The Cruel Prince
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4.4 • 4K Ratings
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- $11.99
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Holly Black, comes 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 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.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Best-selling YA author Holly Black kicks off her Folk of the Air fantasy trilogy by pulling us into her intricately imagined realm of Faerie. Populated by pixies, sprites, trolls, and a thousand other fantastical creatures, Black’s rich, ornate world is a dazzling background for serious drama and intrigue. The Cruel Prince is a super-fun, immersive fantasy that also deals with the real, complex emotions stirred up by the desire to be accepted. We can’t wait to get our hands on the second book!
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
When Jude Duarte was seven, she watched Madoc, general to the high king of Elfhame, slaughter her parents. Madoc then dragged Jude and her two sisters off to Faerieland, where he raised them as his own. Ten years later, Jude remains an outcast who is cruelly bullied by the other children of Faerie the king's youngest son, Prince Cardan, chief among them. Jude dreams of becoming a member of the High Court and the power that it confers, so when the opportunity arises for her to enter into the service of one of Cardan's brothers, she seizes it, inadvertently placing herself at the center of a bloody coup and endangering the lives of everyone she loves. First in a trilogy, this spellbinding fantasy from Black (The Darkest Part of the Forest) reflects on the cost of ambition and explores the bomb-strewn border between love and hate. Breathtaking set pieces, fully developed supporting characters, and a beguiling, tough-as-nails heroine enhance an intricate, intelligent plot that crescendos to a jaw-dropping third-act twist. Ages 15 up.
Customer Reviews
Pleasure to read
The suspense build up at the end! This book was spectacular and I can’t wait to continue in the series.
Recommendable But Not Completely Awesome
I was intrigued because the main character is a twin with an older sister and younger brother. What’s funny is that I am a twin, and my sister and I grew up with our cousins, a girl who is a little older and boy who is younger. Get this, the personality of the older sister is like that of my older cousin. I felt like I was reading about myself. Quite the coincidence!
Moving forward, the Prince wasn’t really cruel, so much as stupid or lazy.
Also, I didn’t really care much about Jude’s goals/ambitions. That feeling reminded for most of the series, but there is an awesome character development and twist at the end of this trilogy, which is why I recommend this book.
There are very interesting relationship dynamics, outside of the love interest. These remain throughout the story.
What I don’t really like is that the lovers seem to be trying to gain power over each other. I feel like love shouldn’t be about that, but others may find it sexy. That issue does leave room for character development though, so maybe that’s what Black wanted.
Anyhow, this book alone has an awesome twist and cliff hanger, making you die to read the next one.
The Cruel Prince
I loved it!!