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The Cruel Prince
The Cruel Prince
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.
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.
"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.
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.
Reviews-
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Starred review from October 16, 2017
When Jude Duarte was seven, she watched Madoc, general to the high king of Elfhame, slaughter her parents. Madoc then dragged Jude and her two sisters off to Faerieland, where he raised them as his own. Ten years later, Jude remains an outcast who is cruelly bullied by the other children of Faerie—the king’s youngest son, Prince Cardan, chief among them. Jude dreams of becoming a member of the High Court and the power that it confers, so when the opportunity arises for her to enter into the service of one of Cardan’s brothers, she seizes it, inadvertently placing herself at the center of a bloody coup and endangering the lives of everyone she loves. First in a trilogy, this spellbinding fantasy from Black (The Darkest Part of the Forest) reflects on the cost of ambition and explores the bomb-strewn border between love and hate. Breathtaking set pieces, fully developed supporting characters, and a beguiling, tough-as-nails heroine enhance an intricate, intelligent plot that crescendos to a jaw-dropping third-act twist. Ages 15–up. Agent: Barry Goldblatt, Barry Goldblatt Literary. - Victoria Aveyard Whatever a reader is looking for-heart-in-throat action, deadly romance, double-crossing, moral complexity-this is one heck of a ride
- SFX Magazine I require book two immediately. Holly Black is the Faerie Queen.
- Sammy's Shelf An enjoyable read
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What Rhi Read
I am awarding this book 5*/5 with no hesitation - it was lively, gripping, exciting,
and had some amazing plot twists which kept me turning the pages - Buzzfeed UK Holly Black creates an enticing world that's as sinister as it is appealing, and a heroine more than equipped to manoeuvre within. Impossible not to enjoy. Shadowhunters fan should read this at their earliest opportunity
- The Page Is Printed This splendidly wicked and richly created story is one you won't want to miss
- LoveReading With brave world building, complex characters and an intriguing plot all piled into one novel, this is a huge success
- Chrikaru Blog Fantasy adventure at its brilliant, intelligent, thought-provoking best
- Amy Jane Alice In this story she has once again proved why she is known by some as the 'Queen of Faerie because she successfully creates a dark, twisted world inspired by the old folktales where the fae are capricious and cruel, yet sets it alongside a modern world that feels all too familiar
- The Caffeinated Bookworm Life A gripping tale packed with beautiful writing, a well crafted world, complex characters and fast paced action. The book definitely felt like a set up for something much bigger that I can't wait to get my hands on
- Stones of Rome Holly Black created a world of Faerie that is ruthless, cruel and dangerous and it's so much fun to see all of that unfold over the course of the story!
- Wondra's World The way Black spins the world is honestly mesmerizing. We've got faerie courts of every kind, each as mysterious and bloody wicked as you can possibly imagine. The creatures are varied, from pixies to undines to goblins. She uses phrases and descriptions in the best way possible to not only make you feel like you're actually there, but you can practically taste the sickly sweet faerie fruits and the dark magic in the air
- The Untitled Book Blog Holly Black has a way of weaving the fantastical into reality that few other authors manage with any real success. Whether she's writing about vampires or faeries, Black creates worlds so real that you risk losing yourself in them
- Violette Books I really cannot recommend The Cruel Prince highly enough. If you've read Holly's other books you'll get an extra kick out of it, but you don't need to, as this is a separate series. I'm already dying for book 2 and I can't believe I have to wait a year for it. I'm not entirely sure how I'm going to cope!
- South Wales Evening Post I can see why Holly is known as the Queen of Faeries. With this book alone, I was able to see that she knows this world well and has the ability to craft a rich and compelling story filled with evocative details that made me feel as though I were navigating Faerie myself. As if I could taste the sickening sweetness of the faerie fruit and run my fingers over the embroidery of the vibrant fabrics making up gowns for the balls. When I wasn't reading, I was thinking about the book
