The Cruel Prince
The Cruel Prince Book Spotlight
I’ve been waiting for years to dive into this series. I finally finished my fae fiction series and am so excited to read others in the genre. A few similarities can be drawn between my fae series and Holly Black’s The Folk of the Air series, but not many. In Black’s series, the fae, or all creatures and things magical, are secluded across a magical sea from the human realm. Trolls, pixies, sprints, elves, and many more magical characters inhabit Faerie, the fae realm. The fae, or elf folk, can be harmed by iron and can’t lie but are very craft at getting around telling the truth. Like in other fae legends, the fae/elves abscond with humans, glamouring them to do their bidding. Jude, our heroine in The Cruel Prince, hates that the fae use humans as they do as she is completely human. There are several other dangers for humans and most have antidotes that Jude employs to guard her mind from.
From the back cover…
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 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.
As Jude becomes more deeply embroiled in palace intrigues and deceptions, she discovers her own capacity for trickery and bloodshed. But as betrayal 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.
The Cruel Prince – My Review
5* – For Imagery, World Building, and Description
4* – For Plot and Character Building
Overall a solid 4.5* read!
I listened to the audiobook version of this novel and it’s a wonderful production. I loved the voices for each of the characters.
I was excited to get a chance to read The Cruel Prince and it did not disappoint. At age seven Jude is brought to the enchanted fae land by her substitute father, an elf who killed her parents. Ten years later she hopes to forge a path for belonging in fae, a formidable task for a human. She’s tortured by her elite counterpart students who actually are of the fae. She quests for power over them, especially the beautiful, yet cruel, Prince Cardan.
In Black’s world, fae, or fairy are all sorts of magical creatures, elves, trolls, and sprites, pixies, and many more. You learn about their abilities to glamour and enchant humans, as well as several other dangers to human kind. One high king, King Eldrin, rules over the land with most “courts” pledged to him. Queen Orla (sp?, I listened to the audiobook) rules the sea and the two leaders are at odds.
There are histories of wars, many of which Jude’s substitute father has fought in. He trains Jude, and her twin sister, in swordsmanship and strategy and Jude wants to become a knight serving a prince or king.
Partial spoiler alert and perhaps others don’t see it this way. But I’m almost through the second book of the series, The Wicked King, only two days after finishing the first book, and I don’t believe Prince Cardan is as evil as he’s made out to be in the blurb. Some may have different opinions and I’d love to hear them. Several of his friends seem to be more evil than he is.
I liked the unexpected twist at the end and can’t wait to read the conclusion of The Wicked King and the other books of the series. Loving this series! Well-earned 4 – 4.5 stars!
The Cruel Prince – About the Author
From Goodreads… Holly Black is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of over thirty fantasy novels for kids and teens. She has been a finalist for an Eisner Award and the Lodestar Award, and the recipient of the Mythopoeic Award, a Nebula, and a Newbery Honor. Her books have been translated into 32 languages worldwide and adapted for film. She currently lives in New England with her husband and son in a house with a secret library.
Find Holly and her books here on Goodreads.
Happy reading and happy listening!
Tricia Copeland
Tricia Copeland is the critically acclaimed and award-winning author of Colorado Independent Publishing Associations 2019 EVVY YA Fantasy Award for Kingdom of Embers, 2024 Global Book Awards Gold YA Fantasy for To be a Fae Queen, Independent Book Publishers’ Association Benjamin Franklin Award for YA Audiobook 2022 for To be Fae Guardian, and 2024 Global Book Award Silver for Teen & YA Sci Fi Fantasy for Azreya, Aztec Priestess, and dozens of other titles. She is the host of the Finding the Magic Book Podcast who weaves magical stories about love, courage, and finding your passion.
Tricia Copeland believes in finding magic. She thinks magic infuses every aspect of our lives, whether it is the magic of falling in love, discovering a new passion, seeing a beautiful sunset, or reading a book that transports us to another world. An avid runner and Georgia native, Tricia now lives with her family and four-legged friends in Colorado. Find all her titles including contemporary romance, now penned under Maria Jane, young adult fantasy, and dystopian fiction at www.triciacopeland.com and her fae series, The Realm Chronicles here.