The first in Holly Black's Folk of the Air series, this book starts in the mortal world, but only stays there for a moment before diving headfirst into the land of the faeries and the Kingdom of Elfhame. The legendary Queen Mab brought together the Seelie and the Unseelie Courts, as well many of the wild fey, under one crown. Now her legacy, and the Greenbriar line, is threatened. Please be aware, there are several mentions of violence, murder, and blood, the death of a parent, bullying, and pregnancy loss.
This story follows Jude Duarte, mortal girl raised with her twin and elder sisters in the world of Faerie. She has been raised with the children of the gentry, a part of the High King's court, by the same redcap fairy that murdered her parents. Despite that, she has come to see Elfhame as her home and yearns to belong. As she tries to find her place, she instead finds herself neck deep in secrets, artful double crossings, and precarious (at best) alliances.
I've been excited about this book, but it is not what I expected. I thought I'd be stepping into a villains to lovers type story, and I may still be right but if I am it is a slow burn. Jude and her "arch-nemesis" Cardan share one kiss but are back to not liking each other by the end of this book. We may be looking at a villains to mutual appreciation but still not friends trope. Honestly, we could use some more of those. Either way, I enjoyed this book. It was a little predictable but I liked seeing the different relationships Jude has with her family, none of which are easy. I thought Jude was a little naive, especially for a girl who watches the death of her parents before she reaches an age with double digits. I'm excited to see how the series progresses and will definitely be back for the next book, The Wicked King. But I do hope we see a little more character development going forward.
The Cruel Prince by Holly Black gets 4 out of 5 stars from me. There is no spice to speak of.
Check out everything Holly Black at https://blackholly.com/
Pairs well with elderflower jam and biscuits during a lakeside picnic. Just be sure to stay dry.
If you want a quick refresher of The Cruel Prince before moving on to The Wicked King, take a look at our summary of the Folk of the Air series.
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