How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories

This Post is Spoiler Free!

So. How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories by Holly Black is the newest addition to the world of The Folk of the Air (starting with The Cruel Prince). This new book is a novella about Cardan. I wasn’t planning on reading it this month (I had a set TBR and everything), but man oh man… I got my hands on it and couldn’t resist! I just HAD to read it!

I’m so glad I did. It’s short (it IS a novella), but is everything I could have wanted from a book about Cardan. Unlike the original trilogy, which is told in first person POV from Jude’s perspective, Cardan’s book is told in third person POV (from Cardan’s perspective, obviously). The formatting was fun. I think How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories is technically a Frame Story. Maybe? The book is framed by the present (sometime after the original trilogy), with the present being the first and last chapters, but the rest is all set in the past. I’m sure I’m not describing it well, but it is a common format for fanfiction. I definitely liked it for Cardan’s story! In my opinion, it really fit what I knew of Cardan, and supported his character development from the original trilogy.

Do you need to read the original trilogy to read How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories?… yeah. I mean, maybe not, but the story is written assuming you already know about Cardan and Jude and everything that happens. Maybe you could enjoy the novella without having read the trilogy, but I certainly wouldn’t suggest doing things that way. Again with a reference to fanfiction, but you wouldn’t read a fic about characters you don’t know, right? Read the trilogy first… it’s a good story, and it will make you enjoy the novella a whole lot more!

Do you absolutely have to read the novella after reading the trilogy? Not necessarily. The trilogy was wrapped up really well. This novella wasn’t necessary for taking care of any plot holes. It’s just an added story. 

Do I think you should read it, though? Yes! It was so enjoyable, and everything I wanted for a Cardan novella! It had all of the magic of Holly Black’s writing that we fans know and love!

Will I read it again? 100% yes. It’s a quick and easy read, and is such a good addition to the original trilogy.

Also, How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories was ILLUSTRATED! The entire book is so gorgeous. I absolutely loved the art, which was done by Rovina Cai. Seriously, it’s so incredibly beautiful… I’m sure I’ll be raving about it for some time on my bookstagram! 

Have you read How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories? If so, how did you like it? If not, do you like reading novellas based on characters from a longer series?

How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories

Other Books by Holly Black:

Folk of the Air (Trilogy)

Modern Faerie Tales (Trilogy)

My Next Read:

The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle
by Stuart Turton