The Cruel Prince - Holly Black

"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."

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Holly Black’s The Cruel Prince is rich with detail, soaking readers in an enchanting faerie world. The characters and imagery are absolutely magical, and the world building is clear and vivid. From clothing to the various, mystical creatures and faeries, each character is distinct with well completed identities. These elements make the story feel alive within the pages. The Cruel Prince is teeming with life and thrives with every word, description, and detail. 

Holly Black’s writing is extremely captivating, as well as consistent in pace and intrigue. There was never a dull scene that needed better construction as page turning tension is in each chapter. High stakes are embedded in every situation and decision packed into this narrative. Plus, each paragraph is filled with important information that moves the plot and the protagonist, Jude, forward. The author uses every opportunity to propel Jude deeper into conflict, never letting the story drag, while engaging readers within the fae world and all its drama. Not to mention, there are important themes of truth, loyalty, and fear that develop in the story too.

The backstory: Madoc was married to Jude’s mother, and they conceived her older sister Vivian. In an attempt to take back his half-faerie daughter, he murders their parents and steals them, and Jude’s twin Taryn, to Elfhame. See, these faeries are not delicate creatures from childrens’ books; their hands are typically covered in blood. And being raised amongst brooding faeries, Jude questions her own monstrosity: "Maybe my messed-up life turned me into someone capable of doing messed-up things. But another part of me wonders if I was raised by Madoc in the family business of bloodshed. Am I like this because of what he did to my parents or because he was my parent?" 

As for characters, the protagonist Jude stood out to me. She is not the “heroic” main character constantly trying to do the right thing. She's a thief, spy, and killer with nearly Macbeth level ambition. Because the fae undermine humans, Jude wants to prove her strength. She is pretty brutal, ferocious, and doesn’t want to be seen as a fragile. Instead, she envies the fierce nature of faeries. But if she cannot change their perception, she will at least make them fear her: "If I cannot be better than them, I will become so much worse...Instead of being afraid, I will become something to fear."

The dynamic between the three sisters really fleshed out their characters. Taryn is the opposite of Jude, even though they are twins. Taryn fears the fairies’ powers. When faced with the “cruel prince” Carden and his clique, she easily surrenders. The difference between the sisters is nuanced for most of the book, allowing their traits to feel natural. But, there is a scene where Jude and Taryn are forced to confront their differences and why Jude dislikes Taryn’s “weaker” qualities:

Taryn: “You think I’m weak.”

“You are weak,” I tell her. “You’re weak and pathetic and I—”

Taryn: “I’m a mirror,” she shouts. “I’m the mirror you don’t want to look at.”

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The eldest sister and part faerie, Vivian, knows her strength and ability to blend into the fae world. Although, she doesn’t want to belong with the fae and she dislikes their customs. Vivian even mocks their way of life. Truly, she enjoys annoying her father --Madoc-- because she hates him for killing her parents. She does all she can to show her disdain for Madoc. 

In addition, Jude struggles with several conflicts both intrinsically and extrinsically. Her inner conflict surrounds her own cruel behavior and what she is capable of. She also feels guilty for loving Madoc after he killed her parents. Jude tries hating her mother in order to justify this love, but she cannot hate either of them. Here, Jude’s perspective matches her opinions and behaviors on other matters. She would rather feel numb and cold than let her emotions seep into her thoughts.

Another important part of this story is her conflict with Prince Carden. He highlights characteristics that Jude hates most: weakness and fear. Carden makes her uneasy, but towards the end, their relationship turned into tense “hate to love” romance: "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."