A review by leebraries
The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

adventurous challenging dark tense medium-paced

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

4.0

picking this book up after loving it years ago was certainly an experience. i got to witness it with new eyes, pick it apart with a new bloodthirstiness acquired from the years in between. here is what i know: the worldbuilding is exquisite. the politics, drama, and court intrigue is worthy of song. the motives are twisted and terrible. the characters are cruel and sometimes unlikeable. i hated cardan in the first few chapters, and it is only when he is captured that i begin to warm to him, the same way jude does. i think taryn is a bitch, that dain was charming but no better than his kin. i adored jude. i found her lust for power exhilarating, her ambition enchanting. i was rooting for her the entire time, and i was all for her schemes. this book was not perfect, by any means, though, and often times the writing caught me off-guard. some of the plot lines were not very well-explained, and the language was oftentimes distracting and difficult to read. still, it’s a solid first book, and as i haven’t read wk and qon, i think it’s intriguing enough to keep me hooked on this series. let’s see. for now, though, the ending was more than enough to pique my interest. go bad bitch