For all those who have been swept off your feet (or potentially enthralled by the fae) with Holly Black’s previous books, your creepy and sinister weaver of tales is back.
Cruel Prince instantly takes me back to the dark fairie tales of my junior high years. While there are still plenty of stories with fae around, they absolute ruthlessness of these beings that haunted children’s stories for years seemed to fall away. Black doesn’t let that happen. She knows these creatures, and she beautifully contrasts them against the stark difference of humanity in Taryn and Jude.
I simply adored the strained and weird half human-human, half-fae family dynamic that revolves around their home. Their relationships show the true complexity, heartbreak, love, and strength the bonds of family can have. Also Viv is the half-fae character I never knew I needed. Her snark, and disregard for her heritage, love of her siblings, and absolute punk-perfection that she is made her easily one of my favorite characters.
Additionally I loved seeing the dynamic of one of a set of twins being the main character. Our world is obsessed with twins, from understanding genetics, to how infant twins are used in acting in Hollywood. It seems that fae are similarly entranced by them. I know that I loved seeing the differences and the little idiosyncrasies between Jude and Taryn.
The growth/change of character is wonderful. If anyone wants to talk to me about the whole Cardan/June dynamic. Hit. Me. Up. I just won’t give spoilers in a review, but their relationship was fascinating!
Seriously the coordination with modern times was on point. Everything was pretty on point. And to see how everything plays out in the end was masterful writing, I was screaming at my book. I am anxiously waiting for the next book, to see how more of the little details that we weren’t expecting to be important come into play.
You can get Cruel Prince here through Bookshop.org, which supports local independent bookstores!
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my way by Starlight 