The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
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Holly Black
26.07.2018
Hot Key Books
Fantasy, Romance, Enemies-to-Lovers
Disclaimer: these thoughts are entirely my own, based on my reading experience, and is no reflection of whether or not this title should be read. Thus, I try to keep my writing fair and constructive, and reveal my personal rating at the end. I always enjoy reading the varying thoughts of other readers because we all experience books differently - which is just so wonderful! So please feel free to leave a comment at the end.
Please be aware that this review may contain spoilers.
✨ BOOK SYNOPSIS 📖
‘One terrible morning, Jude and her sisters see their parents murdered in front of them. The terrifying assassin abducts all three girls to the world of Faerie, where Jude is installed in the royal court but mocked and tormented by the Faerie royalty for being mortal. As Jude grows older, she realises that she will need to take part in the dangerous deceptions of the fey to ever truly belong.
But the stairway to power is fraught with shadows and betrayal. And looming over all is the infuriating, arrogant and charismatic Prince Cardan…’
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✨ MY REVIEW 🤔
"I catch my own reflection in the water. I look again and realise that it can't be me, the lake of masks never shows you your own face. Under the moonlight, the water is bright enough to show my own mother looking back at me."
I initially started this series in February of 2023, having borrowed it from my local library. It was my first exposure to fantasy that explored Faerie/Fae, and I scored it a generous 3 stars at the time. In part because I didn't like the lead character: Jude, and largely because I couldn't quite follow the world being laid out before me.
So, come January 2024, I decided to listen to the audiobook gathering dust in my Audible library. Because something told me that given the chance, this series has great promise. And it does.
Viewing it with a new fae-fantasy familiar lens, I was absolutely thrilled by this story. The world building is beautiful and vivid, and the characters have a depth that you'd expect from anyone living in a realm such as that of faerie, especially a mortal.
I am also pleased to write that I now have a newfound appreciation for Jude, and have grown to like her. Considering her a strong protagonist that I grossly overlooked last year.
The Cruel Prince does not shy away from the horrors of being a mortal among fae, Jude and her sisters having been taken from the mortal world as a child. It is dark, despairing and ambitious, but holds a light in the darkness that has you rooting for Jude to succeed in her quest to be something. Something more than the nothing that mortals are regarded as.
There is a lot to digest in this book if you're unfamiliar with this theme/genre, but I promise that it is worth giving the series a read - and then a re-read later down the line.
I am looking forward to revisiting the sequel titles, so that I can enjoy them just as much as I have on this occasion.
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I’d like to wrap up this entry by thanking you for taking the time to read my review of The Cruel Prince. If you have read this title I would love to share in your own experience in the comments below.
✨ RATING 📣
5/5
✨ COMPLETION DATE 🗓️
11.01.2024