The Cruel Prince

I would give it a 3.5. I’m hoping the books get better as they go. I found this one to be somewhat tedious to finish.

This book was not my favorite. I didn't care for the constant bullying, and then all of a sudden, she found the guy attractive.

This book isn’t like the worst thing I have ever read. I wouldn’t call it bad necessarily. But I really struggle with it and I’m considering DNF-ing it.
I am not completely a seasoned fantasy reader. But I noted a lot of things that either are similar or played off of ACOTAR (2015) and this book was released in 2018. This could just be a coincidence, OR these things are commonly written while the theme is Fae.But it tickled me wrong.
The very first chapter/ prologue was a strange way to start. Felt forced. Very little world building in the first few chapters, I agree with some other reviews that this is definitely a young adult writing style with more adult themes. It weird.

I’ll finish the book. But I’m not sure I am happy about it.

Holly Black’s version of Faerie draws me in every time. It’s been a long time since I’ve read her books but this reminds me why I loved them so much. After the first big twist/huge unexpected thing happened, I couldn’t put the book down. It was kind of hard for me to keep some of the characters straight. The end of the book threw me for a loop. I can’t wait for the next one to see what happens.

Holly Black is a master storyteller with characters you love, love to hate, and just outright hate; and I was instantly taken with all of them. She also has an innate ability to paint a beautiful world where I feel like I'm in it. Overall, this is a well-written fantasy book with magical creatures, humans, and a beautifully crafted Faerie world.

If you are looking for something to read after ACOTAR then this is a good book. I did not see well most of the story and the end coming. I look forward to starting the next book.

Enjoyed the first part of this story, although, it was a little weird. I think I would have liked more world-building. The middle I sort of lost interest. The end brought it back together, but I'm not sure I was invested enough to continue. Not sure yet.

Written clearly for a teenage crowd, I’m usually attracted to the fantasy but turned off by the immaturity. For some reason I found myself INVESTED though.
Jude is immature and impossibly (unbelievably) resilient and by the end, I wasn’t even sure whether she was a “good guy”. In fact, most of the characters blur the line between good and evil and don’t care whether you like them or not.
It managed to surprise me with a twist and left me wanting the rest of the story, thoroughly confusing my reading tastes.

Jude is who I want to be when I grow up.

I really liked this book. The last half is great.

Gulped this down in one sitting.
Jude and her sisters see their parents murdered in front of them. Madoc was her human mother's husband and she had absconded with the smith and made a quiet life in the human world with Madoc's daughter Vivienne. Madoc brings them to faerie and treats them as part of his family; which they technically are, and educates them with the full faerie who bully them and treat them dreadfully. Jude wants to be a warrior, Taryn, her twin, wants to marry faerie and Vivienne wants to go back to the human world to live. Madoc has another wife and Oak is their son. He's young and it's all messy in the family dynamics.
Then the king announces that he's going to abdicate in favour of one of his sons and politics ensue. One of Jude's major tormentors is Carden and as the story progresses he becomes more important to the story and to Jude's future.
It's messy politics with characters who just keep hitting moments in the story that I really couldn't put down. (Bad Decisions book Club winner)

My favorite trilogy!! It has a real enemies to lovers trope, they literally hate each other at the beginning and you can feel the tension. The protagonist is very empowered and clever, one of the strongest characters I've come across. Additionally, all the books in the trilogy have an amazing plot twist, highly recommended. (Translated from Spanish)

A thrilling story with endless twists. (Translated from Spanish)

At first, it was quite difficult for me to get into the story, but after a little less than halfway through, I couldn't stop thinking about it. It keeps you intrigued, and the plot twists are incredible. The romance between the protagonists is hinted at, but I perhaps wished for a bit more between them.

I can't wait to read the second part. (Translated from Spanish)

This is a book that pleasantly surprised me; while I didn't have expectations, I just didn't think about how much I would enjoy it, and that caught me off guard. It's a reading experience that I found very pleasant because it has many good things; while it starts from a world that is already perfectly constructed and developed in a previous trilogy, it continues to surprise you and provide new perspectives on it, which I love. Another good aspect I found is that it's easy to read; since a lot happens all the time, there’s always action in one way or another, which is why it flies by—you can feel like you've only read a couple of pages and suddenly you're at page 30; plus, it’s even easier because I feel it has the perfect number of pages to develop the story's conclusion. I loved with all my heart that it has many memorable phrases, but this earns a medal of honor for the author because out of the 6 books I've read so far set in the same world, I hadn’t encountered so many beautiful and incredible lines as in this book—I loved it a lot. And lastly, the element that made me adore this book with all my heart and perhaps not judge it like I do with others is that it features two wonderful protagonists who stole my heart; you can see their evolution with just two books and how every decision they make makes them a better version of themselves. I admit that I deeply like Oak and Wren, but separately; together, I didn't like it and it didn’t fully convince me as a couple—it felt too obvious and forced. As friends, they would have made the perfect book; however, what felt forced here didn't sit well with me. On the other hand, I must admit that some chapters have the perfect length, but many others feel extremely long, and that's not my favorite thing. (Translated from Spanish)

I can't fully determine if I liked this book. Let's break it down: it's gripping, the story is intriguing, and I love the world. I adore fairies. Although they are often portrayed as cruel and manipulative beings, I am fascinated by their connection to nature and magic. Therefore, any story that includes fairies will always have my attention.
Our protagonist is Jude, a human girl who was forcibly taken to the fairy realm along with her two sisters when they were children. She has grown up there, and her greatest wish now is to be a part of this world and belong to it. The fairies despise her for being mortal, and the one who seems to hate her the most is Prince Cardan, the youngest son of the king, who shares classes with her. To achieve her goal, Jude is forced to work twice as hard as everyone else; she makes strong enemies and dubious allies, but above all, she overcomes herself as she sneaks through the shadows of the royal court. As a fantasy story, it is well-constructed, although many things are explained simply because “it's magic.” Overall, it is an intriguing world with fascinating beings. The whole idea of the courts is very interesting, although it doesn't receive much importance throughout most of the book. Since this is the first in a trilogy, I understand that it is more introductory and aims for us to get to know and empathize with our young and fearless protagonist first and foremost. Regarding the world and story, I liked it a lot. It doesn't overdo descriptions nor does it drag on; in general, it has a constant and light rhythm.
Now, let's talk about what I didn't quite like: the characters. And this is my humble personal opinion that will probably contain spoilers. With that warning, I continue. I don't like Jude. Look, she's a strong and independent protagonist, very determined, brave, she doesn't let herself be intimidated, and she uses her cunning and intelligence to secure her goals. Now for the bad: I found her too selfish, deceitful, and manipulative. I understand that circumstances require her to figure things out to get ahead, and I respect that. But I don't like characters who use others and trample on their freedom by making decisions for them. It's a very "Lannister" attitude, very "Slytherin," just to give an example, and while I respect it, I don't approve of it. Maybe it's because I'm 100% Stark and Hufflepuff; I find it too hard to empathize with the “I only care about my goal and screw everyone who gets in my way.” I don’t know, but in summary, she’s not the type of protagonist I love. To tell you, I ended up empathizing much more with Cardan, who is supposed to be the villain of the story. Although his cruelty was very evident, I quickly realized it wasn't entirely real, and later, when we learned a bit more about him, it became obvious. It bothered me quite a bit that Jude was unable to see beyond his facade; I attribute that to the fact that she only cares about her own opinion. But it's also true that we saw very little of Cardan; I would have liked to know more about him and his point of view. And I’m curious to see how things will unfold in the next books.
Regarding romance, there was none in this book, which also lowered my hype a bit because romance is the fuel that ignites the fire of my obsessions. I need romance. I hope to see romance in the upcoming books. Although, the foundations that have been laid so far are not appealing to me at all. Therefore, because of Jude and that, I give it 3.5 stars. Let's see how it continues. (Translated from Spanish)

And the problems, lies, and confusions continue. Who would have thought that love (in any of its forms) could be so destructive and cruel?

I believe that once you start lying, there's no way to stop. They say that lies are like a snowball rolling down a hill, getting bigger with every turn they take, and there's no way to stop them until they explode and cover you in everything they are.

Loyalties are difficult, and how to decide to whom to be loyal when everyone around you is loyal to everything except you...

Let's see what the third and final book of this story has in store for us. United we stand, going for everything! (Translated from Spanish)

For the first time this year, I found myself struggling to get into a book (which is unfortunate, because this book was more enjoyable than others). I am not sure if it was the book itself or I got a little book burnout.

The Cruel Prince was not a bad book, but it was not one that captured me right away. I felt as though I had to get through about 300 pages to really become invested in what was happening. Naturally, it would be the last 70 pages, and now I want to get the second book, so in that aspect, the book did a good job.

I can not point to anything I truly dislike about the book, I just felt like much of it took a long time to get going, and it was almost a constant repeat of events. That being said, at the conclusion of the book, I can see how most of it was helpful for context once things got going.

I plan on picking up the next book, and hoping that it picks up where this one left off. Maybe if much of the background was covered, The Wicked King can focus more on events.

It took awhile for The Cruel Price to hook me, but once it did I couldn’t put it down. This novel is so much darker than I expected it to be, but I’m intrigued by the story and can’t wait to see where it’s headed.

Jude is a mortal girl who was pulled into the fairy world along with her sisters. She wants to belong and earn her place in this world, and for that, she will have to make certain decisions and betray her friends and family. She will also meet a certain prince who hates her a lot.

It’s a bit slow at first; I had a hard time getting into the rhythm, but after the halfway point of the book, it’s hard to put down. The protagonist annoys me a bit at certain moments, but the enemies to lovers dynamic between the protagonists is very well constructed; it’s what I enjoyed the most about the books. (Translated from Spanish)

I have never been a fan of fairy tales, or at least I have never been interested in reading any of them. However, this book completely captivated me; I haven't stopped reading it. It is easy to read and keeps the reader hooked, eager to know more about this story. 100% recommended. (Translated from Spanish)

I love, love, love Holly Black’s worlds and this was no exception. I should have read this months ago, when it was first suggested to me. I loved the gory, scary, love and death soaked beginning. I love the slow reveals (like the red cap), but also found the love hat super predictable from the beginning, of not the familial betrayal so close to home. I’m deeply interested in where this series goes.

It was not what I expected and I really don't understand what the charm is in this book ? (Translated from Spanish)

Jude was seven years old when her parents were murdered and she was taken to live in the world of the High Court of Faerie. Jude and her siblings wanted for nothing except belonging. In her attempts for acceptance, Jude mingles her way into politics and makes enemies with Prince Cardan. Jude discovers the deceptions, scandals, and secrets of the court while refining her skills in strategy. To protect the fey and her siblings, Jude must fall into the hypocrisies of the court.

Holly Black has created a bridge between humanity and the world of fey. The world building, magic, and character development are picturesque. Near the end, there was a lot of warranted rage portrayed that disturbs the plot. All in all, The Cruel Prince is a commendable read. This book is part of The Fold of the Air Series and the next book is The Lost Sisters.

What do I take away from THE CRUEL PRINCE? The first thing I can say is that my reluctance to get to know this work went out the window when I stumbled upon a sister series by this author that piqued my curiosity. Getting to know The Folk of the Air felt both novel and familiar in some way. While it's true that at the beginning I could feel all my hatred and was almost repelled by part of the plot, I can't deny that the author's writing manages to take you where she wants, showing the growth of the story and how it complicates itself. Not only does Jude have to face various situations, but I can also say that the family relationships are something I sometimes hate in this work, yet there are bonds that surprise you as they reach a point of no return, almost breaking your heart to see that evolution.

I want you to know that the couple's relationship in this work is one of total hatred; there is no love. There may be some attraction, but it is overshadowed by everything surrounding Cardan and Jude. So if you’re looking for a romance from the start, I don't think you're going to find it here. In fact, I think that’s great because it would lose its spark if this girl, whom you see grow, did not surprise you with all the decisions she makes, her way of navigating the world on her hero’s journey, which has left me amazed and wanting more... I'm telling you, I'm already on the second part.

There’s no doubt that Holly Black has captivated me surprisingly with her works, so I can only recommend this marvel. Happy reading! (Translated from Spanish)

A very good fantasy book with a surprising ending. (Translated from Spanish)

Holly Black is one of my favorite YA authors and I've enjoyed every single one of her faerie lore books. She is very good with characterisations and building a world around those characters in a way that is easy to visualize and thus immerse yourself in as the reader - this book is no exception. If you've liked any of Holly's previous Faerie novels then you're sure to love this one. I cannot wait for the sequel!

First book I read by this author and I am amazed at how she manages to transport me to so many places through her writing. It made me feel like I was there with each of the characters, in simple words: I loved it. (Translated from Spanish)

For a long time, I hadn't found a book that made me long to read more as soon as I started it. I loved everything, I loved that world, I loved Jude, I understood Cardan, and I fell in love with the plot. (Translated from Spanish)

Trigger warnings: murders/deaths, bullying, violence.

This book is one of the best I've ever read. From its addictive writing to the story and its characters.

Let's start with Jude. I love her so much, and throughout the story, I admired her bravery and her ability to take risks, which were more daring at times than others, but that’s just how she is. She earned a place in my heart; I really enjoyed getting to know her, and I wouldn’t mind knowing more about her in future books that I can't wait to read.

Now, let's talk about Cardan, who completely breaks my morality. I love him so much, and I feel that his development was crucial to the story. I don't know what else to say about him; his taste in wine, haha, just kidding, but I discovered surprising things about him—every detail was wow.

P.S.: His tail is very cute ??

The enemies to lovers dynamic between Jude and Cardan is incredible; I loved how it evolved, and I hope to see more of this in the next book. What a fantastic couple, more bi panic that will stay in my heart.

The story kept me in great suspense; I felt it deeply, and with every moment, I was thinking about different characters that ultimately turned out to be significant, and I truly loved feeling that way; I got immersed in the story.

Vivienne was very likable; I loved how, despite being different from her sisters (immortal), she loved and cared for them after what happened, although at times I felt she was a bit selfish.

Taryn, I don't know if I feel indifferent towards her or dislike her; it’s honestly a confusing case for me. The story shows us aspects of her that made me doubt, but from the beginning, I felt indifferent—didn't really sympathize with her and tried not to hate her, but in the end, I didn't like her (I’m not going to throw hate at her).

Yes, I thought I would like this story since I first heard about it, but I didn't think I would like it this much. I highly recommend it, and I still have three books left <3 (Translated from Spanish)