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A ŷ user asked this question about How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories (The Folk of the Air, #3.5):
Why does everyone love Cardan and glorify his (frankly abusive) relationship with Jude? There is definitely a difference between 'bad boys' and 'assholes', and Cardan falls into the latter for me. He's interesting, but why in the world would you have the hots for him?
Summer (speaking_bookish) First, because it's fantasy. But if that isn't enough for some folks to just sit back and enjoy the ride, then my second answer is because anyone who …mǰFirst, because it's fantasy. But if that isn't enough for some folks to just sit back and enjoy the ride, then my second answer is because anyone who has read this book and wants to put human labels on faeries that don't actually exist can go ahead and soothe themselves by knowing that Cardan had a very traumatic upbringing and the only attention he ever received was when he misbehaved. This is classic behavior also found in the human world. He also pretended to be awful to keep his friends and family at bay while secretly trying to do the right thing whenever he could get away with it. Not to mention that Jude is nobody's victim. She can handle, and understand, Cardan like no one else can.

But like I said.. it's silly to put human labels on fantastical creatures who don't exist. Cardan can't represent an abusive human male because he's a faerie and faeries aren't real. And Jude can't represent a woman in an abusive relationship because she was raised in a fantastical faerie land, which also doesn't exist. I read books like this because the characters can get away with terrible behavior and I can sit back and laugh knowing I can't judge a faerie, or other fantastical creatures, for their behavior (since, again, they aren't real) and instead choose to enjoy it instead.

Also, some of us just really like assholes. What can I say? Luckily, if you do not like Cardan, which you clearly don't, that's ok! We are all allowed to like or dislike whatever we choose. So as long as no one comes at you over the things you like, I think it's only fair that you offer the same respect to people who think differently than you. (less)
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How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories
by Holly Black (ŷ Author)
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