The Prisoner's Throne: A Novel of Elfhame: The Stolen Heir, Book 2
By Carrie R. Wheadon,
Common Sense Media Reviewer
Common Sense Media Reviewers
Engaging duology finale has goth love story, faerie magic.
Rate book
A Lot or a Little?
What you will—and won't—find in this book.
Where to Read
Community Reviews
There aren't any parent reviews yet. Be the first to review this title.
What's the Story?
In THE PRISONER'S THRONE, Prince Oak knows he needs to apologize to Wren for so many things, but it's pretty hard to do that from her dungeons with a magic bridle on. After a few weeks of wallowing, he gets a visitor—a metal snake sent from Elfhame to tell him to be ready for rescue in three days. But Oak still hasn't made up with Wren, so he escapes from prison and sneaks to her bedside. He quickly learns this is a mistake when his pleas for forgiveness send him to the torture chamber. It's not long, though, before power-hungry hags and Oak's equally powerful kingdom push the couple together again. Can they survive each other and the court of Elfhame?
Is It Any Good?
Readers who resist saccharine love stories will enjoy all the elements of this gothy tale: dungeons, torture, vengeful hags, assassination plots, and plenty of royal family strife. It's just life with the Folk, and Wren and Oak are well used to it, which is why they vow never to trust each other, even if they've always had a thing going. The first book, The Stolen Heir, is from Wren's perspective while The Prisoner's Throne is from Oak's. Oak finds it so easy to slip into his role as spoiled, underestimated heir and so hard to be himself. His magical ability doesn't help. His voice can persuade just about anyone to like him and do his bidding. Sounds fun, but what in his relationships is real? Oak's introspection reveals deep places of longing and mirrors Wren's explorations in The Stolen Heir. This is the profundity that binds the duology. What keeps the pages turning, however, is all the plotting and scheming and power plays. It's hard to know what to pay attention to—Bogdana the hag's creepy demands, the army at the gates of Wren's castle, the generals and guards who have beefs with everyone, or the High King who may think Oak is after his job. Sometimes the subplots get too tangled, especially if readers are less familiar with all the characters of Elfhame (a glossary would be great). But otherwise the duology wraps up in a spectacular burst of magical-powered mayhem, with a few poisonings thrown in for good measure.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the unconventional couple in The Prisoner's Throne. Are they a fairytale match? What's complicated about their match, both about who they are as characters and their courtship?
How do Prince Oak's magical abilities get in the way of real relationships? How does it take self-control, courage, and humility for him to keep his magic in check?
What other characters from this world deserve a trilogy or duology?
Book Details
- Author: Holly Black
- Genre: Fantasy
- Topics: Magic and Fantasy , Princesses, Fairies, Mermaids, and More , Adventures , Brothers and Sisters , Monsters, Ghosts, and Vampires , Ocean Creatures
- Character Strengths: Courage , Humility , Perseverance , Self-control
- Book type: Fiction
- Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
- Publication date: March 5, 2024
- Publisher's recommended age(s): 14 - 18
- Number of pages: 368
- Available on: Audiobook (unabridged), Hardback, iBooks, Kindle
- Last updated: July 8, 2024
Did we miss something on diversity?
Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.
Suggest an Update
Where to Read
Our Editors Recommend
Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.
See how we rate