Jude has lived a rough life. After witnessing her parents murder, she finds her and her siblings taken away by their killer to the land of Faerie, a place where being a human is frowned upon. Jude must learn to live like the magical creatures there and must avoid being tormented by the cruel Prince Cardan and his friends. In this new world, Jude must prove herself before the King and must make difficult decisions as royal scandals and crimes occur.
The Cruel Prince is an amazing and magical fantasy by Holly Black. The story starts out a little confusing, as there are a lot of characters, but if you hang in there, it becomes so intriguing. The way the world of Elfhame and Faerie is built makes me want to live there, and the choices the characters make and their relationships with one another leave me wanting more! The characters are built so wonderfully, and the way Jude’s life is portrayed makes me feel sympathetic for her, which is something a lot of other books cannot do. For these reasons, I would give the book a 4 out of 5.I haven’t read the rest of the series, but overall, I would say that Black’s work makes me excited to read the rest of the trilogy!