A review by kingcrookback
The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

adventurous dark tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Admittedly, a little heavy on the "young" in "young adult" for me, but I found myself glued to this. Holly Black does a good job of creating and maintaining tension regarding both characters and plot. I find the complicated father-daughter relationship between Madoc and Jude especially interesting. However, I found Black's worldbuilding a bit lacking in detail at times. What we do learn about the cultural norms and expectations of Faerie is effective. Faeries looking visibly inhuman? Love how that highlights Jude's outsider status. They can't lie? Fascinating! Keep Jude on her toes and keep me engaged by forcing us both to work at navigating interactions. At times, though, I felt a bit in the dark as to what certain things look like (nixies?? Madoc's estate??). Then again, I do also feel that because Black had me invested in Jude's journey, worldbuilding concerns are secondary. I absolutely zoomed through this.
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