Everyone has raved about this book and when I saw it perched on a shelf at the library, I gasped a little. I instantly picked it up hoping it lived up to the praise I’ve seen sprawled across social media. This was also the first time reading a Holly Black novel, so, my expectations were high. I adored the writing style, Jude’s development and how dark the second half of the novel was. However, the romance and development of other characters didn’t impress me.
The Cruel Prince started off on the slow side, but the second half of the book took me by surprise with how darkly twisted it was. I wasn’t ready for that ending AT ALL - I love a book which plays with your expectations. Some scenes crept up out of nowhere which were incredibly intense and bloody, so much so that my heart was pounding as I raced through the pages. Finally, the climax was twisted, full of deceit and tied everything together perfectly.
Something else I wasn’t expecting was the incorporation of the human world. I expected this to be a full-blown fantasy, but when the prologue opened with a young Jude dipping fish sticks into ketchup in the modern world, I was even more intrigued.
Moreover, Jude’s development throughout the story is what impressed me the most. I can see Jude taking on an anti-hero role in the next book and I’m so ready for it. Even though he annoyed me at first, Cardan also grew on me a lot towards the end and I look forward to seeing him take on his new role in the next book.
Although I loved Black’s writing style, I thought some characters were introduced way too quickly and didn’t seem to develop much as the story went on. I thought some of them were quite one dimensional. At some points, I was confused as to what characters fit in where and who’s related to who.
Despite that, I really enjoyed this world! I’m hoping the sequel continues down the dark, twisted path of the second half the novel. I have high hopes for this series and look forward to spending more time in the world of Faerie.
The Cruel Prince started off on the slow side, but the second half of the book took me by surprise with how darkly twisted it was. I wasn’t ready for that ending AT ALL - I love a book which plays with your expectations. Some scenes crept up out of nowhere which were incredibly intense and bloody, so much so that my heart was pounding as I raced through the pages. Finally, the climax was twisted, full of deceit and tied everything together perfectly.
Something else I wasn’t expecting was the incorporation of the human world. I expected this to be a full-blown fantasy, but when the prologue opened with a young Jude dipping fish sticks into ketchup in the modern world, I was even more intrigued.
Moreover, Jude’s development throughout the story is what impressed me the most. I can see Jude taking on an anti-hero role in the next book and I’m so ready for it. Even though he annoyed me at first, Cardan also grew on me a lot towards the end and I look forward to seeing him take on his new role in the next book.
Although I loved Black’s writing style, I thought some characters were introduced way too quickly and didn’t seem to develop much as the story went on. I thought some of them were quite one dimensional. At some points, I was confused as to what characters fit in where and who’s related to who.
Despite that, I really enjoyed this world! I’m hoping the sequel continues down the dark, twisted path of the second half the novel. I have high hopes for this series and look forward to spending more time in the world of Faerie.