If you think Faerie land is full of sweetness and light then Holly Black's book will leave you realising that this is as far from the truth as it's possible to be!
Jude and her two sisters (Taryn and Vivi) are taken away from the world of mortals as children (having witnessed the murder of their Mum and Dad at the hands of a Faerie general).
Vivi is half faerie but prefers the mortal life whereas Jude throws herself into her new life, despite being persecuted by Prince Carlan and his friends. She is recruited to be a spy in court and, following a bloody massacre of, what amounts to, most of the royal family the future of Faerie land is in her hands.
Deceit and intrigue are the main themes throughout and I confess that I found it all a bit hard to keep up with at times.
The characters are all so horrid that even in the wake of the blood bath whilst I was shocked I didn't really care. Ultimately I need to care about the characters to be fully invested in the story and this didn't quite hit the mark for me. That said, I can see that it would have wide appeal and that there will be many many readers who can't wait for the next instalment.
Jude and her two sisters (Taryn and Vivi) are taken away from the world of mortals as children (having witnessed the murder of their Mum and Dad at the hands of a Faerie general).
Vivi is half faerie but prefers the mortal life whereas Jude throws herself into her new life, despite being persecuted by Prince Carlan and his friends. She is recruited to be a spy in court and, following a bloody massacre of, what amounts to, most of the royal family the future of Faerie land is in her hands.
Deceit and intrigue are the main themes throughout and I confess that I found it all a bit hard to keep up with at times.
The characters are all so horrid that even in the wake of the blood bath whilst I was shocked I didn't really care. Ultimately I need to care about the characters to be fully invested in the story and this didn't quite hit the mark for me. That said, I can see that it would have wide appeal and that there will be many many readers who can't wait for the next instalment.