Book Review: The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

The Cruel Prince is the first in a young adult (but definitely more adult) fantasy trilogy about a young human girl named Jude who is forced to grow up in the faerie realm with her twin and half sister. She grows to love the magical world, even though they look down on her for her human weaknesses. Late in her teen years, she becomes embroiled in political intrigue and a royal coup through a sexy rivalry with Prince Cardan, the youngest (and possibly most twisted) son of the king. As Jude gets pulled into the middle of the conflict, she sinks deeper into a world of betrayal, plotting and love triangles, becoming more ruthless and powerful than she could have imagined. Throughout the series I wondered who I should be rooting for and was frequently surprised by changing allegiances in the quest that all of the main characters shared for power. 

Good for:

People who like YA fantasy, but with a slightly more adult edge and elements of espionage and complicated plotting. The politics are surprisingly complex, the magic is just believable enough and having the main character be a human grounds the story in reality and gives her an extreme disadvantage to overcome. I also love that when she goes back to the human realm, it’s the part of Maine that we grew up in!

Related Classic Read:

The Count of Monte Cristo

The plotting in The Cruel Prince and the machinations of the main characters remind me a lot of the long-term revenge plot in The Count of Monte Cristo. I am always fascinated by characters that are able to execute complex and multi-step plans to make their goals a reality, especially when they lead to an amazing twist!