Review ✎ The Cruel Prince

The Cruel Prince is a high fantasy novel by Holly Black and published in 2018.

When I first heard about The Cruel Prince, it was because BookTok continuously recommended it for the “enemies to lovers” trope at the time. Since then, I’ve seen more honest descriptions, but it doesn’t change the fact that I went into reading it for that trope.

Despite the disappointment I felt having succumbed to the false advertising, I absolutely loved the book. I enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would, but the twisted world Jude was forced into sucked me in right alongside her.

The inciting incident and some major events of the book are astonishingly brutal, so I will give a fair warning about violence and gore before delving into the book. I am not sensitive to the topic, but it was described in details that would not be for the faint of heart.

Bullying also plays a role in the interactions between the main cast of characters. The types range from verbal abuse and manipulation to physical assaults that tread the line of attempted murder.

The Cruel Prince is somewhat of a heavy read, but Black’s world building is absolutely incredible. The details sucked me right in, and I quite literally couldn’t put the book down through every moment.

Well, that isn’t completely true. I had a hard time getting into the story at first. The bullying interactions made it difficult for me to want to continue putting myself in Jude’s shoes, especially since some things can indirectly hit personal experiences. I am glad I pushed through it.

It took me three days to finish the novel. I was reading it when I woke up, after work, and before I fell asleep. I rarely have that compulsion with books, and if I had started it on one of my days off, I guarantee it would have been finished by the end of the day. I thought about and looked forward to continuing the book every moment that I couldn’t spend reading it.

I recommend the novel for anyone who loves a dark fantasy, the detail of fae courts, and the intrigue of court politics. The plot is so well-crafted, I truly admire Black’s skill. Fae books tend to have complicated (and sometimes convoluted) plots and systems that wind up being heavily explained all at once to the reader, but The Cruel Prince did not once make me feel overwhelmed with information.

Also, there’s a map. I know I love a good map of a new fantasy world!

♕ This book earned its crown and placement as one of my favorite reads.