You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.

A review by mmefish
The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

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

4.0

Before, I never knew how far I would go. Now I believe I have the answer. I will go a as far as there is to go. I will go way too far.

I read this trilogy last year and couldn’t stop thinking about it since. There are two reasons for that:

  1. The main heroine. I love Jude, she’s my favourite YA character. She’s constantly struggling but never gives up; she stands up for herself and her sister but she’s not overly sentimental about their relationship; Jude is just believable, she feels real (just like every character in this book, to be fair).
  2. The setting. Holly Black created a world that sucks you in. The nature, the Folk, all of the structures and decorations—everything is absolutely magical. I love that she wrote her fey to be wicked and actually different from humans.

Don’t start this book thinking that it’s a ~dark romance~ (the way it’s sometimes advertised), because “the Cruel Prince” is actually about belonging, ambition and fighting for the right to exist.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings