The Cruel Prince

This book is UNPUTDOWNABLE! The story is addictive and the world building and character development is just as good. The plot twists are devastating and beautiful and the characters' inner turmoil is gorgeous as well. On a side note, I'd just like to warn you that a lot of people go into this books being told that it is a romance and come out of it disappointed. It is NOT a romance! It is a political fantasy and deeper into the next books there is romance.

So as I am on my fantasy journey this was one that kept coming up on my for you page. So I dived in and was soon hooked. The story is captivating right from the start. You have action packed goodness from the beginning. In the mortal world Jude and her sisters lives are blown upside down when Viv's father Madoc comes crashing in and takes the lives of their mother and father. He then moves them back to Faerie. Judes life is forever changed. Mortals are not well liked there and jude and her sister are bullied from the start. Cardan dishes out the hate more than anyone. This book is fast paced and full of twists and action. Jude is a character you can't help but love she is strong willed, sassy and doesn't let things or people hold her back. She is very much like her adopted father Madoc. Determined to become a knight she takes her own path. Her twin sister Taryn is a different story. she is one person you don't trust from the start and Locke who you just can't help but think is up to something at all times. While this is a YA book it does pull you in and keep you reading. I decoured the story and moved on to the next book very quickly.

The Folk of the Air is one of my favorite fantasy romance series and a must-read for the genre. Jude and Cardan have easily become two of my all-time favorite leads. Holly Black’s prose is masterful, giving both characters very distinct voices, from Jude’s pragmatism to Cardan’s coy playfulness. The banter between them is top-tier, and their electric chemistry makes for an incredible emotional payoff after so much pining. Be forewarned that this begins as a bully romance; if that trope is a dealbreaker for you, this might not be the best fit. However, for me, it was incredibly satisfying to watch them transition from mutual loathing to a complex, hard-won alliance. While I occasionally found myself wishing the series had more of a New Adult edge in its romantic execution, the story itself is so compelling that it remains a favorite. 1: The Cruel Prince ⭐ 4 1.5 The Lost Sisters ⭐ 2.5 2: The Wicked King ⭐ 4.5 3: The Queen of Nothing ⭐ 4.75 3.5: How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories ⭐ 3.75

Most of my positivity to this book comes from an appreciation of its technical aspects: I think the writer did a decent, though not exceptional, job of crafting her prose. She especially has a knack for describing clothing, and her research into archaic vocabulary helped add flavor to the story. Some of this was especially nice as it related to the food the characters ate, with some very interesting dishes pulled from both imagination and history. I felt she fell short with her descriptions, however. They were dashed off so thinly that I didn't acquire a very lush mental picture of what was going on. As a reviewer pointed out, it wasn't unusual for her to simply say, for example, that "a troll" was in a scene without even bothering to describe what a troll in this world looks like. In terms of story structure, I thought that she came up with some original ideas. But one place where the story failed, and failed hard for me, was with the characters. They were very well fleshed out as far as their personalities; unfortunately, I found them so dull and uncompelling that it was an absolute struggle to make it through this book. The main character was, for me, immensely uninteresting -- an incredibly flat character who has a couple of moments in the book when she wonders at how broken emotionally she is but does nothing about it. In other words, there is no character arc in this book--and I really rely on that to draw me into a story. Perhaps the protagonist has gone from someone who seeks personal power for hazy selfish reasons (so she can be safe? so she can one-up her enemies and "show them"? because she doesn't want to be controlled? it's never very clear, nor are her motivations very likeable) to someone who seeks personal power for new hazy reasons (so she can protect people from the danger that a new king might possibly, though not for certain, turn out to be a bad ruler? or is it all still mainly so she can protect herself? again, not very clear), but she's still power-hungry, and it doesn't feel like much of an arc. Nor does it feel very consistent that she would suddenly care about anything larger than herself. It doesn't help that her tiny arc doesn't start until the last 50 pages of the book or so. So it means that for most of the book, it's a real slog to follow a main character who has a taste for power and sadism, an inexplicable desire to remain in a brutal Faerie world that never really makes sense when she could just leave and easily survive in the human world, a desire to remain with a foster father who killed her parents for no good reason, who wants to be like a fae while also despising them ... it is just very, very weird. I would really have preferred if the book focused on the one likeable character in it instead: her sister, Vivi. Vivi had the sense to hate her murderous foster father and to want to leave Faerie. She even had a great character goal -- finding love with a human -- and impediments to that goal that added drama (having to reveal her fae nature, her family's disapproval, etc.). It's too bad we had to read about Vivi's unpleasant sister for the whole book instead. Vivi would have made a much more enjoyable protagonist.

AHHH where do I even start.. The book was in its best condition, the font, title, letter writing and design was all really clear and nice. Story was well thought and professionally written... It just kept me hooked.. I usually don't read many books, but this one.. This has some fairie land magic.

Love this book and can't wait to pass it on to my daughter . Great story that keeps me up later than I like because I keep saying just 1 more chapter .

“I have lied and I have betrayed and I have triumphed. If only there was someone to congratulate me” Four treacherous stars for a dark fantasy that is driven by greed, betrayal, deception, and desire. A book that is simple in its story telling, fascinating in its characters and enthralling in its plot. The Plot Jude is the 8-year-old daughter of parents who are murdered by the emotionless hand of the king Madoc. A man who enjoys playing all sides in a conflict and world of deception that is not obvious through the book or to many of the characters in the story. Until thee event !!! With a mission to recover his natural daughter Vivi, Madoc kills the parents of the three girls but vows to bring all three sisters up as his own, in the world of Faerie. With a roof over their heads, luxury to enjoy, and an education, none of the girls want for anything except the love of a parent, a childhood devoid of cruelty and a life in a mortal world. Which brings us to cruel prince Cardan. Cardan, along with his band of merry friends, torment and subject Jude to life of brutality both physically and emotionally, earning Cardan the title of ‘The Cruel Prince’. Yet he is a boy possessed with a charming tongue laced with words that can manipulate, entice, and charm!!! With no desire to rule, Cardan must endure his own cruelty as a victim of his brother’s torturous ways and as the second child who struggles to find his own place where status matters. Jude’s two sisters also play an important role in a story of cruelty, survival and corruption. Vivi is the natural born child of Madoc and has security that none of the other sisters are afforded. Meanwhile, Taryn is caught in a love triangle with her sister Jude over the charming Locke. However, whilst each of the sisters turn anger and resentment towards each other, Locke cunningly seeks to play both for his own amusement. Review and Comments You have probably guessed the enjoyment from the book came from the characterisation with an intriguing plot taking second place in terms of appeal. The characters Jude and Cardan, were intoxicating, I loved the vulnerability that was allowed to show through the characters, yet they possessed sharp wit, cunning minds, and scheming brains that were tested in the most sensational way as they attempted to pull off a very dangerous coup. However, not the stuff of fairy tales, as Jude ponders "Let me not be that kind of fool to base my strategies on riddles" We were treated with an abundance of deliciously evil characters, charming players, dark royalty and the cunning spies, which I enjoyed. But what I loved more was that each were allowed to play their part creating a thrilling multi layered story. For example, I haven't yet mentioned that recruited by Dain, the prince of spies. Jude lives a duplicitous life as one of Dain's hired agents, watching, luring, and observing. A role that must remain undetected from the King, the powerful and fearless Madoc, others from the court and even her own sisters. This dynamic was the best part of a storyline and a plot that was a little too predictable which took the book down in rating. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the world building, the scheming and how the whole plot came together in the end. Be prepared for a ramp up in action and thrill, because the story builds with a much better second half. Holly Black is another force in the world of dark fantasy. As for who will enjoy the book?. It is recommended for readers of the 'The Court of Thorns and Roses', 'The Crooked Kingdom' and the 'King of Scars'

Najsss

Un libro que vale la pena leer. Increíble narrativa, un buen desarrollo de personajes, pero sobre todo, un ambiente tan bien construido que desde el inicio te sumerge en la historia. Llegó en perfectas condiciones y dentro del tiempo estimado. Una excelente compra. Pd: sugeriría comprar la trilogía completa desde el principio, porque el final del primero te hará querer leer el segundo de inmediato.