The hype behind The Cruel Prince can be found everywhere and has quickly become a common book rec, but does it live up to the hype?
The Cruel Prince
The Folk of the Air #1
Holly Black
★★★★☆ (4.09)
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. 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.
As Jude becomes more deeply embroiled in palace intrigues and deceptions, she discovers her own capacity for trickery and bloodshed. But as betrayal 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.
From this point on you may find spoilers. Read on at your own risk.
Book Version: Hardcover, 370 pages (ASIN 0316310271)
Genres: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance, Fiction, Fae
Other Things to Note: The first in a trilogy
Trigger Warning(s): bullying, drug use, drugging, slavery, suicide mention, and graphic physical injuries (for a full list visit the author’s page)
My Rating and Review
★★★★☆
I honestly had not read a fae book for YEARS before picking this one up and I picked it up mainly because I was curious as to what had everyone all excited in this book. I originally gave this book 4 stars but it probably deserved closer to 3. I blame the “book high” I was on during the completion of this book.
Regardless, it’s a good story with a strong female lead who is incredibly relatable at times. The plot and world-building were also pretty good which is probably why I immediately bought the rest of the series when I finished the first one.
[…] Other Things to Note: The second in a trilogy (Check out my book review for the first book in the series The Cruel Prince) […]