my thoughts after finishing THE STOLEN HEIR-known as my another JURDAN mental breakdown(will try a lot to make this as short as possible!)
it was such a blessing to go back to Elfhame! (like I literally LEFT my reality and it was such a long time since any book allowed me to do that♥)BUT as much as I felt for Suren’s story basically FROM THE BEGINNING, I just kept hoping that whoever was making an appearance or showing up will be JUDE. Up till like half of the book I wasn’t even able to focus 100% on the story because every.single.mention of Jude-I was just LOSING IT COMPLETELY, cause I’m SO IN LOVE WITH HER that all I wanted from this story was her./ BUT FINALLY, after a few mentions of Cardan, I understood that Jude is not going to show up and I calmed down enough to read the thing huh. AND MY FAVORITE PART OF THIS BOOK WAS OAK SPEAKING ABOUT JUDE OR CARDAN. I live for this, for real. ABOUT OAK THO-the way he was MASKING and PRETENDING and DOING TRICKS that The Roach has taught him.. and his mask-SO MUCH CARDAN’s influence AND the way he was completely losing himself in the battle and becoming his worst self(kind of Aaron Warner/or Elias Veturius in a battle)his bloodlust that he has gotten from Madoc, the way he just rushes INTO DANGER../and HIS MENTAL HEALTH.. this boy needs THERAPY. a lot of THERAPY. (Vivi cmon where are you? take him there ASAP!) my heart breaks for him for everything he had been through and how he learned how to survive and act as if nothing horrific that he has seen was in fact horrific.. SUREN SEES THROUGH HIS MASK. SUREN SEES A LOT IN EVERYONE. which is why her POV is so great. I mean, I really adored Tiernan(who at the end in a moment of stress calls Jude by her name not title, ofc he’s from THE COURT OF SHADOWS) and Hyacinthe(i mean up till I learned he tried to kill Cardan, then sorry, NO. NOOO). I LOVE HOW OAK MADE A CHOICE TO NOT EAT MEAT. (as a vegan and someone who suffered along with Jude and Vivi bc of Madoc’s so very bloody actions-IT MEANS A LOT).
8 years passed since THE BATTLE OF THE SERPENT. Like? the title of this battle? wow. Also, I loved ALL THE PARALLELS.(later in this post) And Oak is 17 now? Tiernan telling stories about him in bed with girls? I was so not ready for that. Sorry, Oak is still a baby to me, and WILL ALWAYS BE A BABY TO ME. He’s a forever kid to me, for real. So that was super weird seeing him grown-up while also feeling as if he is NOT all grown-up. And that vibe between Tiernan and Hyacinthe? I’m so proud of myself cause I caught it even before we learned anything abt their story.
AND THAT ENDING THAT WAS SUPPOSED TO HIT HARD? I think I’ve read ENOUGH of Holly Black because a/I was not surprised at the big reveal b/I was expecting what Suren has done.
ALSO, like.. I like how Suren’s POV-her story-this book 1 in the duology SHOWS HOW LITTLE 9yo Oak was basically ALREADY BUILDING HIS RELATIONSHIP with 10yo Suren while Jude was preparing for her battle with Madoc and his new friends and the snakeCardan, like it was LITERALLY the hardest time in her life and little Oak was just sneaking around and making friends and getting this lonely and hurt and abused silent girl into his room like the world wasn’t falling apart around him. THIS BOY. HE’S SUCH A KIDDO.
All those little details. When Suren says she’s “hers to command” PLS WE ALL ARE, we all are. It’s JUUUDEEE. And all i was thinking was WHY IS NOT JUDE THERE ON THIS QUEST? is she pregnant? NOPE. Oak said it himself, Jude keeps saying NO to ANY CHILDREN so nobody would think OAK IS NOT GOING TO BE THE KING.(i need to know Cardan’s take on this, pretty please.) because I have a vision of determined and hurt Jude while she’s forcing herself to NOT get pregnant and then maybe even to like.. hurt her own child JUST FOR OAK? it’s just super dark and I need to know Cardan is there and making sure she’s not doing TOO MUCH if you know where my thoughts went.. BUT YEAH JUDE IS NOT THERE cause Oak lied to her and she doesn’t know. IT’S NOT EVEN A REAL QUEST since Oak lied to everyone, actually. And YES I LOVE SEEING OAK’S HEART AND HOW MUCH HE CARES ABOUT EVERYTHING AND EVERYONE, but still, he’s such a BABY. he needs to live with his sisters for another 5 or 6 years for real.
Also I LOVED how Oak was delirious and speaking to Jude. Both about how they can’t just let Madoc die (he allowed himself to get kidnapped to take down Lady Nore and impress Elfhame, so YEAH IT IS ALWAYS MADOC’s fault uh), and about poisons as well. “My sister thinks that she’s the only one who can take poison, but I am poison. Poison in my blood. I poison everything I touch.”
OAK SAYS HE WON’T EVER BE KING. That’s the most important thing out of this book, he CAN PLAY WITH WORDS BRILLIANTLY (again I say Cardan’s influence) so he can’t lie, but he can play word games.. BUT he truly doesn’t think he will rule. SO. let’s keep in mind he promised that first request to that witch after he will be king(in case he will be after all) and stop here. Oak TRULY DOESN’T WANT TO BE KING. Is this WHY he CAN SAY he will never rule? BECAUSE IF JUDE REFUSES TO HAVE KIDS SO EVERYONE WOULD KNOW THAT OAK WILL RULE.. my only guess is that Cardan talked to Oak and he got it that Oak doesn’t want it, so now he’s trying to talk to Jude about not forcing Oak into this???
Also, this has to be mentioned, that first VERY PUBLIC Suren&Oak’s kiss, I was like “these kids are crazy!” but then Wren just went on and on with doing without thinking and YEAH. As much as I loved her voice and her POV and her story and her INSTINCT and how much I feel for her.. SHE’S NOT JUDE. She really is not.
I’m interested to know more about how the story will go with Bex and Suren’s un-parents BECAUSE IF SECOND BOOK WILL BE OAK’s we WILL GET JUDE AND CARDAN, and secrets revealed and lies explained and ALL THAT, but not Suren’s fam I guess??
And I LOVED Madoc and Suren’s talk, bonding, or whatever, while Oak was in the background. it made me sad BECAUSE WE NEED A SIMILIAR MOMENT WITH CARDAN AND MADOC, like pls now Madoc has to RESPECT Cardan, yes? Will he finally believe that Jude is not just pushing him around and be i don’t know.. impressed a little?
WHEN I TELL YOU I SNORTED SO HARD “It pleases me to see a Greenbriar with some teeth.” I assume that last is a dig as the High King, all known for leaving the fighting to his wife.”
I LOVED how Oak is telling us about all the wild crazy parties that CARDAN IS STILL HEAVING +how Oak knows that the folk adore Cardan+ terrified of Jude..:
“The Folk adore Cardan and they’re terrified of my sister, two excellent things. I hope they rule Elfhame for a thousand years and then pass it down to one of a dozen offspring. No need for me to be involved.”
And he doesn’t want to be involved? Well, I WANT TO BE INVOLVED WITH JUDE AND CARDAN!!
Also trouble in Undersea and Nicasia may rule soon, and Oak is like, “Ah. Fun?” (so much Cardan’s influence lol) THIS KISS WITH THE MERMAID WHO WANTED TO DRAG HIM DOWN and Wren and Tiernan just watching PRICELESS.
And Oak after THAT ANOTHER KISS and this quick killing, “Is there a room nearby? For the bodies?” just BREAKS MY HEART cause this kid needs therapy so much, and as much as Jude wanted to protect him and Madoc teach him how to survive-THEY DID DESTROY HIM SO MUCH. because all he’s able to do now is kill. Not fight. But kill.
“From my sister?”- “And not from the High King?”- “If you like. Either one.” (IT’S SO FUNNY TO ME THAT SO MANY CREATURES STILL THINK JUDE HAS SOMETHING ON CARDAN AND THIS IS WHY HE MARRIED HER like..have you seen them in public together.. OH MY GOD.) THAT SCENE. stupid Lady Nore. Like, sure, Cardan is in a bargain to marry Jude and then to do everything she wants. He’s so unhappy and tricked and all that.
DUDE CARDAN IS THE LUCKIEST right now. Where are your eyes?
!FAVORITE LINE FROM THE WHOLE BOOK. THANK YOU OAK.(to Lady Nore)
“She’s going to want to wear your skull for a hat. And Cardan is going to laugh and laugh when she does.”
I LOVE HOW OAK IS STILL SUCH A BABY in so many ways, so he can call JUDE and CARDAN by their names all the time and nobody will punish him for it.
+ all THESE parallels, Suren’s “I’m scared. I’m so tired. I’m so tired of being scared.”
and “Tell me anyway.”
and THE “Black as the heart of the King of Elfhame” is my personal fav, in my daily vocabulary always♥ all the way back to TFOTA’s “Black as the eyes of the High King of Elfhame.”
and how after all, she’s not happy, not satisfied enough, “It is as though my heart is still locked away in a box, still buried underground.”
OAK PRAISING girl-boss SUREN is just♥
How epic was it when Wren told Lady Nore she wants her to die and she just.. did?
MADOC BEING LIKE “YOU CAN’T KEEP HIM” I love how Madoc keeps losing to powerful hot young girls. It’s awesome.
that last line from Suren♥ “But I can’t pretend that I don’t like the sound of him screaming my name.”
AND YES I LOVE SUREN’s POV, bc she SEES AND SPOTS SO MUCH. But it’s super funny when I know the truth and she doesn’t so.. yeah:
“There are rumors that Cardan never wanted the throne, that he will hand it over to Oak willingly at some vague future time. But when I think of High King Cardan with his black curls and cruel mouth, the way he behaves-silly and dangersome all at once-I don’t believe he would relinquish power. He might, however, trick Oak into going on a quest he wouldn’t return from. Build him up with stories of honor and valiant deeds.”
+ when Oak spoke about Madoc, “He would have murdered Cardan if he’d had a chance.”
+♥ “I picture the High Queen as she was in that final battle, blood flecked across her face. Chopping off the head of the serpent who’d once been her beloved, even if it doomed her side to failure, all to save a land that despised her.”
YES BOOK 2 is coming, Holly just posted the title, “The Prisoner’s Throne” so yeah, THE STOLEN HEIR was Suren/Wren 100% and now we will get OAK’S POV AND ALL HIS REAL THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS ON/ABOUT EVERYTHING JUDE MADOC VIVI TARYN LOCKE SUREN ORIANA CARDAN has ever done-SO YEAH I’m excited. The title kind of gives it away that Oak has a nice time being a prisoner tho, right? Because he gets a throne?? what if Suren would want him to stay there with her forever and rule THERE with her? DOES IT MEAN JURDAN WILL GET PREGNANT? Or will Jude just go and take down Suren, because I adore Wren, but cmon, GOOD LUCK FIGHTING JUDE DUARTE who will be mad as hell because you have her little brother!
ok, that’s all, can’t wait to update my JURDAN-QUOTES post here now + can’t wait for book2!
my JURDAN-QUOTES post: https://yourartmatters-itswhatgotmehere.tumblr.com/post/682137874462801920/jurdan-best-quotes
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https://yourartmatters-itswhatgotmehere.tumblr.com/post/190082147617/letters-to-jude-from-cardan
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https://yourartmatters-itswhatgotmehere.tumblr.com/post/637935873700364288/why-we-love-cardan-greenbriar-quotes
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my TFOTA MUSIC SPOTIFY PLAYLIST:
https://at.tumblr.com/yourartmatters-itswhatgotmehere/books-tfota-jurdan-thecruelprince/twqmspfqh1pw
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3dmMpocWt6Z6lB2r4MCoS0?si=caa463224d274441
