The Cruel Prince is the first book in Holly Black’s Folk of the Air series. A captivating fantasy
Novel that immerses readers into a world of magic and forbidden romance. It takes place in a
world full of dangerous faeries, tricky politics, and moral dilemmas. The story follows Jude
Daurte, a human girl who finds herself in a dangerous world of faerie, after her parents are
murdered. Even though she’s human, Jude wants to prove she’s just as strong and clever as
the faeries around her.
Jude’s main goal is to feel like she belongs at the Faerie Court even though she is mortal, where
she can be respected and powerful. However, she faces constant bullying and cruelty,
especially from Cardan, the faerie prince. Their relationship is very complicated—filled with hate,
attraction, and power struggles. While Jude’s journey is about growing stronger and finding her
place, it also forces her to make difficult choices that test her morals.
One of the best parts of The Cruel Prince is how Jude’s character develops. She starts off
wanting to prove herself, but she slowly becomes more strategic, sometimes making dark
decisions to get ahead. The book shows that in Faerie, you can’t always trust anyone, and
sometimes you have to be just as cunning and cruel as those around you to survive.
The world of Faerie is magical but also dark and dangerous. Faeries here are not the kind and
beautiful creatures you might expect—they can be tricksters and even deadly. The story has a
lot of twists and turns as Jude gets deeper into the world of politics and betrayal at the Faerie
Court.
While the beginning of the book is a bit slow, however the plot really picks up as it goes on.
There’s a lot of tension, and by the end, you’ll be hooked and wanting to find out what happens
next.
The Cruel Prince is perfect for readers who love stories with magic, danger, and complex
characters. It’s a thrilling mix of politics, betrayal, ambition and a perfect amount of world
building, and it’s a great start to a series that’s dark, addictive, and full of surprises. If you like
books with faeries and moral gray areas, enemies to lovers trope, fantasy and betrayal this
one’s definitely worth reading.