The Cruel Prince (Volume 1) (The Folk of the Air, 1)

Rating: 4.75/5 Stars Title: The Cruel Prince Author: Holly Black Synopsis: 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. Initial thoughts: I have read a few of Holly Black’s work when I was younger and I’m currently reading the Magisterium series she is writing with Cassandra Clare as they come out, so I have been exposed to her writing style before and have enjoyed her stories. This one I started a little late though because I wasn’t sure how I would feel about the characters as one of them is openly ‘cruel’. I decided to finally pick it up because there are so many people who have said that they enjoyed the story that was written. Excited for a new story involving magic and fae, I felt that I should give it a chance even if there was a chance I wouldn’t like the characters. Plot: What I liked: The main focus wasn't on the romance. Of course there was some romance (if you can actually call the toxic manipulation through emotions romance), but the main focus of this story seemed to be political and world building through the character’s actions which was something I really enjoyed. Jude was also a character that surprised me. I liked her characters a lot and how she handled situations based on her prior experiences learning from past mistakes. I also liked how Black made every character unique in personality and appearance. What I didn't like: I didn't really understand how Jude was so invested in a world that truly only hurt her and why she didn't want to leave. That seemed to be the only thing I had real issue with in this book. Characters: Jude: I liked her and how scheming she was. She was clever and used her skills to her advantage. She was stubborn and stuck to her goals trying to plan ahead even when things didn't always work out. Taryn: She was very selfish and only really thought about how things would affect her. She didn't seem to care about hurting others that trusted her so long as she got what she wanted. She was very similar to Jude in this way. Vivienne: I loved her! She was such a fun character and really cared about her family (other than her father) and was willing to get into trouble for them. Madoc: He was a very interesting character that played father figure and teacher, but also a warlord general. I enjoyed him and the way that he thought throughout the book. Valerian and Nicasia: They were horrible and I kind of hated them throughout the entire book. They were fantastic antagonists, but they really pushing boundaries when it came to what it was that they desired verses what their path toward it was. Prince Cardan: I think that he was the one who surprised me the most through this book. I didn't like him and I didn't hate him either. I hope he continues to surprise me. Oriana and Oak: I didn't like Oriana at first, but she grew on me pretty quickly. And Oak is just precious. Such a cute kid. Prince Dain: It felt almost wrong to like him. I liked him, but didn't trust him as far as I could throw him which isn't very far. The Court of Shadows: I loved each and every one of them! They were fantastic and willing to include which I found endearing to their characters. Overall: I really enjoyed this book and how it kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time and pulled plot twists that actually surprised me. I will be starting the second book when it comes out and look forward to seeing how Black handles the plot that she set up in the cliffhanger she had at the end of the book. I highly recommend this book for anyone looking for a gripping and dark fairytale.

I really enjoyed this book. I live the world of faerie in it, and how it meshes with the mortal world. It’s such an amazing, mesmerized world, that promises everything but happy endings. The characters are so twisted you don’t know what is what. And the plot is just plotting away. And for me as a reader, that’s just addictive. The fmc Jude is amazing. The way she, as a human, navigates the trickery of faerie is sublime. How she wants to belong, but not as a “faerie” but as herself; a human that has grown up in faerie. Happy reading.

I finally read this book after seeing Cardan’s name all over Bookstagram, BookTok, Goodreads and probably carved into a few ancient trees. At this point, avoiding him felt impossible, so I gave in. The story follows Jude, a mortal girl trying to survive in the absolutely unhinged world of Faerie. And let me tell you, these faeries are not the cute little winged creatures from children’s books. These people wake up every morning and choose chaos. Jude was such an interesting character. She’s ambitious, stubborn, determined and occasionally makes decisions that had me staring at the page like “Girl… are we sure about this?” But honestly, that’s what made her so compelling. She refuses to sit quietly and accept her place and I couldn’t help but root for her even when she was making my blood pressure rise. And then we meet Cardan, I was expecting a standard broody fantasy prince. What I got was a walking red flag wrapped in silk, sarcasm and emotional damage. He’s cruel, confusing, dramatic and somehow still manages to be one of the most intriguing characters in the book. Every interaction between Jude and Cardan felt like they were one insult away from committing a crime or falling in love. Sometimes both. I also loved seeing Vivi, Taryn and Oak. I especially wanted more Oak because every time he appeared, I was like, “Yes, thank you, tiny king. Continue.” One thing Holly Black absolutely nailed was the Faerie world. It felt beautiful, dangerous and slightly terrifying. I trusted absolutely nobody. Every time I thought I knew what was happening, someone would lie, scheme, betray someone else or casually reveal a secret. The court politics were basically one giant game of “Who can ruin whose life today?” Now, I won’t lie the first half was a little slow for me. I spent a good chunk of it waiting for the story to really kick into gear. But once the political intrigue started unfolding, I was hooked. Suddenly there were plots, counterplots, betrayals and enough scheming to keep me turning pages way past my bedtime. By the end, I went from “This is interesting” to “Well, I guess I’m reading the next book immediately.” Final Thoughts Was it a perfect read? No. Did I spend half the book questioning everyone’s life choices? Absolutely. Did I immediately understand why the internet has been obsessing over Cardan for years? Unfortunately, yes. If you love morally gray characters, dangerous court politics, enemies who absolutely cannot stand each other (or can they?) and faeries who are equal parts beautiful and terrifying, then this boom is definitely worth picking up. Just give it a little patience in the beginning. The payoff is worth it and now I, too, have joined the Cardan support group.

Tropes Featured: enemies to lovers, betrayal, faerie x human, morally grey mcs Final Rating: 3.5/5 ⭐️ I want to start off by saying that as a kid I LOVED fantasy books (shoutout to the shadowhunters series, which was my childhood favorite), but I sort of ventured away from reading fantasy as I got older - drifting more into the contemporary romance genre. That being said, The Cruel Prince was my first official fantasy book as an *adult* and it definitely reignited my love for the genre! I really had to get used to the level of world building involved in fantasy books again, so naturally this book felt a little slow to me. However, it was still the enjoyable kind of slow where I still wanted to read, not like the painful forcing-myself-through-it kind of slow. The writing style here was very descriptive and flowery, so if you’re not into that then definitely steer clear. One thing I really enjoyed about this book was that each character’s motivations for their actions were clearly explained and outlined. Every character is slightly morally gray and the reasons why make sense. It helped me to understand and connect with each character throughout the story. I liked Jude’s character - she was strong, bold, and not afraid to go after what she wanted. I have seen a lot of other people say that she’s such a bad person and she killed people and blah blah blah - but she literally watched her family die at the hands of her now father-figure, was kidnapped and taken to a entirely different world where she is constantly bullied for not being like them so of course she is going to do whatever she possibly can do to have some sort of power over this world that she loathes. Overall, I enjoyed this book and will be continuing with the rest of the series! The pacing definitely picked up at the end and I was not expecting the plot twists so I have high hopes for the next two books!

I used to never be a reader who gave into the hype and buzz a new book can sometimes bring along with it. But while Instagram has taken book marketing to an entirely different level, some books are becoming difficult to ignore. Literally thousands upon thousands of readers, reviewers, publicists, and enthusiasts are pushing the free marketing of books attached to hashtags and accompanied by beautiful and creative photography upon Instagram and other social media site purveyors daily. The Cruel Prince was one book that began to saturate my feed as readers latched on to the newest novel by fantasy maven Holly Black; their accolades and insistent cries that the book shattered them caught my interest and I decided to dive in. The opening is brutal. Young Jude and her two sisters are enjoying a quiet afternoon at home, the TV lulling them into a comfortable slumber while their parents tinker about in other parts of their cozy home. Unbeknownst to them, this is the day that everything they have ever known will change, as the man watching their home from across the street decides to finally make his move. The stranger barges into their haven and shatters the idyllic scene by murdering both of Jude's parents in a quick and succinct fashion. Whisked away to the land of Faerie, Jude and her sisters are forced into a life settled firmly on the borders of being outsiders. Her oldest sister, Vivi, being the cause of the disruption in their lives, is ironically the most unhappy with their new situation. She is only Jude's half-sister, the result of their mother faking her own death and spiriting herself and her pregnant belly back to the mortal world, with the help of a secret love. Previously attached to a brutal war general of Faerie, Jude's mother committed the ultimate act of betrayal by hiding the child, and the result was her execution. By the laws vested in Faerie, General Madoc became responsible for the children of his wife the moment she died at his hand, and he takes his responsibilities very seriously. Growing up in Faerie has had its difficulties, almost from day one. Jude is not one of them, not a member of the Fair Folk. She is human: dispensable and fragile; a veritable non-starter. Her saving grace, however, is that she is a member of the upper class and elite. Having been raised by Madoc garners her a touch of reverance. He is a man who commands respect and if he doesn't find it, he takes it by force. Having risen to become the right hand of the Faerie King by hook, crook, and buckets of blood, Jude is afforded a modicum of respect in Madoc's stead. But behind the scenes, she is taunted and ridiculed by her peers, looked at as a pretender, and as a frail human who has no real worth or talent. To say the situation is complicated is an understatement. The worst of those who bully her is Cardan, the beautiful young Prince of Faerie who chooses to amuse himself by taunting her and putting her right onto the cusp of deathly danger before ripping her back. He skulks around the periphery of her life with his band of merry friends, waiting for any opportunity he can find to make her life miserable. Her twin sister Taryn also suffers the same fate of having her life soaked in nasty words and actions . . . but there is something different in the way Cardan treats Jude - almost as if he divines immense pleasure from making her bleed from within, from personally making her feel like less than human . . . and more like an animal. Cardan is cruel, to say the least of it. But Jude has other things on her mind. She has to find a way to solidify her place in Faerie as the impending years of her adulthood begin to creep just over the horizon. She has some ideas on how to do this, but she finds that she's blocked at every turn by her pseudo-father, Madoc. He insists that he has her best interests at heart, and he has always treated her just the same as his true born daughter Vivi, but Jude is cloaked in a blanket of frustration and raw anger. She wants to fight. She's trained for it. So why won't he allow her her chance? She's also finding herself strangely attracted to a member of Cardan's vicious pack, but the man in question seems to have secrets of his own, hidden within the endless depths of his mysterious soul and locked behind the doors of the expansive empty mansion on the outskirts of the forest that he calls home. And then a proposition is brought to Jude, from the most unlikely of characters. The man most believed to become King after the current reign is over comes to her in secret, seeking an alliance. Prince Dain offers Jude her innermost heart's desires, in exchange for information. He wants her to become his spy, part of his Court of Shadows. And Jude must toe the thin line between safety and sure death to get the Prince what he demands. But before Jude can achieve her goal and find her place in Faerie, everything begins to unravel like so much thread from a well-worn sweater. And on an evening that was supposed to be dedicated to a fresh new start, Jude will watch everything burn to the ground, leaving her to pick up the pieces and put them back together all on her own. The Cruel Prince is the first book in the Folk of the Air trilogy, and before I recommend this to you let me say - you will be clamoring for more from the moment you turn the last page. This novel, set in the high-fantasy world of enigmatic Faerie, is sharp and deceptive, taking the reader on a roller coaster ride full of darkness and delight. The writing is masterful and faithful to the fictional world of Faerie as most high-fantasy readers know it. Sometimes YA books can come across as a bit corny, but this one was full of strong female characters and flawed systems. Nothing was obvious, and the plot was well-played. This is one book that lives up to the hype. Appropriate for readers ages 13+, fans of The Cruel Prince would be wise to look into the rest of Black's literary catalogue, as the worlds of her novels have finely tuned connections. Also, the cover art and a sneak peek excerpt has been dropped via Entertainment Weekly - both can be viewed on their website.

The Cruel Prince is a captivating fantasy filled with political intrigue, unforgettable characters, and unexpected twists. The world of Faerie is richly imagined, and the story keeps you engaged from the very first chapter. Jude is a strong, determined protagonist whose journey is both exciting and inspiring. The writing is immersive, and the tension between the characters adds even more depth to the plot. Overall, this is a beautifully written fantasy that I highly recommend to anyone who enjoys magic, adventure, and complex character relationships.

This book was amazing and the thrill of the book was unreal. An awesome fantasy book 💕. I loved how the fighting scenes and didnt know which way the story was going to go. Highly recommend !!

The Cruel Prince, what a fitting title for such a cruel book. Honestly though, this book is one of those that I’ll be thinking about for a long while after I’ve put it down. It’s so much more than just the letters on the page. The depth in the words, the world and the characters really was so wonderful. This Faerie is not the kind from childhood stories. It’s brutal, dark and humans are not treated so kindly. One of the fascinating things about the grittier aspect of the world is the fantastical elements that are mixed throughout, like large toads that can be ridden, creatures that come in every shape, color, size and species (including trees) and objects that have magical properties. There’s something about this subtle juxtaposition of elements, ones that should sound ridiculous with ones that are all too real, that makes this world enchanting. The author seems to like the idea of making things work that really shouldn’t. Take the main heroine, Jude Duarte, for example. I’m not sure if I’m supposed to love her or hate her, but in this book, that dynamic works. Her actions aren’t perfect, neither are her motives at times but her heart always seems to be in the right place. Her fear, rage and contradictory behavior make more sense in light of her vulnerabilities. Having been belittled, abused and told she was lesser for most of her life she’s now trying so hard to prove she can be as devious as those around her by loosing the leash on her more wicked and cunning tendencies. She’s the perfect anti-hero. I wanted her to succeed, even if I didn’t always agree with her. Cardan was so captivating as a character. While at first he came off as the typical useless prince / high school bully, as the book progressed it became clear that there was much more to his character. It’s so subtle though, definitely read between the lines, but that’s part of the narrative, and a compelling part at that. Since the fey can’t lie outwardly they must deceive with wordplay and trickery and that was utilized best with Cardan. It seemed like everything he said and even some of the things he did turned out to have a deeper meaning and likely a better one than thought at first glance. As far as making things work that shouldn’t you could definitely say that about Cardan and Jude. It seems awful to be onboard a ship that’s started the way theirs has, but the chemistry between them is undeniable. For some weird reason, their tension-filled, angry, sarcastic bantering really works for them and makes for the beginnings of a certainly intriguing relationship. Plus, I get the feeling that, like with Cardan, many things between them can be interpreted more than one way. After that ending though I’ll be curious to see where their relationship progresses. With the other characters, I enjoyed that all of them had distinct personalities and stories. They weren’t just cut outs to be there in the larger narrative, they actually had motives and schemes of their own. Madoc, Taryn and Locke were the three standouts though. Madoc was such a fascinating father figure for Jude, although calling him that seems like a stretch, but his role in molding and, purposefully or not, shaping her to be the person she is was both touching and heartbreaking. The twist with Taryn and Locke was a good one and although I suspected Locke a little from the get-go, I would’ve never guessed quite what happened in the end. Overall this was an insightful, fantastical, wickedly delightful read. I’m excited to start the next book but I’m trying not to have lots of expectations because I know I’m probably in for some surprises, especially with the tidbits I’ve seen when spoiling myself on the sequel. What can I say, patience in not my virtue when it comes to books :P

The story was amazing. Just yk because it is paperpack so the experience was not so good but the quality was okay.

Un libro que vale la pena leer. Increíble narrativa, un buen desarrollo de personajes, pero sobre todo, un ambiente tan bien construido que desde el inicio te sumerge en la historia. Llegó en perfectas condiciones y dentro del tiempo estimado. Una excelente compra. Pd: sugeriría comprar la trilogía completa desde el principio, porque el final del primero te hará querer leer el segundo de inmediato.

Looks gooddd

Kitap siparişi verdikten iki gün sonra geldi. Ki büyük şehirde yaşamıyorum. Bu yüzden kargodan inanılmaz memnun kaldım kargocu abi de çok tatlıydı. Türkçe çeviri o kadar iyi değil denildiği için ve de İngilizce pratik yapmak için İngilizcesini aldım daha okumaya başlamadım ama çok güzel görünüyor. Kitapta hasar falan yoktu patpata sarmışlar zaten. Kapağı falan şok güzel duruyor. Bayıldım.🤍

"The Cruel Prince" è stata una rivelazione per me. Da qualche anno mi ero allontanato dal genere fantasy perché volevo improntare la mia attenzione verso qualcosa di diverso e più contemporaneo. Dopo diversi anni invece mi sono ritrovato, sotto consiglio di mia cugina, ad avere tra le mani questo libro ed improvvisamente sono stato di nuovo risucchiato nel vortice del fantasy. Esteticamente la copertina è meravigliosa anche al tatto: l'edizione che mi è arrivata ha la copertina in cartoncino sottile ergonomico e tutti i soggetti messi in risalto da carta lucida. Da un punto di vista contenutistico il libro per le prime ottanta pagine non ingrana perfettamente. Queste pagine sono un po' di presentazione dell'ambiente di narrazione e dei personaggi. Ciò che mi ha maggiormente colpito è stato da subito l'intento della Black a non voler dipingere i personaggi fatati come le creature a cui siamo di solito abituati (siamo infatti soliti associare le fate ad entità benigne che aiutano nei momenti di difficoltà). In questo libro il concetto stesso di fata viene molto rivisto e, da un certo punto di vista, integrato: sono esseri quasi apatici che complottano, uccidono ed arrivano anche ad essere crudeli. Per quanto riguarda il finale invece: alcuni lo troveranno banale e forse, sotto certi punti di vista lo è, ma non è scontato. Il libro si auto conclude o meglio si dà una buona chiusura aprendo la pista al suo sequel "The Wicked King" che, detto fra noi, non vedo l'ora di leggere. Piccola nota: il libro, dopo la sua conclusione contiene, almeno nella mia edizione, il prologo del sequel ed una storia a sé stante che racconta l'incoronazione sotto il punto di vista di altri personaggi più marginali. Quindi infine, "The Cruel Prince" è un valido apripista di questa trilogia che setta le basi per una storia affascinante. Consiglio di leggerlo in lingua originale in quanto Holly Black ha steso questo libro con un lessico non eccessivamente ricercato ed ha reso la narrazione scorrevole e mai prolissa, complice anche la scelta dell'utilizzo della prima persona (ma forse questo è un quid particolarmente soggettivo).