I suppose we have that one scene where she and Taryn bow down to Cardan and his friends, but I still don't feel like she was ever weak. I see Jude as a someone who has been strong her whole life (Which is true). 
• I also love how Jude's bravery is entirely realistic. She is being strong and acts like all her problems don't scare her when we know they petrify her as hell.
• The pace of the story is incredible. Like one minute we have Jude fighting in a tournament and her school life, then suddenly we have a staged murder (And it was hilarious because the Greenbriars were being killed while the people were just chillin' and eatin' popcorn) and her tricking Cardan into becoming the king.
• Since we're talking about the Greenbriars, I have only one thing to say to them. SCREW YOU ALL. At first I thought Balekin is the only shitty person in the family, but none of them are any better. Maybe they didn't make a mortal beat him senseless whenever he made a slight mistake. But they didn't take Cardan in when the king/his father threw him out, nor did they believe him when he said it was Dain who killed the Mortal and not him. Like, what kind of father or king are you?! And don't even get me started on Lady Asha. She can burn in hell for all I care.
• What's cute is that Cardan knew Jude and Taryn used to hide under the tables during Revels, so when the killing and chaos started he went under the table, drunk, looking for her and acts like he didn't. (Which could be true considering he was drunk, but I have a feeling the soft part of him made him go under the table looking for her, unintentionally.)
• Also, does anyone notice how similar but different Jude and Cardan are? No, let me elaborate.

I had imagined myself different from Madoc, but already, given the chance, I am becoming a tyrant, threatening in place of convincing.

-Jude, The Queen of Nothing 

and for Cardan

“There was a prophecy given when I was born. Usually Baphen is uselessly vague, but in this case, he made it clear that should I rule, I would make a very poor king.” He pauses. “The destruction of the crown, the ruination of the throne—a lot of dramatic language.”

-Cardan, The Queen of Nothing 

Neither of them realise how much they have changed since the beginning, and that is wholesome.

• My heart broke when the Undersea kidnapped Jude, and Cardan said (In the deleted scene) that even though he was on the land, he felt like he was drowning. And then when Balekin makes Jude kiss him, I want to do nothing but get inside the book and beat the shit out of him.
• And then when Jude and Cardan get married, I am like:

        Then he exiles her.

I go literally from squealing to ?????????????

• I was so mad at him. And that he was smiling and laughing when she declared herself as the Queen of Elfhame. 

'Tears of frustration and fury prick my eyes as, a beat too late, Cardan laughs with them.'

But then I notice this one thing. A beat too late. A BEAT TOO LATE. So he doesn't want to laugh with them, but does it anyway. I was so conflicted! Did he want to banish her? Did he want to make her look like a fool? Or did he have something else in mind? And then everything is answered in The Queen of Nothing.

• Among all the books of The Folk of the Air, The Queen of Nothing was my favourite. It's the last chapter of their story (Even though I wish it wasn't) and it was beautiful. The prologue had me crying, even though I was still mad at Cardan. It explained a lot about him. And I believe that if someone, anyone, would've given him a little affection, he wouldn't be the way he was. He wouldn't be so effing cruel. He is neglected by everyone, even the stupid cat he had to suckle from. 
• Anyway, when Cardan told Jude that her exile was a trick to impress her, I was so shocked I had to reread it. And it made sense. His entire explanation about her banishment. This entire time Jude could've come back to Elfhame because she was the QUEEN.  

I think I'm done ranting for now. But I'll eventually post a new article for Jurdan, Taryn and Locke and the letters Cardan sent to Jude when she was in exile. I have a couple of things to say about Taryn and Locke [angry scowl]. I feel like I've missed out on some other important notes. Hopefully, they will be mentioned in my next post.

Until next time,

Anatres.