The Cruel Prince
Jan 2018 · THE FOLK OF THE AIR Book 1 · Sold by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
4.6star
305 reviews
Ebook
384
Pages
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About this ebook
From #1 New York Times bestselling author Holly Black, comes the first book in a stunning new series about a mortal girl who finds herself caught in a web of royal faerie intrigue.
Of course I want to be like them. They're beautiful as blades forged in some divine fire. They will live forever.
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.
Of course I want to be like them. They're beautiful as blades forged in some divine fire. They will live forever.
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.
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Ratings and reviews
4.6
305 reviews
Janjoona
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November 19, 2025
This book is really good. Totally deserving of the hype. The writing is simple and a bit childish (hence the 4-star rating), but I continued and I don't regret it! You might get a bit bored but honestly what did you expect, its YA. And this is the best you'll get. No love triangle thank GOD. Cardan is really despicable but you'll love him. I love how Jude isnt portrayed as a weak girl but at the same time she sometimes seems scary or loses control. makes her feel more REAL. 4.5 stars, recommend.
Nishtha Mulkalwar
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July 15, 2025
This was genuinely not only a good book but an excellent series. It does a good job to keep you hooked. The character development of everyone is what really astounded me because after rereading it I realise how different everyone is from the first book. The female protagonist Jude is a badass and cardan actually SUCKS in this book but later on I really love him. This is such a good read and it's actually like a game of thrones sort of.. Anyways amazing read, highly recommend. Happy reading:)
Alyvia Matkin
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June 7, 2025
At first,I was a little skeptical because I saw so many reviews of people saying that they didn't like this book. But let me just say that this is honestly one of the BEST books I have ever read. It truly pulls you in and keeps you hooked until the very end. Jude and Cardan's story is such an amazing and exciting one. I seriously could not put this book down from the beginning all the way till the end. Then I immediately went and bought the second book in this trilogy. Everyone should read this!
About the author
Holly Black is the bestselling author of contemporary fantasy novels for teens and children, including Tithe: A Modern Faerie Tale and the #1 New York Times bestselling Spiderwick series. She has been a finalist for the Mythopoeic Award and the Eisner Award, and the recipient of the Andre Norton Award. Holly lives in Massachusetts with her husband, Theo, in a house with a secret library. Her website is www.blackholly.com.
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