Review: The Cruel Prince by Holly Black (Folk of the Air #1)
by The Book Pup on August 9, 2025
Blurb for the book (on Goodreads):
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 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.
As Jude becomes more deeply embroiled in palace intrigues and deceptions, she discovers her own capacity for trickery and bloodshed. But as betrayal 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.
My Summary:
Jude was only seven when her parents were murdered. She and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the dangerous world of Faerie.
Time skip to ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong among the Folk, even though many despise her for being mortal. One person seems to hate her the most, Prince Cardan, the youngest and cruelest son of the High King.
Subjected to constant bullying, dangerous rivalries, and even a betrayal from someone who she thought really close to her, Jude gets tangled up into deadly politics of the Court. To protect her sisters, and all of Faerie, she will have to risk many things... including her life.
My Review (Non-Spoiler)
I was going through my TBR the other day when I realized I’d never read The Cruel Prince, despite it being basically a YA legend.
Now that I’ve finally picked it up, I can see why it’s so popular. Jude is easily one of the most memorable protagonists I’ve read in a while. I went in expecting a helpless mortal who simply tries to survive in a dangerous world, but what I got was someone who is sharp, fierce, and the courage to stand up for herself, even when the odds (and everyone else) are against her.
Another thing I loved was that Jude isn’t perfect. She makes questionable decisions, lets her emotions get the better of her, and isn’t afraid to face the messy consequences of her actions. It made her feel real, flawed, and far more relatable.
And then there’s Prince Cardan… He’s cunning, complicated, and delightfully cruel. The kind of character you can’t help but keep an eye on and might strike at any time.
Despite a few moments where I had to pause and piece things together, I actually enjoyed this read and would recommend it to anyone who loves fantasy or made-up politics, morally grey characters, and a world that’s as beautiful as it is dangerous.
4/5 pawprints 🐾🐾🐾🐾
You can find the book on Goodreads here!
My Review (⚠️ Warning: this includes spoilers to those who haven't read The Cruel Prince ⚠️)
I was going through my TBR the other day, and I've realized that I've never read The Cruel Prince, even though it's really really famous in the YA genre.
Now that I’ve read it, I feel… surprisingly satisfied. Jude is easily one of the best protagonists I’ve read in a while. I expected her to be this helpless mortal with no power, someone who just tries to survive without fighting back (no, I'm not going to call out other series that did that, I just prefer a character with some fire in them).
I was super glad to be proven wrong. I loved how she stood up to Cardan, even when basically no one supported her.
Another quality I liked is the way her character shows that she isn't perfect. Like when she wanted to fight Taryn after being betrayed many times. I didn't expect that. I really thought she would step down or do something heroic and forgive Taryn, despite the cruelty and selfishness of Taryn (which was horrible for a sister to do, but that's another story).
And Cardan... I think we all enjoyed a proper bad boy in the story, not just one who steals and broods in a corner. He's cruel, complicated, and surprisingly clever. That's why later in the book I got confused. I didn't get why he would swear himself into Jude's service and put himself under her control.
Despite minor confusions, I actually enjoyed this read and would recommend to anyone who likes a little bit of made up politics, morally grey characters, and a world filled by magic.
5/5 pawprints 🐾🐾🐾🐾
You can find the book on Goodreads here!