Review: The Cruel Prince by Holly Black 

“I am going to keep on defying you. I am going to shame you with my defiance. You remind me that I am a mere mortal and you are a prince of Faerie. Well, let me remind you that means you have much to lose and I have nothing. You may win in the end, you may ensorcell me and hurt me and humiliate me, but I will make sure you lose everything I can take from you on the way down. I promise you this is the least of what I can do.”
Holly Black, The Cruel Prince

Author: Holly Black
Published: 2018 (first published January 2, 2018)
Publisher: Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Pages: 384
Format: Paperback
Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Fiction, Romance
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About Author

Born on November 10, 1971, Holly Black (Riggenbach) is an American writer and editor whose imagination shaped some of the most loved children’s and young adult fiction of our time. Growing up in West Long Branch, New Jersey, in an old Victorian house, she developed an early fascination with the magical and the eerie. After graduating from Shore Regional High School in 1990, she pursued English at The College of New Jersey, earning her degree in 1994. Her early career as a production editor for medical journals like The Journal of Pain and her time at Rutgers University gave her structure, but her passion for writing eventually took over. Inspired by authors such as Garth Nix, Tamora Pierce, and Francesca Lia Block, and fairy-tale voices like Angela Carter and Charles de Lint, Holly began shaping her own darkly enchanting worlds. Married in 1999 to Theo Black, an illustrator and web designer, she later settled in Amherst, Massachusetts, where her creative spirit flourished.

Over the years, Holly Black became synonymous with richly layered fantasy books. Her Modern Faerie Tales trilogy, starting with Tithe: A Modern Faerie Tale (published by Simon & Schuster in 2002), introduced her distinctive blend of beauty and menace. Her collaboration with Tony DiTerlizzi on The Spiderwick Chronicles (2003) brought her New York Times bestselling fame, leading to a 2008 film adaptation and later a 2023 television series, earning her a Children’s and Family Emmy Award nomination for Outstanding Young Teen Series. Her other acclaimed series include The Curse Workers (White Cat, Red Glove, Black Heart), Magisterium with Cassandra Clare, and the Folk of the Air saga, which began with The Cruel Prince in 2017. Recognized with honors like the Nebula Award, Newbery Honor, Andre Norton Award, and Locus Awards, Holly’s influence reaches far beyond YA literature. Her standalones like The Coldest Girl in Coldtown, Doll Bones, and Book of Night prove her versatility in speculative fiction, while appearances such as the National Book Festival (2022) and interviews in BookPage (March 2024) with Jessica Peng affirm her as a cornerstone of modern fantasy storytelling.

Book summary

When I first read The Cruel Prince by Holly Black, I was drawn into a Faerie world that felt both beautiful and deadly. The High Court glimmered like blades forged in divine fire, where humans like Jude struggled to live among the immortal fey. Ten years later, after her parents were murdered and her sisters stolen, she learns to defy every rule, facing harsh consequences within the palace intrigues. The Prince Cardan, the High King’s wicked son, becomes both her enemy and her obsession. As civil war threatens to drown the realm in violence, Jude risks her life in a dangerous alliance to save her family. I still remember the Release Date January 2, 2018, because that’s when this book pulled me into its mix of deceptions, bloodshed, and beauty that seemed to live forever.

Looking back, I liked how every twist, betrayal, and moment of cruelty felt raw and real. The characters, from the Ghost to the red-haired Fae, each carried a piece of that story’s heart. I was honest with myself I finally took the plunge and was both betrayed and glad by the ending. The series as a whole, with its novella, new arcs, and compelling books, became one of my favorites. Reading it on Christmas Eve, my own gift to myself, I found the Cruel Prince to be more than a fantasy—it was a mirror of ambition, abuse, and courage.

Plot

When I first picked up The Cruel Prince by Holly Black, I was drawn by the buzz on Instagram and the promise of a fantasy romance that mixed danger, political intrigue, and the classic enemies-to-lovers dynamic. The book, part of The Folk of the Air series, immediately stood out as a popular young adult story set in the mystical faerie realm. It follows Jude, a mortal girl who was seven when her parents were murdered, and she and her sisters were stolen away to live in the High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, her mortality becomes both her weakness and her strength as she fights to defy the fae who despise her kind.

What makes this story compelling is the contrast between the cruel world of the faerie and Jude’s stubborn determination to belong. Her encounters with Prince Cardan, the youngest and most wickedest son of the High King, bring both pain and fascination. Their relationship starts with bullying and tormenting, but soon spirals into a mix of understanding, power, and unpredictable emotion. I found myself torn between admiring Jude’s strength, wits, and effort to navigate this treacherous world, and questioning the justification for Cardan’s cruelty. The fallout of their interactions often feels terrible, almost like a schoolyard dynamic he bothers her because he supposedly likes her but the stakes are far deadlier.

As the book progresses, Holly Black layers in elements of deceptions, betrayal, trickery, and even bloodshed. The palace intrigues, secret alliances, and the looming violence of the court politics make this a darkly fascinating coming of age journey. The faerie gentry, with their cruel faeries and unspoken threats, add an air of danger that constantly tests Jude’s purpose. Her desire to save her place in Faerie pushes her into situations where sympathy blurs with abuse, and the line between justice and survival becomes thin.

What I particularly enjoyed was the intensity of Jude’s internal battle. Her world is one of havoc and violence, yet she learns to craft her destiny using nothing but cleverness and courage. Despite moments that feel wishy washy, she grows from a mortal outsider into a force who can stand against powerful beings. The narration of this book, though sometimes uneven in volume and recording, still carried the wonderful energy of a prologue that grips you and a part two that delivers real intensity.

I’ve read many titles in this genre, but few balance politics, rivalry, and emotional tension like this. Cardan remains an intriguing, broody, and sometimes drunk figure, while Jude’s growth makes her one of my favorite characters. The intricacy of the Court of Shadows and the ever-building suspense leave me eager for the next books. As a fan, I’d say this reviewed tale proves Holly Black’s mastery at crafting unique and clever stories that linger long after you’ve closed the book.

Overall Conclusion

Reading The Cruel Prince by Holly Black felt like stepping into a beautifully dangerous faerie realm, where romance, power, and political intrigue collide. As a reviewed and highly popular young adult fantasy, it delivers a dark yet captivating coming of age story that explores ambition, cruelty, and survival. Jude’s journey from a mortal girl whose parents were murdered and stolen into the High Court of Faerie, to someone who learns to defy her enemies and shape her own fate remains one of the most memorable arcs I’ve read in recent titles.

Holly Black’s writing shines in her ability to create deceptions, betrayal, and alliances that feel real within an unreal world. The tension between Jude and Prince Cardan, though built on conflict and cruelty, evolves into something layered and deeply human. Every act of trickery, every test of wits, and every spark of violence adds to the intensity of this series, making it hard to look away even when the story feels terrible or tormenting.

As a reader, I found the intricacy of the court politics, the strength of its characters, and the emotional rivalry at its core both unsettling and enchanting. It’s not a book for those seeking an easy tale—it’s for those who appreciate moral complexity and flawed, intriguing heroes. Despite its darker tones, it’s a favorite among fans of enemies-to-lovers dynamics and remains one of the most talked-about works on Instagram for good reason.

In the end, The Cruel Prince isn’t just about faerie courts or royal power it’s about the fight to belong, the cost of ambition, and the sharp edges of love in a cruel world. Holly Black reminds us that every alliance, every betrayal, and every heartache in this world comes with consequences, and that’s what makes her story unforgettable.