Review: The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

Synopsis from Goodreads:

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.

I received a copy via Readers First in exchange for an honest review.

My rating:

★★★★★

A new Holly Black book is always a treat and her new series, The Folk of the Air, starting with The Cruel Prince is no exception. It was one of my most anticipated 2018 reads and it exceeded my very high expectations, and trust me, they were high. The cover is absolutely stunning. The story is told from Jude’s perspective, a human girl who was stolen from the mortal world as a child and now lives in Faerie with her twin Taryn and older sister Vivi (after their parents are brutally murdered by Madoc, who is now raising them) as she navigates her way around daily life and court politics in Faerie. On top of all this, both Jude and Taryn have to deal with the Youngest Prince, Cardan and his close friends, all of whom regularly bully them.

I couldn’t put this down once I had started. I know I say this alot, but no one does Faerie like Holly. I love her worldbuilding and Elfhame is as beautiful and enchanting as it is dangerous. The character development is brilliantly written, especially Jude’s relationship with Taryn, as they’re The polar opposite of each other. I really enjoyed reading their conflicting opinions and sibling rivalry. I found Vivi intriguing, as the only legitimate daughter of Madoc she should fit right in. Instead she rebels and longs to return to the mortal world. The Cruel Prince is a fast paced journey full of twists and turns, magic and betrayal. No one is as they seem, each with their own ulterior motives that unfold in strange and brutal ways.

The Cruel Prince is by far my favourite book holly has written, and that is saying alot. There are no words to adequately so this book justice. I can’t recommend it enough and is well worth reading.

Published by: Hot Key Books

Published: 02/01/2018

Pages: 384

Buy from: Waterstones Book Depository