The Cruel Prince
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4.4 • 4.6K Ratings
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Holly Black, comes the first book in a stunning new series about a mortal girl who finds herself caught in a web of royal faerie intrigue.
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.
Jude was seven years old when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong there, despite her mortality. But many of the fey despise humans. Especially Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King.
To win a place at the Court, she must defy him--and face the consequences.
In doing so, she becomes embroiled in palace intrigues and deceptions, discovering her own capacity for bloodshed. But as civil war threatens to drown the Courts of Faerie in violence, Jude will need to risk her life in a dangerous alliance to save her sisters, and Faerie itself.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Best-selling 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
Pretty good, I want to know what happens next
1. There were way too many olden timey words I had to look up that have zero use in my vocabulary.
2. Took a while to get into the story, but it got exciting enough to draw me in.
Very captivating
Wish the author went into more detail on the different creatures and the people of different political stances but plot was amazing and captivating
Awesome🏹🗡️🔪💔🧚🏻♀️🧚🏻♂️🧚
I loved it! This is my 4th time reading the trilogy and immediately after I read it the first time I hunted down every fae book I could find!❤️. I will say the trilogy gets better as it goes on. Also this book is very much a u love it or u hate it, so be warned. In addition people say this is a romantasy, but it’s more of a political fantasy, and it turns into a political romantasy later in the series. And in the kiss scene it’s a bit spontaneous like she hates him one minute then they’re making out the next I didn’t think it was like that but other people do so be warned. Also the people who r saying that it’s “to young adult” please stop, it’s a young adult book, people; like what did u expect. Also it’s definitely very tropey and Cardan is a total jerk and it’s definitely ENEMIES to lovers, like they hattteeeee each other so if u were looking for watered down what I call “rivals to lovers” then look elsewhere. Like she tries to kill him; a lot, like crossbow, dagger, sword, etc. also balekin he sucks but he gets what’s coming to him in the second book “I surrender!!” Iykyk😈😈😈 also 🦊🔒he also gets what’s coming to him but sadly we all have to wait until the third book “letter opener” 😈😈😈