The Folk of the Air Books in Chronological Order – Complete Reading Guide

Quick Answer (TL;DR)

• Read order (quick version):
  1. The Cruel Prince → 1.5) The Lost Sisters (novella) → 2) The Wicked King → 3) The Queen of Nothing → 3.5) How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories (illustrated novella).
     That sequence is both the publication order and the safest chronological experience for first-time readers.
• Start here if you’re new: The Cruel Prince.
  It establishes Jude, Cardan, the High Court of Faerie, and the razor-edged politics that define the trilogy.
• Companion duology in the same world (after the trilogy):
  The Stolen Heir → The Prisoner’s Throne. These are set in Elfhame but follow new leads; they’re optional for your first pass through Jude & Cardan’s arc.

Introduction

Holly Black’s The Folk of the Air is the modern faerie court phenomenon—razor-blade crowns, velvet daggers, and a mortal girl who decides that power in Faerie is something you seize, not request. If you’ve ever loved political intrigue with a wicked romantic thread, or if you want a YA fantasy that reads fast but leaves bite marks, this trilogy is the blueprint.

This guide walks you through The Folk of the Air Books in Chronological Order, plus where novellas fit, how special editions differ, which audiobooks to choose, and what to read next in Elfhame. No major plot spoilers—just enough context to help you pick the perfect order and format.

Quick Facts

Item	Details
Series	The Folk of the Air (primary trilogy) by Holly Black
Core Titles (reading spine)	The Cruel Prince → The Lost Sisters (novella) → The Wicked King → The Queen of Nothing → How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories (illustrated novella)
Page Count (approx.)	Cruel Prince ~ 384; Wicked King ~ 336; Queen of Nothing ~ 320; Lost Sisters ~ 80–100; How the King… ~ 192 (illustrated)
Typical Read Time	6–8 hours per full-length novel (average pace), shorter for novellas
Reading Difficulty	Accessible YA/Upper-YA; court politics, fast pacing, sharp dialogue
Primary Genres	YA fantasy, political intrigue, enemies-to-lovers romance
Content Warnings	Violence, murder, manipulation & gaslighting, toxic relationships, poisons, kidnapping, emotional abuse, battle scenes
Ideal Age Range	14+ (older teens and adult readers widely enjoy it)
Media/Adaptation Status	The Cruel Prince optioned for film (Universal Pictures, producer Michael De Luca). Audiobooks available; multiple collector editions exist.
Where It Lives	Same universe as The Darkest Part of the Forest and cameo-connected to Holly Black’s Modern Tale of Faerie; Elfhame also hosts the later Stolen Heir duology.

Note: Page counts and times vary by edition/format.

About the The Folk of the Air Series

The trilogy opens with Jude Duarte, a mortal stolen to Faerie with her sisters after a human-world massacre. In the High Court of Faerie, beauty has teeth, bargains have loopholes, and the crown is always a trap. Jude is underpowered by comparison—no glamour or inhuman strength—but she’s stubborn, strategic, and dangerously good at seeing what others miss. Enter Cardan Greenbriar, the wicked prince whose glittering cruelty may conceal liabilities of his own. What follows is a story of political leverage, covert knives, and a romance as combustible as gunpowder.

Holly Black writes fae politics with the precision of a jewel thief. Every alliance is temporary, every victory a setup for the next snare. As the trilogy advances, the game gets deadlier—and the lines between love, loyalty, and self-preservation blur.

The Folk of the Air Books at a Glance

Title	Format Picks	Buy
The Cruel Prince (Book 1)	Hardcover, Paperback, Kindle, Audible	Buy on Amazon
The Lost Sisters (Novella 1.5)	Kindle, Audible	Buy on Amazon
The Wicked King (Book 2)	Hardcover, Paperback, Kindle, Audible; Collector’s editions available	Buy on Amazon
The Queen of Nothing (Book 3)	Hardcover, Paperback, Kindle, Audible	Buy on Amazon
How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories (Illustrated Novella 3.5)	Illustrated hardcover, Kindle, Audible	Buy on Amazon

Related Elfhame Duology (after the trilogy):

• The Stolen Heir → Buy on Amazon
• The Prisoner’s Throne → Buy on Amazon

The Folk of the Air Books in Chronological Order

1. The Cruel Prince
   Begin at the masquerade—daggers hidden in sleeves. This opener anchors you in Jude’s mortal-in-Faerie perspective: a world where laughter hides fangs and etiquette kills slower than poison. You’ll meet Cardan, Prince of Nothing Nice; Madoc, a general whose lessons are merciless; and a court where power is performance. Stakes are immediately personal—Jude doesn’t want to be safe, she wants to matter—and Black builds the chessboard you’ll be playing on for three books.

1.5) The Lost Sisters (novella)
A compact, confessional lens from Taryn Duarte that refracts the events of Book 1. It doesn’t retcon the plot; it re-angles it. Reading here enriches Book 2 by clarifying motivations and complicity. If you ever shouted “Why would you do that?” at Taryn, this is the text that answers.

2. The Wicked King
   The book where every bargain comes due. Court politics intensify; oceans and undersea diplomacy enter the field; Cardan’s role shifts from provocation to calculation. Jude’s leverage is breathtakingly thin—and still she gambles. This is the installment readers devour in one night and then message friends about. The ending? Instant re-read impulse.
3. The Queen of Nothing
   Exile, execution, entanglement. The payoff volume. The pace is brutal—in the best way—and threads from Book 1 pull taut. Expect oaths and betrayals, a few wickedly satisfying reveals, and an endgame that feels inevitable once it lands. Keep tissues and a victory grin handy.

3.5) How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories (illustrated novella)
A gorgeous companion that toggles between Cardan’s backstory vignettes and post-trilogy moments. It’s canon character work (not just bonus content), offering keys to gestures you noticed in the trilogy but couldn’t decode. Also: stunning art and a fairy-tale framing device that mirrors, mocks, and mends.

Series Timeline & Character Development

Jude Duarte (arc):

• Book 1: Mortal underdog learns the grammar of power—secrets, bargains, blackmail. Survival shifts to ambition.
• Novella 1.5: Taryn’s lens reframes Jude’s choices and the cost of wanting to belong vs. wanting to rule.
• Book 2: Jude ascends as a strategist; control without legitimacy is a sandcastle. Faces maritime politics, internal traitors, and the problem of keeping a crown on a moving target.
• Book 3: Exile clarifies what Jude will risk—and what she will never surrender. The arc resolves into agency on her terms.
• Illustrated 3.5: Aftermath tenderness and perspective-taking; Jude learns the shape of Cardan’s past and how it bent him.

Cardan Greenbriar (arc):

• Book 1: The gilded, vicious prince with a specific hunger for Jude’s reactions. Cruelty as armor, posture as survival.
• Book 2: The crown’s weight exposes fault lines and competencies. Scenes of disarming vulnerability intercut with calculated theater.
• Book 3: A metamorphosis in how he wields power—not just as pageantry, but as responsibility.
• Illustrated 3.5: The boy and the king reconcile; the why behind the wicked glint.

Key Ensemble Shifts:

• Taryn moves from mirror to foil to something more complicated.
• Madoc evolves from tutor to ideological antagonist.
• Vivi remains a bridge to the mortal world—and to choosing joy.
• Oak is the future problem every adult is already solving for.
• Secondary players (Locke, Nicasia, the Bomb/Ghost/Roach, Oriana, Grimsen) sharpen the theme: in Faerie, truth is a blade that rarely stays sheathed.

Novels Sorted by In-Universe Events

• The Cruel Prince
• The Lost Sisters (occurs during/just after Book 1 events)
• The Wicked King
• The Queen of Nothing
• How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories (spans past vignettes + post-trilogy)

Set in Elfhame after the trilogy:

• The Stolen Heir (focus on Suren & Oak)
• The Prisoner’s Throne (direct sequel)

Novels Sorted by Publication

• 2018: The Cruel Prince
• 2018: The Lost Sisters (novella)
• 2019: The Wicked King
• 2019: The Queen of Nothing
• 2020: How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories (illustrated novella)
• 2023: The Stolen Heir (Elfhame duology, related)
• 2024: The Prisoner’s Throne (Elfhame duology, related)

Companion Works, Special Editions & Formats

Companion/Related within the Elfhame Sphere

• The Stolen Heir → The Prisoner’s Throne (duology): New leads, returning faces, same knife-edged Elfhame. Best enjoyed after the core trilogy.
• The Darkest Part of the Forest and Modern Tale of Faerie trilogy: Earlier Holly Black faerie works with shared-universe connective tissue. Not required for Folk of the Air, but rewarding if you love her brand of fae.

Novellas & Extras

• The Lost Sisters: Short but potent; changes how you read Taryn.
• How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories: Illustrated; essential if Cardan stole your attention.

Collector & Special Editions

• FairyLoot / Illumicrate: Sprayed edges, foiling, alternate dust jackets, art endpapers.
• Barnes & Noble: Exclusive or velvet editions (e.g., The Wicked King collector’s edition).
• LitJoy: Full series sets; later a special edition for The Stolen Heir.
• Tips: If matching spines matters, secure your set early; reprints vary in finish. For investment value, keep dust jackets pristine and note numbered/signed runs.

Audiobooks

• Professionally narrated; crisp pacing suits the political-intrigue style. Great for rereads or for absorbing subtext in dialogue. If you’re a duet narration lover, note this series is primarily single-narrator per volume.

Ebook vs Print

• Ebook for speed and highlight/annotation.
• Hardcover/Collector for shelf display and art elements (especially How the King…).

Why Read The Folk of the Air Books in Chronological Order?

• Spoiler control: Publication order is the intended surprise cadence. It preserves reveals in The Wicked King and The Queen of Nothing while letting novellas punctuate (not pre-empt) key beats.
• Character clarity: Reading The Lost Sisters after Cruel Prince but before Wicked King gives you maximum context without stepping on Book 2 twists.
• Tone flow: The trilogy escalates from schoolyard-cruelty politics to war-room diplomacy; the illustrated novella decompresses with layered reflection—perfect post-finale palate cleanser.

Author Spotlight: Holly Black

Holly Black is the #1 New York Times–bestselling “Queen of the Faeries,” an author whose work re-enchanted modern YA with courts that were neither Tinkerbell-sweet nor Tolkien-distant. She’s a Mythopoeic Award winner, a Newbery Honor recipient, and an Eisner/Lodestar finalist, with 26+ million books sold worldwide in 30+ languages. What distinguishes her craft is the way she weaponizes fairy-tale logic—every gift costs; every debt comes back—while writing characters who choose agency over safety.

She lives in New England (in a house with a secret library, appropriately), and continues to expand the Elfhame saga with related works like The Stolen Heir duology.

Media Adaptations (film, TV, audio)

• Film: The Cruel Prince was optioned (2017) by Universal Pictures with Michael De Luca producing. Development updates have been quiet publicly since; as always, options ≠ guaranteed release, but interest underscores the property’s cinematic pull.
• Audio: All core volumes have audiobook editions—excellent production values, clear character voicing, ideal for commute re-reads.
• Special Projects: Multiple collector editions (FairyLoot, Illumicrate, B&N, LitJoy) effectively serve as “showcase adaptations” in print—gilded foils, art spreads, and sprayed edges that make Elfhame feel tactile.

FAQs About The Folk of the Air Books in Chronological Order

Final Thoughts

If you’re ready to dive into courtly schemes, poisonous smiles, and enemies-to-lovers tension, The Folk of the Air Books in Chronological Order offer the cleanest, most satisfying path through Elfhame. Starting with The Cruel Prince lets Jude and Cardan’s power plays land with full force; layering in the novellas and companion tales fills in motives, betrayals, and bargains that the main trilogy only hints at. Read this way, each twist feels earned, each alliance sharper, and the finale hits harder.

Whether you’re a first-timer or returning for a strategic reread before tackling the companion duology, following The Folk of the Air Books in Chronological Order turns the series from a sharp faerie drama into a fully mapped political epic—one where every promise has teeth and every victory extracts a price.

Have a favorite edition or audiobook narrator? Drop your picks below, and tell us which scene made you gasp.