Mini Review: The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

The Cruel Prince (#1) by Holly Black (Jan. 2, 2018)
Length: 370 pages
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Publisher: Little Brown Books for Young Readers
Source: I borrowed a copy from the library.
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository
My Rating:

Goodreads Synopsis: Of course I want to be like them. They’re beautiful as blades forged in some divine fire. They will live forever. And Cardan is even more beautiful than the rest. I hate him more than all the others. I hate him so much that sometimes when I look at him, I can hardly breathe. Jude was seven 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. As Jude becomes more deeply embroiled in palace intrigues and deceptions, she discovers her own capacity for trickery and bloodshed. But as betrayal 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.

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My Review

I have always enjoyed books about the Fae. I am a big fan of A Court of Thorns and Roses, Wicked Lovely, and An Enchantment of Ravens, to name a few. With that being said, The Cruel Prince was as equally wicked as it was enjoyable. Although it was extremely hard to like any of the horrible characters, even the humans, I loved reading about their crazy antics on every single page. Jude is dramatic and power hungry while Cardan is cruel and selfish. Although they hate each other's guts, something else lies underneath their interactions. I may have enjoyed this quick read, but I would have liked a little more meat to some of the characters to better believe all their actions. Yet, I was still entertained by every lie and every secretive action. I also want to note that Holly Black does a wonderful job at describing this world of the Fae with its vicious creatures and beautiful lands so much so that I had no trouble envisioning this fantasy world while reading. I will be reading book two. The Verdict: It may not be perfect, but it's a strong addition to the young adult fantasy genre.