en-The Cruel Prince - Holly Black review

24/03/2020

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 . . . 

I love this book! It's so beautiful. It has golden sprayed edges and I love the green and gold hardcover beneath the sleeve! Have you seen those beautiful illustrations inside? I can't put in to words how beautiful this one is. It's a must have for every bookcase! 

I really enjoyed this book. It got me from the beginning on and I couldn't put down anymore. I finished it in no time. I was even surprised by how fast I finished it. I can't wait to read the next one in the series. 

The characters are so well written and built up. I instantly felt connected to Jude. She is a badass girl with a huge amount of stubbornness and pride. I loved how she stood up for herself against the faerie people. She sees the good things in the evil ones. This dragged me into the story and got a hold on me until the very end. Another example for a great character is Taryn. Not in the way you might think. I did not like this character at all. But I do love her role in this story. She brought a lot of drama into the story and I really enjoyed that. Not every character is built to love. Some are  made for drama and entertainment and I do like that from time to time. 

The scenes in this story are well written and it makes you feel as if you're part of the story. Everything happens around you and the story goes by in a blink of an eye. 

There are a lot of magical creatures introduced. Some are very detailed others not. This makes roomfor our own imagination and I really enjoy that when I'm reading a book. 

I highly recommend this one if you're into fantasy stories or into Faerie. I give this book a well deserved 4 star rating! I can't wait to read the next ones! 

  • Author: Holly Black
  • Genre: Fantasy
  • Themes: Power, trust, violence, war
  • Publisher: Little, Brown Books For Young Readers
  • Published: januari 2018
  • Pages: 448
  • Rating: * * * *