The stolen heir

Return to the lavish world of Elfham, filled with intrigue, betrayal, and dangerous desires, with this first book in a captivating new duology from #1 New York Times bestselling author Holly Black. A runaway queen. A reluctant prince. And a mission that could destroy them both. Eight years have passed since the Battle of the Serpent. But in the icy north, Lady Noor of the Court of Tooth has reclaimed the Ice Needle Castle. There, she uses an ancient artifact to create monsters of sticks and snow that will do her bidding and exact revenge. Soren, the child queen of the Court of Tooth, and the only person with power over her mother, has fled to the human world. There, she lives a monstrous life in the woods. Alone, still haunted by the merciless torments of the Court of Tooth, she waits for the right opportunity to free humans from foolish bargains. She thinks herself forgotten until the Storm Witch, Bogdana, stalks her through the night streets. Soren rescues Prince Oak, heir to Elfham, whom she was once promised in marriage and whom she has hated for years. Now seventeen, Oak is charming, beautiful, and manipulative. He's on a quest that will take him north, and he wants Soren's help. But if she agrees, it means protecting her heart from the boy she once knew and a prince she doesn't trust, as well as facing all the horrors she thought she left behind.