The Cruel Prince

The Cruel Prince
Holly Black
Little Brown, 2018 384 pages
Grades 8-Up
Fantasy
The Folk of the Air series #1

When Jude is seven, she and her twin sister witness their parent’s murder by Mom's ex: a fairy general and father of Jude's strange step sister. The girls are whisked off to Fairy and raised by the General and his new wife, along with a fairy baby brother. Jude always feels at a disadvantage in Fairy, although it becomes her home, and vulnerable against the glamour that her classmates can use to manipulate and potentially hurt her. The worst of all is Carden, the high king's son, who is bent upon making her life a misery. Jude feels that she is finally gaining some even footing in this magical land as she begins to date a fairy royal and perfect her sword wielding skills. When the heir to the high king offers her immunity to fairy glamour if she agrees to spy for him, it is a tempting offer. Does she have the courage and aptitude to go against her powerful father to protect her own interests? Secrets are revealed, alliances made and broken, and blood (much) is shed in this nail-biter of a novel.

Forget your preconceived notions of gentle, happy fairy folk buzzing around bringing cheer to all. These fairies are tough, selfish, and, as the title states, cruel. Still, it is the only home that Jude knows, so she brings forth good old human ingenuity to beat them at their own game. This story starts out a little frustrating. I wasn't sure why Jude didn't just give up on her misery of a life and move back to the human world, where, even if it no longer felt like home, at least she wasn't being constantly tortured. Then, the tables turned and Jude started to gain some control. And then things got even cooler. Surprises abound in the book and there are some big payoffs, including a coronation ceremony of Game of Thrones proportions. There is some romance in the story, yet nothing gets too steamy, and this is not the main focus of the book. I had a hard time putting the book down and I am sure that young readers will feel the same way. This is not Holly Black's first rodeo. She knows how to create a great story that readers won't want to end. A cliffhanging ending will bring teens to the next installment, which coincidentally came out four days ago. I tend to not read sequels, but this series has me hooked, so I will probably dive into The Wicked King if my library's copy comes back any time soon.