This was my first Holly Black book and it did not disappoint. This book was so good.I am so glad I was approved on Netgalley for this.

I really loved the world of faerie, it was described really well. It was interesting to see that our world could be seen from within faerie and that they were linked.

The writing was really good and easy to read. The pacing of the book was done well and to me it felt like a quick read. I read it in just 2 days. There were a lot of twists and turns that I did not see coming. I thought the story was going in one direction and it went in completely the other. I was not expecting that ending. I need the sequel now! Even though this book isn't even out yet.

I really liked Jude, the narrator of the story, the way she handled difficult situations. She knew what to she wanted and did everything she could to achieved that. She was really kick-ass and never gave up. I think first person narration was good as we could see exactly what she was thinking. It was done in such a way that crucial information was left out, , so I was still left guessing on what she would do.

Vivi was one of my favourite characters. She stayed true to her belief and didn't like her father because of what he did. She knew to be cautious around him. She didn't like Faerieland and showed it.

Taryn, Jude's twin sister, was quite different to Jude. She wanted to find love and marry one of the fair folk. At times I found it annoying that all she wanted was that and she didn't support her sister enough. I didn't expect the direction her character went in.

Cardan, the 6th Prince, was mean to Jude because she is mortal. I really liked his character development and was glad to see there was more to him than his hatred for Jude.

This was BY FAR my most anticipated read of 2017/2018, so when I received an ARC I was so excited. And nervous. What if it didn't live up my expectations? What if it turned out like every other run-of-the-mill YA fantasy involving fairies? I needed have worried though - this was awesome. It had everything I'm looking for in a YA fantasy - drama, awesome inspiring characters, a complex villain and an interesting plot with a twist.

We start The Cruel Prince with a double murder which leaves twins Jude and Taryn orphans and, along with thier elder half-Fae sister Vivienne, stranded far from home in the land of Faerie. Raised by the Fae Madoc, who murdered her father, we skip ten years later and find the three girls each trying to fit in among the very race they should despise. A race that is cruel to humans, keeping them as slaves, who mock Jude and her sister for their mortality and inability to be as perfect as them. Yet Jude still wants to make a name for herself within this world, and she's going to do it by deceiving and spying her way to the top. Faeries cannot lie - and Jude will exploit this weakness to topple the High King and crown a new royal.

In Jude we have a main character who is deeply conflicted. She's bullied by her 'peers' at school, subjected to cruel tricks by Cardan, one of the royal Prince's who rule the land she's now living in, and his gang of followers. Yet still she wants to be like them, and is envious of their beauty and talent. She feels deeply inadequate, yet also feels like she doesn't belong back in the human world either. She's also desperate for the attention of her 'father figure' Madoc, despite all he's done to her. She still loves him.

Her relationship with sister Taryn is wonderful. Alike in appearance only, we see Taryn struggle to gain her own place within Faerie - deciding that the best way to fit in is by marrying a Fae and accepting her fate as a 'lesser' being. In her own way she has the strength to accept her position in life, and it mirrors Jude's own acceptance to go against what it expected and make her own name for herself.

It's the character of Cardan however, that really stands out here though. Through Jude's eyes we see a mean and vicious Fae who hates her. He's all consumed with hatred for Jude, and wants nothing more than to make her life hell. But it goes deeper than that. This is no one dimensional character, and as the story unfolds we meet a man that's deeply troubled, taunted by his older siblings, yet charismatic and complex. And repulsed at himself.

The plot itself is fast paced, with plenty of twists and turns to keep me guessing until the end. I didn't want to put this down. It's also incredibly well written. Every character we meet is fully developed, with so much potential leading into the second installment for Bomb, Ghost, Roach and all the rest. I cannot wait. Cannot. Wait.

4 1/2 stars. Over the course of this year, I've read both books that I've liked and books I've disliked. I've read books that I've loved and, it's fair to say, books that are better written, more unique, and more groundbreaking than this book. That being said, however, I am struggling to recall a book that has left me this excited about a YA series in a very long time.

It seems like forever since I read a completely juicy YA fantasy with just the right amount of drama, action, surprises, nastiness and the tiniest hints at romantic possibility. The wait for the next book is going to be torture!

Holly Black knows her audience so well. She's not kind to us because she knows we don't really want that anyway. So of course The Cruel Prince opens with a brutal murder that leaves Jude, her twin sister Taryn, and their older sister Vivienne at the mercy of the redcap general - Madoc. Jump to ten years later, and the three sisters are all living in Faerie. They've been raised as Madoc's own, more or less, and each is trying to find her own place among the beautiful but cruel, deceitful but always honest, fey.

For Vivi, return to the human world is the answer. For Taryn, assimilation and playing by the rules is the only way. For our narrator - Jude - rebellion, bloodshed and winning her place in the King's council is what she desires.

It is extremely compelling. Even before the real drama kicks off in the later chapters, I was so wholly pulled into Jude's world. The bullying she endures at the hands of her fey classmates adds a heavy dose of unfairness to keep you pissed enough to turn the pages. Then we get to the spying, secrets, betrayals, side-switching and, oh wow, can I just have the next book please?

In truth, not a single character is entirely likeable. All are complex, more than a little flawed, and nobody can be trusted. Even Jude. It's really quite wonderful. Cardan, the "cruel prince" from the title, is an asshole. A drunken, bullying, selfish asshole. And yet... and yet. We shall see.

In case it wasn't obvious, I loved it. All the drama is absolutely delicious and, while Black does draw on some familiar tropes, the world, characters and politics feel fresh in her hands. It charges to a climax full of surprises and the ending doesn't disappoint. Nicely wrapped up but with enough to leave me desperate for the next instalment. I can't wait!

Man oh man. This book was amazing. I've been really feeling the faerie and fantasy vibe this year and this book delivered what it needed to. If you are really into these themes, then you will definitely love this book. Jude is not a pawn in somebody else's game, she learns how to play the game in order to one up everybody else and in those moments that she did, she truly shone as a character. Essentially she is learning to play 'the game of thrones.' I truly loved this book and cannot give it more praise.

For lovers of Maria V. Snyder's Chronicles of Ixia series.

Jude is a human girl living in Faerie together with her twin sister Taryn and her older half-sister, who is also half faerie, Vivi. The three of them were stolen from the mortal world after the murder of their parents by Madoc, Vivi’s Fae father.
After having spent ten long years in Faerie, each of the girls have accommodated themselves differently to their lives in the High Court of Faerie. The book mainly centers around Jude. Jude has adapted relatively well, and although it is hard to fit in as a human she is eager to prove she is worthy of her place there. Unfortunately, she is more than once tormented by her nemesis Prince Cardan, with whom she goes to school. Things start to unravel fast from here and Jude is forced to make decisions that will not only have an impact on her life, but on the lives of her sisters, and the whole of Faerie as well.
Seriously, I had never read one of Holly Black’s books before, but I am totally hooked. Jude was a mysterious yet intriguing character, and I desperately want to get to know her better. Most interesting are her relationships with her sisters, her adoptive father, and the gentry Fae boys Cardan, Valerian, and Locke. All of the characters were really well composed, and most of them are not afraid of violence at all.
Honestly, I find books like this really hard to review, simply because I just want to scream how amazing it was and how badly I need the sequel. But really, it was so so so good. Holly constructed this incredibly amazing world that gets you completely sucked in from the very first page until long after you have finished the book.
I received a digital review copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are entirely my own. My review is susceptible to changes in the final copy of this work.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and Holly Black for my ARC of The Cruel Prince. If there's anything in this world I love, its stories about fairies. Growing up I was obsessed with them, I had collections of picture books and of course the staple fairy book; The Complete Book of Flower Fairies by Cicely Mary Barker. My favourite film was Fairytale A True Story and I was convinced that I would be able to see them. Because I truly believed, and that's all you need right? If you believe in Fairies, you'll see them.

Holly Black follows in the footsteps of her friend Cassandra Clare in that her Fairies are not the sprightly, sweet, pink wearing Flower Fairies of Cicely Mary Barker's compendiums. Instead they are dark, the Seelie and Unseelie courts, Lords and Ladies of Misrule, tempting humans into slavery with their narcotic spiked fruits, ensorcelling them with their commands and dark magic. That's exactly what kind of world Jude and her sister Taryn walk into when their older sister Vivienne's fairy Dad walks back into their lives and takes them to live in Faerie.
Jude has a lot to contend with, not only does she need to protect herself and her sister from the charms of the fey, she has also found an enemy in Prince Cardan, the youngest and cruelest prince who seems to be doing his best to make Jude's life a misery.

But there are bigger players in this game, a game much larger and more complicated than child's play. Somehow, Jude finds herself right in the middle of it. With everything to lose, she's everything to play.
Dark, dangerous and deliciously deceitful. The Cruel Prince is an outstanding first novel in what I think will become an addictively good series.

That was exceptional! Easily one of the best books I've read this year, by far!
The world building was amazing... I wish I could live there at the High Court of Faerie with all the plots and magic..!

Jude is an awesome female protagonist and she makes me feel everything she does. All the Faye and the princes and all the different characters that make this story are so so good. But I really liked prince Cardan from the beginning.

And I have to mention the food! Oh.My.God! I was salivating all through this book.

I loved every minute of it and now I have to wait for 2 years for book no. 2!!!!

Wow.

My friends, we have waited for years for another faerie book in the worlds that Holly creates--10 long years, I counted--and I am here to say that we have not waited in vain. This is a stunning book. A stunningly stunning book. A book that it is difficult to put down for mundane things like eating, sleeping, going to work....

Okay, enough waxing poetical. What is this book actually about, you might rightfully ask me. And, since this is technically a review, not a love note, I will go ahead now and tell you.

Jude is a young girl when she watches her parents brutally murdered and has no choice but to go into faerie with her half sister and the man who murdered her parents. There, she is schooled with one of the royal princes of Faerie, and his, frankly, awful Gentry friends. Only Locke seems slightly less bad. Only Valerian seems slightly more worse.

But there are other dangers to be faced as well, as this is the world of Faerie, and Jude and her twin sister Taryn are both still human, mortal, despite having grown up only really getting to know Faerie well. They both have their plans. Taryn is going to become Faerie by marrying one. But Jude, Jude is going to go for the power that a knighthood gives her.

The Cruel Prince is such a wonderful title for this book, because we don't actually know who this person is referencing. There are at least three princes to my count that it could relate to and, throughout all of the book, there is at least one of the princes that it definitely seems to be pointing to.

We get to see Roiben! I was happy with just seeing him walking around in the background, with his one line at the coronation, but no, we actually get a full scene with him and Kaye. And that was so... so many heart eyes.

I have been a HUGE Holly Black fan since I was a teenager and this did not disappoint. Dark and intriguing and creepy and intense.

*Arc provided by the publisher via Netgalley for an honest review*
I have been a huge fan of Holly Black’s Modern Fairy Tales series and even this the Cruel Prince was enjoyable I have to admit that I didn’t like it as much as I thought I did.
Honestly there is nothing wrong with this book. The world building is as usual phenomenal and the characters (loved or disliked) have dimensions.
However I admit the story fell a bit flat for me because it didn’t go the way I thought it was going to go after reading the summary and the title.
As much as I enjoyed Jude for a while I couldn’t really feel with her once she turned conniving – I also liked Cardan but somehow I expected more.
The plot was good and the pace was steady too and even if it fell a bit flat for me I still enjoyed it.
I believe this book will really appeal Holly Black’s fans as well as fairy universe fans.
I will definitely be checking out the sequel as there are some answers I am looking forward to.
Stars 3/5

Well I didn't expect THAT to happen at the beginning of this book. Wow. This book encompasses everything that I love about Faerie YA. It is cruel, dark, deceptive and largely unpredictable because of that; I absolutely adored this beautiful world filled with deplorable characters and dirty trickery.

The story doesn't even start off tame! Jude is one of three sisters. One of the sisters, Vivi, has Fey blood whilst Jude and her twin sister Taryn remain mortal. This fact alone somehow leads the three girls (in a very gruesome turn of events) to be taken to the land of Faerie (you'll need to see for yourself why!), and Jude soon learns that being a mortal girl in a Faerie land is not an easy ride. She is frequently tortured and teased by a cruel fey prince, Cardan, and his squad of beautiful, vicious friends. But Jude is determined to be a Knight for the High Faerie King and so she enters a tournament to do so.

That's the basic plot, but it's not AT ALL what this book is about and to be honest, the plot has so many forks in the road that you wouldn't even believe it to be the same story as the one you started out reading. The twists are brilliant, and the deception is rife! I think Holly Black has to be a genius to have been so many steps ahead of the reader, planning all of this out. It's so utterly complex and I only caught on to a couple of the traps she laid out for us to fall into.

I've read a few books by Holly Black before, and for whatever reason they didn't mesh with me - but this story is so much more mature and exciting. I can't express enough how beautifully written this is, but more so just how great this story and it's devious little characters are. Jude is a really fantastic main character. At no point did I find her weak; in fact she is cold, calculating and I adored her. She's exactly the kind of merciless, strong female lead I love to cheer on.

Definitely read this. It's going straight to my favourites shelf.

The Cruel Prince is part one of The Folk Of Air Series.
The next two books will be realeased in 2019 (The Wicked King) and in 2020 (The Queen of Nothing).

I had a sleeples night, because I couldn`t put this book down. And the chliffhanger was very mean. Over one year is a long time for waiting what will happen next...

I loved the worldbuildung and the vivid description of the Faerieland with its inhabitants.
I really liked Jude. She is a very complex , interesting and tragic character.
As a human she is an outsider in the land she was abducted as a child and risen up. She loves her family, even the `father` who has murdered her parents, and she loves Faerieland. But as a `weak` human she´s distained by most of the immortal race. She is beeing humiliated and has even to fear for her life at some point when her fellow students are playing their pranks with her.

She has one goal: To win her place in Faerieland. To be someone who belongs.
As she gets the chance, she seizes it.
... But the opportunity comes with a price and she´s pulled into the treasonous wold of the Court.
When she decides to become an open player in `the game of throne`; everything is changing.
She`s growing into someone to be recognized; but will it guarantee her a rightful place in the Faerieland or will it swallow her up?

I have been looking forward to reading this book for awhile, the plot seemed just right. A cruel prince, a human girl, revenge, intrigue; it was all there. For me it did not live up to the hype though.
Jude was an inconsiderate, foolish, and all around incompetent character. She just rubbed me the wrong way.
Don't get me wrong I enjoyed the plot and the idea of the fae not being good. That is different than most fae books today.

Well, I never thought I’d get an advance of this book, I’ve heard so many good things about it that I was so happy that NetGalley allowed me a copy.

And I am so glad they did, this book is brilliant.

It drags you in from the second it starts with a dramatic beginning that actually builds the characters you are about to deeply care about it in such a subtle way that allows you to just fall in to the story. Jude is a protagonist to believe in as she works her way up the Fae world in the shadow of Prince Cardan who is a very well written villain.

How she builds the world in which the Fae live is just as good as the world is grows around the characters, allowing the reader to see the world through the sheer imagery of the words in this book. This book sets up an incredible series, that Black is used to creating, see the Magisterium series for that.

I really need the second book, I really really do.