littleread1's Review of The Cruel Prince (Folk of the Air, #1)

by Holly Black

"Lush, dangerous, a dark jewel of a book . . . intoxicating" - Leigh Bardugo, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Six of Crows

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.

One terrible morning, Jude and her sisters see their parents murdered in front of them. The terrifying assassin abducts all three girls to the world of Faerie, where Jude is installed in the royal court but mocked and tormented by the Faerie royalty for being mortal.

As Jude grows older, she realises that she will need to take part in the dangerous deceptions of the fey to ever truly belong.

But the stairway to power is fraught with shadows and betrayal. And looming over all is the infuriating, arrogant and charismatic Prince Cardan . . .

Enter the dramatic and thrilling world of the Folk of the Air, brimful of magic and romance from New York Times bestselling author Holly Black.

See this and other reviews at Little Read Riding Hood.

I love Holly Black's writing style. I can't quite put my finger on what EXACTLY it is that draws me in, but I have yet to be disappointed.

Like many of her stories, The Cruel Prince is pretty messed up. Murder and kidnapping and magic - all in the first chapter. While not unnecessarily graphic, Black doesn't pull any punches or sugar coat anything. There is bullying, assassination, and suicide, in addition to the murder and kidnapping I already mentioned. While I think these things are all well written, I thought it only fair to mention them at the beginning of my review in case you are sensitive to these issues.

The best way to go into one of Black's books is, in my humble opinion, blind. I see her name as the author and I know I will be entertained and taken on a journey. Because of that, this review is intentionally vague. I don't want you to accidentally guess something based on what I say here.

I did basically guess where the story was going, but the how of it was not something I saw coming. With as much as I read it is almost impossible to totally surprise me, but Black keeps me on my toes, and really makes you feel for her characters. Love them or hate them or any of the grey area in between, her people always seem to evoke a strong emotional response for me.

Basically, if you like the darker side of the fae, then pick up The Cruel Prince, and let me know what you think.

The Cruel Prince (Folk of the Air, #1)

by Holly Black

Reviewed by littleread1 on Jan 27, 2018

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