An instant bestseller!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 … 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.
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I enjoyed this book a lot. I loved the characters along with the world Holly Black created and the subtle romance in the story. Jude is now one of my favorite female characters because of her fierceness and her refusal to back down from anything. I love that she went for what she wanted. She did what was necessary, making the hard decisions. I admired that about her and how she put family over everything else. She did not take any sh*t from anyone and fought for everyone. She’s not perfect by a long shot. She’s too ambitious which can make her shortsighted and impulsive. She wants power too much and is willing to do anything to get it. I worry about that and how it’s going to affect her going forward. Because she is not perfect that makes me like her even more. I cannot wait to see how she develops.
Even though we saw Cardan through Jude’s eyes, I liked him from the beginning. Jude only had negative things to say about Cardan and how badly he treated her and how much he hated her (the feeling was mutual). But I knew there had to be more to it (mainly because he was being highlighted, lol). I did like Cardan a lot and his character was more complex than it first appears. I cannot say much more than that without giving away too much. I can’t wait to see how his character develops through the next two books and what more we can learn about him. I also liked Vivi and the faeries in the Court of Shadows. I did not like Taryn at all from basically the beginning of the book or Locke even as the romance was blooming between him and Jude. Overall, the world Holly Black created was magnificent and I loved being able to see more of the faerie lands that I only got a glimpse of in The Darkest Part of the Forest.
I actually did not predict the ending as I always do. I wasn’t expecting that to happen. I did wonder what Jude had up her sleeve but in no way did I guess she was going to do that. That twist makes me like the book even more that I could not predict the ending for once. This is a book that will go on my “go to suggestion list.” It has something for everyone. I will be over here counting down the days until book two.
WOW!! So first I got to say the beginning of the book brings you into this fairy world of frustrating characters. The way the three sisters are brought into the fairy realm is tough. The human sisters have to endure a lot which can either make them stronger or break them. At first I didn’t like VIvi much, she proved herself by the end. I loved the strength, determination, endurance and wit that Jude displays through the story, though at times they seem dull. She is like a chameleon with several hidden spots. I felt as though her twin Taryn had little personality compared to Jude. As the girls try to live in this twisted world of the faeries the each grow in their own way. This book is full of lies, manipulations, threat, humiliation, disgrace, power, allies, thieves, betrayal, loyalty and death. Its a great read about survival, about risking everything and receiving little in return, its about hope and determination, and about being noticed and wanted. I really enjoy it and can’t wait to read the next book. I love all of Holly Black stories and this didn’t disappoint. I received this ARC and loved it so much that I bought it and the others in the series. Strength comes in different forms and not all are so obviously known. Jude showed this by simply being human.
Just my two cents as there are already so many great reviews.
Layered, complex story with intelligent and soulless characters involved in the high stakes pursuit of ruler of the fairy kingdom.
The heroine is a mortal stuck in the kingdom since she was kidnapped as a child along with her twin and older sister. Old sister is the daughter of a general in the fairy kingdom. The father’s ruthlessness is demonstrated by killing his ex-wife and her human husband and taking all the children to Faerie. There Jude tries to prove herself as a warrior among a group of creatures who despise and use mortals. Taryn, her twin, goes another much easier route of appeasement, and Vivi the only biological daughter of the man despises the whole country of faeries.
The male protagonist, Prince Cardan, is hardly a hero. He is more of an Emo darling of the kingdom and is more than a little obsessed with this pretty mortal.
Twisted, treachery, evil and betrayal are hallmarks of this story. Definitely a behind the scenes look at the magical world.
It’s well done and compelling reading.
Amazing book
This is the twisted political and courtly intrigue YA fantasy novel I needed in my life. Absolutely fantastic, and the sequel (The Wicked King) is even better. Excellent read for fans of clever heroines, complicated love interests, and creepy fae court whimsy.
Hello!
I just finished this book and its sequel, and I am IN LOVE. Such a great series!! I can’t wait for book 3…
Amanda 🙂
I can’t wait to get my hands on the next one!
The writing was good, and so were the characters. I do love that Cardan isn’t the typical male lead and gives Jude space to do her thing. The plot twist is awesome. But all in all, the book as a whole didn’t wow me. I didn’t get that feeling we usually get when finishing an amazing book. That mix of awe and delight? Which was frustrating because I really, really wanted to.
This is, of course, an utterly personal view, so please do read this book and make your own opinion of it. In the end, it’s a pretty great story.
~REVIEW~
I finally read it and it’s as good as everyone says it is. #believethehype. A faerie high court. A battle of strategy for who gets to sit on the throne next. Secrets. Treachery. Magic. Violence. Angst. Plot twists galore. And a lead character that I would go as far as to say is a female anti hero. And a prince that is charming and dark… and cruel as hell. It’s everything you would want a faerie book to be. The blurb covers most of it but I’ll add this: I read some but listened to most of it on Audible and I think because of that, I enjoyed it immensely more than if I had just read it alone. It’s one of those books that I really enjoyed closing my eyes and imagining. Holly Black’s world building and her prose is so incredibly vivid and lush that it’s easy to let yourself float away into the story.
I didn’t think I was going to like this book because every book I read that featured the Folk sort of rubbed me the wrong way. Let’s face it, fairies and all their kin are not very nice. But I was so wrong when it came to this book. I absolutely loved it. All the twists and turns, surprises, the very flawed characters who in spite of it all manage to be somehow likable. I don’t like bad boys but I got to say I’m in love with Carden and the love-hate relationship (mostly hate) between him and Jude. I admire Holly Black’s talent to move the characters and the reader from a totally magical, unfamiliar world to our modern, very familiar world and vice-versa. I admit, I was shocked by the bloody scene in the beginning (thinking, is this really YA?) but as you read on, you realize how necessary that brutal scene was in order to establish Madoc’s personality. Extremely well-developed characters, intricate plot, and tantalizing promises of things yet to come.
Already bought The Wicked King and I can’t wait to start reading it.
Holly Black’s writing is like watching a river flow. It reads easy and I know that’s not always an easy feat. The characters are shaped so beautifully- complex and interesting. I will read anything Holly Black writes, just to take a rafting vacation on the river of her mind!
This book was amazing! Dark fey, a slow burn romance, and unexpected plot twists. Despite the hype surrounding this book I didn’t have many expectations going in. I certainly didn’t expect to love it as much as I did. Being a horror reader I love that the fey were gruesome and manipulative. I like that Holly Black stays true to the lore that they are dark creatures. I can’t wait for my copy of The Wicked King to come in so I can continue on with this series and dive back into the world.
4,65 Stars!!!
OMG!!!!! I loved every second of this book. It was so amazing!
Spoiler alert: The prince becomes a king.
Young Jude Duarte wants Faerie to be all hers. And she eventually proves she’ll do whatever it takes to get it. The story follows young Jude after the murder of her parents down into Faerie, the land of the Seelie Courts. This is where she bears being an outcast, a human, in a sea of Fair Folk. She is looked down upon especially by her enemy Prince Cardan, who is the wicked son of the High King. Mortal and forever stuck in her caste of humanity, Jude strikes for glory, and finds it in the unlikeliest of places.
The reader follows Jude through her journey as the tale unravels in love, deceit, and a desperate hope for something greater.
Holly Black pulls you into the Court of Faeries in the blink of an eye with colorful characters and a dangerous race to power. I loved this book for it’s vividly drawn world, with new concepts brought to light at every corner. It is very full, descriptive and rounded out story, with everything coming to light at the last possible second.
Age recommendation: 13 or 14+
Gore, violence and romance. One or two pieces of language.
*Spoiler* There is a romance between Jude’s sister, Vivi, and a mortal girl.
Disclaimer: I do not retain any support for the LGBT community, just much love.
Overall, The Cruel Prince was a really enjoyable read. However, it took me a while to feel that.
The first half of the book is somewhat non-eventful. Well, after the very beginning of the book – which starts off with a HUGE event. Then, it just meanders. A ton of stuff happens but none of it feels as if it’s all that important.
It is. You just don’t know it is and it seems useless. The second half of the book is a complete departure from that. It’s full of intrigue, lies, death and betrayal and general amazingness!
I do wish the characters had been better fleshed out. The story starts with so many of them though and it is single POV without a ton of dialogue. This made it hard to really get a feel for anyone. By the end of the story there are far, far fewer characters. Perhaps this will help us focus on the main core of characters in book two. I’d like that. Especially if we get to know ‘the cruel prince’ much better, because I really enjoyed a few of his moments.
I do appreciate that Black wrote characters with such bite. They’re not your typical YA fluff. They really are assholes and backstabbers and murders and I want more!
Oh, I love a complex love story, especially when it’s not the main focus of the journey. Beautifully written, engrossing, and feminist in exactly the right way. Jude is a kick-ass character. Ready to start book two!
3.5 stars. This book exhausts me. Being in the mind of a fictional young adult is taxing. Normally, I do not mind so much because the storylines are inventive and action-packed. This holds true for this book as well, but the heroine is in the middle of so much drama, some of which are from her own doing. I feel ambivalent as to whether I want to like her or not. Still, I am drawn to the story, needing to know how it ends! At the end of the day, I decided that the heroine was more plucky than annoying and that there was many ways for the author to take this story. I am looking forward to seeing what she has for us next.
It’s been 10 years since Jude’s parents were killed and her and her sisters, twin sister Taryn and older sister Vivi, taken to Faerie by Madoc. Taryn has adjusted better than Jude to the change. Jude is still angry and is determined to become a knight for the High King. Prince Cardan, youngest son of the High King, hates humans and none more than Jude. When Jude is given the chance to help Prince Dain and finally feel like she’s doing something important, she jumps at it. But what she gets herself into if far more dangerous than she imagined.
The Cruel Prince is a great story about one girl adjusting to a very drastic change in her life and living it to the best of her abilities. Jude is a fierce girl and a character to be proud of. Prince Cardan and his friends bully her constantly and really put her through some rough and dangerous situations, but she never gives into them. She stands her ground which unfortunately makes things worse. I respected her quite a bit for this. I loved the dialogue between Jude and Cardan. You almost wonder if there is more going on.
The story flowed well and moves along as expected. Until you get near the end. There are great revelations and Jude turns out to be quite the manipulator. It was great!
Really enjoyed this book! It was super easy to read and left your guessing after every chapter making you want to read more. Couldn’t seem to put this book down, great characters and a story line that developed through the novel. Can’t wait to read the second one.
I listened to the audiobook for this and really enjoyed it, possibly more than I expected to. Jude is a mortal raised in Fairy by her mother’s first husband, who, by the way, killed her mother and father when he discovered that they were alive and raising his child as their own. Talk about dealing with drama from a young age! Oddly enough, that’s the least that she deals with, a half fairy sister, a twin with issues, fairfolk who think they’re better than her, a stepmother who seems to think she constantly has to remind Jude how to behave…
But then Jude decides to start standing up for herself, and things really get intriguing. Princes and royals and everyone else seem to need to put her in her place, which just makes her more determined. They never could have seen the ending coming!