A review by teagstime
The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

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? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

A solid 4.5 ★s I think !?
Really enjoyed this book-- the plot twists were hinted at subtly enough they were honestly surprising, while still making total sense w the info you've been given as a reader! Like.. chefs kiss at how satisfying the payoff was 

I also really liked Jude, who becomes an absolute conniving badass (in desperate need of some therapy), and Cardan, who gave me waaay more feelings than I was prepared for ^^;; I just think he's neat!
So much of his dialogue & actions just completely endeared me to him. Seriously, he’s so intelligent and fun. Learning more about his family/home life made me feel a bunch of Emotions— he’s fr my lil cinnamon apple now… I’m holding his hand as we speak.
There's a few side characters I'm v personally invested in too, such as Madoc and Oriana.
Like Madoc is SUCH a dad. I just be thinking about how much he loves his family all the time— esp towards the end of the book, during his confrontation w Jude.. T_T And Oriana is so badass … she literally loves Oak & the girls so much.. she’s just been traumatized in so many ways! But when Jude’s in trouble she doesn’t hesitate to step up… Love her fr!! + the Court of Shadows guys are all so cool 💖


A good book for someone wanting to read abt a strong female protagonist who's desperate to prove herself & make her own way in a world wherein she has virtually no power. And then DOES!! She grows so much & becomes so unhinged by the end. What a queen uwu 
The enemies-to-lovers is really good too, though it's mostly in the 'enemies' phase here lmaoo... I'm already a Huuuge fan of Cardan tho. No Cardan slander allowed in this house !
Expand filter menu Content Warnings