The Cruel Prince

Title: The Cruel Prince
Author: Holly Black
Genre: Fantasy, YA
Source: Hardcover: Library
Rating: 4 out of 5


When Jude was a young child, her parents were murdered in front of her.  To make it worse, the man who murdered them took Jude and her two sisters with him away to the realm of the Faeries.  Ten years later Jude wants nothing more than to simply belong, to have a place in their world beyond being the ward of a warrior.  Many of the fae despise humans and will do anything to torment the girls.  In order to win a place in the Court, Jude must defy the crown prince himself.  She accepts an offer from the prince's brother, an offer that may shows Jude she is capable of incredible things including bloodshed.  When a traitor threatens the royal line, Jude places herself in the line of danger to save herself, her sisters, and the fate of the Faerie kingdom.  Will she have the strength?  Will those she trust prove to be allies or enemies?

This was a book that I was excited about being published this year and couldn't wait to get my hands on it at the library. I have read The Darkest Part of the Forest before and I loved that book, so why wouldn't I love this one right?  I thought the plot and the story line were interesting though I have read other books with the similar idea of human girl in the faerie world.  But what Holly Black does with this novel is different from other books out there.  She takes this idea and puts a new twist to it and creates something truly remarkable.


I liked that throughout the novel you don't know the true motives of various characters.  You think one person is Jude's ally and then they betray her.  Everyone has their own reasons for doing what they do and you don't pick up on it until Jude finds out.  I love that about the book, it isn't as predictable as some other novels.  When you begin this novel you are hooked from the beginning.  You are connected to Jude and feel the emotions she feels.  You begin to hate the characters she hates and love the ones she loves, though I admit I liked Madoc's new wife (I admit I forget her name), while she seemed put off by the human girls, it seemed all she wanted to truly do was protect them from the dangers of the faerie world.  I also liked the Madoc was sometimes the bad guy but sometimes the good guy too.  He seemed to have some sort of love for the girls, but didn't know how to show it or it seemed misinterpreted especially when he denies Jude the honor of fighting with his colors/flag.


I have seen Holly Black referred to as the Queen of all things Fae, and after reading two of her books revolving around the fae...I think this is a correct moniker for her.  Her books, while the revolve around the same general theme of the Faerie World, they are vastly different, though there are rumors they take place in the same world.  Interesting.  Her writing style is very lyrical and beautiful.  There isn't the normal "fluff" or unnecessary information.  Everything in her book leads to something else, everything plays off of each other and that's what makes Holly Black such an amazing writer.  She has the ability to write a story that will linger with you until you pick up another one of her books and that adds to your addiction.  I look forward to reading more books by Holly Black and definitely recommend The Cruel Prince to anyone who loves fantasy and the world of faeries.


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