The Stolen Heir

Fiction | Novel | YA | Published in 2023

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Summary

Background

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Prologue-Chapter 3

Chapters 4-9

Chapters 10-13

Chapters 14-18

Character Analysis

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Tools

Beta

Discussion Questions

Themes

The Importance of Autonomy

Autonomy is stripped from several characters throughout The Stolen Heir through many methods, including imprisonment, mutilation, and the golden bridle. Wren’s autonomy has been stripped from her nearly her whole life, which influences her behavior and values throughout the novel. During childhood, Lord Jarel placed the golden bridle on her “when [her] will was an inconvenience to be cleared away like a cobweb” (41). She spent days feeling helpless and hopeless as the bridle sank into her skin. The idea that the bridle becomes a part of its wearer, leaving them under the owner’s control, represents its lasting impact on Wren even after its removal. The physical scars it leaves across her cheeks is further representation of this trauma.

In the eight years since her escape from the Court of Teeth, Wren continues to fear her autonomy being stripped away. When she discovers the golden bridle in Oak’s possession, she panics. Though she believes Oak to be kind, she remains wary, because “[she didn’t] want to be dragged along like an animal, worrying about being put on a leash” (84). Wren’s devotion to remaining free causes her to attempt to steal the bridle and save others who are trapped. In the mortal realm, she views it as “[her] revenge on Faerie to unravel the glaistig’s spells, to undo every curse [she] [discovers]. Free anyone who is ensnared” (27). In Faerie, she pities Hyacinthe for his own golden bridle and frees him and other prisoners locked up in Queen Annet’s dungeons. Wren’s actions are driven by the fact that trapped individuals remind her of herself, and how desperate she’d been for someone to free her younger self.

Wren’s prioritization of autonomy does not apply to her own passivity until the completion of her arc. During childhood, she’d played the part of a passive princess. During her tortured time at the Court of Teeth, Lady Nore plotted for Wren to murder Oak once she married the prince. Though Wren “wasn’t looking forward to murdering a boy [she] had never met,” she agrees, because “if that was what she wanted [Wren] to do and it would spare [her] pain, [she’d] do it” (236-37). Even after escaping the Court of Teeth and freeing herself of her golden bridle—even after Lady Nore was cursed by High Queen Jude to obey Wren—Wren does not fully embrace her autonomy because she’s “filled with the same hate and fear that paralyzed [her] throughout [her] childhood” (289). She overcomes her passivity by letting go of her habit of seeking approval and permission, by following Madoc’s advice to “Sink [her] teeth into something” (311). Ultimately, she takes advantage of her destructive power, usurping Lady Nore and restoring others’ autonomy—releasing the troll king Hurclaw and the falcon-soldiers from their curses. Yet, she strips Oak of his autonomy, as punishment for his betrayals—all of which were opportunities to free her.

The Power of Words

From riddles used to unlock spells to the gift Jude bestows upon Wren after the Court of Teeth’s betrayal, words hold immeasurable power in the world of Faerie. The power of words is wielded most naturally and effectively by Oak, who is so talented at it that he’s suspected to be a gancanagh, a love-talker or honey-mouth. He can manipulate others with words, leading him to treat dangerous situations and relationships like games to be won. This is to be expected of the fae, who are unable to lie and instead navigate court intrigue with careful wording.

Wren’s lack of eloquence presents an issue after the Battle of the Serpent, eight years before The Stolen Heir. After the battle, High Queen Jude forces Lady Nore to obey Wren’s spoken commands, but “just because [Wren] could command [Lady Nore], didn’t mean [she’d] had the first idea of what to actually do” (42). Wren fails to make use of this advantage, enduring the consequences of Jude’s loose wording. Lady Nore’s vows include “[nothing] about not sticking a dagger in [Wren’s] back, unfortunately. Nothing about not sending a storm hag after [her]” (46). Wren is forced to flee to the mortal realm, where she hides from the storm hag Bogdana for years, because she could not effectively command the power of words over Lady Nore as a child. This fear stems from her valuing autonomy and being reluctant to harm others the ways she was.

Wren’s voice is described as raspy from years of screaming and disuse, having been tortured at the Court of Teeth. She has been silenced and trained to be passive from a young age, and thus has no grasp on how to wield words to protect herself. She admits to lacking Oak’s talent with words, being terrified of it. Yet, at the end of the novel, Wren must claim this power to defeat Lady Nore, understanding that “[she] must find a way to speak. Just a few words and [she] will have [Lady Nore]” (289). After having her tongue cut out by her mother, she escapes her prison cell and roams the Ice Needle Citadel unnoticed. Lady Nore’s underestimation of Wren is a mistake, as she uses the opportunity to magically restore her tongue. However, when it returns, she realizes “it feels odd to have it there. Thick and heavy. [She] cannot decide if it is swollen or if [she is] just oddly conscious of it” (310-11). This heaviness marks a shift in character: Wren decides to take Madoc’s advice to be more aggressive instead of passive, “to take this castle and all of Lady Nore’s lands for [herself]” (310-11). After years of ignoring and mishandling the power of words, Wren finally decides to seize its potential.

Manipulation of Truth

Truth and lies are often mistaken as black and white, rather than morally gray, as characters fall victim to clever wordplay. Whereas humans are capable of lying, the fae cannot, instead relying on manipulation of truth. A natural charmer, Oak is an expert at weaving words to suit his needs. Wren is cynical, and thus does not just believe his words. When Oak assures her what he says is true, she responds, “Yes, you deceive the way all the Gentry do. With your tricks and omissions. It’s not as though you have the option of lying” (117). Unlike other fae, Wren’s tongue “seizes up when [she] [starts] to lie, and […] no clever deception comes easily to [her] lips” (126). Her childhood in the mortal realm has made her less inclined to lie and more susceptible to the manipulative truths of her kind.

Upon meeting Lady Nore and Lord Jarel, her fae parents, Wren is unaware of their ability to weave words. She believes Lord Jarel when he claims her foster family “no longer want [her]” (17). Though he sounds certain, he turns lies into truth by enchanting Wren’s foster parents to react with horror at her true face. This moment fuels Wren’s desire for love as she grows older, which is why her usual cynicism lessens in Oak’s charming presence.

Though Wren becomes more wary of words with age, the storm hag Bogdana manages to fool her when she claims Oak made a bargain with Lady Nore—Oak’s foster father Madoc in exchange “for the very thing he is bringing north. A foolish girl. [Wren]” (195). In reality, he plans to exchange Mellith’s heart for Madoc—but when he realizes Mellith is Wren, he tries to trick Lady Nore with a deer heart to keep Wren safe. Bogdana weaves many truths in order to wrongly implicates Oak. Wren, knowing fae cannot lie, believes Bogdana at face value. Despite Oak later proving Bogdana’s words wrong, Wren continues to fall for his manipulative truths, allowing Oak to keep the location of Mellith’s heart hidden from Wren. While Bogdana and Oak genuinely care for Wren, with Bogdana being her true mother and Oak being her love interest, their manipulation is still manipulation. Wren’s cynicism, distrust, and eventual drive for vengeance are fostered by her continuous manipulation by fae, many of whom claim to be allies, making their veiled truths hurt more. The novel ends with her ignoring Bogdana’s advice and imprisoning Oak for his betrayals.