The Modern Faerie Tales by Holly Black


THE MODERN FAERIE TALES BY HOLLY BLACK

I read the Cruel Prince Trilogy and the Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare so it feels nice to actually see how the Seelie and Unseelie world works with this compilation of Tithe, Valiant, and Ironside. If you are a fan of both Cruel Prince Trilogy and Mortal Instruments - then this is definitely a must-read. 
Title: The Modern Faerie Tales (Tithe, Valiant, Ironside) 

Author: Holly Black

Type: Fiction

Category: Young Adult

Genre: Fantasy 

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books

Total Chapters: 

Tithe: 15 + Prologue 
Ironside: 14 + Prologue
Valiant: 15 + Prologue and Short story

Total Pages: 785

Table of Contents: Not applicable

Summary From The Book: 

In Tithe, sixteen-year-old Kaye is a modern nomad. Fierce and independent, she drifts from place to place with her mother's rock band until an ominous attack forces Kaye back to her childhood home. There, amid the blue-collar New Jersey backdrop, Kaye finds herself an unwilling pawn in an ancient and violent power struggle between two rival faerie kingdoms - a struggle that could very well mean her death.

In Valiant, the companion to Tithe, seventeen-year-old Valerie runs away to New York City, trying to escape a life that has utterly betrayed her. Sporting a new identity, she takes up with a gang of squatters who live in the city's labyrinthine subway system. But there's something eerily beguiling about Val's new friends. When one talks Val into tracking down the lair of a mysterious creature, Val finds herself torn between her affection for an honorable monster and her fear of what her new friends are becoming.

In Ironside, the sequel to Tithe, the time has come for Roiben's coronation. Uneasy in the midst of the malevolent Unseelie Court, pixie Kaye is sure of only one thing - her love for Roiben. But when Kaye drunkenly declares herself to Roiben, he sends her on a seemingly impossible quest to find a faerie who can tell a lie. Unable to see Roiben until she has fulfilled his quest, Kaye finds herself in the center of the battle of wits and weapons being waged over his throne.

My Thoughts: 

Reading the book's summary had me confused at first because all I know is that this book is supposed to be about Kaye and Roiben which I was introduced to from the books Cruel Prince Trilogy. So I was thinking that who is Valerie for Valiant?!

Anyway, the first book Tithe was focused on Kaye's point of view. The book Tithe got me hooked when Kaye discovered about her true self. I wanted to know how it ends so I finished it off rather fast. 

For the second book, I wanted more action for Kaye and Roiben but I got a little disappointed that the whole story is just about a whole lot of new characters. I find it quite boring at first and I am reading it in a slow pace because my favorite characters and what I was looking for are not included. This book focused on Valerie's point of view. It took me some time to finish this but it is still a requirement to be read in order to understand the last book. 

The last book, Ironside - is now back to focus on Kaye and her friends, her true identity. I was able to appreciate the second book, Valiant during the middle of my reading in Ironside. All the story from the first and second book finally finds its connection in the last book - for that I am grateful!

Like I said on my preview on the top of this blog post, this book is actually nice for the added knowledge and details about the Faeries. However, I am a little sad that it only has a short story about Roiben's interaction at the book The Cruel Prince. I was expecting that the book series will include the major part of the disaster that happened in the Wicked King. 

My favorite character of the story maybe Corny because I find his tenacity quite adorable specially when he finally met the one in Ironside. I also think that all his pent-up emotions are quite real on what is happening to us humans. He is the character that I find most realistic. 

The scene that I love is when Kaye discovered about her true self. I can feel the anticipation, the stress, and the bewilderment. 

All of the titles from the three books are included in the story. I do not want to share it because it may contain some spoilers. 

The book is about friendship, love, trust, and of course - faeries!

My Favorite Line/s:

Tithe: 

"Nothing but hard work gets anyone anywhere. Even then, people don't get what they want. People just suffer, and no one knows why they suffer."

Valiant: 

"You can't talk about me like I'm a thing."

Ironside: 

"Whatever you love, that was your weakness."

Rating: 3.5/5 because I was interested but not as . 

Recommendation: 

To those who wants more details and stories about the faeries. Specially if you love the faeries from Mortal Instruments and if you love the trilogy - The Cruel Prince.

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