The Cruel Prince (The Folk of the Air #1)

January 16, 2018

The Cruel Prince (The Folk of the Air #1) - Holly Black

Pages: 384

Format: Hardcover

Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

Publication Date: Jan. 2nd, 2018

ISBN: 9780316310277

Price: $24.99 CAN

Goodreads Synopsis:

Jude was seven years old when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong there, despite her mortality. But many of the fey despise humans. Especially Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King.

To win a place at the Court, she must defy him–and face the consequences.

In doing so, she becomes embroiled in palace intrigues and deceptions, discovering her own capacity for bloodshed. But as civil war threatens to drown the Courts of Faerie in violence, Jude will need to risk her life in a dangerous alliance to save her sisters, and Faerie itself.

"Nice things don't happen in storybooks," Taryn says. "Or when they do happen, something bad happens next. Because otherwise the story would be boring, and no one would read it." - pg 138

Well, The Cruel Prince is definitely NOT boring!! And, it is not only the prince who is cruel. Beware, this is a deliciously dark and twisted story!

WHAT I LIKED:

The Writing. Awesome!! Well done - the story was fast-paced, emotional, and clever. The dialogue between the characters flowed well, and was real. There were times that the writing was so real - so angry and viscous - that I had to close the book for a second and take a deep breath. I feel like when a writer can make you feel an emotion they are trying to convey, with that clarity, they have done a great job!

The Plot. Oh my goodness, this was like a well played game of chess. It was intense! There was definitely a Game of Thrones vibe. The politics, the scandal, the treachery. Everybody had their own agenda and a trick up their sleeve! And, it was all executed spectacularly.

The World. This is a dark fantasy world, exceptionally built. We see a side of Faerie not often written. Where humans are kept as slaves, violence is entertainment, and power is of utmost importance.

The Characters. This is tricky because while I appreciate and like how well the characters are written, I didn't actually "like" many of the characters. However, I'm pretty sure, not many of the characters were created to be liked.

They were incredibly real and their personalities and character traits well developed. Most of the characters are quite cruel and deceptive- pretty much everyone in this story has a dark/questionable side.

WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE:

The Mood/Vibe. There is a constant dark mood throughout the book -It definitely added to the story, but it did become (for me personally) quite heavy and overwhelming at times. I think that it would have done some good - not only for the atmosphere of the world, but for the likability of the characters - had there been some lighter feel good scenes.

There Was No One to Root For. As a character driven reader, this was hard for me! I didn't find that I wanted to root for Jude, she was so power hungry and prideful that it made her just as unlikable as the "villains."

There did seem to be a hint of character evolution throughout the last of the novel though, so, I have hope!!

WRAP-UP:

I struggled while trying to decide what to rate this book. The book was so well written, and the story so captivating; however, I didn't connect with any of the characters. And, while this story definitely elicited strong emotions from the reader, they were heavy and quite intense. Yet, I still really enjoyed reading this book! Soooo.....

RATING:

4.5/5 Stars

Would I recommend this book? YES! It's dark, it's different. it'll keep you on your toes!!

To whom? Everyone! If you enjoy twisted tales of trechery, this is the book for you!!

Will I continue the series? Yes! Yes I will. I am so curious to see how things are going to turn out, not only for Jude and her family, but for the kingdom!

Will I read other Holly Black's works? I really enjoy Holly Black's writing. I have read a few of her other series published, and am excited to read future stories.