The Cruel Prince: Collector's Edition (Folk of the Air, 1)

Rating: 4.75/5 Stars Title: The Cruel Prince Author: Holly Black Synopsis: 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. Initial thoughts: I have read a few of Holly Black’s work when I was younger and I’m currently reading the Magisterium series she is writing with Cassandra Clare as they come out, so I have been exposed to her writing style before and have enjoyed her stories. This one I started a little late though because I wasn’t sure how I would feel about the characters as one of them is openly ‘cruel’. I decided to finally pick it up because there are so many people who have said that they enjoyed the story that was written. Excited for a new story involving magic and fae, I felt that I should give it a chance even if there was a chance I wouldn’t like the characters. Plot: What I liked: The main focus wasn't on the romance. Of course there was some romance (if you can actually call the toxic manipulation through emotions romance), but the main focus of this story seemed to be political and world building through the character’s actions which was something I really enjoyed. Jude was also a character that surprised me. I liked her characters a lot and how she handled situations based on her prior experiences learning from past mistakes. I also liked how Black made every character unique in personality and appearance. What I didn't like: I didn't really understand how Jude was so invested in a world that truly only hurt her and why she didn't want to leave. That seemed to be the only thing I had real issue with in this book. Characters: Jude: I liked her and how scheming she was. She was clever and used her skills to her advantage. She was stubborn and stuck to her goals trying to plan ahead even when things didn't always work out. Taryn: She was very selfish and only really thought about how things would affect her. She didn't seem to care about hurting others that trusted her so long as she got what she wanted. She was very similar to Jude in this way. Vivienne: I loved her! She was such a fun character and really cared about her family (other than her father) and was willing to get into trouble for them. Madoc: He was a very interesting character that played father figure and teacher, but also a warlord general. I enjoyed him and the way that he thought throughout the book. Valerian and Nicasia: They were horrible and I kind of hated them throughout the entire book. They were fantastic antagonists, but they really pushing boundaries when it came to what it was that they desired verses what their path toward it was. Prince Cardan: I think that he was the one who surprised me the most through this book. I didn't like him and I didn't hate him either. I hope he continues to surprise me. Oriana and Oak: I didn't like Oriana at first, but she grew on me pretty quickly. And Oak is just precious. Such a cute kid. Prince Dain: It felt almost wrong to like him. I liked him, but didn't trust him as far as I could throw him which isn't very far. The Court of Shadows: I loved each and every one of them! They were fantastic and willing to include which I found endearing to their characters. Overall: I really enjoyed this book and how it kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time and pulled plot twists that actually surprised me. I will be starting the second book when it comes out and look forward to seeing how Black handles the plot that she set up in the cliffhanger she had at the end of the book. I highly recommend this book for anyone looking for a gripping and dark fairytale.

This book completely deserves the hype. The Cruel Prince pulls you into a cruel, political, and morally gray fae world from the very first chapters. The atmosphere is dark, tense, and emotionally charged, and the power dynamics between characters are constantly shifting. Nothing feels safe, and that’s exactly what makes it so addictive. Jude is a strong and complex main character. She’s not perfect, not soft, and definitely not naive. Her ambition, anger, and determination make her feel real, especially in a world that constantly reminds her she doesn’t belong. The writing is sharp, the pacing is excellent, and the court politics keep you hooked without feeling overwhelming. I won’t go into spoilers, but if you like fantasy with enemies to lovers tension, ruthless politics, morally questionable characters, and a dark fairy tale vibe, this book is absolutely worth reading. It’s one of those stories that makes you immediately want to grab the next book in the series.

Jude and her two sisters are taken to Faerie to live with their mother's former Fae War General lover, growing up in a harsh world of magic and unfriendly Folk. Jude hates that she is mortal and covets many things about the fey. Her life becomes dangerously entangled as her desire for respect, power and adventure meets the attention of the royals...especially Cardan, the prince she hates above all. THE GOOD The world, the diversity, the sense of each character--even the side characters. We aren't entrenched in learning only about Jude and her relation to the world as the MC. Instead there is an array of well-developed and independently driven characters who leave little breadcrumbs about what they've been through, where they've been, and who they've been with. Because the Folk can't lie, they craft their sentences in a way that can leave things with a lot of ambiguity, but when it all starts to click...it is one heck of a ride. From the first brutal pages, the author makes no apologies for the blood-driven power of Madoc, the true father of the eldest sister Vivienne, who has come to reclaim his daughter (and her younger sisters) from the mortal world. You can feel the immediate fear and reverence for the immortal. I love the way that Madoc is made; incredibly strong and strict, but also pliable and deferring to his daughters' whims and wills at times. And his family is, as you can imagine, is not a status quo, nuclear unit. His first wife is slain, his new wife is fey and has a son, and then he has Vivienne, Taryn and Jude. He loves, protects and educates all of them, but he is so much more than a father and the image he projects. Faerie and the mortal world. Yes, you get two coinciding worlds in this beauty of a book. Instead of making the worlds geographically separated by a wall or continent or a magic parallel world, these worlds are overlapped the way you may have seen in early fairy tales. Vivi, while she is one of the folk, likes to travel back to the mortal world with her sisters, and by herself at times. Her rebellion against Madoc is to shun Faerie and enjoy all the human joys of malls, a secret human girlfriend, and indulging her sisters with coffee, candy and shopping. One of my favorite moments is when Jude gets to glimpse part of the mortal world while in Faerie. The description was fascinating and gorgeous. It made me feel how close they were, how far they were, and where Jude's real interest was in this world. The royals are equally fascinating. We don't get to intimately understand all of them, however we learn just enough about each, chapter by chapter. The ailing king. The Crown Prince Dain, the "Cruel" Prince Cardan, the power-hungry Prince Balekin, and glimpses of the princesses and others, including royals from other courts. Cardan was by far my favorite, being deliciously complex and...well, I should move him to the next section. THE GREAT “He looks like a faerie lover stepped out of a ballad, the kind where no good comes to the girl who runs away with him.” The anti-love interest. I know I am a huge fan of anti-heroes, but I didn't quite understand the anti-love interest until now. But now I get it. And it's glorious. Cardan is Jude's main source of torment and her favorite thing to hate. So from this first introduction in the quote above, I'm sorry, but I couldn't help but to think of Rhysand from ACOTAR. The acknowledgment of an unworldly beauty that draws someone in, but also compels them in the other direction. They are satellites of each other in this book, much like Rhys and Feyre were in the first book...entangled by circumstance, but that is where the similarities end. Cardan is a tormentor to her. Jude is a disrespectful and unworthy human to him. Hence, their classmate and royal vs. human relationship statues hold magnificent tension. I don't want to spoil anything, but there are a few twists in this book for them. “I love my parents' murderer; I suppose I could love anyone.” Jude. Jude is the other great of this book. I loved her sisters, but I loved Jude the most because she is so incredibly flawed and aware of it. And what's better...she doesn't act like you would expect a heroine to act. Maybe because she isn't going to be a heroine, ultimately. Two more books to figure her out. She has some noble thoughts, but is also a jumble of envy, longing, rapid mood swings, sisterly love, sisterly hate, and a fair dose of scheming. She isn't described as particularly beautiful, which I think made me love her more because we are seeing her through her eyes. Jude comments on noticing things like her height and hips and the heavy weight of her breasts in comparison to the lithe fey bodies around her. She feels nearly gross with humanness, having to deal with things like deodorant and tampons. In short, she felt like a real teenager. My favorite thing about Jude though? She doesn't know exactly what she's capable of. She has a gut-sense of what to do, but mostly she seems to be getting by on her training from school, from Madoc, and instincts. It feels like she could fall off the very narrow blade she walks on at any moment. And that really propelled the story forward. BUY, BORROW OR PASS BUY. Absolutely buy. This series has only started and the rest of the series became an insta-buy for me after the first chapter. Oh Jude, you don't know what you've done. That ending is going to haunt me.

The book started off like WTF. The world building was good. I picture the fae characters look like something out of Labyrinth. The MFC was a little annoying, but I did enjoy her determination to prove herself. The story held my attention, but I found some of the characters to be a bit whiny. Her sister needs to get her ass beat & Locke got the story he deserved. I overall enjoyed the book and I’m curious to how this plays out. 3.5⭐️

AHHH where do I even start.. The book was in its best condition, the font, title, letter writing and design was all really clear and nice. Story was well thought and professionally written... It just kept me hooked.. I usually don't read many books, but this one.. This has some fairie land magic.

Love this book and can't wait to pass it on to my daughter . Great story that keeps me up later than I like because I keep saying just 1 more chapter .

“I have lied and I have betrayed and I have triumphed. If only there was someone to congratulate me” Four treacherous stars for a dark fantasy that is driven by greed, betrayal, deception, and desire. A book that is simple in its story telling, fascinating in its characters and enthralling in its plot. The Plot Jude is the 8-year-old daughter of parents who are murdered by the emotionless hand of the king Madoc. A man who enjoys playing all sides in a conflict and world of deception that is not obvious through the book or to many of the characters in the story. Until thee event !!! With a mission to recover his natural daughter Vivi, Madoc kills the parents of the three girls but vows to bring all three sisters up as his own, in the world of Faerie. With a roof over their heads, luxury to enjoy, and an education, none of the girls want for anything except the love of a parent, a childhood devoid of cruelty and a life in a mortal world. Which brings us to cruel prince Cardan. Cardan, along with his band of merry friends, torment and subject Jude to life of brutality both physically and emotionally, earning Cardan the title of ‘The Cruel Prince’. Yet he is a boy possessed with a charming tongue laced with words that can manipulate, entice, and charm!!! With no desire to rule, Cardan must endure his own cruelty as a victim of his brother’s torturous ways and as the second child who struggles to find his own place where status matters. Jude’s two sisters also play an important role in a story of cruelty, survival and corruption. Vivi is the natural born child of Madoc and has security that none of the other sisters are afforded. Meanwhile, Taryn is caught in a love triangle with her sister Jude over the charming Locke. However, whilst each of the sisters turn anger and resentment towards each other, Locke cunningly seeks to play both for his own amusement. Review and Comments You have probably guessed the enjoyment from the book came from the characterisation with an intriguing plot taking second place in terms of appeal. The characters Jude and Cardan, were intoxicating, I loved the vulnerability that was allowed to show through the characters, yet they possessed sharp wit, cunning minds, and scheming brains that were tested in the most sensational way as they attempted to pull off a very dangerous coup. However, not the stuff of fairy tales, as Jude ponders "Let me not be that kind of fool to base my strategies on riddles" We were treated with an abundance of deliciously evil characters, charming players, dark royalty and the cunning spies, which I enjoyed. But what I loved more was that each were allowed to play their part creating a thrilling multi layered story. For example, I haven't yet mentioned that recruited by Dain, the prince of spies. Jude lives a duplicitous life as one of Dain's hired agents, watching, luring, and observing. A role that must remain undetected from the King, the powerful and fearless Madoc, others from the court and even her own sisters. This dynamic was the best part of a storyline and a plot that was a little too predictable which took the book down in rating. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the world building, the scheming and how the whole plot came together in the end. Be prepared for a ramp up in action and thrill, because the story builds with a much better second half. Holly Black is another force in the world of dark fantasy. As for who will enjoy the book?. It is recommended for readers of the 'The Court of Thorns and Roses', 'The Crooked Kingdom' and the 'King of Scars'

La edición es preciosa. Los acabados son geniales al igual que las imágenes. Una pena que no esten también disponibles los otros dos libros en este formato y que no la saquen en español.

so pretty an edition and amazing book