Publication Date: January 2, 2018
Source: Vine
Jude was seven years old 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.
In doing so, she becomes embroiled in palace
intrigues and deceptions, discovering her own capacity for bloodshed. But as
civil war 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.
In my original review, I wrote that The Cruel Prince was my first foray into Holly Black territory - completely forgetting that I had read the Spiderwick Chronicles years ago and LOVED them. Embarrassing much?
The beginning chapter - stark and merciless - captured me and the
rest simply held me hostage. The fairy world is indeed beautiful but cruel.
Jude is basically bullied by the fairy teens (it reminded me of high school,
albeit with supernatural beings). Her struggle to belong is difficult and beset
with humiliation, especially when Prince Cardan is around. As a human, she is pretty low in the totem
pole. Yet Jude's ambition lands her in
the middle of political plots and murder attempts ala Game of Thrones-style. It
is full of violence and betrayal but certainly an addictive read. Although some
of the narrative turn was predictable, the ending did leave me with my jaw
hanging open. What will be the consequences of Jude's power play???
“Yes,
they frighten me, but I have always been scared, since the day I got here. I was raised by the man who murdered my
parents, reared in a land of monsters. I live with that fear, let it settle
into my bones and ignore it. If I didn’t pretend not to be scared, I would hide
under my owl-down coverlets in Madoc’s estate forever. I would lie there and
scream until there was nothing left of me. I refuse to do that. I will not do
that.
“Nicasia’s
wrong about me. I don’t desire to do as well in the tournament as one of the
fey. I want to win. I do not yearn to be their equal.
“In
my heart, I yearn to best them.”
I love Hollly Black. Thanks for the review!
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