Review: The Cruel Prince

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

This one took me a while to get into and I almost put it down a couple of times. I'm glad I stuck with it though because when I got about 2/3 of the way through, I was hooked. It did take me quite a while though, so I think maaaaybe it is a 3.75 stars for me.

I'm still pretty uncertain about what I think about the characters, particularly Cardan, "the cruel prince." A lot is left unresolved (which makes sense, since this is just the first installment) and I'm very curious about Cardan, Taryn, Locke, Madoc, Oriana, and more key characters. I guess I still feel like I can't really figure any of them out. Usually I have a better grasp on who is good and who is bad by the end of the first book, but I think that is part of the appeal of this series. Even the main character, Jude, is pretty morally grey.

I read this both because I wanted to and because it is on the list for The Battle of the Books 2019, which I will be taking a large group of students to in the spring. I think those who really like Sarah J. Maas (especially her A Court of Thorns and Roses series) will love this one as well. It is not as steamy, but has more political intrigue and takes place in a similar faerie realm. I did really like the setting. I hope it is further developed in future books.

I now can't wait to read The Wicked King and I wish I didn't have to wait until January!!

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