Reviews

I picked up Cruel Prince, wondering if this book would be worth the hype. After reading Book of Night, I was somewhat deterred from reading anything by Holly Black again. Let me just say I absolutely loved this book, and it was worth it.

Great Characterization

Holly Black did a fantastic job with the characterization in this book. Jude is a force to be reckoned with. A human girl in the fae world has to hold her own and learn to be fierce. And she does. Jude is not to be messed with, taking her adopted father’s teachings to heart.

Jude is strategic and clever in her planning. She is cunning, and I love that about her. There is usually a base formula for creating a “strong female character,” but Black goes above and beyond that. Jude does not fall into the cliches; she can stand tall on her own.

Moreover, the story is full of complex characters. It is easy to say some characters are inherently evil, but then there are others like Cardan and Maddoc. Nothing is black or white for these characters; layers are wrapped around them, making them engaging and allowing the tension of the story to rise and rise.

Storytelling

The complex characters and Jude’s badassery were my favorite parts of Cruel Prince. But the story was also incredibly engaging. I loved the world-building and the way the fae live in here. There is a lot of magic and danger in the fae world that made me think about Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream.

The fae in this book was more reminiscent of classical fae tales rather than what has become most popular in fantasy nowadays. It makes it different in a sense. The court intrigue, the way the plot twists keep coming, and the way the story unfolds kept me on my toes.

Honestly, it was brilliant.

Final Thoughts

Cruel Prince is worth the hype it receives. This is worth the read with a plot that keeps the reader guessing and complex characters.

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rachel8896's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

kaytaytay's review

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4.0

I think I would give this 3.5 stars really if I could. It took me a minute to get into and I don’t think I enjoyed the beginning if this book at all. I don’t really like the modernization with the fantasy. Just reading about target and malls while she’s riding a giant toad doesn’t do it for me.

I enjoyed the last half of this book a lot more than the first. I don’t know if I’ll continue the series yet or not. It wasn’t bad just not my favorite book to date

katskuli's review

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adventurous fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

mp_gibeault's review

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3.0

Man. I struggled with this one for a bit. I didn’t really like Jude… the writing style wasn’t my thing. I almost didn’t finish it. But now that I have… somehow I really want to know what happens after. Jude and Cardan are all over the place as this power couple.. I just don’t see how. And how are they going to twist things around to be same team again. I do like how everything and everyone is some form of morally grey / villain-esque. There’s no good guys

evaromero's review against another edition

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4.0

Uuuuy nena, cómo he disfrutado este libro. Me ha parecido entretenidísimo y el mundo que plantea la autora muy interesante, y eso que no es nada nuevo ni revolucionario, pero funciona muy bien. Justo el tipo de lectura que me pedía el cuerpo. Me ha enganchado cosa mala, y el salseo entre los personajes una fantasía. La Jude es una jefa, amo. Y Cardan bueno... mentiría si dijera que no me gusta (mucho). Girl, a ver que pasa en el siguiente porque yo no puedo más con ese final.

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