Reviews with content warning for Panic attacks/disorders - The Cruel Prince

I will give two stars because I appreciated certain points of the book. Like, the portrayal of faerie lore and the malicious attitude towards mortals? I did like that. I also liked that there were certain niche memories of Jude’s that felt relatable, like the sticky fingers and television childhood, as well as different descriptions of emotions she was feeling.

However, this book’s pacing was hell on my ADHD and it truly felt like a chore to read. There were parts that were engaging and I had no problem getting through chapters, and others were so slow that I would lose focus and go do something else. This book took me a month to read, which is atrocious and I wish I had a the habit of DNFing a book without feeling guilty, but I don’t so here I am now.

The characters as well, while relatable at certain points, are infuriating. Jude makes absolutely no sense. Why stay in Faerie if she’s angry and terrified all the time? If the people around her are all fucking terrible? Because you were raised there? You want power? Even though you are viewed as inherently inferior?

You gonna go ahead and fall in love eventually with someone who ripped another’s wings right off and participated in sexually assaulting you?

Bullshit, sounds like torture porn.

Vivienne was the only engaging character. I would read three books about her romance with Heather and her grappling with her identity and her hatred, but her determination to love a mortal and live there.

I didn’t care for the romance either (I mean, I’m gay, so I would never have cared for the het romance anyway) but I bought the book because people were mad about the lack of it, only to find political intrigue. I love political intrigue, but this book was vague at best with the world building and system descriptions. So I found that to be lacklustre as well.

I hear that Wicked King and Queen of Nothing were better, but I don’t think they might be better enough to give a shot, also it will be the last time I take book recommendations from heterosexual booktokers.

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mmefish's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.0

Before, I never knew how far I would go. Now I believe I have the answer. I will go a as far as there is to go. I will go way too far.

I read this trilogy last year and couldn’t stop thinking about it since. There are two reasons for that:

The main heroine. I love Jude, she’s my favourite YA character. She’s constantly struggling but never gives up; she stands up for herself and her sister but she’s not overly sentimental about their relationship; Jude is just believable, she feels real (just like every character in this book, to be fair).
The setting. Holly Black created a world that sucks you in. The nature, the Folk, all of the structures and decorations—everything is absolutely magical. I love that she wrote her fey to be wicked and actually different from humans.

Don’t start this book thinking that it’s a ~dark romance~ (the way it’s sometimes advertised), because “the Cruel Prince” is actually about belonging, ambition and fighting for the right to exist.

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teagstime's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.5

A solid 4.5 ★s I think !?
Really enjoyed this book-- the plot twists were hinted at subtly enough they were honestly surprising, while still making total sense w the info you've been given as a reader! Like.. chefs kiss at how satisfying the payoff was

I also really liked Jude, who becomes an absolute conniving badass (in desperate need of some therapy), and Cardan, who gave me waaay more feelings than I was prepared for ^^;; I just think he's neat!

So much of his dialogue & actions just completely endeared me to him. Seriously, he’s so intelligent and fun. Learning more about his family/home life made me feel a bunch of Emotions— he’s fr my lil cinnamon apple now… I’m holding his hand as we speak.

There's a few side characters I'm v personally invested in too, such as Madoc and Oriana.

Like Madoc is SUCH a dad. I just be thinking about how much he loves his family all the time— esp towards the end of the book, during his confrontation w Jude.. T_T And Oriana is so badass … she literally loves Oak & the girls so much.. she’s just been traumatized in so many ways! But when Jude’s in trouble she doesn’t hesitate to step up… Love her fr!! + the Court of Shadows guys are all so cool 💖

A good book for someone wanting to read abt a strong female protagonist who's desperate to prove herself & make her own way in a world wherein she has virtually no power. And then DOES!! She grows so much & becomes so unhinged by the end. What a queen uwu
The enemies-to-lovers is really good too, though it's mostly in the 'enemies' phase here lmaoo... I'm already a Huuuge fan of Cardan tho. No Cardan slander allowed in this house !

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ali_debookness's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.75

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egurgens's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

Honestly, I’ve been looking for a book with a great villain arc, and I found one! Instead of seeing a hero fight against their worst impulses, Jude embraces them. Sure, Cardan is cruel, but so is her adoptive father, in a way, and so is the society she finds herself in. There are two possible paths Jude could have taken to survive with the Faerie, she just chose the opposite path of her sister, Taryn.

There are so many political twists, so much betrayal, blood, gore, spies, magic, bullying, and violence, but it is so so so good. 100% recommend.

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