The Cruel Prince (Folk of the Air Series #1)

This is the first Holly Black novel I read. Back in college, I read the The Coldest Girl in Coldtown prior to it being a novel when it had been released as a short story and I don't remember anything about it, if I'm being honest. I am so glad I made The Cruel Prince the first Black book I read because this was phenomenally great in every single aspect of storytelling. This novel follows Jude and her two sisters: twin Taryn, and older half-sister Vivienne who is half-fae. Vivienne's father murders the girls' parents when they are young and steals them away to Faerie where they are raised in his household. Jude, is hungry to be included into the fae lifestyle and when plans of being accepted into the knighthood fall through, she is quickly swept up into something far bigger with political intrigue, fae court life, betrayals, spies, fae civil wars, intense sexual tension and frustration and so much more. First I wanted to express how much I enjoyed this writing style. Black has a way of inserting such lush and atmospheric writing into this novel, (that definitely fits into this world) without it sounding trite, over-the-top, and melodramatic. It's seriously the best type of "flowery writing style" while still being clear, concise, impactful and to the point. Each chapter, paragraph, and sentence fit into the overall plot of the story beautifully and wasn't bogged down with cluttering lines. Jude. JUDE. My girl Jude was the best voice to capture this story. She was what I wanted and didn't deserve. Since "the human world" is still present in this story, Jude was a heroine that didn't constantly complain about wanting a "normal life" that you sometimes see in teenage fantasy/supernatural shows *cough* Elena Gilbert *cough*. Nah, Jude was constantly pushing herself to find way to belong in Faerie even though she was human. I loved that. Her character arc was great. I also love when characters have great natural chemistry with other characters, and we see that with Jude. I also wanted to mention how much I loved the family dynamic here in all it's dysfunctional and complex glory. Jude, Taryn, and Vivienne have been raised by their parents' murderer for the past ten years. That man being Vivienne's birth father, Madoc. Madoc has since remarried and has a son. All the characters in this "family" you can say, have such interesting relationships with each other, no two are the same. The family interactions in this book were some of my absolute favorites. You don't see as many family relationships/units in YA and this was done so well. Can't not talk about the world building so here goes. I thought I knew things about fae. I've read a lot of urban fantasy books that have fae characters, politics, worlds, but whoa. Was I not prepared for this head-first dive into fae lore. And I say this lovingly. Before I went into this book, I knew Black was like an expert in faeries, and I was not disappointed with all the information I was introduced to and learned about fae lore. If Buffy taught me about vampires, Holly Black taught me about faeries. The Cruel Prince was the first book I read of 2018 and it just set the bar impossibly high for the rest of the year. Cannot wait for the next installment.

The Cruel Prince had me guessing what Jude, our clever protagonist, was up to the entire book. Her character seems very reckless in the beginning, but she matures into a woman, although jaded, but one who would sacrifice anything for family. The tension within her family was a unique dynamic to read about, and her relationship with Madoc (her fairy father) surprisingly understandable. This author is a talented storyteller, as she can get the reader to sympathize with the cruel characters she creates, but somehow hate them as well. I found myself always wanting Jude and Carden to change their natures, in the end, old habits die hard. I definitely recommend this gruesome tale of loyalty, grit, and love.

I don't normally start books of a series until they all come out, but I have been in a major book funk with some pretty bad books so I broke my rule. I am so glad I did. I just loved this book! I couldn't put it down. Also even though I love the YA genre, there have only been a few mythical type stories I've liked- so if that's not really your thing try not to let it stop you. I love all the characters, there was no babbling page fillers, some romance but none of the distracting and unbelievable insta-love crap, action, suspense and a bit of mystery. I really can't ask more from a book. The sample is not very long but I knew on the 2nd page I would buy it. As far as it being the 1st in what will be a series (that appears will not be out until Jan next year btw) it does have a conclusion that even though left me wanting more, did not leave with a huge cliffhanger that you felt like the author just quit writing to be a jerk (authors please stop doing that-you owe your readers a real ending to at least that part of the story). I will continue this series as soon as it is out, and will next be checking out previous works by this author. If you like this book let me suggest Stacey Marie Brown's City In Embers series. It was the first Fae type series I read and it's one of my favorites. The Lightness series is excellent too- and her books are quite cheap. But is more like New Adult-very mature content (aka hot as hell) def not for young ones. Happy Reading!

Well developed characters, excellent plot. It was hard to put down.

Gripping and tense. Ready for book two

Love Holly Black and her twist in modern folklore! A must read! I can't wait for the rest of the series to finish!

AudioBook Review: Stars: Overall 5 Narration 5 Story 5 As a child I wasn’t fascinated with the idea of fairies: many of the stories shared with me showed them as rather spiteful creatures, full of mischief but with a mean streak. Few authors I’ve read actually take that opinion and run with it, and Holly Black ran wild with the fae in this one; the court of Henry VIII would have been shocked at their behavior! Jude and Taryn are twins, and with their elder sister Viv have been whisked off to Fairie after the massacre of their parents at the hands of Viv’s father Madoc, a general of Fairie. Viv is his daughter, and despite his acts, he sees Jude and Taryn as his responsibility – ostensibly his remaining feelings for their mother stirs him into action. The three are very different in their reaction: Viv hates him and Fairie with the heat of a million suns, Taryn and Jude have come to see him as a protector and father-like figure. They are living in the midst of Fairie, alongside the royal children, accepted but not, with each group forming their own cliques, learning the ins and outs of court politics, developing their own networks of informants and spies. Unlike her sister Viv or Taryn, Jude loves being in Fairy and wants to become a knight – a position of power that will earn her some freedom and respect. That is important, as the sisters aren’t seen as ‘belonging’ and the put downs and cuts are constant – these really bother Jude. And then, we have the Geoffry-like prince Cardan. Cardan is the youngest prince: a bully, mean-spirited and determined to make life difficult for anyone he can pick on. Jude has taken his abuse – repeatedly, swallowing down the insults and building a hatred for Cardan that sees no end. But, she hasn’t reacted – not really, she’s not sure of just what her powers could do, and then she decides that enough is enough, and stops throttling her emotions. As Jude accepts her dark side: one far darker than even she expected, other doors open and she is recruited by the chosen prince, Dain, and soon she discovers that much is hidden beneath the surface: secrets lead to more secrets, and each one seems to have more depth and possible implications than anyone would ever have thought possible. With an upcoming coronation and plenty of secrets unraveling and danger increasing, Jude is learning to maneuver as she tries to watch out for herself and her sisters. But when Taryn shares a secret, but refuses to say more – the danger, and stakes increase. Black has developed these characters completely: good and bad, in ways that I’ve not seen in YA fiction. She doesn’t steer away from uncomfortable or impolite feelings, actions or even impulses, and seems to allow them each to develop and embrace traits and pathways that will allow them to be their fully realized selves. With lovely and lush descriptions of place and things, the land of Fairie is easy to visualize and feel, drawing you into this very atmospheric read. Narration for this story is provided by Caitlin Kelly, and she manages to present the words, and the underlying emotion with precision: you understand Viv’s anger, Jude’s frustrations and even Taryn’s secrecy in a visceral way, even before the issue or action is complete. This really is Jude’s story, and every moment of her uncertainty, and her joy in discovering her own power, and wielding that power for revenge against Cardan or in her investigations comes with a touch of ‘ooh’ for liste

pooled ink Reviews: Overall I thoroughly enjoyed reading this story and I absolutely look forwards to reading what comes next. Jude has made her play and Cardan has not long until he can break his chains and make his. I cannot wait to see what it might be, for time makes fickle things of us all. The one thing I wasn’t overly impressed with was some of the predictability in the plot and in the characters. This is definitely one of those books where if something seems too good to be true (particularly in the cruel world of Faerie) then it is. Every time. However I will say that the predictability tended to lie in the major moves, the cleverness hid in the details. So while I could guess what turn or "twist" the plot might make at major points, Jude was always a mystery and this is why she was such a fantastic character to read and why I greatly anticipate the sequel. Wickedly delightful and seductively clever, THE CRUEL PRINCE spins a tale of faerie and what a small mortal girl might do if willing to do anything at all. Captivating, conspiring, and as all-consuming as faerie fruit on human lips, this stunning fantasy will leave you gasping for more. **Read the full review on Wordpress: Pooled Ink

I'm not going to lie - I was skeptical about this book. I was worried about the amount of hype and praise this book was getting and the fact that I usually fall into the category of not loving the books that everyone else loves and raves about. So when I saw this in the book store, I bought it on a whim and hoped for the best. I can safely say that I am so GLAD I did because this book was just breathtaking! Whilst there were a couple of scenes written in the human world, the vast majority of this book takes place in Faerie. The world building that went on in this book was just beautiful. It was vivid, lush and it really popped from the page. I easily got lost just in the world building alone and it was like I was there with the characters, watching what was going on. I loved the way in which the beauty of the world went against everything else about this book. It went against the dark nature of the creatures that inhabit the world and it fit together perfectly.  I loved all of the characters - even the horrible ones. Each and every character brought something new to the plot and the world as a whole and no two characters felt similar at all. I loved watching characters and personalities clash as the book went on, along with the subtle ways in which the characters went against each other and the way in which it all wove together. Each and every character was complex and had multiple layers to them. I also loved the fact that none of the characters had any inhibitions about the fact that they were manipulative and nasty. They knew exactly what and who they were and they revelled in it.  I was expecting hate Prince Cardan... and I just didn't. He is a dark and twisted character, but has another side to him that no one else knows about. I have such mixed feelings about Cardan - I know he is horrible and nasty, but I still really like him as a character and I am totally on bored with this dark and twisted character and I just want MORE.  Locke was another character who I found extremely interesting. I had guessed his game from the very beginning, but I still felt convinced by him despite knowing what he was doing. I felt as betrayed as the characters by the end - despite knowing! I loved the way in which he manipulated and twisted his words (considering the whole Faeries can't lie thing) and it really reinforced the dark and twisted nature of the Fey and their manipulative sides.  As mentioned throughout this review - the book was DARK... and I loved every second. The characters were manipulative and dark and the plot itself added to the whole theme. I loved the betrayals, the word games and just everything about this twisted book. I lost all expectations for this book because it was just so twisted and I was just completely hooked. I HAD to know what was going to happen next. I physically could not put this book down to save my life and it resulted in me finishing it in one sitting.  The plot itself was also complex. It had multiple plot points and layers and they all wove together and intertwined to come together as one thing at the end. The plot was extremely easy to follow and get lost in despite the various points - I never once felt lost or confused. The plot had a direct effect on the character development - and I loved it! Between Jude and Taryn's relationship developments, along with Cardan and Judes etc. It all worked perfectly together. Can I also just mention that I am totally on board with the twisted canon that was going

Simply quicksand . Had no choice in the matter of an all nighter

Intriguing.... Enjoy the book!

The Cruel Prince was a book I was iffy on reading, but after hearing so many amazing things about it, I decided to give it a chance. I contemplated putting this one down because it does start out a little slow, but I decided to push through in the hopes it would pick up. I am SO SO glad I stuck with this one because the story picked up and took a few twists and turns on the way to its action packed ending. One of the things that stood out to me about these characters is the fact that the characters are not black and white. These characters are complex and deep with a mix of good and evil that makes them seem so REAL. Even the characters who are supposed to be the bad guys have some spark that makes you hope they will overcome the bad in them. Even though I was able to predict a few of the details about the way this one would end, there were several surprises along the way that made this story wonderful.

...five times now. I usually don't re-read books. Once I read this, I went back & read Holly Black's previous series. That was good, but this is incredible. Amazing writing, great characters, a plot that never pauses - and a vision of Faery I desperately wish I could get lost in. WHEN WILL WE GET THE SEQUEL??!! (sorry, just... not knowing anything is painful)

Couldn’t put it down.

Good read

Loved it

My daughter asked me to read this book! I had just finished another fantastic book with fairies and wasnt ready to read another one. I agreed to read only the first chapter after her begging, and was immediately hooked! This is a stay up late, just 1 more chapter, kind of book! I CAN'T wait for the next book in this series!! Hoping there will be many!!!

Amazing

?

I've read a lot, I mean, a lot of fae stories and this book barely kept my attention. I loved her descriptions of the different fae and her including all the unique faes into her story. And while I understand why Jude is the way she is, I couldn't help but feel nothing towards her. Her character is rigid and cold. I care more about her other sisters than her. Her relationships in the book felt cold and forced as well. I wanted more connection between Jude and her love interests. Especially one in particular. He has a big role to play, I know, but I feel like he needed to be explored more. I expected more description of the world itself and the beauty of faeryland. Though giant frogs are sweet! The plot became interesting toward the last 70 pages, but I wish there was more movement in the first section. Overall, I wasn't too happy with the book but hopefully book two and three with spice it up and really get fun. 3.8 out of 5. Still looking forward for the next!

if i could transport myself into any book / fictional world of my choosing, you can bet your buns it's this one.

The Cruel Prince was one that I really wanted to fall in love with. And, I did, to an extent. Superficially, it was alluring and enchanting, and captivated me in the moment. Depth-wise, it just didn't stick with me like I had hoped. This isn't to say it was a bad book. The story was magical and intense. The writing was absolutely gorgeous, but, every time I put the book down to come back to it at a later time, I found it to be less than memorable. I struggled to remember what I had previously read during those gaps of not reading, and found myself backing up to refresh myself before being able to continue. The imagination of the world was spot on. It was vivid and colorful, and had a darkness to it. The characters within the world were a different story. I never felt fully invested in any of the characters. I was never sold on any of their personalities, and never felt like they grew. Then, of course, there was the bullying. Bullying is not necessarily a trigger for, though I was bullied in high school, but in this story, it was pretty intense. Definitely hard to read at times, and something I felt needed to be mentioned. Yes, it was part of the story and made for some shocking moments in the plot, and with the characters, but it was a pretty heavy theme. Overall, I still really enjoyed the book. Despite my negative tone in my review, Holly still made me feel while I was involved in the book. I felt like I was in a dream the entire time. It was vividly enchanting and full of beauty, intrigue, and some shocking and entertaining moments. I loved the ending, and was left wanting more. I will definitely be reading the next book! 3.5-4 stars.

“If I cannot be better than them, I will become so much worse.” Story in a Sentence: Stolen from her world and parents at seven years old, Jude has lived in the High Court of Faerie being treated like dirt for being born a mortal and desperately longs for power and a place at court, but she must first get past the prejudice fey, specifically the youngest and cruelest Prince Cardan. Jude is such an interesting heroine because she is surrounded by conflict, both external and internal. There were even times that I would label her an antihero. Her life has been carved out by trauma, not only being stolen as a child and watching her parents being murdered but also being treated as lower than dirt. Her dynamic with her sister, Taryn, is one of survival, not a close relationship that is often seen in twins. She loves her sister and the rest of her family, but it is very obvious that her adoptive father Madoc has heavily influenced who she is. Her strength is ultimately what sets her apart from the other thousands of YA heroines. She is devoted to herself. She stabbed herself in the hand, not to show loyalty, but to prove she is willing to do anything to gain the freedom she seeks. Jude realized that the only way to have freedom in Faerie is to have power. She isn't stubborn. She is resilient. She is intelligent, not bullheaded. I want to see more heroines like her. I could talk about so many of the characters because they were all so complex and intriguing, but I think it makes more sense if I just talk about Jude and Cardan. Prince Cardan is the worst. Honestly, he has basically no redeeming qualities. Of course, this made me love him because I have a psychological problem where I always fall for the bad boy, except I wouldn't even classify Cardan as bad. Cruel is definitely a better adjective. I have a pretty strong feeling that he is going to end up being similar to Warner from the Shatter Me series. The abuse and self-hatred certainly point towards that happening. After page 247 (or Book Two), I found him to be one of the most impressive characters in YA literature, which is ridiculously impressive in itself because he is drunk for most of it. If you decide to read this book, I highly recommend paying very close attention to Prince Cardan's words and actions, specifically when he is harassing Jude. The more you analyze it, the better it gets. I promise. The true star of the book is the plot. It is a complex work of art that never stops moving. Everything is connected. The reader can actually discover what is going on with the narrator and it isn't veiled behind ambiguous descriptions and hidden characters. No, if you actually pay attention, it is possible to know the majority of what is going to happen. This doesn't make it predictable. It makes it engaging. The ending and epilogue were so brilliant. I was genuinely speechless for a minute. The writing is also very well done. Simplicity is highly underrated. Overall, this is amazing. I loved everything about it. There was never a moment that I didn't want to keep reading. I have shelved this as one of my all-time favorites which says a lot since there are only 9 other books on it. It gets five stars without question. I highly recommend this, especially to lovers of Sarah J. Maas.

Incredible. A wonderful fantasy, with twists, and turns and unexpected betrayal. I love the courage and determination of Jude.

A charming fantasy with twists and turns I never saw coming, much to my delight!