Reviews with content warning for Gore - The Cruel Prince

I will give two stars because I appreciated certain points of the book. Like, the portrayal of faerie lore and the malicious attitude towards mortals? I did like that. I also liked that there were certain niche memories of Jude’s that felt relatable, like the sticky fingers and television childhood, as well as different descriptions of emotions she was feeling.

However, this book’s pacing was hell on my ADHD and it truly felt like a chore to read. There were parts that were engaging and I had no problem getting through chapters, and others were so slow that I would lose focus and go do something else. This book took me a month to read, which is atrocious and I wish I had a the habit of DNFing a book without feeling guilty, but I don’t so here I am now.

The characters as well, while relatable at certain points, are infuriating. Jude makes absolutely no sense. Why stay in Faerie if she’s angry and terrified all the time? If the people around her are all fucking terrible? Because you were raised there? You want power? Even though you are viewed as inherently inferior?

You gonna go ahead and fall in love eventually with someone who ripped another’s wings right off and participated in sexually assaulting you?

Bullshit, sounds like torture porn.

Vivienne was the only engaging character. I would read three books about her romance with Heather and her grappling with her identity and her hatred, but her determination to love a mortal and live there.

I didn’t care for the romance either (I mean, I’m gay, so I would never have cared for the het romance anyway) but I bought the book because people were mad about the lack of it, only to find political intrigue. I love political intrigue, but this book was vague at best with the world building and system descriptions. So I found that to be lacklustre as well.

I hear that Wicked King and Queen of Nothing were better, but I don’t think they might be better enough to give a shot, also it will be the last time I take book recommendations from heterosexual booktokers.

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hannalizzy's review against another edition

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adventurous dark funny mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

I really enjoyed this book! The world building was fluid, and I became quickly engrossed in the story. I love Jude as the narrator, and I love a morally grey mc. The enemies to lovers trope is setup well, I’m hoping for some more spice in the next book for sure though.

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sauvageloup's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

a fun and gripping book

pros:
- I loved the worldbuilding and the intrigue, with the descriptions of the different faeries with their ears and horns and the ways the thwart their spells
- there were plenty of twists and turns though some I guessed or half-way did. it was certainly gripping and I read it very fast. there was angst there too, in the reveal of Cardan's misery, and how Jude had to turn her back on her sister.
- I liked Vivi and Jude's relationship with her a lot, they clearly supported each other
- and I liked Jude too overall, she was active and tricksy and very devoted to her goal, even if that mean murder, and she didn't back down at all. the bargains she made were good and even though she was impulsive and immature, her decisions never felt stupid or frustrating to a reader.
- Cardan and Jude's little fucked up relationship was good, and grew naturally I thought

cons:
- 1st person is never my fav and I still prefer 3rd,but it was carried off fine
- I felt like Jude's past and trauma wasn't addressed in the same good way as in 'the Coldest girl in Coldtown', but maybe Jude's upbringing made her not react on a human way.
- Jude did also feel immature at times, not exactly a criticism, just maybe that the book is more aimed at teens than me
- Jude's little flirt with Locke never felt believable and I didn't really believe her being angry at her sister about it and she didn't seem actually upset either.

overall, I want to read the rest but not a new fav yet, maybe the other books will grow on me more

cw:suicide, death, gore, murder, abuse, violence

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