Book Title: The Queen of Nothing (The Folk of the Air #3)
Author: Holly Black
Purchase: Amazon
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Description from Goodreads:

He will be destruction of the crown and the ruination of the throne.

Power is much easier to acquire than it is to hold onto. Jude learned this lesson when she released her control over the wicked king, Cardan, in exchange for immeasurable power.

Now as the exiled mortal Queen of Faerie, Jude is powerless and left reeling from Cardan’s betrayal. She bides her time determined to reclaim everything he took from her. Opportunity arrives in the form of her deceptive twin sister, Taryn, whose mortal life is in peril.

Jude must risk venturing back into the treacherous Faerie Court, and confront her lingering feelings for Cardan, if she wishes to save her sister. But Elfhame is not as she left it. War is brewing. As Jude slips deep within enemy lines she becomes ensnared in the conflict’s bloody politics.

And, when a dormant yet powerful curse is unleashed, panic spreads throughout the land, forcing her to choose between her ambition and her humanity…

Rating: 5 out of 5 stars 

Ah, this book is everything! The perfect conclusion to this spellbinding adventure (though thankfully, there are several novellas I can also dive into afterward). And can we take a moment to appreciate that cover—swoooon! All the covers in this series are gorgeous but this one is my personal favorite; each element ties into the most important aspects of the plot and the color scheme is icily delicious. I’m so, so glad I picked up this series and whole-heartedly recommend it to lovers of dark fairytales and fantasy.

We pick up with Jude, the Faerie Queen in exile, living in the mortal world with Vivi and Oak. Jude is miserable, doing odd jobs for other faeries in the neighborhood, until Taryn shows up asking Jude to take her place in the Elfhame court’s questioning of Locke’s murder. Why does she need Jude to pretend to be her? Oh, because Jude can honestly answer that she didn’t murder Locke, while Taryn cannot. Y’all! I have never liked Taryn more! In fact, I haven’t liked Taryn until this exact moment. Finally, she acknowledges Locke’s horrific treatment of her and his altogether unsuitability as anyone’s husband. Is murder an extreme reaction? Sure, but we know by now this is a dark fantasy and I fully support it. Sorry, not sorry.

And so our exiled heroine returns to Faerieland and the final adventure takes off. The plot of the third installment is riveting and unpredictable with all of the fast-paced twists and turns we’ve come to expect. While the entire series is a true-to-form fairytale, this book more-so than its predecessors incorporates the most quintessential fairytale elements: prophetic riddles, ancient artifacts, curses (so. many. curses), people turned into animals (though no true love’s kiss will turn them back), and of course, balls. You name it, this story has it. And none of it feels out of place—it all adds to the story and develops the most luscious, magical atmosphere. 

The character development is once again the beating heart of the novel. After The Cruel Prince, I didn’t think it was possible for me to root as hard as I am for Jude and Cardan, yet all I want for them is a happy ending. Especially poor Cardan, who’s never really experienced love before. Any other Batman / Titans fans in the house? Cardan is really serving me Jason Todd vibes and I just want him to be okay.

Of course, Cardan isn’t the only important man in Jude’s life. Madoc continues to wreak havoc—I mean, this guy just won’t quit. And to a degree, I get it. He’s a centuries-old war General and his teenage daughter is showing him up at every turn. His pride is certainly on the line. But also, he’s a selfish, raging jerk. What was the point of him spending years raising Jude and Taryn in Faerie, educating them, acting like their dad, if he was going to drop all parental feelings the moment they used what he taught them? I can’t say much more without getting into spoilers, but I’m very satisfied with the way things are left with Madoc at the end. 

Getting to see more of Heather and Vivi’s relationship is also fantastic. While they felt like side characters in the last book, their relationship is more front and center in this one and I finally understand why they want to be together. I also just love the bond between Jude and Heather as two mortals making their way through the perils of Faerie. On a similar note, it’s gratifying to see the three sisters finally come together and support one another. It demonstrates just how much each character has grown throughout the series. 

Ugh, there’s just too much I love about this book to name it all, but as far as introducing new characters in the twelfth hour goes, Grima Mog is a badass boss! Goes to show Madoc’s not the only baddie in town. Honestly, all the women stand out in this novel—even Oriana and Nicasia have their moments. This couldn’t be a more rewarding conclusion. I’m looking forward to reading How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories next because as much as I love Jude, I’m dying for a little more Cardan backstory.