Review: The Cruel Prince (The Folk of the Air #1) by Holly Black

The Cruel Prince
(The Folk of the Air #1)
by Holly Black

January 2, 2018

384 pages

Goodreads     Indigo

Goodreads Summary:

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.
 

Review

The only book I've read by Holly Black is a vampire story called The Coldest Girl in Coldtown (I highly recommend it!). Now I've been hearing that when it comes to stories of the fae, Holly Black is the Faerie Queen. Thus I was more than intrigued to pick up The Cruel Prince and did it ever wow me!

The Cruel Prince was incredible like a snowball rolling downhill gaining in size and momentum. Holly Black took her time crafting the story. With each chapter our knowledge of the world, the magic and the characters (mainly Jude) expanded. It's a masterful tale of deception and betrayal where the end game will leave you shocked and breathless.

Jude is neither evil nor pure of heart but she is a character to admire. Her resentment and longing for the faerie world's acceptance led to a string of questionable decisions but she owned all of them. Every. Single. One. Don't underestimate her just because she's a human girl and without any powers. My heart sang in excitement with every unpredictable move she made. I honestly cannot wait for more of Jude!

Throughout the story we see time and again just how much Cardan despised Jude. He taunted and tormented her endlessly with both words and actions. Yet, it was hard to miss the line he does draw with his cruelty towards her. There's an underlying uneasiness where those two were concerned. Dare I call it a LOVE and hate vibe because that's how they made me feel. The tension was off the charts and I savoured every minute of it.

Oh my gosh the wait for the sequel is not going to be easy. That ending has left me captivated and craving for more. I'm beyond excited to see how Jude will navigate the court and keep things (Cardan) in place. I have no doubt she'll play her part perfectly as she has defied expectation in this first installment.

With unforgettable characters and the most dangerous yet thrilling court politics, The Cruel Prince is a book not to be missed. Ms. Holly Black more than lives up to her Queen of the Faeries title!

*I received an ARC of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinion are my own and not affected in any way.