Jude was seven when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong there, despite her mortality. She'll have to outwit the cruel prince who rules there.
Series guide · 3 out
The Folk of the Air Reading Order: All 3 Books in Order
Dark faerie politics and mortals caught in the machinations of immortal beings. Jude must navigate assassination plots and courtly intrigue to claim her place in the treacherous High Court.
The Folk of the Air is a complete series by Holly Black. There are 3 numbered books on our shelf.
It starts with The Cruel Prince (2018), and the newest numbered book out now is The Queen of Nothing (2019). The books came out in the same order as their numbers, so release order is reading order.
On our heat scale the books run from 1 (mild) to 2 (warm). On Goodreads the books average 4.1 stars across 1,790,000 ratings.
Reading order
All 3 Folk of the Air books in order
Every book, with release date, heat rating and what it is about. Signed in, tick the circle when you finish one.
Jude has been manipulating court politics since arriving in Faerie, but her position grows more precarious by the day. As she schemes to gain power in a treacherous world of fey, her carefully laid plans come apart. Survival requires becoming something far colder than she imagined.
Jude has lost everything, her position, her title, her magic. But she's learned to play the game better than anyone. Now she must survive betrayal and reclaim her place in a world of political warfare.
Heat across the series
Book 1 is Mild (1), book 2 is Warm (2) and book 3 is Warm (2).
Folk of the Air gets spicier as it goes. The spiciest are The Wicked King and The Queen of Nothing.
How we rate heat →The Folk of the Air publication order
The books came out in the same order as their numbers, so publication order and reading order are the same list. We do not list a separate in-world chronological order for this series, so we follow the author's numbering.
Publication order
- The Cruel Prince (2018)
- The Wicked King (2019)
- The Queen of Nothing (2019)
Where to start
Start with The Cruel Prince. It is book one, and every later book builds on it. Read the numbered books in order, which is also the order they came out.
Book one is Mild (1 of 5), and the series reaches Warm (2) later on, so check the heat chart before you commit.
Series like The Folk of the Air
Picked by shared tropes. Each one links to its own reading order.
- Fae, Slow Burn
- Enemies to Lovers, Morally Gray
- Enemies to Lovers, Fae
- Enemies to Lovers, Fae
- Fae, Morally Gray
More by Holly Black
The Folk of the Air reading order FAQ
How many books are in The Folk of the Air?
The Folk of the Air has 3 numbered books.
What order should I read The Folk of the Air in?
Read them in this order: The Cruel Prince, The Wicked King, then The Queen of Nothing. That is also the order they were published.
Is The Folk of the Air finished?
Yes. The Folk of the Air is complete at 3 books, so you can read it start to finish without waiting.
How spicy is The Folk of the Air?
The Folk of the Air runs from 1 (mild) to 2 (warm) on our 0 to 5 heat scale. The spiciest are The Wicked King and The Queen of Nothing. Spice Guide
Where should I start with Holly Black?
If you are new to Holly Black, The Folk of the Air starts with The Cruel Prince. Holly Black also writes The Stolen Heir. The author page lists every book with its heat rating. Holly Black books
