I saw The Cruel Prince all over my IG feed for months. I see it on all the recommended reading lists and people are raving about it. But I was determined to not like this one.
I love YA fantasy just as much as the next person, but I went through a long period where that was all I read and I frankly got burnt out on it so I took a lengthy break.
Then this one started popping up all over and I was convinced that it was overrated and sure to disappoint….also I am not into fairies like not even at all so I was sure this on would suck. But still people loved it and clearly there must be something about it right? Well the last book, Queen of Nothing, came out and it was once again everywhere I turned and I caved and bought the first book.
Summary
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.
Jude was seven years old when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong there, despite her mortality. But many of the fey despise humans. Especially Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King.
To win a place at the Court, she must defy him–and face the consequences.
In doing so, she becomes embroiled in palace intrigues and deceptions, discovering her own capacity for bloodshed. But as civil war threatens to drown the Courts of Faerie in violence, Jude will need to risk her life in a dangerous alliance to save her sisters, and Faerie itself. (summary from Goodreads)
Review
Ummm what did I just read? When I stated this one, it began just like every other YA fantasy book….odd ball human heroine living in a magic world where she wants nothing more than to rebel. Until suddenly I wasn’t reading just another piece of YA lit. Holy hell, this one was a wild ride. I am 100% here for Jude’s character arc. I didn’t really like her and didn’t really agree with her choices, but at the same time she was such a badass that even if I didn’t like her, I loved her and wanted to be her! She was a wonderful character that was exciting and refreshing in a way that other YA heroines just aren’t.
I was hooked and immediately had to rectify the probable of only having the first book in the series. Thank you Amazon Prime! I absolutely hated Taryn, even from the beginning, I just never liked her and I can’t wait to see how that evolves in the coming books.
Madoc was also a complex character in so many ways and his relationship with Jude has so many undercurrents and that too will be exciting to watch in coming books. Also I think Madoc needs his own spin off series. I really want to know what happened between Madoc and Jude and Taryn’s mom and dad. I need more info there.
And alas….Carden. I didn’t think it was possible for an author to make me hate someone so much and then all of a sudden make him the potential good guy. Like Jude, he is equally complex and mysterious and I am so here for their relationship. There was great chemistry and tension between the two and the potential between them promises so much in future books.
This series blew me away and put to rest any worry I had that I wasn’t going to like this series. I couldn’t be more happy with it and as I said, I need the next books. I am hooked on this series now and can’t wait to see where it goes.
The Lit Bitch 