New York Times bestselling author Holly Black on Jan. 3 released a new young adult novel, a 352-page spinoff of her famous The Folk of the Air series.

Black’s newest book, The Stolen Heir, was long anticipated by adoring fans. First hints of the novel were released in July 2021, when people began speculating about characters and plot.

The Stolen Heir currently rates around 4.3/5 stars on goodreads.com.

Black has said the The Stolen Heir will be the first installment in a fantasy duology.

Recently she began a tour to six different U.S. cities. She also plans to stop in another four cities in the United Kingdom.  

I attended the Jan. 3 stop in Plainville, Massachusetts, and it was one of the most magical events I have ever experienced.

The tour stop took place at An Unlikely Story, a bookstore owned by Jeff Kinney, author of Diary of a Wimpy Kid.

Floating books hung from the roof, and fairy lights were strung throughout the store. There was also a huge display of Diary of a Wimpy Kid books and merchandise.

When the time came for Black to speak with the sold-out audience, she read a small excerpt from Chapter 3 in The Stolen Heir, then did about an hour of Q&A. 

She was very funny and lighthearted with her answers, fielding a range of questions from fans and aspiring authors.

Answers to some frequent questions are posted on her website.

For example, to people ask how she starts a book, Black responds: “Put the pen to paper or your fingers to the keys and just start. Start now. Start today. Okay, maybe get a cup of coffee first — and maybe make some kind of outline or plan. But start soon because there’s nothing worse than the blank page staring back at you.”

Black’s many novels include the Spiderwick Chronicles, which was made into a film in 2008 and is currently being adapted into a series. She has won a number of prizes, including a 2014 Newbery Award for Doll Bones.

Black has also edited anthologies, including Welcome to Bordertown with Ellen Kushner, Zombies vs. Unicorns with Justine Larbalestier, and Geektastic, Stories from the Nerd Herd with Cecil Castellucci.

For a complete bibliography, visit her website, blackholly.com, where Black has also posted an assortment of reading guides to her books.