Cruel Prince

“I have lied and I have betrayed and I have triumphed. If only there was someone to congratulate me” Four treacherous stars for a dark fantasy that is driven by greed, betrayal, deception, and desire. A book that is simple in its story telling, fascinating in its characters and enthralling in its plot. The Plot Jude is the 8-year-old daughter of parents who are murdered by the emotionless hand of the king Madoc. A man who enjoys playing all sides in a conflict and world of deception that is not obvious through the book or to many of the characters in the story. Until thee event !!! With a mission to recover his natural daughter Vivi, Madoc kills the parents of the three girls but vows to bring all three sisters up as his own, in the world of Faerie. With a roof over their heads, luxury to enjoy, and an education, none of the girls want for anything except the love of a parent, a childhood devoid of cruelty and a life in a mortal world. Which brings us to cruel prince Cardan. Cardan, along with his band of merry friends, torment and subject Jude to life of brutality both physically and emotionally, earning Cardan the title of ‘The Cruel Prince’. Yet he is a boy possessed with a charming tongue laced with words that can manipulate, entice, and charm!!! With no desire to rule, Cardan must endure his own cruelty as a victim of his brother’s torturous ways and as the second child who struggles to find his own place where status matters. Jude’s two sisters also play an important role in a story of cruelty, survival and corruption. Vivi is the natural born child of Madoc and has security that none of the other sisters are afforded. Meanwhile, Taryn is caught in a love triangle with her sister Jude over the charming Locke. However, whilst each of the sisters turn anger and resentment towards each other, Locke cunningly seeks to play both for his own amusement. Review and Comments You have probably guessed the enjoyment from the book came from the characterisation with an intriguing plot taking second place in terms of appeal. The characters Jude and Cardan, were intoxicating, I loved the vulnerability that was allowed to show through the characters, yet they possessed sharp wit, cunning minds, and scheming brains that were tested in the most sensational way as they attempted to pull off a very dangerous coup. However, not the stuff of fairy tales, as Jude ponders "Let me not be that kind of fool to base my strategies on riddles" We were treated with an abundance of deliciously evil characters, charming players, dark royalty and the cunning spies, which I enjoyed. But what I loved more was that each were allowed to play their part creating a thrilling multi layered story. For example, I haven't yet mentioned that recruited by Dain, the prince of spies. Jude lives a duplicitous life as one of Dain's hired agents, watching, luring, and observing. A role that must remain undetected from the King, the powerful and fearless Madoc, others from the court and even her own sisters. This dynamic was the best part of a storyline and a plot that was a little too predictable which took the book down in rating. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the world building, the scheming and how the whole plot came together in the end. Be prepared for a ramp up in action and thrill, because the story builds with a much better second half. Holly Black is another force in the world of dark fantasy. As for who will enjoy the book?. It is recommended for readers of the 'The Court of Thorns and Roses', 'The Crooked Kingdom' and the 'King of Scars'

The Faerie world we are introduced to in The Cruel Prince is very much like the numerous legends of Fairies from various cultures: yes, some are beautiful, but there are others with horns, tails, brutal strength, wings, and no shortage of cunning. There are goblins, and phookas, and water demons, and just about anything you could imagine in such an unparalleled world. What suited this world, if not the story, plot, and characters, was the flowery writing style. Often this type of writing, while painting a stunningly detailed picture of a world and setting, can slow the pacing of plot itself. This was not the case at all with this book. This story was so full of twists and turns. Honestly, there were a lot of aspects of this story that were BRUTAL. Some of the Fae in The Cruel Prince are cunning, and malicious, and not to be trusted. The Game-Of-Thrones-style scenes were shocking, and you could never fully tell where the story was going - which is something I love about a fantasy book/series. Our main character, Jude, while an exciting and bad*ss character, is often an unreliable narrator. She's often so blinded by her own goals and emotions that stepping stones to major plot twists are so easily missed, and I adored that about this story. Every character in this novel was a villain to some extent, which was so refreshing and exciting. This is a world without consequence, and the lengths to which some characters go to achieve their goals, or to put others down, is on another level. Not only was bullying life-threatening, there were also elements of abuse within families, which made this such an intense, and heart-wrenching read. All throughout, there was a constant underlying question of morals , which were pushed and stretched and often discarded altogether. With Kings and Queens, Seelie and Unseelie courts, this was a novel filled with politics, which can either help or hinder a readers enjoyment. Learning the dynamics of Faerie, be it the politics, to the glamours, to the poisonous fruits, was so fascinating from start to finish that I could hardly get enough of it. While we're provided with a stunning map at the beginning of this book, the descriptive writing makes it all too easy to picture and get lost within this world. Overall, I was not expecting this novel to be how it was going in, and fell in love with the world and brave and brutal characters within it. Though it was filled with cruelty and deception, this book emphasised the love within families, the problems within relationships, particularly those with uneven power dynamics, and even showcased some great LGBT+ representation. TW: bullying, murder, suicide, abuse, and loss of parents.

When Jude is 7 years old her parents are murdered and she and her sisters stolen away to live in the High Court of Faerie by the true father of their oldest sibling. Faerie is a cruel and dangerous place at the best of times, especially for mortals, but by the time she is 17 Jude is determined to belong. But she is surrounded by enemies, and in particular Prince Cardan, the youngest and hardest of the High King’s sons. She will have to risk her life and form dangerous alliances to survive and find her place in the High Court. Do you know that feeling you get when you are sure you are going to hate a book? This had come highly recommended, but it is a Young Adult (nothing wrong with the YA genre but I am an well-weathered adult and struggle to care about the things that bother teenagers), Hate to Love (a challenging subgenre because a. it is obvious from about page 3 who the future lovers are going to be and b. it can slip into encouraging and even idolise toxic masculine behaviour), Faerie (a setting that can too easily be underthought and, also, the love interest has a tail for goodness sakes – Furries can furry but it’s not my thing) romance. On top of this, the opening chapter (opening chapters are hard) is a bit clumsy – it’s hard to care about the deaths of characters we don’t know, I felt unclear from whose perspective we are seeing it, and it was extremely violent but muffled by maximum a YA novel will tolerate. Happily, I couldn’t have been more wrong about this book. Black’s Faerie is interesting, chaotic, and obeys clear and consistent rules. Our be-tailed Prince is no two-dimensional love interest but fully four dimensional – breadth and depth, changing over time. This is true of all the characters, who consistently make interesting, individual, and flawed decisions that meant I was hooked from the second page of chapter 2. Most of all, Jude is fabulous. She has the key characteristics of a YA heroine – worrying about boys and her relationships with her family – but she is courageous to the point of arrogance, ambitious to the point of brutal ruthlessness, and takes risks that are absolutely breath-taking. It is perfectly common for a YA heroine to be in a constant state of anxiety, but we are totally sold because we feel that Jude is in constant danger. The relationships between the key characters feel complex and real, and that between Jude and Prince Cardan works brilliantly in particular because of Jude’s flaws: in her arrogance it takes her a long time to understand why he behaves as he does and what is actually going on. Jude is, quite simply, one of the most fully realised heroines I have ever read. There is another thing about this book that normally puts me off – it is the first in a series. Often this means an unsatisfying end to the first book, but Black avoids that brilliantly. I normally don’t have the time to read a full series so will stop at the first book whether it is good or not (my TBR pile is mountainous): the moment I finished the Cruel Prince, I downloaded the second and third book on my Kindle and stayed up all night to finish them. If Young-Adult Hate-to-Love Faerie Romance is your thing, then you must read this – I strongly suspect it is the best of its kind. But for anybody who likes top quality writing, complex characters, razor sharp plots and the sort of constant sense of peril that normally belongs to thrillers: read these books. They’re brilliant.

I had never read any Holly Black books before but she was highly recommended to me by a friend. Although my friend was quick to stress that in her opinion The Cruel Prince was not Black’s best book, she said it was a great intro into her writing and a new world. The main character is Jude. Jude and her twin sister Taryn are human but their older sister (Vivi) is not. We learn that the girls mother fled a faerie world when she was pregnant with Vivi and escaped to the human world when she then gave birth to the half-fairy Vivi, married and soon had human children Jude & Taryn. The book opens with a grizzly scene; Madoc (Jude’s mother's ex husband) belongs to the fae and according to their wild ways, he was honour-bound to murder their mother for abandoning his family and stealing away Vivi and we see the murder through the eyes of the 3 children. Madoc then, operating on the same sense of honour, takes in the now-orphaned children to be raised as his own in the fae world. Years pass and Jude is raised in the land of the fae and we soon see that the Cruel Prince follows Jude, now a teenager, as she aims to prove herself as more than just human, as a powerful warrior set to be chosen as a knight in a faerie court. However, Jude's hopes and aims do not go to plan and soon she finds herself hired as a spy for one of the princes in line for the throne of Elfhame. I agree with others that have said that the writing in the book is a bit stilted and doesn’t always flow smooth but I thought that the characters and storyline were great. This is a novel of political machinations, of lies and brutality, of cruelty and beauty and brilliance. With Jude, I was expecting a kick-ass fantasy heroine or a softer romantic lead but this was not the case. Jude is actually a very dark heroine, bordering on antiheroine. She kills, she plots she does ruthless things and her backstory and her ongoing fears and ambitions are so well set out that you completely understand the things she does and keep rooting for her. She doesn’t pretend to be strong, she knows she isn’t. Still, she tries to be and tries harder than anyone else, because she knows her species is at a disadvantage. As with usual teenage stories, we see power and sex being played out. The difference in the dynamic here is that some are faeries and some are human. Another difference is that the faeries are in full control because the story is set in their territory. This isn’t about faeries invading the human world; it’s about a human girl doing everything she can to gain strength against the creatures who have kept her from having a normal, human childhood. Some elements of the story were a bit predictable and slow but overall, the pace was good with a few twists thrown in. I will read the second instalment for sure and will search out some other Holly Black books.

4.5* 'What could I become if I stopped worrying about death, about pain, about anything? If I stopped trying to belong? Instead of being afraid, I could become something to fear.' Personally i really loved this book, but i do have a massive bone to pick with people that class it as an enemies to lovers romance as the main focus. Because whilst this book does contain enemies to reluctant obsession/hate kisses it is SO much more than that!! Jude is some next level 'overthrow the monarchy' sword fighting spy and she's amazing and deserves way more recognition from readers than about how she interacts with Cardan! On the topic of Cardan... he's such a prickly boy. Do i kinda like him anyway? absolutely (probs says more about me than him but we'll move on). In my opinion Cardan is a very Draco malfoyesque character in the sense that to a certain extent he is a product of his circumstance and a victim to the way he was raised. This does not however excuse him being that much of a horrible person. It's very much the whole pulling a girls pigtails in the playground because you like them but with magic and swords and crazy energy. I enjoyed the plotting and political elements of this story so much and there were twists i didn't see coming right up to the very last pages which make me so excited to start the next book! Overall, this book is amazing and i definitely recommend reading it!! however please don't go into it imagining some next level enemies to lovers with very little other plot points because it is SO much more that.

Every now and again, you get a book that knocks it out of the park when it comes to plot, pacing, characterisation, world-building. A book that makes you forget your reading something and immerses you in a world that feels real. A world you can't wait to get back to at any given opportunity. And The Cruel Prince is one of those books. For full disclosure, I'm 46 years old - so not the typical target audience for young adult fiction. Except good writing and a good story is good no matter what - it transcends age barriers. After all, some of my favourite books are still those childhood classics. If you're someone who likes a one and done book (or even a trilogy where the first book provides adequate closure), then this isn't going to be a novel for you - as nothing is resolved by the end of this novel. It really does leave you wanting more. And, sadly, I was reading it under the false impression that book two, The Wicked King, which appears on Amazon was already published. At the time of writing this, it's not - and I don't believe it will be out until January 2019, with the final instalment being published in 2020. So there's a wait. Had I known that, I might not have started, because I'm left pining for the world Holly Black has created. In a nutshell, the book is about our heroine and main protagonist, Jude, who (along with her twin sister Taryn and half sister, Vivi (who also happens to be half human, half faerie)) is taken into the world of faerie at seven years old. Fast forward 10 years, and Jude is struggling to find her place in a world that's not quite home, with a faerie step-father Madoc who is both warrior and protector. The only way for Jude and her twin, Taryn, to become fully immersed and accepted into the fey world, is to either marry into the gentry or become a knight (which Jude desperately wants - unlike her sister who is happy to assimilate through marriage). The counterpoint between the twins is interesting - and Jude's definitely the more interesting character but, hey, it's her story. Madoc is also a very thoughtfully crafted character - as a reader I felt both wary of him (on Jude's behalf) and also fond of him. He's by no means a straightforward character. In fact, the motives of all the characters, human and faerie, are complex and interesting. There are intrigues, jealousies, secrets and lots more. Which all make for a page-turning read. And then there's Locke - a potential love interest for Jude. Interesting enough if it weren't for Prince Cardan - cruel yet beautiful, his contempt for Jude, and his bullying, is handled so cleverly by Holly Black that you just know there's something else behind it. It's that frisson of love/hate, which is expanded upon a little during this book, which adds another interesting and intriguing layer. In many ways, Jude and Cardan are made for each other - or, put it this way, they would be if Jude is able to tame Cardan's more excessive side. I don't want to say too much about the plot - but there's mystery, spying, intrigue and lots more. It's quite a dark book - and the bullying elements might upset some readers; although Jude's determination to never let anyone crush her is admirable. The novel itself also begins with violence (the murder of Jude, Taryn and Vivi's parents). But I think its the darkness in this novel, combined with the more magical elements, which make it so compelling. This is fairyland for grownups, where every character has their flaws (some more than others). There aren't many books that I'm upset to finish. But this was one of them - and I absolutely can't wait until January 2019 to enter this amazing, magical world again.

This was a truly brilliant Young Adult Fantasy novel, I adored everything about it and I can’t wait to see what happens in the second book! The writing style is gorgeous, it flows perfectly from one situation to another, and is relaxing and easy to read, for the most part. Where the tension rises, the writing style makes the scene engaging and exciting, without being overly descriptive. This is an author who has a talent for painting a wondrous picture that you almost feel you can step into, without needing 500 paints to do so. Descriptions flow together and give just the right amount of information to make you feel like you can reach into the nook and touch the world she has described, and leave you wondering whether or not you really have been there. I fond myself tempted to start the book again, because it was just that wonderful to sink into. That being said. The plot for this is incredibly well thought out and perfectly assembled. If you expect this book to go in a particular direction, it will go elsewhere. So many times throughout this story, I have felt like I know what is going to happen, and then i am shown with shocking clarity just how wrong I was, as the situation flips entirely. The characters are detestable, lovable, relatable and pitiable by turns. Ironically, the Author has made the variety if Faerie in this world wonderfully Human. They each have their reasons for the way they act, and I adored the fact that the Fairies have very logical responses, in most cases their reactions being easily plausible, in others they are plausible when given the explanations of Faerie extremes of emotion and flightiness, but that will be more easily understandable to those whom have read the story. When I started the book, I must admit to having been very wary. I had heard many people tell me that its a love it or hate it book, and my experience with such previously had not been positive. And yet, I had read ACOTAR many times, and people kept recommending this as something I might also enjoy. I have to agree with those who recommended it on this basis. In a similar style, Holly Black manages to have a engaging style that’s easy to read, a fun storyline full of twists and turns, and characters we love to hate. I absolutely loved every page, and with her own unique flare for creating a shocking and beautiful world at the same time, I have very high expectations for book 2. If you enjoy stories that will keep you hooked, keep you guessing and keep you intrigued from the first page, then read this.

A good fantasy story that every fantasy reader might read, I loved the world in this book. :)

The story was amazing. Just yk because it is paperpack so the experience was not so good but the quality was okay.

Un libro que vale la pena leer. Increíble narrativa, un buen desarrollo de personajes, pero sobre todo, un ambiente tan bien construido que desde el inicio te sumerge en la historia. Llegó en perfectas condiciones y dentro del tiempo estimado. Una excelente compra. Pd: sugeriría comprar la trilogía completa desde el principio, porque el final del primero te hará querer leer el segundo de inmediato.

had read this as an e-book but decided to get the actual copy because it’s that good!!

Kitap siparişi verdikten iki gün sonra geldi. Ki büyük şehirde yaşamıyorum. Bu yüzden kargodan inanılmaz memnun kaldım kargocu abi de çok tatlıydı. Türkçe çeviri o kadar iyi değil denildiği için ve de İngilizce pratik yapmak için İngilizcesini aldım daha okumaya başlamadım ama çok güzel görünüyor. Kitapta hasar falan yoktu patpata sarmışlar zaten. Kapağı falan şok güzel duruyor. Bayıldım.🤍

"The Cruel Prince" è stata una rivelazione per me. Da qualche anno mi ero allontanato dal genere fantasy perché volevo improntare la mia attenzione verso qualcosa di diverso e più contemporaneo. Dopo diversi anni invece mi sono ritrovato, sotto consiglio di mia cugina, ad avere tra le mani questo libro ed improvvisamente sono stato di nuovo risucchiato nel vortice del fantasy. Esteticamente la copertina è meravigliosa anche al tatto: l'edizione che mi è arrivata ha la copertina in cartoncino sottile ergonomico e tutti i soggetti messi in risalto da carta lucida. Da un punto di vista contenutistico il libro per le prime ottanta pagine non ingrana perfettamente. Queste pagine sono un po' di presentazione dell'ambiente di narrazione e dei personaggi. Ciò che mi ha maggiormente colpito è stato da subito l'intento della Black a non voler dipingere i personaggi fatati come le creature a cui siamo di solito abituati (siamo infatti soliti associare le fate ad entità benigne che aiutano nei momenti di difficoltà). In questo libro il concetto stesso di fata viene molto rivisto e, da un certo punto di vista, integrato: sono esseri quasi apatici che complottano, uccidono ed arrivano anche ad essere crudeli. Per quanto riguarda il finale invece: alcuni lo troveranno banale e forse, sotto certi punti di vista lo è, ma non è scontato. Il libro si auto conclude o meglio si dà una buona chiusura aprendo la pista al suo sequel "The Wicked King" che, detto fra noi, non vedo l'ora di leggere. Piccola nota: il libro, dopo la sua conclusione contiene, almeno nella mia edizione, il prologo del sequel ed una storia a sé stante che racconta l'incoronazione sotto il punto di vista di altri personaggi più marginali. Quindi infine, "The Cruel Prince" è un valido apripista di questa trilogia che setta le basi per una storia affascinante. Consiglio di leggerlo in lingua originale in quanto Holly Black ha steso questo libro con un lessico non eccessivamente ricercato ed ha reso la narrazione scorrevole e mai prolissa, complice anche la scelta dell'utilizzo della prima persona (ma forse questo è un quid particolarmente soggettivo).