I picked up this book recognising the name Holly Black as one from my childhood and I'm really pleased that I can say I remember her as well as she writes now.
The world of The Cruel Prince is one that draws you in and takes you prisoner within the first few pages, let alone the first few chapters. It's pacy and you feel much the same as a human thrown into the world of the fae may feel. The setting is gloriously developed and rich with detail.
What sets The Cruel Prince aside from other young adult novels of a similar ilk, is the distance it puts between romance and plot. A lot of YA fiction now thinks the romance itself is all that is needed for plot and it's refreshing to see an author approach this genre from a direction that differs from this new norm. The plot itself is complex enough to keep twisting and turning with intrigue without losing the reader and each character is fleshed out with the plot and no development ever seems to break the flow of the overall story. It speaks of Black's intimacy with her characters that none of them seem to act out of accordance.
I guess the best review of the book is that it took me under 24 hours from cover to finish and I'm eager to find the continuation of this series.
The world of The Cruel Prince is one that draws you in and takes you prisoner within the first few pages, let alone the first few chapters. It's pacy and you feel much the same as a human thrown into the world of the fae may feel. The setting is gloriously developed and rich with detail.
What sets The Cruel Prince aside from other young adult novels of a similar ilk, is the distance it puts between romance and plot. A lot of YA fiction now thinks the romance itself is all that is needed for plot and it's refreshing to see an author approach this genre from a direction that differs from this new norm. The plot itself is complex enough to keep twisting and turning with intrigue without losing the reader and each character is fleshed out with the plot and no development ever seems to break the flow of the overall story. It speaks of Black's intimacy with her characters that none of them seem to act out of accordance.
I guess the best review of the book is that it took me under 24 hours from cover to finish and I'm eager to find the continuation of this series.