Review: How the King of Elhame Learned to Hate stories

 

Title: How the King of Elhame Learned to Hate stories

Series: the Folk of Air

Author: Holly Black

Illustrator: Rovina Cai

Release Date: November 2020

An irresistible return to the captivating world of Elfhame.

Once upon a time, there was a boy with a wicked tongue.

Before he was a cruel prince or a wicked king, he was a faerie child with a heart of stone . Revealing a deeper look into the dramatic life of Elfhame’s enigmatic high king, Cardan, his tale includes delicious details of life before The Cruel Prince, an adventure beyond The Queen of Nothing, and familiar moments from The Folk of the Air trilogy, told wholly from Cardan’s perspective.

This new installment in the Folk of the Air series is a return to the heart-racing romance, danger, humor, and drama that enchanted readers everywhere. Each chapter is paired with lavish and luminous full-color art, making this the perfect collector’s item to be enjoyed by both new audiences and old.

For those who love the Folk and Air series, this novella is filled with little tidbits, in Cardan's POV. I loved seeing things from his POV for the first time, and being able to understand what he was thinking and feeling. I loved getting into his head. It was a novella, with a little of what is going on presently, and a bit of his past and what made him who he is. 

I loved Cardan in the series. His cruelty, and wickedness, and this touches on it. It does not have to be read to understand the series (but if it is, it should be read after the trilogy). It is just a fun little glimpse of present day, and brings some knowledge of Cardan as he was before. Plus the illustrations are gorgeous and adds to the whole thing. 

I've been in a reading slump for weeks, with my depression and then being sick and hardly doing more than sleeping and eating. But today I finally decided to read something. It was quick, and pulled me in, pulling me out of my slump. If you love Cardan and the Folk of Air trilogy then this book is for you. 5⭐ out of 5⭐. 

Review: Things I Wanted To Say But Never Did

 

Title: Things I Wanted To Say But Never Did

Author: Monica Murphy

Release Date: July 2021

Whit Lancaster burst into my life like a storm. Dark and thunderous, furious and fierce. Cold, heartless and devastatingly beautiful, like the statues in our prep school gardens. The school with his family name on the sign. He can do no wrong here. This is his domain.

He’s a menace on campus. Adored and feared. Hated and respected. His taunting words carve into my skin, shredding me to ribbons. Yet his intense gaze scorches my blood, fills me with a longing I don’t understand.

When I stumble upon him one night alone, I find him broken. Bleeding. My instincts scream to leave and let him suffer, but I can’t. I sneak him into my room. Clean him up. Fall for his lies. Let him possess every single part of me until I’m the one left a gasping, broken mess.

When he leaves me alone in the dead of night, he takes my journal with him.

Now he knows all my secrets. My hate. My truth. And he promises to use my words against me. I’ll be ruined if my darkest secret gets out.

That’s when I strike a bargain with the devil.

I’ll let Whit Lancaster ruin me behind closed doors instead.

Whit Lancaster runs Lancaster Prep. He is adored and feared, hated and respected. He is dark, cold, heartless and devastatingly beautiful. When Summer finds him broken and bleeding she tries nursing back to health. He possesses her, then come morning before sneaking away, he steals her journal. Now he has all her secrets in the palm of his hand. To try and prevent him from finding out her truth, her hate, and ruining her if her darkest secrets get out she strikes a deal with the devil, by letting Whit Lancaster ruin her behind closed doors instead. 

So, lately I have been in a reading slump. Weeks of not getting into anything, no matter how hard I try to push through. As much as I wanted to love this book, to love Whit Lancaster... I couldn't. It was a good read, and steamy. But I didn't really care for Summer Savage. And even though I usually love the dark and twisted bullies, I just didn't love Whit. 

Maybe it was just me, and I just wasn't into the book because of my mental state. The book wasn't bad by any means, it just wasn't for me at this moment.  3⭐ out of 5⭐

TW: sexual abuse, blackmail, near rape, death/murder.