The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

THIS BOOK YA'LL. This freaking book yanked me in with its talons and would not let go! Five years I've gone without reading this book or putting any real interest in it, and boy isn't that a tragedy! I loved this book and am reading the rest of the series currently. In more realistic terms, I binge-read the second book in the series, The Wicked King, last night.

The Cruel Prince sweeps you away into the realm of Faerie where you get to meet the malicious and deceptive Faerie courts and the mortal that chooses to defy them. A quick side note: The previously stated "mortal" is named Jude, and she is most definitely on my list of favorite characters. Considering how hard a time I have when it comes to listing favorites, that's saying something.

Before I continue, here's a blurb if you aren't familiar with the book:

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.

Onward! The Cruel Prince was one of those books that I checked out from the library, not intending to read it, but aimlessly tried when in a book slump. I did not expect to fall into this book and that is exactly what happened. I finished it in two days.

The world-building in this book is clear and adds to the story in all the best ways, without being utterly overwhelming in the beginning. Usually, intense world-building and info-dumping make it harder for me to get into a book, so it was really nice how the world of the Fae in this book had the complexity necessary for the storyline, but didn't go overboard with it. The world itself is so much fun. Terrifying fun, that is! Faerieland has a very whimsy, dreamlike quality to it but you know there's a hidden edge waiting beneath it all. Then we get to the character dynamics. I loved the characters (though not all of them at first. I mean what's a book without a good villain?) and their relationships and arcs were fascinating. For all of the enemies-to-lovers trope fans out there, read this book! This book takes that trope and absolutely sprints with it. I can't go much into the plot because I refuse to spoil this amazing book, but it was a page-turner and left me wanting more (Hence the aforementioned binge-read). The Cruel Prince has my five stars, and I recommend this book to anyone who doesn't hate fantasy (because you'll love it after this book) or anyone who just wants a fun read!

Happy Reading!

Renee