I received this ARC from Publisher for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The Cruel Prince by Holly Black on January 2, 2018
Pages: 384
Source: ARC from Publisher
Amazon-Indiebound
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.
My Thoughts:
Holly Black was one of the first YA authors I started reading and she’s been a favorite ever since. I remember reading her LiveJournal and following her on twitter right when I signed up for it. After reading her Modern Faerie Tale books I was (and continue to be) such a fangirl! You can imagine I kind of lost my mind when I found out she’d be going back to the world of Faery with The Darkest Part of the Forest. Of course I loved it. And then I heard about The Cruel Prince, which was exciting in and of itself. However, once I heard that it would connect the Modern Faery books and The Darkest Part of the Forest? I. Could. Not. Wait. So, Yes. I had high hopes for this one. It exceeded every expectation. Like, I read it at the end of December and then didn’t read any more YA until the new year so I would end the year on a high!
Where to start with this one… I’ve read books about faeries being raised in the human world. I’ve read books about humans visiting Faery or finding out they’re part Fae. I had never read a book about completely human children being raised in Faery, by faeries. Can you even imagine? Take all the regular insecurities and whatnot that come with growing up and then try dealing with those as a human living with the faire folk. Ugh. No thanks. Also, I loved it so much.
And that’s just the start! Jude was such and interesting character. And so was Cardan. And just everyone we meet. One of my favorite things about faery stories is that you cannot trust anyone or anything that happens. It keeps me totally invested and turning the pages. That was so true in this one. The world that Holly creates is incredible and the twists and turns had my mind racing. She is a master storyteller and I cannot recommend her books enough. Even if the wait for the next one has me considering making very unwise bargains with any fae I may come across…
Leave a Reply