The Cruel Prince by Holly Black


The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

BOOK REVIEW: The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

Release Date: January 2nd, 2018
Genre: YA, Fantasy
370 pages
Published by Little Brown Books for Young Readers
Available on Amazon
My rating on Goodreads ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


THE BLURB:

"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."

MY THOUGHTS:

The Cruel Prince is one of the most loved books you'll find on social media.  I avoided reading other reviews/spoilers at all costs, since I wanted to dive into it blindly.  I was actually surprised at how much I enjoyed this book and can't wait for the next one.

This intense and dark story will keep you reading into the night.  The world of Faerie is magical, rich and colorful, but its residents are untrustworthy.  For Jude and her twin sister Taryn, growing up in Faerie was no small task.  Both sisters want very much to belong, yet, each one has a very specific goal of what kind of life in the Courts of Faerie they desire.

Jude was my favorite character.  Prince Cardan is a spoiled Royal.  A bully.  He is however, very charming, which can be useful in difficult situations. 

The writing is unmistakably beautiful and easy to follow. 

The first chapters were a little slow for me, even though it all starts with Jude's mortal parents being murdered (it's on the synopsis, so no spoiler).  But then the story picked up and it became a page-turner, full of betrayals, secrets and spies.  Reading the characters' development and the many plot twists was like a WOW moment for me.  I did see that last twist coming, but that did not make it any less memorable!

Black left so many possibilities open for the next book.  It's impossible to predict what will come next.  Will Prince Cardan redeem himself?  Will Oak follow in Cardan's footsteps and become wicked?  What's Locke's end game? 
Stop.
I want to read The Wicked King!!!
❤❤❤❤

The Quote:
“Nicasia's wrong about me. I don't desire to do as well in the tournament as one of the fey. I want to win. I do not yearn to be their equal. In my heart, I yearn to best them.”

21 comments

  1. I've been seeing this one everywhere too! I snagged a copy but haven't read any reviews because I want to be surprised too!

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  2. I've heard good things about this one. Might have to give it a try.

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    1. Jo, whenever I'm in a reading slump, I go back to this type of books, which I love, and make me want to read more ♥

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  3. I've seen such good things about this one. I am torn about whether this will appeal to me. Your review does make it sound well worth a read.

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    1. I wasn't sure about it either, even though I enjoy reading fantasy, but am glad I gave it a try♥

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  4. I adored The Cruel Prince and I really need some free time in my reading schedule to pick up The Wicked King. I'm so glad you enjoyed it as well!

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    1. Thank you! We'll have to chat about The Wicked King once we read it :-)

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  5. Great review! I always love the fan art I see of this one. Maybe I'll pick it up now, it sounds like my kind of book :-)

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  6. Yes! Great review! Just may put this in my TBR.

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  7. Great review! I have heard mixed reviews on this one.

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  8. I hear so many good things. Thanks for sharing!

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  9. I've heard great things about this book! Can't wait to give it a try.

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  10. This is not my usual fare, but I'll try it

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  11. Great review! I've seen this novel everywhere, but haven't read it yet. Your review has me intrigued!

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  12. I have heard good things about this book.

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  13. Great review, I have this book sitting on top of my shelf ready for me to start to read it soon. I am really hopeful that I can read The Cruel Prince in November because I absolutely love Holly Black's books. Thank you so much for sharing your awesome post.

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