Book #3 of THE FOLK OF THE AIR
By Holly Black
This book was so amazing! I love this series so much eventhough fairies are not my favourite topic (I like them but there are just fantasy worlds and topics I like better).
So I was a little reluctant to read this series and I have to admit the first book didn't impress me so much. There were so many great reviews and everybody loved it so maybe I have expected a little more to it. But I decided to take my chances with the second book which was soooo much better, leaving me to feel like "Whaat? Why? " so I had to read the last part and it was great!
I was afraid of the shortage, the book has only 300 pages so I feared it might not be enough and that it would be brief and hurried. But it wasn't! We get every important information and needed details, everything is well explained and I was even suprised how many things happened in this book given its extent (still it didn't seem overfull or crowded).
I like Holly's writing style, it is simple yet effective, no complicated sentences and long paragraphs. The reading was quick and I really enjoyed it.
CHARACTERS
Jude Duarte- she is a little more softy here because of her feelings for Cardan but I still love her (maybe even more for this reason) and I have to admire the respect she earns from faeries who think so little of humans. Sometimes she is reckless and selfish and cruel, other times fearless, strong and loyal- she is just no shallow character and she is the true queen. On top of that, I just love her stubbornness and the "I always have to have the final word" attitude (I recognize myself quite a lot).
Cardan Greenbriar- just add him to my fictional crush list, I love him so much. I felt so betrayed with the final exile scene of the second book and I prayed that would be somehow explained and that he really loves Jude (wow how relieved I am now!). He is arrogant, reckless, sarcastic but also smart, cunning and caring- and I just can't resist such a character!! And the way he instantly recognized Jude? I almost screamed with delight!
Taryn Duarte- seriously, I can't stand this girl and I just hate her. The way she stabs Jude in the back at every possible opportunity and even doesn't feel bad about it- she is just twisting everything to seem like she is the victim. Also, I think she is just stupid and too obedient and makes everything for her own good (and she acts like she has no brain of her own, just bending her head and doing what she is told to do). If I were Jude, I would push her from the top of Locke's tower. Thinking about that, killing Locke was the only good thing she did (but it seemed unprobable for this simple girl who willingly chose this suffering life, to commit such a thing). I hated Locke too of course and he doesn't even deserve his own paragraph in this review, but everything in this book concerning him felt a little unfinished and not enough detailed (his murder and especially his dealings with the Ghost- he told us Locke was practically behind the biggest plots but that was it. Nobody seemed to care much.)
Madoc- as for this one, he can go jump of the tower with Taryn. I hate the way he talks about family but then he would kill them instantly (seems like Taryn could be his real daughter after all? With her back stabbing fondness). After his first betrayal he should be glad to be pardoned and stay low and quite but nooo, he is just bloodthirsty and hungry for power again. But he is just the right type of villain for me- one I don't like and don't feel sorry for and I think he got everything he deserved (and Oriana along with him since she prefers Taryn over Jude).
Grima Mog- the best Great General, she is so loyal and professional, she keeps her word and follows what she believes in at all costs.
The spy trio- the Bomb, the Roach and the Ghost (now I like him again). No comment needed here, I would be the surest queen with them always watching my back.
Vivienne- Vivi is the cool older sister, eventhough she is selfish and doesn't care enough about some things. I didn't like her oblivious behavior toward Heather in the second book (during their stay in Fairie, I wanted to scream at her to mind Heather more) and eventhough she knew how important was Fairie to Jude, she wasn't much of a help. But she improves a bit in the QoN by standing up for Jude against Madoc and staying by her side then.
So as I said, I love this. Great deal of the series I have read have the same unfortnate inclination- the first book is great, the second is weaker (a filling) and last one is either a bit weaker than the first but still great or bad- but in general the first book use to be the best in the series. Not in this case though- each next book is better than the previous one and that is rare for me.
So with every single page through all the three books, I was falling in love more and more (mostly with Cardan obviously and then with the rest of the content) and now I can easily say that the Folk of the Air is one of my favourite seris ever! I still have difficulty picturing the personalities of fairies (weird creatures) and the principles by which they live in Fairie. It is because I don't have much experience with the fairy themed fantasy world. I am more familliar with vampires, werewolfs, witches and warlocks/ wizards or fantasy fictive worlds based on some mythogy (preferably Greek) and historical empires.
I would say that my closest encounter with fairies is through the Shadowhunter books (at first the Mortal instruments and then more vividly the Dark Artifices) which I loved so much. So in the end this series didn't disappoined me and for that I am really really glad. Now I am ready and excited to read How the king of Elfhame learned to hate stories!
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The copy of this book presented in the picture is from bookdepository.com - the picture is featuring The Queen of Nothing and The Cruel Prince (opened at the page with a map of Elfhame). You can find the picture on my instagram account @michelles_bookshelves
You can also find this review on Goodreads
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