The Cruel Prince has been on my TBR for quite some time. Many bookstagrammers have highlighted the Folk of the Air series as a must-read for any fantasy fan, and I must say I agree. I quite literally could not put this book down. I read it for the first time in January. We’re only three months into 2024, and I’ve already reread it two additional times.
With a rich world, fascinating characters, and an even more intriguing plot, The Cruel Prince checks every box. The cover described the book as “lush, dangerous, a dark jewel of a book.” I think that this is an apt description of this spectacular first novel in the Folk of the Air series. If other stories are diamonds, The Cruel Prince is a gleaming shard of obsidian. It cuts in all the right places.
By #1 New York Times bestselling author Holly Black, 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.
Treasure Maps
The world of Elfhame is extremely attention-grabbing. It has all the requirements of classic fae folklore, while presenting something entirely new. The dynamics of the different kinds of fey, along with the sharp contrast of humans, helped create a rich world with its own history. A fun quiz I took a few weeks ago told me that the fantasy world I belonged in was Elfhame, and I must say that I was not disappointed in the results. Filled with the fey, magical creatures, and two courts, Elfhame is the perfect setting for a great fantasy story like The Cruel Prince.
The use of first person to tell this story is masterful. The writing flows well and the story is an absolute page-turner. I was engaged on every page. The plot was super interesting and unlike anything I’ve read before. I loved the incorporation of old poetry about the fey; it really tied together the modern story with the old folklore.
Jude is a fascinating character. In a world of morally gray fey, she finds herself faced with a choice: either become like them or be killed. As the story progresses, you can see her character develop for better… and for worse. Of all those in the book, she is the most relatable. The reader is given the opportunity to truly see and understand the decisions she faces. Whether her choices are good or bad, they are understandable. The reader is faced with the ever-persistent question: what would you do in that situation? There were many pages where I shook my head in disappointment at what Jude did, only to nod in agreement a few words later. Jude was so refreshingly human. Instead of the perfect chosen one character that has become so rampant in young adult literature, she has relatable flaws and fears while still being courageous and powerful. She really is one of the best female main characters I have read in a long time.
As great as Jude is, Cardan is by far my favorite in the book. He is more than a three-dimensional character… he is a diamond with a million facets. From the very first chapter to the final climactic scene, Cardan reveals more and more things about himself that truly make you love him. He is a myriad of contradictions; even when everything screams to hate him, I couldn’t. His sarcasm and wit, as well as the darker aspects of his character, drew me in constantly, to the point where I never knew if the words coming out of his mouth would make me laugh, cry, or scream. He is not the perfect Prince Charming. And I liked it. Truly, this is the sign of well-written character.
Even more impressive was the development of the side characters (such as Cardan’s friends, Jude’s sister, and even the family servant). Each character was as rich as the world itself, with their own individual motives and stories. If the author chose, I believe she could write entire series stemming from even the smallest character in this novel.
Poisoned Apples:
The profanity sits comfortably in L3. Younger readers should be aware of the innuendo in this book, which is abundant, but necessary for the story and not excessive for older readers. There is also a fair share of fantasy violence, with a particularly dark prologue. While the violence is not descriptive, it should be noted as it is also excessive.
Faith, Trust, and Pixie Dust
Jude often deals with feelings of inadequacy. “If I don’t try too hard today, at least I never need to know if I would have been good enough,” she says. Throughout the story, she struggles to find her place among the fey while feeling weak in comparison to them. 2 Corinthians 12:9 says this: “My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.” Our inadequacies are not weaknesses in God’s eyes; rather, they are ways He can work through us.
The Frog Prince
This book will certainly place in my top reads of 2024. The world of Elfhame is rich and immersive, and Jude and Cardan are incredibly deep, multi-faceted characters with motivations and fears that drew me into The Cruel Prince and held me there. Writing this review has made me want to go pick up the book and read it again. And again. And again. Even picking a quote to showcase was extraordinarily difficult, because there are so many great lines in every chapter.
I can’t recommend this story enough!
You can buy The Cruel Prince here.
𝑀𝒶𝓇𝒾𝑒