Black, Holly. The Stolen Heir. Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2023. 978-0-316-59270-3. $20.99. 368 p. Grades 9-12.

In the fairy world of Elfame, Suren is the heir to the Court of Teeth, but as a child, Suren was raised by a human family. When her fairy family came to retrieve her, it was only then that she discovered who she really was. After a brutal upbringing within the Court of Teeth, she escapes back to the mortal world, secretly hoping to reconnect with her formal family and save humans from making dangerous fairy bargains. When she is tracked down by Prince Oak, the heir to Elfame and her former friend, she agrees to accompany him on a journey North, back to the cruel home she fled from years ago. Suren isn’t sure if she can completely trust Oak, but since she’s the only one that has the power to control her mother, Lady Nore, she decides it might be time to face her past and finally take control of her own life.

THOUGHTS: I’d highly recommend reading the Folk of Air series before The Stolen Her since the plot is a continuation of the events that transpired in The Queen of Nothing, and fans of Jude, Cardan, and Oak will be eager to find out what happens after The Battle of the Serpent. This book is a reminder to readers that Elfame is a dangerous place and that even the main characters cannot always be trusted. The folk are tricky and often have their own secret plans and agendas since they cannot lie, and I always think it makes for a unique and somewhat darker YA story.

Fantasy