Reviews

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

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kaitie_reads's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

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

4.5

Loved it!

Honestly, I debated whether to rate this 4 or 5 stars, but considering I devoured it within a few days, I'm just going to go with 4.5⭐️.

I think a lot of my love for this book stems from the fact that I read a lot of similar books as a child, but this reads darker and more adult. Yes, it is YA, and the characters act their age (for the first few chapters, I was worried it would read a little too YA for my preferences), but it's a brilliant story.

The story starts with a bang. There is no slow introduction to the realm of Elfhame, but rather, we are thrust right into the story like a sword to the gut.

Jude is one of the best FMCs I've come across in a while. She's calculated, strong, and badass. But, as the reader, we also get to glimpse how much she masks her feelings to survive and thrive, which makes her feel very real and relatable. She always stands back up when she gets knocked down, even if she's shaking in her boots.

One thing I will mention is that I see this story discussed in romantasy circles, but there is little to no romance, and it's definitely more of a subplot (at least in this first book). I see this story more as a tribute to finding resilience in the face of adversity and not backing down despite what the world expects and what others might think of you.

I'm looking forward to seeing where the story goes in The Wicked King.

thegirlellie's review

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0.25

Read this again to see if it was still terrible it was maybe even more terrible

tessavdb's review

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adventurous medium-paced

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

4.0

cdolbz's review

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4.0

3.75

samross's review

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adventurous fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix

3.5

caseyfuntal's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense slow-paced

3.0

Still thinking of a good rating for this one. It felt like the whole book was world building. I’m not sure if I love the main character or love interest. Might be too YA for me but I’ve heard the next 2 books in the series are good. It kept me interested even though it took me a while to get through.