The Cruel Prince turned out not to be my thing. It just felt so immediately typical — the cruel and fascinating Fae with their fairy fruit and their grudge against mortals, the human girls in love with the world of Faerie. The human girl determined to prove herself by fighting, the betrayals and backstabbing, the evil and beautiful boy who turns out to have been abused, etc, etc, etc… it just all kind of felt familiar and I wasn’t getting into it. I’ve heard that the ending is very worth it, but I didn’t get there, so I couldn’t say.

Mostly, I just feel like if I’m dragging through a book at 50 pages a day and only that much because I feel I have to, even though it’s not all that dense or anything, then it’s time to give it up. So I did.

I really tried to like this book - there was so much hype around it and everyone else seemed to genuinely enjoy it but I just couldn't get into it. I don't know if it is because I wasn't in the right frame of mind but i just didn't gel with any of the characters. Their motives all seemed off to me and I just found myself shaking my head a lot as I was reading it wondering if I was the problem. I most likely won't be continuing the series which is a shame as I have enjoyed Holly's previous work.

I am utterly blown away by this book! I binged the entire series in a week, and know it will take me a while to move on. The characters are all so real to me, they each have so many flaws, but I live them all the more for it. The world building and magic system are wonderful to read about, and so well described, it was so immersive. The plot is gripping, and despite being able to guess certain twists, I absolutely adore this series, and will come back to it again and again. Highly recommend.

Please note that this book is not for me - I have read the book, However I had to DNF and because i do not like to give negative reviews I will not review this book fully - there is no specific reason for not liking this book. I found it a struggle to read and did not enjoy trying to force myself to read this book.

Apologies for any inconvenience caused and thank you for the opportunity to read this book

It took quite a while for me to get into this, I always forget that Holly Black's fairies are very fairy tale like, green and with horns and the like, as opposed to Cassie Clare & SJM's incredibly beautiful people with ears. I also knew that Jude and Cardan was a very popular ship, if not a great romance, and yet I found Cardan really horrible for much of this book. The diary reading did pull my heartstrings, and the climax was outstanding, so by the end I was fully committed and looking forward to book two!

The Cruel Prince has been a book that everyone in the YA book community has read already with everyone excited about the release of Queen Of Nothing although as per I am late to the party. Very late in fact. Although even though the hype was really strong with this one, I really enjoyed The Cruel Prince and can't wait to read the rest of the series.

I have always been a fan of faerie stories so it was always a given that I would enjoy the Cruel Prince but I did, however, I feel like it definitely took me a long time to get into the story and I don't feel like it is an all-time favourite unlike some other people in the community. This may be as I have read a lot more books centred on faeries in the past but I did still like it.

I think in the beginning part of the book, I was gunning for Jude and Cardan, just because this was what I heard from many fans of the series and had pervious thoughts about what was going to happen in the story so was a little surprised to see what happened but I did like how they were introduced and how their relationship developed.

A lot of the book is centred around the characters and this was something that I did really enjoy from the book. The characters were fleshed out and I really liked that. Jude, especially I really liked as a character. She was not afraid to show her emotions in the book and be vulnerable. She was also complicated and strong and was a great narrator in the story. There were also so many other characters that Holly Black definitely makes you root for and dislike and she does this so well. Her writing is great and I can't wait to read more from her in this series or another book altogether.

The ending of the book was also just a lot to take in. It was definitely from a plot twist in the book that I generally was more engaged with the story and connected to it a lot more. It takes a lot to pull something like that and I respect Holly Black so much for doing the plot twist. It definitely makes me want to read the next books in the series to see what happens.

The Verdict:

The Cruel Prince is a twisty-turny story that will keep you on the edge of the seat waiting for the next book.

I enjoyed this book, I found that it's very easy to get sucked into this book and easy to pick back up again when you put it down. I thought Carden's character was too dislikeable for me to completely sympathise with him but I did find the ending really surprising! Would pick up the second book but I'm not in a rush to do so.

A fantastic, thrilling read, with complex, flawed characters that I can't wait to get to know more about over the course of the trilogy. The plot was magnificent, well paced, and clever. The twists and turns were well written - once they were revealed, you could look back and see how they all came together and wonder how you missed it. The relationship dynamics between Jude and her family were interesting and complicated, but I particularly loved her relationship with the wicked Cardan. They had so much tension, so many unresolved feelings, and I am invested in seeing how it all plays out.

This book started off with a bang... a very crazy and kind of jolting bang. From the blurb I knew that Jude's parents would be murdered but it was a lot more dramatic than I expected! It really set up Jude's story and I loved that it became a kind of conflict for Jude as she saw Madoc as her father throughout the rest of the novel but she never could really forget that he was her parents' murderer.

I very quickly fell in love with the Duarte sisters. The relationship between Jude, Taryn and Vivi was so great and I really loved how they worked together but also managed to be completely different characters, even with Taryn and Jude being twins. The relationship between these three played a big part in the characterisation of Jude and I loved that it was so important to who she was.

Of all the characters Jude is, of course, my favourite. She was really different to a lot of YA main characters that I've encountered before. She has a strange mixture of confidence and uncertainty that makes her feel very realistic. On top of that, within the world of fairy she both fits in from living there most of her life but also stands out because she is obviously, and sometimes unapologetically, mortal. It is her mortality within this story that really makes her relatable and likeable. She takes the circumstances around her and carves out her own path whether that is being Madoc's ward, her wish to become a knight or her becoming one of Dain's spies before he is murdered. Whatever is slung at Jude she takes in her stride and works to her own gain. I can't wait to see where her character goes in the rest of the series.

The only character that, surprisingly, I didn't fall in love with from the start was Cardan. I knew from all the hype that Cardan would be a major character but I he almost didn't meet my expectations for the first half of the book. He entered the story dramatically when he pulls the wing off one of the fae, but after that it almost felt like his antagonism with Jude was just a placeholder as Jude's character grew and developed. I felt that his character was kind of hiding behind his group, Valerian, Locke and Nicasia, for a lot of the novel. It wasn't until Baelkin's coup at the coronation that I really started to fall in love with Cardan. He became a really complex character with tragedy in his past and mixed and complicated feelings. By the end I really liked him and his relationship with Jude, especially at the end of the novel.

The world of the novel was amazingly woven. It was nice to have a world that grew and changed and that the reader learns about as the story went on. There's not a lot of info. dumping, instead the information that is needed is slowly added as Jude learns even more about the world around her. It is a mesmerising and fantastical world that, I'm not going to lie, I would love to be a part of.

At this point I want to mention the audiobook. I listened to most of this book on audible and I think that is another reason that I loved the book so much as well. I have really struggled with audiobooks before because I am so picky about narrators, but the narrator for the audiobook played the parts of the story really well and it drew me in and kept me captivated through chapter after chapter.

The writing itself kept me reading as well. Holly Black's writing is reminiscent of the world in which the book is set. It is a strange and heady mix of clever truths and cunning misdirection. Threads are woven into the story, only to unravel in the following chapter. By the end the only thing I could think was: I DID NOT SEE THAT COMING!

I loved loved loved the ending of the book. It was so unexpected and crazy and incredibly threaded together. When Jude forced Cardan to not move and Oak crowned him High King of Elfhame I literally couldn't stop myself from having a moment of high-pitched excited squealing. It was a moment that brought together all the conflict and feelings that have been brewing through the whole novel. It was a great ending and made me start the Wicked King immediately because I just needed more!

Well, well, well... I finally gave in to the hype machine of the book community. And somehow, The Cruel Prince still somehow exceeded my expectations.

I can be oddly specific I can be about the kind of fae I like to read about, I like dark, twisted and never really knowing where the main character or I stand in trying to figure them out to predict their next move.

I wanted 'cruel', I wanted 'wicked', and I wanted 'intricate' and that's what Holly Black delivered in her A-game.

I absolutely loved Jude as a first-person narrator and as the main character. She felt grounded, her motives and how she dealt with them were interesting and believable. I especially like the dynamic that was explored between Jude's sisters and how they have grown into the people they have because of the action's that happened before the events set in The Cruel Prince.

I have some issues with what everyone identifies this book with: the romance between Jude and Carden. On the one hand, I'm glad that the "hate-to-love" aspect wasn't solved within a chapter and seems to be ongoing onto the next book, The Wicked King. However, there are some early instances at the beginning of the book that left me with an unsavory taste in my mouth. For me, they weren't challenged enough to make me completely buy into this relationship set-up (and that's to assume that they will be endgame). Ultimately it was bullying, but I am hoping there is some set up for this to be resolved.

After all the hype, i wasn't sure whether i'd like this or not, but i really did!

It wasn't as amazing as some people say in my opinion, but it was still pretty good!
I loved the characters and the plotting and the pacing was great!

i'm so excited for the rest of the series!

I was honestly so excited to read this book. I utterly adore Holly's writing and her view on fairies is so unique. But I was slightly put off when I realised it was going to be a series and if I read it so early I would have to wait a long time. So I kept putting it off, and putting it off, and putting it off. Until I couldn't take it anymore.

Honestly, the Queen of the Fairies has struck again. She knows this lore, inside out. I don't know if she made her own lore or if she used bits of already established. Whichever way, she certainly shows off this vast world in this novel. Her typical mastery of language and plot are on full display. I utterly adored Jude as a narrator and, despite the way we should feel, I rather enjoyed Carden too. The plot went in a completely unexpected way and I'm so glad I've got the second book on my shelf so I can start it asap!

A perfect fantastical novel for fans of Once Upon a Time and the Spiderwick Chronicles!

I'd heard amazing things about this book but for me, I just couldn't connect with it the way I had hoped. I think what it was was that I just didn't connect with the characters and that just didn't allow me to connect with the story.

This gave me feelings of The Princess Bride but set in fairy. This had good world building and good character development. There were many twists I did not see coming and I was constantly trying to guess what would happen next and I was wrong. I found Jude very likable and I liked Cardan. This was a fun bit of escapism with dark magic that is classic Holly Black.

I am very late to the party on this book, but I am so pleased that I finally got round to it. It tells the story of Jude and her sisters, who have been brought up in Elfhame, the faerie realm, after their parents are murdered by Madoc, their faerie stepfather. What I found so refreshing about this book was the pacing. The sisters are taken in the prologue and the action just does not stop from then on, making the narrative incredibly compelling. The characters are well crafted and feel authentic, particularly Jude, who is flawed and believable right from the outset. The story is straightforward, which adds to the feeling of pace, given that there are few twists to unravel and the reader can just immerse themselves in the world. Black has envisioned a vibrant, dark and disturbing realm that feels dangerous and yet full of temptation, which I think is a real achievement. My only criticisms are that the dialogue felt a little stilted in places and I found one of the character arcs a little bit predictable, but overall, this is a really impressive novel that will appeal to anyone with a love of fairy tales and I am looking forward to the next instalment.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

I heard SO MANY good things about The Cruel Prince. My expectations were high. Not only because everyone in the blogosphere seemed to love it, but because I adored The Darkest Part of the Forest and The Cruel Prince seemed reminiscent of it. I had a weird relationship with The Cruel Prince. For the first 200+ pages I wasn't really feeling it; I never felt compelled to keep reading. That being said, when I started getting into it, I started really enjoying it and ended up LOVING IT. I really hope I love the sequel from the start, though!

What I Loved:
👑 The world. It was pretty much all set in the faerie world. A lot of fae books I've read focus on the human world. Now, where's the fun in that?
👑 The characters. If you like morally grey characters, you'll love this book. They were cruel and violent and cunning. There wasn't a single purely good character in here, which made for an interesting read. I loved how complex the characters were and how they evolved throughout the book. Jude was such a fierce, smart, terrifyingly brilliant character. I loved the Bomb, Toad and the Ghost. They were great, and I loved their dynamics. Also: Carden. I think I love him?! He was an utter jerk initially, but he changed. It's all good. I also loved how fierce the fae were. Holly Black perfectly captured the deceptive, cunning nature of them.
👑 The family dynamics. I didn't love it because it was all cute and "aww family is everything", more because they were very dysfunctional and it was written super well!
👑 The writing was utterly delectable. I loveee the way Holly Black writes. It's mesmerizing, enchanting, and completely captivating.
👑 The plot. HOLY SMOKES. It was intense. I wasn't that blown by this book in the beginning, but from page 200 things got crazy and gripping and dangerous - the plot twists, the danger and the darkness of the characters had me completely enamored.
👑 The politics. I love it when books have politics in, especially fantasy books. Holly Black brilliantly crafted the world. It was never an overload of information. The violence, betrayal and trickery of the faerie courts made for such an exciting read!

There's nothing I didn't really like. The only thing is, for some reason, my attention wasn't initially captured.

The Cruel Prince is a dark, lyrical faerie tale filled with morally grey characters, scrumptious writing and a shocking, exhilarating plot. Holly Black is YA's Queen of Fae.

When I started this book, I was very wary because of all the hype that is surrounding this book. However I did thoroughly enjoy it. At the beginning I was a bit confused as so much was happening at once however once I got more into the story and the lines straightened out I became fully invested in the book. Jude was a strong main character and liked how we saw both sides of her, when she was fighting and when she was being a mortal girl who was scared of what was happening. She went through a lot of character development throughout the book from a follower to a leader. At first I really didn't like Carden but I have to admit he began to grow on me. I liked how we slowly saw him grow as a character and become more affectionate towards other characters.
I gave this book 4 stars.

Finally, I had time to read this book and it my emotions. Now I feel like I've been hit by a car and just want to know what happens next.

So, what I loved about the Cruel Prince?
- The writing. Holly Black is the queen of all things that has something to do with fairies/fae, and of course, the quen of words. The whole book felt like perfection. So dark, wicked and twisted. It's soooo good!
- The story, the great plot twists and the intensity.
- The characters: Jude, Cardan & Vivi. I loved that the villan was the villan and not turned out to be the good one.

I highly reccomend the Cruel Prince to everyone, who love'd to read a good and dark fantasy book with fairies. Can't wait to read the Wicked King!

I started this book, and really couldn't get into it. I've heard a lot of people love this book, and talk highly of it so I was really hoping I'd love it too, but unfortunately it just wasn't for me at all.

The reason behind this rating is Cardan. I didn’t like him. I get what Holly Black was going for and I know he had a secret terrible life and all that, but trying to excuse his appalling behaviour in that way just didn’t cut it for me. It’s going to take a lot more than what we got in this book to change my mind about him, because at this point, I kind of sort of hate him.

Cardan aside, I did enjoy the rest of this book. It was very dark and unforgiving (how messed up is to live with the man who killed your biological father?!), which isn’t unusual for Holly Black, and you’ve got to give it to her for the world-building, which was great. I also really enjoyed the family dynamic between the sisters and while I often questioned Jude’s decisions (why Jude, why), I was always interested to see how she would deal with the situations she ended up in. While there were a few parts I saw coming, I am still very intrigued to see how things unravel after that ending.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read. I’m dithering a bit on whether to pick up the sequel, but I think my intrigue is outweighing my dislike of Cardan. I’m just really interested to see what Holly Black plans to do with his character, and of course, see where she will take the story next.