The cruel prince is a YA fantasy set in the faerie world. We follow Jude, her twin sister Taryn and her older sister Vivienne, as their parents are brutally murdered by fae redcap Mardoc and they are carted away to the land of faerie. After a decade of living in the brutal yet compelling lands of the fae, Vivienne, being half fae, seems to fit in yet she still despises Madoc. Taryn and Jude are not so lucky, they are constantly segregated from the rest of the faeries and are abused by their peers. While Taryn seems content living with her head held down Jude is determined to best the fae. Enter a plot chock full of betrayal, murder, plot twists, politics and of course romance.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I must say I am a sucker for a good fae fantasy and holly black did not disappoint. I loved the well developed characters and the writing was beautiful, making the reading experience thoroughly immersive and very enjoyable. Jude as a main character was more complex than I expected for a YA fantasy and I’ve got to say I loved the fact that she was imperfect and kind of badass and not the stereotypical perfect damsel in distress. My only criticism was that it was kind of cliche and “tropey” romance wise.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I must say I am a sucker for a good fae fantasy and holly black did not disappoint. I loved the well developed characters and the writing was beautiful, making the reading experience thoroughly immersive and very enjoyable. Jude as a main character was more complex than I expected for a YA fantasy and I’ve got to say I loved the fact that she was imperfect and kind of badass and not the stereotypical perfect damsel in distress. My only criticism was that it was kind of cliche and “tropey” romance wise.