"And Cardan is even more beautiful than the rest. I hate him more than all the others. I hate him so much that sometimes when I look at him, I can hardly breathe.
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."-- Provided by Amazon
This is a school-bully story where the bullies are immortal and the stakes are lethal. Kirkus noticed the blend: Celtic-style faerie lore, high fantasy and high-school cruelty in one court. It works because the fae can't lie and Jude can, so her cunning is her only real weapon.
Jude is no conventional hero. She's ruthless, strategic and hungry for a place among people who loathe her. Some readers cheer a refreshing antihero. Others can't get past a heroine who admires the culture rejecting her, or a central romance built on enmity and abuse. Decide early which camp you're in. The opening spends a while on court politics, then picks up toward a twisty ending. It's a shorter, tighter read than most romantasy, and it sets up a trilogy.
Publishers Weekly gave it a starred review, praising the intelligent plot, the tough heroine and a surprising third-act twist. Kirkus was warmly positive about the complex mythology. Reader opinion is polarized: some call it masterful and addictive, others say every character is cruel.
Add to your library to track progress and write reviews
Find The Cruel Prince Holly Black in PDF, EPUB, ebook, audiobook, print, or library editions.
6 books in catalog
Holly Black is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of over thirty fantasy novels for kids and teens. She has been a finalist for an Eisner Award and the Lodestar Award, and the recipient of the Mythopoeic Award, a Nebula, and a Newbery Honor. Her books have been translated into 32 languages worldwide and adapted for film. She currently lives in New England with her husband and son in a house with a secret library.
http://www.blackholly.com/
Elfhame
