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The Cruel Prince

Book 1 in the series:The Folk of the Air

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In 'The Cruel Prince' by Holly Black, the story follows Jude and her sisters who are taken to Faerie after witnessing their parents' murder. Set in a world of magic and intrigue, Jude navigates the dangerous court as she strives for power and a place among the faerie lords and ladies. With twists and turns, the book keeps readers engaged with its lush descriptions and complex characters.

The book is a dark fantasy tale filled with revenge, drama, courtly intrigue, and magic. Readers are introduced to a world where danger and betrayal lurk around every corner, as Jude faces challenges and choices that will impact not only her family but the entire kingdom of Faerie.

Characters:

The characters are intricately developed, with Jude and Cardan demonstrating a complex relationship dynamic influenced by their ambitions and backgrounds.

Writing/Prose:

Holly Black's writing style combines immersive descriptions with an eerie tone, capturing the essence of a cruel and beautiful faerie world.

Plot/Storyline:

The story centers around Jude, a mortal girl who has to navigate the dangerous and politically charged realm of faerie, exploring her ambitions and struggles for acceptance.

Setting:

The setting oscillates between the treacherous faerie realm and the human world, creating a rich backdrop filled with enchantment and danger.

Pacing:

While the book starts off slow as it establishes the world and characters, the pacing accelerates, particularly in the second half, leading to gripping plot twists.
“The tournament is still four nights away,” the creature says. Her name is Tatterfell, and she’s a servant in Madoc’s household, stuck here until she works off her debt to him. She’s cared for me sinc...

Notes:

The Cruel Prince is the first book in The Folk of the Air trilogy by Holly Black.
The story begins with Jude and her sisters witnessing the murder of their parents.
Jude, a mortal, is taken to the fairy realm of Elfhame by Madoc, her mother’s fae ex-husband.
The twins, Jude and Taryn, each adapt differently to life in the fae world: Taryn blends in while Jude stands out and aspires to be a knight.
The fae world is depicted as dangerous, where danger lurks around every corner and betrayal is common.
Jude navigates political intrigue and court dynamics in her quest for power within the fae court.
The book delves into themes of survival, loyalty, and the complexities of family relationships.
The romantic subplot between Jude and Cardan evolves slowly, with elements of tension and animosity defining their dynamic.
Holly Black incorporates traditional faerie lore, emphasizing the cruel and capricious nature of fae characters.
The Cruel Prince combines fantasy elements with psychological depth, contrasting human vulnerability against fae strength.

Sensitive Topics/Content Warnings

Content warnings include themes of violence, bullying, and emotional manipulation.

From The Publisher:

By #1 New York Times bestselling author Holly Black, the first book in a stunning new series about a mortal girl who finds herself caught in a web of royal faerie intrigue.

Of course I want to be like them. They're beautiful as blades forged in some divine fire. They will live forever.

And Cardan is even more beautiful than the rest. I hate him more than all the others. I hate him so much that sometimes when I look at him, I can hardly breathe.

Jude was seven years old 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. But many of the fey despise humans. Especially Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King.

To win a place at the Court, she must defy him-and face the consequences.

In doing so, she becomes embroiled in palace intrigues and deceptions, discovering her own capacity for bloodshed. But as civil war threatens to drown the Courts of Faerie in violence, Jude will need to risk her life in a dangerous alliance to save her sisters, and Faerie itself.

Ratings (665)

Incredible (121)
Loved It (225)
Liked It (160)
It Was OK (92)
Did Not Like (41)
Hated It (26)

Reader Stats (1237):

Read It (658)
Currently Reading (11)
Want To Read (423)
Did Not Finish (45)
Not Interested (100)

27 comment(s)

Did Not Like
2 weeks

I didn’t like the bullying

 
Liked It
3 weeks

I love the politics, though it is slightly overhyped IMO. It's not spicy at all, except for one scene in the last book. Still a great book!!

 
Liked It
1 month

I don't know how to rate this. I liked the political intrigue, but the ending was less of a climax than Dain's coronation.

 
It Was OK
1 month

The main character just wasn't my favorite. I know tons of people who loved this series, but I just couldn't get over my annoyances not just with Jude but with all of the characters that frequently show up in the story.

 
Liked It
1 month

This is a difficult book for me to review.

I can see why it's appealing. It has dark intrigue, loathsome characters who nonetheless make the story compelling, and the writing flows well. I like the blackrom between Jude and Cardan and how prickly their relationship is. It took me a while to get used to the Unseelie Court/High Court and then to understand why Jude wants to remain there.

And a while to get used to hating most of the characters.

I can understand why Cardan is the way he is, although I'm glad that he's not as bad as his friend Valerian. (That's the name of a root, isn't it? I feel like I've encountered that noun before in one of my other fantasy novels). I prefer cruelty without wishing death upon someone--as a result, I misunderstood Cardan for much of the book.

Something about this book didn't quite gel with me, though. I'm not sure why. 3.5 stars rounded up.

 
Incredible
3 months

There is some pettiness inside of me that resents when a well-liked book is as good as everyone says it is. I think it stems from a desire to be special, but it stings nonetheless.

The book is actually better than I think it gets credit for. I've mostly heard talk about the relationship and thankfully there is very little of that to be found within the pages. It makes it more raw which is exactly how this story should be.

I am eager to tear into the next two books, much like just about everyone else who read this far.

 
Loved It
3 months

****4.0****

YA Fantasy series that has a rave following and ratings.

Above is the reason I wanted to try it.

Vivi, Jude and Taryn are taken from the mortal world to the High Court of Faerie by Madoc. A little backstory here. Vivi, the eldest, is the half-blood daughter of a mortal mother and a fey father Madoc. Jude and Taryn are the twins & mortals, born after their mother tricked Madoc and came back into the mortal world with her human lover. And these three grow among fae. Vivi is one of fae and she glides smoothly but the twins get it hard.

Madoc on the other hand treats the twins as their own. Jude is a fighter and learns the fighting/scheming skills from Madoc. But Taryn takes it other way, fully acknowledging her mortality, she knows she will be offered as a wife to some fae in the court.

In coming years we see Vivi as a defiant, Taryn as a kindhearted, Jude as an ambitious. Jude takes the opportunity to enter a competition that could win her a shield as a warrior under another Faerie’s banner. She also breaks another rule by drawing attention to herself with Prince Cardan the youngest and cruelest son of the High King. They both hate each other and are cast together into a world full of trickery and backstabbing.

The world building is not great but characters are well developed and grow close to you. The great part about these kind of YA fantasy are they are fast with witty conversations. You follow the story with the characters and their emotions and nothing else. It was a fun read.

Happy Reading!!

 
Incredible
3 months

To my surprise I didn’t expect this ending until the very end… enjoyed this book couldn’t put it down… liked the writing style it didn’t overwhelm, kept it interesting and left me wanting more…loved the characters, their different personalities, their stories and the back stories…

 
Incredible
5 months

Been such a long time since i got excited over a book until i read this one. i love the world, the characters, the schemes and betrayals. i couldn't stop reading. it was fantastic and i am already starting the next book.

 
It Was OK
5 months

I'm not generally a huge fan of the whole Unseelie and Seelie court thing, but I thought that this book spun the concept in a pretty unique way.

I was a big fan of Jude's quest to become powerful and dangerous in a world where almost everyone else is even more powerful and dangerous. Her choices throughout the book were always very true to her character, and her decision at the end of the book was completely unexpected which was a pleasant surprise.

I'll definitely read the sequel whenever it comes out.

 
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