Just got back from seeing the live action HTTYD movie!! Now let me say that I had pretty high expectations for this movie as the original still remains my Favorite Film of All Time Ever and I was actually SHOCKED at how good it was. Disney take notes bc THAT is how you do a live action movie. It was so faithful to the original down to the actual shots, music and camera direction, I was actually in awe at how they essentially just copied the original film practically line for line. Ofc there were a couple changes here and there, some added dialogue and character interactions, but overall it was super close to the original. I had legitimate goosebumps during the test flight scene AGH they captured everything so well and as a diehard HTTYD fan since 2010 I’m so so happy with how well they captured the essence of the original 😭
Anyway if you’ve been debating over going to see it after being disappointed time and time again by Disney’s shitty live action remakes PLEASE give this one a shot. Dreamworks did it right and they should be praised for a fantastic job well done 👏
I thought I’d hate the concept of another supernatural game, but it was well done. Surprised to see that there’s a potential sequel, but honestly there are all the makings of an excellent series. Spoilers below:
There were a lot of loose ends by the time Enchantra wrapped up. Some include:
*Barrington’s disappearance
*The continuation of The Crimson Rot
*Salem’s summons to meet with his father
*Knox—is he punished? Rewarded? Out for revenge?
*Mortality—one sister has it, the other does not. Seems like a red flag. Esp. because Ophelia wasn’t sure about giving it up for a bit in Phantasma.
*Tessie Grimm: what was she up to?
*Genevieve’s memories: Salem’s true name? What else did she “remember”?
I liked the aesthetic of this book. Has anyone else read it yet?
Oooh I love that, I haven’t thought about it a ton, but I do love the theory that she was involved in the rebellion in some way or even that she’s possibly venin (turned in a way that’s good- just like some people theorize Xaden is)
-ty for the ask, I love when people send me stuff!!-
Sorry to chime in, but I’ve got an idea about this. I wonder if she’s no longer alive. Dain and Violet are almost the same age. What if this is part of his dad’s villain origin story?
Maybe Dain’s mom didn’t survive birth (super sad but it seems to happen in a lot of lit). What if that’s why there are so many casual references to Violet’s family semi-adopting him? We know Lilith was sick when she was pregnant with Violet, and we also know that the two families were often stationed together. I could see Dain’s dad, newly widowed with an infant, asking his squad mate who already has two small kids and expects a third soon to help out with his infant son. And maybe that became a knife in his heart so to speak—the Sorrengail family has three kids, and Lilith survived a high risk pregnancy while his wife did not.
That could be a reason that she’s basically never mentioned. If Dain and Violet never knew her, there would pretty much be no reason to bring her up. That’s also why Violet’s dad was able to teach Dain multiple languages—while the dragon riders were busy with military stuff, Asher was watching all the kids. If Dain’s mom was around at all then what was she doing during that time? Anyway, that’s why I suspect that she hasn’t been mentioned yet. If she’s a plot twist waiting to happen, this series is going to feel very much like a daytime soap opera where no characters can be written off until a body is on the screen.
So I finished this today after getting it in the mail from BOTM yesterday.
Spoiler review below the cut:
I was initially worried to begin the story with Fionn and Rose meeting for the first time because at the end of Leather & Lark there was such a cliffhanger. When Fionn basically took Rose home on a whim at the start of S&S and absolutely let her into his life in every possible way, it seemed like a lack of character development. Sure, Fionn wasn’t upset by the whole vigilante justice thing, but he’s the only one of the Kanes who ran from that life. He is basically in love with Rose from day one. His only hesitations are the “rules” he sets with her for no apparent reason. For a dude who was turned down when he proposed, Fionn doesn’t seem to have any qualms about that either. Sure he punches some people and gets a little emotional sometimes, but we don’t get a lot of stress from him about the situation. Leander extorts him and his reaction is basically “oh? I can see why my brothers don’t like this dude.”
When the story started lining up with the other two books, it started to feel a little rushed. I don’t think that was any fault on the author’s part. We had two novels with Sloane and Rowan and Lochlan and Lark, and those 600+ pages had to fit timeline-wise into the 300ish pages we had with Fionn and Rose. That made this book feel like it was jumping around. We don’t see Rose meeting Sloane or Lark and some other critical scenes are missing too. Maybe if I read all 3 books back to back it would feel less like I was skipping ahead every few pages.
The wrap-up for the stalker felt rushed too. It seemed like an opportunity for the group to bring Leander Mayes to some sort of justice, but instead the loose ends with him were left to flap in the wind. Does Fionn go back? How do Rowan and Lochlan feel about Fionn working with Leviathan? Why was Amanda thinking all of those negative thoughts while watching Sloane earlier on in the series?
It was a campy little romance series with three happily ever afters, so I’m not complaining too much. I just wish Scythe and Sparrow was about twice as long, or Brynne Weaver decides to write a same universe new characters series next.
[Cut just because I don’t want to accidentally show anyone spoilers!]
This is a big list of thoughts I have about a variety of topics in Onyx Storm. Some notes contain theories about the next books.
Who’s Crazy?
In Iron Flame, it was definitely a plot point that dragons don’t choose riders in the same family because that can cause them to go “mad.” Vi gets all worried that Xaden bonded Sgyael, until ultimately he confesses about his inntinnsic ability. In Onyx Storm, this plot device never resurfaces. Instead, all rebellion children conveniently have a second hidden signet through their relics. What a massive gift from the dragons—and that seems to suggest that some members of the Emperyon are working against one another. How did the rebellion children get their relics, and which dragons marked them? When did they develop the secondary powers through their marks? I’m sure there couldn’t be a rune powerful enough to gift them all signets too. Seems unresolved currently, and maybe like a potential plot hole?
Infodump
One big complaint I have seen about this book is the serious barrage of names within the first 100 pages. I also noticed that there was a huge amount of work put into addressing or resolving issues the first two books left uncertain. The bit where Violet asks about channeling and why infantry soldiers wouldn’t do it more often definitely feels like a cork in a plot hole. There is also much more “world building” as they travel outside of Basgaith.
Dreaming
This is definitely something that seems obvious looking back. At the same time, it would have been more obvious if it had happened to more than one character instead of only Xaden in IF. Why are the Irids so horrified about this power? Not just because it can circumvent any defenses…if you die in a dream, do you die in real life? Can she change the way people think about things, like Cat’s emotional manipulation? Do dragons dream? Can Violet create nightmares?
Sloane
When Sloane channeled from Dain to Brennan, she was surprised by Dain’s extra power. More on that in a second. After Sloane’s channeling, the venin marks on Dain’s arm and the marks on the back of Brennan’s neck were gone. I suspect Sloane might be able to purify venin energy by restoring magic…she basically undrained both of them while exchanging their energy. This also clues us in that Brennan likely has some past dealings with venin that we don’t know about yet.
Dain
Violet went through all of that trouble to steal a gemstone that could magnify powers. In the recent bonus chapter from Xaden’s POV, Dain was huffing and puffing up the stairs. What if Dain took the amplifying gem for himself to level the playing field in terms of his relatively mismatched power? They said after the fire it looked different. Could someone have done a swap?
The Emperyon
The peaceful truth of the Irids seems to have something to do with magic and balance. Throughout this book, we saw that different areas of the world have been drained of magic and are inhospitable to dragons. When Andarna brings up Threshing to her kind, they respond with language that suggests it’s actually a sort of human reaping. My theory is this—the dragons, many thousands of years ago, were being threatened because humans discovered how to drain magic from the earth. To stop this, dragons turned humans against one another and shared their powers with the first riders. For the dragons, the riders become a weapon to protect them from the venin. But magic strikes a balance—once riders had powers, the venin had to draw more and more from the earth to compete. The Irids remain feather tails, which suggests that the other breeds of dragons are endlessly transforming themselves into war machines because of their untenable hold over humanity.
Why would the dragons go along with pretending that venin aren’t real for so many centuries, without telling their riders the truth? Because they don’t want riders knowing that they could be just as powerful without their dragons. Venin seem to be the magical balance to the dragons. I wonder if the Irids view the other breeds like the humans view the venin.
Or this could go in a completely different direction and we come to find out that beyond the edge of the map the “gods” are living away from the continent. What if Dunne, Amari, Malik, and all the other gods Vi likes to name drop are actually the first “venin”?
Why, Rhi?
Was the Rhiannon POV for extra tension as we waited for a squad member to die? It happened right at the moment that Violet was confronting T. I have to go back and look again—what happened in that passage that made it so important for that exact moment? The Imogen chapter, sure. It showed that our girl has a hidden second signet and also gave a reason that she might not be making the most sound decisions after the battle. But the Rhiannon chapter showed Ridoc freezing a wyvern to death. Was that so important right at that exact moment? Dain was also fighting throughout that chapter, which seemed like a great time to explain that “extra power” he was carrying.
Marriage
We knew this had to be a breakup book. It’s the third one in the series, and the next will be the evil Xaden arc before a big resolution in the last book. The only thing Xaden held onto in his POV is that he loves Violet, but T said that venin are incapable of love. That suggests to me that Xaden is somehow not fully venin. Or, if that’s too blindly optimistic, it suggests that all venin may not be as lost as previously thought. Jack does know something apparently, so Violet will need to interrogate him to find out. Whatever Xaden has planned, it seems that Sgaeyl is in on it and he asks Tairn to agree as well. Now, unless Sgaeyl broke the bond with Xaden, there will likely be some connection between the dragons at least. The real kicker is that Imogen tells Violet she did what Violet asked her to do—and why would she want her memories erased? So that she can’t remember a painful decision? Or so that she can’t leak a secret if interrogated? Or is that a lie, and Imogen is helping Xaden escape?
My theory is that Xaden has realized he won’t be free from the Sage unless he actually kills him, or someone higher up the chain of command. He’s going to try to play spy for a while and get information on the venin, like Panchek was leaking information about the riders. He marries Violet to give her Tyrrandor, since she sees it as home and has been imagining her life there. She’s never been good at shielding her intentions from him. He also gives her the political responsibility to keep her busy while he starts on whatever he’s doing. He doesn’t need her to “rescue” him because he’s undercover, but he also needs her to be absolutely convincing if they cross paths with any venin inntinnsics. He was planning whatever this was long before this battle—originally he was going to leave Bodhi with Tyrrendor, but Violet was his obvious second choice. That would be a scenario where I could see Violet asking Imogen to wipe her memory.
Grandma
Mira went to visit Grandma, but Brennan thinks that is a bad idea. By going there, Mira was able to find out the truth about Violet’s magical hair. We found out that the other priestesses dye their hair with lye and herbs, but Violet’s is the real deal. Dedicating babies has been outlawed for hundreds of years. What happens when Violet visits grandma and finds out more about her father’s choice? Why was the grandmother so upset? It does seem like a horrible betrayal that her parents tried to “fix” her as a baby, especially as an infant. But they were extremely calculating people who knew the truth about a lot of things—perhaps Violet’s partial dedication to Dunne will give her some extra advantage or connection to the goddess in this next book. I’d imagine she will probably need to go back to the priestess who sent her the temple rock.
Aaric
A rider with true precognition…does that mean that Melgren has turned in some capacity, since there is one per generation for some of these signers? Or are there other riders out there predicting the future? It certainly seems like a troublesome turn of events for a potential future ruler to know the future. Is he seeing only one path? He could potentially identify villains or traitors, manipulate events to meet his private goals, or turn people against each other. And how can Dunne’s priestesses predict Violet’s future too?
Andarna
After being rejected by her kind, does Andarna choose to reject them in turn and rush back to Violet? Or is there another reason they don’t want an irid left on the continent? T says that Andarna was very valuable—is there another something we don’t know about her? She certainly wasn’t gone long enough for years of training unless she learns how to travel in time.
(EDIT: pinning this for linktober to keep things in order! All shenanigans will also be reposted on my alt blog, @critbit-hoard )
If you want to see my general info (and also which tags to look at my other art, click here)
FAMILIAR FAMILIAR is a self indulgent TOTK AU where Link and Zelda traverse the wild lands of Hyrule together. There are ruins to be discovered and monsters to be eaten.
This project is a linktober challenge that will extend past the month of october. Please be patient with me as this is entirely being funded by a hyperfixation and the support of beloved patreon backers (ty patreon backers). Pls note fanart, fanfics, and spinoffs are perfectly fine as long as credit is due!
First, the publisher’s promotional claim that it’s Death on the Nile meets The Mummy is accurate. I told my hubby it was like reading a sexy Indiana Jones story set in Egypt.
Second, the characters were morally grey. Pretty much all of them. Whenever Inez thought something to herself about another person—any sort of concrete assumption based on her knowledge of their character—I was absolutely suspicious. Anyone could do anything at any time, and Inez was wrong/shocked over and over again. Not because she was a bad judge of character, but because they were written with such human characteristics.
Spoilers below:
Third, I loved the romance. With all of the morally grey action I mentioned above, I wasn’t sure about Whit until book two. The telegram to Porter seemed to suggest that he didn’t really care about Inez at all. For the first half of book two, I couldn’t decide if he was using her or if he just didn’t realize that he hadn’t communicated his feelings. This was peak irony:
Their eventual realization that neither was lying or hated the other was wonderfully written. Whit’s declaration hit me like a physical zing—I loved the growth that took them from “don’t trust anything I say” to “jump and I promise I’ll catch you.”
What bothered me:
There were a few things in book two that just didn’t add up.
1. Inez was inconsolable when her parents died. Her parents who spent very little time with her, proved quite quickly to be liars, and had very few redeemable qualities. She absolutely shreds her family apart trying to find out what happened to them. When Elvira is murdered in front of her, Inez wants to erase the mental image. She doesn’t vow undying revenge for the death of her favorite cousin, doesn’t cry too much about it, and even thinks at one point “wow that happened just a few days ago.” Book two just didn’t capture the grief I expected Inez to experience—as if by that point it wasn’t convenient to the plot. Real missed opportunity for Inez and Whit to connect over that, since he often thinks about seeing the horrors of war.
2. The war between Lourdes and Cayo makes absolutely no sense. Inez is a wealthy heiress in book one. I can understand that Lourdes was fencing artifacts because laws at the time restricted the access women had to their own finances. Cayo had access to the fortune the entire time. When he “faked his death,” was he leaving the fortune there for Inez? For his brother in law’s expeditions? The auctions began as a means to add to that fortune—but why? Cayo got greedy and saw a chance to make more money? The big “reveal” at the end that situated Cayo as the villain was the most poorly executed part of this series. If he had done it out of a pure desire to destroy his cheating wife’s criminal empire, that would have made more sense. Casting him as a treasure hunter made no sense because of the fortune he already had that he left to Inez.
3. The rose bushes, damn it. When Whit is finally taking the time to try a little alchemy in the end, it’s so difficult to place the scene in time. At that point he and Inez have a house and they’ve adopted two cats. They have planted a garden. That suggests they have been living there for at least a year. But Inez says they’re on their honeymoon—implying it’s shortly after their wedding. Did they get married in a big ceremony like they discussed? How much time passed between that event and the farewell dinner?
Being the fanfiction girly I am, I also felt cheated out of some scenes where Whit and Inez realize they’re pregnant. With all of the turmoil they faced throughout the series due to their parents I would imagine that would be a difficult transition for both of them. It’s implied that Lourdes got away with it all when her flimsy house arrest is brought up—and would she have any sort of interaction with their eventual twins? I’m certainly not going to sit down and write it myself, but that’s the novella/bonus chapter my heart desires.
All in all, I think this was a very compelling series. When I read Woven in Moonlight/Written in Starlight I was so sad that we didn’t get the romantic happily ever after that got set up in the first book. I was very pleased that Where the Library Hides delivered on Inez and Whit’s romance, but I was worried the whole time that there would be some sort of horrible twist.
Just finished Bloodguard, and I have some big thoughts. There are definitely some spoilers ahead.
First, idk where anyone has the idea that this is some sort of gender bent Handmaid’s Tale. Can we immediately agree that whoever thought of promoting the novel this way has actually never sat down and read The Handmaid’s Tale? Instead, Bloodguard is comprised of two strong characters, one male and one female. They are living in a cruel fantasy world where they must work together to survive. Neither one is forced into any sort of reproductive dystopian hellscape, sorry to disappoint. No male breeding or forced birth here.
Spoilers beyond…
Second, is this a Legend of Zelda BOTW fanfiction in disguise? Leith, who could easily be named Link, is constantly pitted against monsters in an arena where he has to use random weapons to defend himself. One of his preferred weapons is a boomerang. He gets his hands on a legendary sword. The princess can defend herself, but she’s also an accomplished healer. Typically Leith’s wounds are healed with potions or by resting in a tub of water (like a certain BOTW shrine). It all reads as LOZ to me, right down to the side quests.
Third, I’m pretty sure Maeve was pregnant for half of this book. Of course the obligatory “elves can’t conceive easily” trope was there. But Maeve was inexplicably exhausted, then dizzy, then lost her appetite and became nauseous around cooked meat. There were a few baby-crazy thoughts that rolled around a couple of times, and Leith mentioned their future family towards the end. I kept expecting it to be a plot point when Soro was talking about making heirs.
Still, I am here for it. Sign me up for more Zelink fantasy AU. Can’t wait for the sequel.
(spoilers ahead, and talk about Holly Black's planned book)
ps: I finished this book in one sitting on release day and needed days to process everything, that's why this is a late post. Enjoy!!!!
Heather and Vivi
Where were Heather and Vivi? They were present in the prologue but then they vanished. I was excited to see Vivi become friends with Wren, especially after the rude comments she made towards Wren in TQON. I wonder why Holly excluded them from everything after the prologue, such as the family drama scene at the feast. However, I appreciated how they were mentioned in the story, particularly when we learned that Oak and Heather's mom are close, and that Oak would sleep at their house.
Oak abdicating as heir
So yeah, Jude and Cardan have given Oak permission to resign from the throne as heir, and obviously Oak is taking that opportunity to do just that, just not yet….he has to stay heir for months since Jude and Cardan are going away together. I always knew Jude and Cardan were going to stay as High King and Queen of Elfhame, but only because Oak married Wren and therefore became King of the Ice Needle Citadel, but that didn't happen…Jude is letting him step down because she knows he's grown, and wants him to make his own choices, which is great. If Oak resigns, Jude and Cardan will need to have a child to maintain the royal lineage. So, it's VERY possible that we may see a Jurdan baby in the future.
political problem (Holly Black's next faerie book)
So finally we know what the next book will be about. We know that Jude and Cardan have plans to go to the Undersea. That was the plan Holly Black has been teasing at us for a long time now. This means we’re getting another Elfhame book (Holly didn't say an "Undersea book", she said "Elfhame" even though it's going to be set in the Undersea). In an interview online, Holly Black states that this book will possibly be a stand-alone. Many fans are speculating that this book is going to be a Nicasia POV, but from reading the interviews from Holly I believe it’s going to be either a Jude or Cardan POV (maybe even both). This would make sense since Holly has said many times that she's planning to give us more Jurdan, and that Jude still has a lot of story in her. The Prisoner's Throne leaves us with many unanswered questions, such as what happens to the Ghost, if Oak gets married, news about Wren and her family, and whether Jude and Cardan have children. A standalone book to wrap up these loose ends would be very needed.
Cardan saving and being protective of Jude
Do you guys remember the post I made about Cardan fighting alongside Jude? and how he will not sit on the sidelines to watch her fight? Fans who know Cardan well already knew this to be true, but this book further proved this. This isn’t the first time has Cardan stepped in front of Jude to save her from being impaled. My man sacrificed himself so Jude wouldn't get hurt. Many times during the Stolen Heir duology Cardan has been called a coward, but mannn he's no coward, he will protect those he loves dearly, it was so refreshing to get more of his protective side in this book.
Taryn and The ghost
Since TQON, fans have been speculating that Garrett and Taryn are involved in a romantic relationship. Although it wasn't confirmed in the book, The Prisoner's Throne offered some insight into this. We find out that Heather, Vivi, and Oak have all speculated about it. Furthermore, Oak reveals that even after 10 years, The Ghost has remained close to Taryn and her child Leander. In one chapter of TPT, The Ghost has a serious conversation with Oak, but when Leander interrupts them, Oak notices that The Ghost becomes a different person around Taryn's son. He changes his behavior and has an indulgent smile towards the boy. I personally find it adorable, and after all the hardships The Ghost has been through, I believe he deserves to find happiness, even if it's with Taryn of all people.
The Ghost’s tragedy *sobs into pillow*
I never expected The Ghost to become such a prominent character in the book. It was amazing how I started to develop an emotional attachment to the Ghost throughout the book, only for him to end up turning into a tree by the end. The chapter where the family feasts and Lady Elaine and the Ghost are found dead was pure chaos and full of royal family drama. I had such a good time reading that part, until the Ghost turned into a tree. Also, going back to the topic of the Ghost and Taryn, I feel bad for Taryn even though I know she is a terrible character. It was heartbreaking to see Taryn sob and hold the Ghost while he was slowly dying (We didn't get word from Taryn that they were dating but I think that part was enough comfirmation that they were indeed lovers). As far as we know, Taryn and the Ghost did not get a happy ending in this book :(
ps: This is why I believe holly black's next book will be a Jurdan POV, because the only way we get to know about the ghost is through them. Nicasia is not close to Wren, Oak, the Ghost, or Taryn, we will never get insight on what happens to them if this next book is a Nicasia POV. Also I've been hearing as of 3/12/24 that Holly might possibly write a Jurdan dual POV, so...more reason to believe that it will definitely not be a Nicasia POV.
Taryn Vs Wren
It's funny how Holly decided to create a lot of family issues in the second book of the duology. Many fans believe that this duology should have been a three-part series to resolve these issues. One major problem is that Taryn dislikes Wren and holds her responsible for what happened to The Ghost. Oak's family is also not very fond of Wren. It would have been nice to see a moment in the book where Oak's family and Wren could have worked together and gotten along, but that didn't happen. If Oak and Wren plan to get married, I hope that they can resolve these issues between them all.
Cardan VS Taryn
It shocked me that after 10 years of them being brother and sister in law, that they still don’t get along. I think Taryn was wrong to feel like she had to protect The Ghost from Cardan when he was only trying to help. In fact, it annoyed me a bit. While Cardan was respectful towards Taryn, he had every right to dislike her, unlike Taryn who had no reason to dislike Cardan. Moreover, I would like to mention the moment when they found the ghost almost dead and Cardan ignored Taryn and answered Jude instead, Cardan being petty to Taryn in the most respectful way is hilarious. I think that moment perfectly sums up their relationship.
Wren’s Family
Although I’m happy Wren's sister Bex reunited with Wren, I was very much expecting to get more closure from that, like seeing Wren's entire family together reunite in the book. It feels like that left a huge void at the end of the book.
Wren’s Transformation
Okay, that was absolutely shocking. Holly mentioned in one of her interviews that there would be a transformation in the book, and I guess that was it. Wren now has beautiful wings. Can someone please draw a picture of Wren with wings? Also, can you imagine what Oak and Wren's children would look like if they ever had any? Their child would have blue skin, hooves, and wings. That would be a very interesting looking child.
Wren VS Jurdan
Wren was so wrong for making Jude and Cardan appear weak in front of their court. While reading this part, I remember thinking 'Wren, please stop," I found this chapter fun to read, and seeing Jude and Cardan's reaction to Wren's power. It was interesting to see how Wren exposes Jude's geas and curse to almost the entire court, and how Cardan becomes overprotective of Jude while Wren was removing her curse. I love Cardan.
Where was Queen Annett?
Since the stolen heir, I believed that queen Annett was going to be a problem for Elfhame and Wren. As you may recall, Wren freed her prisoners, and I always believed Queen Annett would've punished Elfhame for it since Wren was with Elfhame's heir Oak. However, she did not appear in The Prisoner Throne at all. I wonder if Holly forgot to bring this issue up or if she has decided to address it in her upcoming faerie book. (Queen Annett is also pregnant, so I think she will definitely be brought up again)
Madoc's Character
I'm a bit disappointed. I was expecting a lot from Madoc in this book, but nothing happened, except the fact that Jude lifted his exile (temporarily?) It bothers me that she lifted his exile easily, does Jude not remember he caused many problems for them? Madoc is the reason why Cardan almost died, why Oak was put in danger, he's the reason why the royal family died, and why Orlagh was weakened. I at least expected that Jude lifting his exile would've caused political problems for her, since Madoc is a political criminal for Elfhame and the Undersea. I thought he would’ve at least made a big heroic or villainous move in The Prisoner's Throne, or found a way to at least redeem himself, but nope.
Oak and Wren's Ending
So…Oak does not become king of anything, which is shocking. Everyone believed that if he didn’t become the King of Elfhame he would at least rule the Ice Needle Citadel, which can still happen, since he did propose to Wren at the end of the book. But still, I find it unnecessary, I think that Wren should step down from being Queen, and run to the mortal world with Oak where they can live away from the royal duties. Oak has expressed many times he does not want to be king, but if he marries Wren he will be king, which doesn't seem satisfying to me. Wren never cared for power in The Stolen Heir, she only ever cared for love and her family, I think the ending felt incomplete and unfinished. A lot of stuff was built up from The Folk Of The Air series, and this duology was supposed to give us results, but it did not. Even Oak and Wren's love story felt rushed. I didn’t see much of a connection. It didn't give me much of what I felt when I read Jude and Cardan's love story (You guys are so welcome to disagree with me)
Jude and Oak
So if you read the book, you know how shocking Jude and Oak's relationship became. Especially that scene where they “duel” (And Jude was an absolute fucking badass in that scene) The way she tricked Hag and even Oak at first that she was going to trade Oak for Cardan. I was very impressed with Jude in this book, especially in this chapter where we see her ordering her archers, and her ripping her dress to be able to fight while she's all wet. Her dialogue was so badass: "What if I give you Oak's head instead of Cardan's" and even this quote "Well, then, what a wonderful opportunity for you to prove your loyalty and die for the High King." Chapter 23 (I was so gay for Jude in this chapter, she was so mommy material) Despite feeling a bit betrayed by Oak and believing that she had failed in protecting him, she still trusted him when it came to Wren.
Oak Vs Taryn
"For a moment, he thinks of going over there and dumping his red clover tea over his sister's head" (Chapter 19)
(Jaw was on the FLOOR when i read this) I think it really sucked that Oak's family never told him about this, and I understand that Oak had every right to feel so raged that his family hid his mother’s true killer from his knowledge. Oak and The Ghost have been close, we did get some insight of The Ghost going to the mortal world and train Oak with Magic. I really hope Oak and The ghost's issue gets resolved, but that can only happen when the ghost gets cured....I love family drama, and it shows.
Jurdan Kids
Going back to the topic at hand, Cardan and Jude have given Oak permission to abdicate, which leads me to believe that they are planning to have kids of their own. So far, there hasn't been any indication from Jurdan that they are against having children. Holly has given us insights into Jurdan taking care of Leander, which is incredibly heartwarming. For example, we find out that Cardan plays with Leander, and there's a part where Jude is in the mortal world with newborn Leander, and Oak remembers Jude playing with baby Leander with a toy, almost like she was playing with a cat. I think these are definite hints from Holly that Jurdan would make great parents. Holly did say that we would get an answer to Jude and Cardan possibly having kids in the Prisoner's Throne, and I believe this was it. I will definitely make a separate post on this.
Randalian
I'm so happy this man is dead, it was long overdue. This man annoyed the crap out of us since the folk of the air series (it’s crazy that Jude and Cardan never decided to remove him from the living council, he never saw eye to eye with Jude and disrespected them constantly)
Lady Asha apperance
It turns out that Lady Asha is still in the court. She was only mentioned once when Lady Elaine was speaking with her. At that moment, I became suspicious and believed that Lady Asha was also part of the conspirators.
Locke appearance
The dream Oak had with Locke as a fox was fun and interesting. Even though it was a dream, it was cool to hear Locke again and how he acknowledged being murdered by Taryn.
Taryn is aging...but not Jude
FINALLY, we have some information on this topic. Oak describes Jude as looking very young, and Taryn as aging. He offers two possible explanations for this: either Taryn has visited the mortal world too often as her years are catching up to her, or becoming a mother has exhausted her. For a long time since TFOTA series, fans have speculated that since Jude is the Queen of Elfhame, she will never age. And it looks like Holly seems to support this, especially since Oak finally wonders "if Jude is quite as mortal as she once was". I from now on have no doubt about it, i am a "Jude will never age as long as she's Queen of Elfhame" believer.
The Cardan and Oak problem
it turns out that it wasn’t a big deal, Oak had been too much in his head, he was his own enemy when it came to Cardan, and it was amazing to see Cardan and Oak have a brotherly talk by the end of this book. Cardan’s character has really matured, and its amazing how comfortable he's become with his loved ones (i love him so much) I will admit, that when Cardan was talking to Oak about delaying his abdication of heir, I thought he was going to announce Jude’s pregnancy and you can't blame me, the way Holly wrote it made it sound like he was going to do that. (would’ve made me scream) but nope.
Summary:
The beginning was slow, but I nonetheless enjoyed it. I love Oak and Wren, however, I felt that they could have had a stronger connection in the story. There were too many unanswered questions left in the book, and it did not provide any closure to Oak and Wren's future. I feel that the series should have been a three-part book series instead of a duology. Moreover, many of the main characters seemed to have lost their power, such as Oak's resignation as heir to the throne, Wren losing her godly powers, and Tiernan being fired from his position as Oak's guard. I think many new readers who have never read the Folk of The Air series might not have appreciated that. Despite this, I appreciate that Jurdan was not removed from the Elfhame throne. However, I think that Holly Black set up more problems in this book than solutions, which makes it feel neglectful towards Oak and Wren's story. I am excited about this book, and I am sad that we may not get more news on Elfhame until possibly 2026, as she is currently working on the second book of The Book of Night. Anyways, In other news, I have a virtual event with Holly Black tonight 3/12/24, so I will write anything important down, and I will try to ask good questions!
I think there’s a recurring theme in Holly Black’s universe relating to power. We see many characters who have been used to absolute power that have been corrupted by it. In most of the faerie books, this results in a newer generation rising up to oust their oppressors, usually through love. While Cardan and Jude may not have originally wanted power, they’re in a position now where they are ruling and surviving. Likewise, when Wren becomes Queen, she’s suddenly empowered in a way that she was not as she went through her traumatic upbringing. If Wren were to abdicate, it stands to reason that someone horrible could take that seat of power and do very wicked things once more. The thing that Cardan, Jude, Oak, and Wren (and Kayne and Roiben) have in common is that they are deeply in love and rule from a mindset of protection instead of boredom or malice. Their experiences in this series have made them better rulers—they have gained an understanding of the mortal world, if not outright sympathy for mortals. It suggests that while educated and caring people might avoid the world of politics because they can see how thoroughly it corrupts, people have a duty to step into power to promote acceptance, justice, and equality. These characters may not have wanted the power, but that is partially what makes them the most suited to have it.
Fun fact, in the book, it's explicitly stated that Sophie is a wizard like Howl and has a magical gift for speaking things into existence. Wish they added that into the film bc it explains SO MUCH and adds to the theme that her thoughts were shaping her reality.
There's one scene where she's fixing Howl's jacket and says it looks like it's built to attract ladies. And then SUDDENLY women are swooning over him.
It’s been a long time since I read the series, but this post sums up why these books are so extremely charming. Sophie isn’t openly a witch—in fact, her youngest half sister Martha (cut from the film) is the one apprenticed to a witch. From the start, Sophie believes that she isn’t destined for any sort of greatness because she is the eldest of three, and it’s always the youngest siblings in stories who find love or go on adventures. She’s a literary foil for Howl, who enjoys showing off and flaunting his magical abilities. Sophie is the pure opposite, treating her magical abilities as if they’re simply a natural part of herself.
Here’s a little thought I had about the end of the Once Upon a Broken Heart series, which I will never take the time to flesh out as a fanfiction:
Jacks traded his heart to Aurora in exchange for a cuff of protection that can never be removed. He slapped that on Evangeline and then events proceeded to show that it works—on absolutely everyone, including Jacks.
What if she was injured in some way that required someone to hurt her in order for her to heal? Like a broken bone or a splinter…would the cuff prevent a healer from helping to set the bone? It seems like it could easily be a curse just as much as it is supposed to be a protection. Evidently it doesn’t stop Evangeline from hurting herself, since she’s able to prick her own finger in some of the epilogue bonus chapters.
It especially feels like a curse when one considers physical intimacy. There are a few points in the series where Evangeline seems to enjoy a little bit of biting—whether she’s being overly thirsty and taking a moment to fixate on Jacks while he bites an apple, or whether they’re resisting biting one another after being infected with vampire venom, biting definitely seems to be a thing between them.
So after they’re living together happily ever after, and presumably they have progressed beyond kissing, this cuff of protection comes into play. They literally can’t remove it, but that means whenever Jacks would like to drag his teeth along her neck he’s struck with a debilitating shock of pain. If they want to spice things up at all with any sort of pleasurable pain, the cuff would come into effect to “protect” her. How about a situation where they may decide to start a family? That would undoubtably lead to some harm where Evangeline is concerned—having babies isn’t a walk in the park—so would the cuff try to prevent it from happening?
Does the cuff not work in the Hollow? Perhaps that would be a loophole that would mollify all of these other issues.
It just seems like this is a loose end that still needs to be resolved in a future book.
i’d like to state that this is sooooooo important to the breaking of the curse.
from the first book it’s established that Evangeline has a connection to Jacks… which I believe is stronger than true love to start his heart, but to break the archer/fox curse that has kill almost everyone he’s loved (Donatella being the exception).
Within the first 20 pages we are told that Jacks is her greatest heartbreak…
And then the motif continues once Evangeline gets to the North and well well well… the evidence is overwhelming. Not only is Jacks her biggest heartbreak (the past of his curse killing those he loved and the loss of her memory in the last book) but he is also her true love.
—-this we already know, but Evangeline will not… she will smell and taste the apples with a hinting sensations of love and affection but will not know what it means…
Further proof of her subconscious reminding her of Jacks
BUT
WHAT DO THE APPLES MEAN!??!?? To jacks.
truly I believe that since the apples taste like true love, they curb his instincts of kissing people to kill them- because all the fates can’t fight their feelings. So Jacks obsession with apples is just another form of his love for love but also his restriction to love anyone. Maybe he knows the apples taste like Evangeline…and that’s why “she’s better off not knowing” - to save her from kissing him and dying…
HIS IMPULSES BEING EVANGELINE??? I’ll die.
And lastly… Evangeline’s association with apples also causes… impulses too…
So, Apollo’s hatred of apples will send little alarm bells going off in her head/gut on her true feelings and memories. Maybe after coming into contact with Jacks again she’ll realize something is drawing her to him…
Apollo’s hatred of apples definitely wasn’t the only thing that set off those alarm bells, but I think the apples were a little unresolved at the end of ACFTL.
What I took away is that apples for Jacks were sort of like sewing for LaLa. Whenever he got the urge to kiss someone, he always had an apple on hand to fidget with or bite to distract himself.
I did wonder about the color of the apples though.
I can’t recall the apple being described as green or yellow or pink, just white, red, and black. It’s interesting that these correspond to the colors usually used to print playing cards, which are associated with Jacks in Caraval.
Here’s my guess about these colors, because they do seem significant:
RED: Jacks is only described as carrying a red apple in the quote below, when Evangeline finds a photo of him before he was a fate. Since there is an orchard at the Hollow, it makes sense that he may have often had apples on hand growing up. Especially as a hunter, who would have needed to live off the land while tracking animals like the first fox. Red apples are common, so this color signals his humanity.
WHITE: Jacks only carries white apples when he’s feeling hatred or ambivalence toward his companions. He is described as having a white apple in the end of ACFTL after he has ripped out his heart. He also carries a white apple when we first meet him in Legendary:
White is the color of a blank canvas, and it is often used to describe rage. More commonly it represents purity. In Jacks’s hands, I think that it is the color of a blank canvas.
BLACK: Jacks only has black apples on hand when he’s feeling emotional. Most of Evangeline’s series shows him with a black apple. He also carries one in Finale when he is feeling hurt by Tella:
In both series, his apple is black whenever he is feeling conflicted or depressed. As Jacks is warring with himself about his attraction to Evangeline, the apple reflects his mood.
When he says that he does not need the apples any more, I think it’s not just because he can kiss Evangeline whenever he likes. It’s also because he is no longer conflicted (black), nor is their relationship a blank canvas (white), and he is still not a plain human (red). If he ever has another cameo, I would be interested to see whether or not Jacks has an apple on hand, especially if he is out of reach from Evangeline.
I listened to most of these books. Did I miss some color symbolism?
