The Cruel Prince

The Cruel Prince

by Holly Black

5 out of 5

Synopsis
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 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.

As Jude becomes more deeply embroiled in palace intrigues and deceptions, she discovers her own capacity for trickery and bloodshed. But as betrayal 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.



Review
Jude's parents are murdered, she and her sisters are whisked away to the land of Faerie, to be raised by their murderer. Human Jude has to find her place in this court of cruel immortals.

I didn't know anything going into this book, other than the hype, and seeing it constantly appear on Goodreads.
When being introduced to the three sisters, I was mildly surprised that we weren't going to be following half-Fae Vivi, but instead one of the human twins.
I was a little dubious for the first couple of chapters, as Jude and her twin sister Taryn seem very young. They are the only human children raised in the immortal world of Faerie, they are treated as curiosities, or unwanted pets by many at Court. Because of this, the twins spend a lot of time keeping their heads down, and trying to be - if not accepted - invisible.
You are thrown straight into the world of Faerie, and it is a maddening place, with various goblins, imps, fae and the like. It took me a while to find my feet in Faerie, as Black clearly has a bigger, more in-depth world than she initially shares.

The pace changes as Jude raises her head and decides that she doesn't just want to meekly accept her fate, like her timid twin Taryn. Instead, she plans to earn recognition in the Faerie Court. Jude is a passionate fighter, and already knows that she is good; now she wants to prove that she is one of the best, regardless of her weak human blood.

As Jude chases her dreams, you learn more about how cruel and barbaric the land of Faerie really is. They think nothing of violence and betrayal, within their own ranks, and definitely towards the lowly humans. Even though Faeries are unable to lie, they are crafty creatures, careful with their words, and misdirections.
You get wrapped up in the various groups, with their political and selfish drives in Court. The old king is coming to the end of his rule, and there are several potential heirs, all vying for the throne.
Cruelty is not unusual, and it is often encouraged. Jude often finds herself as the target for pranks and general maliciousness, which really go over the line.

I loved the twists and implications of everything that happened in this first book, and I can't wait to read the Wicked King.


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