The Cruel Prince (A Novel of Elfhame)
Where TikTok’s Faerie Obsession Began
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4.2 • 887 Ratings
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
"Lush, dangerous, a dark jewel of a book . . . intoxicating" - Leigh Bardugo, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Six of Crows
Of course I want to be like them. They're beautiful as blades forged in some divine fire. They will live forever.
And Cardan is even more beautiful than the rest. I hate him more than all the others. I hate him so much that sometimes when I look at him, I can hardly breathe.
One terrible morning, Jude and her sisters see their parents murdered in front of them. The terrifying assassin abducts all three girls to the world of Faerie, where Jude is installed in the royal court but mocked and tormented by the Faerie royalty for being mortal.
As Jude grows older, she realises that she will need to take part in the dangerous deceptions of the fey to ever truly belong.
But the stairway to power is fraught with shadows and betrayal. And looming over all is the infuriating, arrogant and charismatic Prince Cardan . . .
Enter the dramatic and thrilling world of the Folk of the Air, brimful of magic and romance from New York Times bestselling author Holly Black.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Bestselling YA author Holly Black kicks off her Folk of the Air fantasy trilogy by pulling us into her intricately imagined realm of Faerie. Populated by pixies, sprites, trolls and a thousand other fantastical creatures, Black’s rich, ornate world is a dazzling background for serious drama and intrigue. The Cruel Prince is a super-fun, immersive fantasy that also deals with the real, complex emotions stirred up by the desire to be accepted. We can’t wait to get our hands on the second book!
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
When Jude Duarte was seven, she watched Madoc, general to the high king of Elfhame, slaughter her parents. Madoc then dragged Jude and her two sisters off to Faerieland, where he raised them as his own. Ten years later, Jude remains an outcast who is cruelly bullied by the other children of Faerie the king's youngest son, Prince Cardan, chief among them. Jude dreams of becoming a member of the High Court and the power that it confers, so when the opportunity arises for her to enter into the service of one of Cardan's brothers, she seizes it, inadvertently placing herself at the center of a bloody coup and endangering the lives of everyone she loves. First in a trilogy, this spellbinding fantasy from Black (The Darkest Part of the Forest) reflects on the cost of ambition and explores the bomb-strewn border between love and hate. Breathtaking set pieces, fully developed supporting characters, and a beguiling, tough-as-nails heroine enhance an intricate, intelligent plot that crescendos to a jaw-dropping third-act twist. Ages 15 up.
Customer Reviews
Beautiful
I loved The Cruel Prince, but I think it’s just a little overated. I love Jude - I think she is such a strong and formidable female protagonist. I love this book, but the beginning was kind of slow and boring. The last two-thirds of the book made up for it, though. Even though I think this book is amazing, if I was ti recimmend with a yes, no, or maybe, i would say maybe, also because of some of the themes it covers. Needless to say, The Cruel Prince is an excellent book, and I definitely want to read more of the Folk of the Air trilogy.
The cruel Prince
Amazing!!! Must read
Book tok you let me down
Decided to try something new and read a book recommended by a lot of people on TikTok.
And Wow was I disappointed, as a lover of Sarah J Maas/ Fourth wing series (I could go on forever) etc….I feel like expectations for Fantasy are just too high for this kind of book.
I feel like the twists you can see coming from a mile away, the descriptions and pace of the book at the start are just plain old boring, and while you do find a liking for some characters along the way, I literally had to PUSH myself to finish this book.
I’m hoping that the fact that it’s a YA book and not a normal read is the reason why this book wasn’t enjoyable for me but yeah.
If you are a lover of the books I’ve mentioned I wouldn’t even bother, HOWEVER if you’ve never read any fantasy books this is a good foot in the door.