Review Detail

Holly Black has returned to the beloved world of Elfhame, with a fantastic companion duology, with Prince Oak now the central character. It has been a minute since I read the original series and while I am sure rereading would have been a pleasure it wasn’t strictly necessary to enjoy this new story. It is told from Wren’s perspective.
Wren’s character is completely enthralling throughout. She has endured so much tragedy and abuse at the hands of her parents once they pulled her from the mortal world as a child. We find her living a small ghostlike existence in the wild. She is swept up in Oak’s latest quest to travel to her home and save his father, Madoc from imprisonment. She is so love-starved and Oak is so charming that it is hard for her to trust their budding friendship and possible romance as being a true event and not a trick.
Oak and Wren both are coming to terms with their pasts and there is growth in both their characters during their journey. I am all for their relationship so the ending was a complete surprise in how she reacted to discovering the truth about her power.
Overall, I could not put this book down. I read it in under 24 hours and lost so much sleep because I was completely immersed in the world Holly Black had created and rooting so much for these characters. I loved returning to the world of Elfhame and am so glad there are new engaging stories to read. I am thankful the wait is over for the next book.