It's been eight years since the events of Queen of Nothing, and while Cardan and Jude continue to rule Elfhame, Prince Oak is all grown up, and quite frequently dealing with attempts on his life. When Oak's father Madoc is taken by the cruel, vicious Lady Nore, Oak has no choice but to seek out Wren - Lady Nore's lost daughter who has been hiding out in the human world - for help. The two young royals, along with companions set out on a quest to help Madoc and defeat Lady Nore but at what price?

Listen, I'm just total trash for anything Holly Black and Elfhame - I eat it all up and then I beg for more and this was no different. I loved being back in the world of Elfhame, and the world of dark, twisty and frightening fairy folk who slay skin, eat dreams and laugh in the face of pain and fear. The Stolen Heir is different to the original trilogy as we are following all fairy folk rather than a mortal in a fairy world. Things were always at such a high stake for Jude in the original trilogy as she tried to defeat fairies at their own game while not having their magic, strength or beauty - but with The Stolen Heir, Wren has blue hair, dark eyes and sharp skin - she is monstrous enough people scream when they see her but she's different because she remembers her early years when she grew up as a changeling in the human world, and the moments in the faerie world when the only kindness she saw was that given to her by a young princeling called Oak.

Oak is so grown up in this book, it's often hard and a little bit nostalgic to remember him as the little horned mischief maker that he was in the original trilogy, and that he was the one Jude sought to protect for those three books. I like seeing him grown up though and with his own quest, and skills and you can see Jude, Cardan and Madoc in him in equal measure at different points. It's sad to think his life was that bit harder than a reader would wish for that despite Jude's success in Queen of Nothing, Oak isn't a stranger to being in mortal danger a lot of the time because of who he is.

I really liked the dynamic between Wren and Oak - they were sweet around one another, and were drawn together as well as having the warm memories of their childhood games and friendship yet at the same time you just know one of them will betray the other, we just have to read on and wait, and see what happens.

While there wasn't a whole load of surprises for me by the end of the book, I still enjoyed all the drama, and I was a bit shocked at the turns Wren makes by the end of the book and the decisions she goes through with. Really can't wait for the next book but I have to wait so long!