Author: Holly Black
Genre: YA Fantasy
Publisher: Little, Brown for Young Readers - Copyright 2018
Review Copy Source: Purchased via Audible.com
Read: May 16-19, 2018
Disclaimer: I purchased the copy of this book that is reviewed here and have received no compensation from the author or publisher. All opinions are my own.
Review: Before I dive into my review of The Cruel Prince by Holly Black,
allow me to provide the description as provided by the publisher:
"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."
Now, with that little piece of business out of the way, here is my unbiased, totally professional review...
From the moment I began listening to The Cruel Prince, I was hooked. Holly Black is a master world builder, and she certainly proves it here. There are a plethora of Fae- and Fairy-based books and series available in the young adult fantasy market, and at times they seem to overlap in their mythologies. For example, Black and Sarah J. Maas (author of the Throne of Glass and A Court of Thorns and Roses book) both seem to pull inspiration from Celtic myths. Both authors have protagonists who are human, or who at least appear human, trying to survive in worlds in which they are ill-equipped to deal with the magic-wielding, physically stronger, and long lived Fae/Fairy who surround them. However, The Cruel Prince doesn't seek to change the fundamental humanness of Jude because it's her humanness is her greatest strength.
Cardan, the literal cruel prince of the story, hates Jude...or does he? There is certainly chemistry between the two and a helluva lot of tension and even animosity, but each have their own strengths and weaknesses. One weakness they have in common is the other. Jude starts as a strong character who continues to gain in strength and power throughout the book. Cardan is no slouch, though. He is the embodiment of the bad boy you hate to love.
The multiple strands of deceit and manipulation that run throughout the story kept me guessing until the very end, and then when the Big Reveal was made, it was something that hadn't even crossed my mind as a possibility. And yet, it made complete sense, but it wasn't until that moment I realized exactly how well Holly Black had set up the strands and tied them together in a satisfying way that still left me hungry for the next book.
The Cruel Prince is an automatic "must read" recommendation from me, and I can't wait until the sequel, The Wicked King, drops in January 2019.
Review at a Glance:
Concept: A+
Execution: A+
Writing Style: A+
Characters: A+
Reader Connection: A+
Overall Grade: A+
Would I Buy This Author Again: Absolutely! *crying* Why must I wait soooooo long for a sequel?
"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."
Now, with that little piece of business out of the way, here is my unbiased, totally professional review...
From the moment I began listening to The Cruel Prince, I was hooked. Holly Black is a master world builder, and she certainly proves it here. There are a plethora of Fae- and Fairy-based books and series available in the young adult fantasy market, and at times they seem to overlap in their mythologies. For example, Black and Sarah J. Maas (author of the Throne of Glass and A Court of Thorns and Roses book) both seem to pull inspiration from Celtic myths. Both authors have protagonists who are human, or who at least appear human, trying to survive in worlds in which they are ill-equipped to deal with the magic-wielding, physically stronger, and long lived Fae/Fairy who surround them. However, The Cruel Prince doesn't seek to change the fundamental humanness of Jude because it's her humanness is her greatest strength.
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| The embodiment of Cardan's and Jude's interaction. Original artist unknown - Source: Pintrest.com |
The multiple strands of deceit and manipulation that run throughout the story kept me guessing until the very end, and then when the Big Reveal was made, it was something that hadn't even crossed my mind as a possibility. And yet, it made complete sense, but it wasn't until that moment I realized exactly how well Holly Black had set up the strands and tied them together in a satisfying way that still left me hungry for the next book.
The Cruel Prince is an automatic "must read" recommendation from me, and I can't wait until the sequel, The Wicked King, drops in January 2019.
Review at a Glance:
Concept: A+
Execution: A+
Writing Style: A+
Characters: A+
Reader Connection: A+
Overall Grade: A+
Would I Buy This Author Again: Absolutely! *crying* Why must I wait soooooo long for a sequel?
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