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violet_imagination's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Why surprised?
- It's my first Holly Black book, so didn't know what to expect.
- I prefer historical fantasy, so the prologue really put me off.
What I loved
- The world, small as it may be, and the descriptions of decor that come with it, as well as the multitude of characters
- The story and its pace. I constantly found myself thinking "okay just ONE MORE chapter" and then I'll put it down. A lot happens, but also doesn't, in the best possible way.
- The level of (un) predictability. I've read people complaining about the lack of a storyline and I guess I understand what they mean, in a way? But instead, I see it as a story slowly unfolding and changing direction as it does. You dont know which way we'll go - grand scheme of things - for a long time. The intermediate branches of story are interesting in and of themselves and sort of... Mislead you into forgetting to mind the big picture (which I like!). If you had asked me at page 10 (random number) how this would turn out, I would not have been able to tell you - and that's despite my brain constantly trying to predict everything. Sure, there were some things I saw coming, but that's okay. I wasn't expecting to be slapped in the face with surprise at every turn.
- Surprisingly, the romance (mind you, not "SPICE"). Like many, I too have developed a love for smut, but this is refreshing. I love how little agonizing there is. If there's a love interest, it's nice - but it's just that.
Would I have liked Jude and Cardan to rip each other's clothes of at one point? 100% But I'm also kind of glad they didn't and can just quietly hope that maybe they will in the next book - I don't know how to phrase this... The "ease" with which things are settled? Drama's, deaths etc are not drawn out more than they have to. You don't get a chance to get annoyed and think JUST DO IT ALREADY. Maybe the word is "uncomplicated". As a consequence, I suppose, I often found myself staring wide eyed at how quickly something happened, but apparently I like that?
What I didn't like:
- Predictably: the going back to the mortal world. I read fantasy to forget about our boring little world and don't like being reminded of it. But I have to admit, it was manageable.
- Some of the characters:
I would have liked to better understand Oriana, or... Felt more. Hated her, pitied her, loved her - anything to have made me feel SOMETHING. She's neutral, but not neutral enough? The same goes for Vivi. Why is she there. What is her point? Why does she barely do anything?!
Okay, so. A 4.0, I think. I would read it again, but it's not an immediate favourite.
Graphic: Violence, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, and Murder
glddstwmn's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
Graphic: Child abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Alcohol, and Classism
Moderate: Bullying, Infidelity, Racism, Torture, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Gaslighting, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Child death, Emotional abuse, Kidnapping, Pregnancy, and War
clarification for CW tags: racism towards humans vs fae, not POC. Sorry if this is misuse of the tag ❤️k3nzi3's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, and Toxic friendship
Minor: Suicide and Suicide attempt
noellegrace8's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
That being said, I really like the main characters. Some of the side characters are a bit flat, but Jude, Cardan, Maddoc, Vivvie, Dain, Taryn, Oriana... none of them are "good" or "bad." They just are. They make decisions, they have instincts and natures that make those decisions difficult. I love the complexity! I also think this book set up a series (trilogy) well, so I'm hoping to like the next two even more! The worldbulding is awesome. Holly Black has created a very interesting mix of "fae" and "mortal," complete with rich history and quirks and physical descriptions.
I don't factor audiobook reader into my overal star rating, but I give Caitlyn Kelly 3.5/5⭐️. Honestly, I think she was part of the reason I struggled to get into this book, but there's no telling for certain. She oftentimes doesn't seem to read with the same cadence that the words on the page suggest. She also has a cheesy tone when voicing male characters and over-acts when it comes to emotional (and even sometimes non-emotional!) scenes.
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Physical abuse, Suicide, Violence, Blood, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Moderate: Child death, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Infidelity, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, Self harm, Slavery, Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Abortion, Pregnancy, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, Alcohol, and War
Minor: Ableism, Body horror, Child abuse, Cursing, Incest, Infertility, Miscarriage, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Xenophobia, Excrement, Grief, Lesbophobia, Gaslighting, and War
aralalala's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
Nonetheless, I devoured this in one sitting.
It’s a complicated and complex tale, and the characters, even more so. They’re all questionable, but it was a thrilling ride despite it not being romance-heavy (again, as a romcom girly).
It’s not lighthearted at all and it’s not for days when you’re just looking to turn off your brain. It has really dark themes and intense scenes, but overall, it’s not as emotionally heavy as others that share similar themes (at least, I don’t feel that way).
The writing is so well done from a technical standpoint. It wasn’t dragging and you had the necessary details you need when you needed it. There were no plot points that did not make sense, and if there were plot-holes, I didn’t notice.
It was very easy to get sucked into its universe, and the plot was compelling enough to keep me turning the page.
Jude is a very strong and lovable character. As complicated as she is, it was somehow very easy to relate with her complexity. It was an exciting ride and I look forward to how the rest of the story unfolds in the series!
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Physical abuse, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, and Murder
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Grief
Minor: Cursing, Infidelity, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and War
yasaman's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Infidelity, Self harm, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Alcoholism
elisabethstre's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
THE DARK MYSTERIOUS FANTASY? THE POLITICS??? i ate that shit up!! alterrrr die intrigen und plotttwists, das war alles SO GEIL, ich habe so viel nicht kommen sehen!!!! war geschockt
die ganze welt war so magisch und brutal; ich war so froh, nicht von einer heilen schönen feenwelt zu lesen, sondern von dieser abgefuckten grausamkeit und diesen komischen gestalten?? geil
jude war ganz anders, als ich sie mir vorgestellt hab! SHE WAS AN ICONIC, MORALLY GREY ANTIHERO and i love that for her!!!
ihr charakter war manchmal leider nicht soo richtig greifbar; ich hab es aber so gedeutet, dass sie die meiste zeit selbst noch nicht richtig wusste, was sie will und sich noch sucht; wenn das in den folgeteilen besser ist, hab ich nichts gesagt. i love her already!!
wirklich keine person in diesem buch ist ein guter „mensch“, alle waren irgendwie SO BÖSE und haben irgendwelche geheimen schemes gehabt, i ate that uppppp omg. jude auch nur bedingt sympathisch (bin mir nicht so sicher, ob ich sie mag?), but i was rooting for her, she was a queen and she was the moment!!!
das buch war fr 80% fantasy politics, es erinnerte mich stark an game of thrones, aber das hats auch so geil gemacht. it kept me guessing, wer der wahre feind ist und ich LIEBE DAS!! brauche sofort den zweiten teil
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Physical abuse, Racism, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Alcohol, War, and Injury/Injury detail
readwithria's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Jude is such a force to be reckoned with! Her pivot from wanting to be a knight to embracing her newfound skills was so great, and I really enjoyed seeing her grow into her strength.
The political maneuvering was so interesting! I love tactical plays in books like this, and The Cruel Prince was full of them. The planning, the manipulation, the betrayals 😩 SO GOOD
I will definitely be continuing the series asap. 4 stars.
Graphic: Violence, Blood, and Murder
Moderate: Death, Domestic abuse, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Toxic relationship, Kidnapping, Suicide attempt, and Alcohol
oddpilot97's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
The only tiny critique I have is that the audiobook narrator got a bit whiny at times of high tension. It was a tad grating/melodramatic.
Graphic: Slavery and Death of parent
Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Infidelity, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Suicide attempt, Murder, Gaslighting, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
cloudysky123's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Moderate: Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Genocide, Gore, Infertility, Infidelity, Miscarriage, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Stalking, Abortion, Suicide attempt, Death of parent, Murder, Pregnancy, and War