A review by tinniebelles
The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

adventurous dark emotional mysterious 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? Yes

5.0

It's been a while since I've given a YA fantasy book 5 stars, and this book deserves all 5 because this was an exhilarating ride. I would say the first half of The Cruel Prince was a bit slow and some parts felt unnecessary, but once I got to the exciting part, I couldn't stop reading anymore. This book was full of scheming and plotting and betrayal and politics - things that I don't usually encounter a lot of in other YA books (at least the ones I've read). But this also has the more familiar YA themes - bullying, family drama, feeling out of place, wanting to truly belong somewhere, self-discovery.

I love all the characters in all their morally grey glory (except for Taryn). I'm definitely excited to read more.
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