The Prisoner’s Throne by Holly Black picks up in the direct aftermath of The Stolen Heir, which was released in January 2023. The Stolen Heir was an exciting, welcome addition to Black’s “Novels of Elfhame,” a brand-new name for books of hers that occur in the same world as The Folk of the Air trilogy.
Prince Oak is the star of this new duology, and he is no longer the eight-year-old we knew. Now, at 17, he is on a quest for an ancient artifact that will stop the evil Court of Teeth. Of course, those of us who read The Stolen Heir know that this quest did not end well—for Oak, at least. We last saw him imprisoned in the Ice Needle Citadel, sent to the dungeons for betraying Wren. It turns out that Oak was the eponymous stolen heir, rather than Wren, as most readers expected. In The Prisoner’s Throne, Oak must prevent his family’s army from marching to the Citadel and destroying Wren, since he is still in love with her, despite the drama between them. Oak’s plan to avoid war is simple. He does what any Greenbriar man does when he is in love with a feral, vicious woman of Elfhame: he asks her to marry him.
The latest—and most likely last—of Holly Black’s Elfhame books isn’t quite the rollercoaster readers are used to. The twists are not as dramatic as those of earlier entries like The Wicked King. Part of this is due to the book’s title. If Oak is the stolen heir, then it is clear that Wren is going to be the prisoner with a throne. However, it takes over three-quarters of the book for Oak to realize that someone is manipulating Wren. If this came as a surprise to readers, it would make for an excellent twist. But it’s hard to be surprised by something that we have seen coming since the announcement of the book’s title. It’s also hard to fully support Wren and Oak’s relationship in this installment when there is so little romance between them. The Stolen Heir establishes how they are perfect for each other, but The Prisoner’s Throne keeps them separated for so long that it’s easy to lose track of their feelings for each other.
Despite these stumbling blocks, The Prisoner’s Throne is still a very enjoyable addition to the novels of Elfhame. Jude and Cardan aren’t just mentioned in passing; they are fully involved in the political intrigue between the Court of Teeth and the High Court. Jude is as dangerous as ever, and Cardan—still snarky and always smirking—only loves her more with each book in the series. It’s thrilling to get a peek at them so many years in the future after their last appearance. And, if that tease about their journey to the Undersea is anything to go by, we just might get to see them in another Holly Black book down the line. That would be spectacular.
In typical Holly Black fashion, there is no shortage of plot in The Prisoner’s Throne. Both old and new characters bring plenty of drama to the table. It’s interesting to see Oak navigate this drama, since readers are so used to him being the quiet, sweet brother that never gets involved in anything. Oak comes into his own in this novel, showing us that he truly is the son of Madoc and the brother of Jude. This lets him grapple with the truth of his past as well, and poses the question of what will define him—the blood he was born with, or the family that raised him.
The Prisoner’s Throne is available now!
