Severe Lack of Worldbuilding
Siri criticizes the book for completely neglecting worldbuilding and relying on preexisting fae tropes without offering any distinct explanations or creative twists of its own.
Reviewed
Updated
Read Time
6 min read
Our age bandAges 15–18 · Young adult
Reader rating
4.3 · 75,857 Amazon ratings, as of Nov 2026
reader ratings, not a LuvemBooks scoreShare This Review
Our review
The Cruel Prince
The Cruel Prince Review: Gripping Faerie Intrigue, Slow Start (Holly Black)
by Holly Black
The Cruel Prince, the first Folk of the Air book by Holly Black, follows mortal Jude in the High Court of Faerie as she defies Prince Cardan. Reviewers praise its twisting court intrigue and Jude, while some find the first part slow.
Tap to enlargeLuvemBooks Verdict
Best for
Readers who want a dark faerie court thriller driven by political scheming, betrayal and a determined mortal heroine, rather than a brooding-prince romance.
Worth it if
Worth reading if you can get through a quieter first section for a twisty, fast-moving second half, with a morally compromised heroine and family stakes at its centre.
Skip if
Skip it if you want a romance-forward story or a fast opening, since some reviewers found Part One slow and unnecessary, or if the bad-boy-turns-out-good trope and humiliating, brutal scenes put you off.
Where reviewers agree and split
Readers rate it 4.3 on Amazon. The reviews we read that discuss it in depth split on some points:
- Positive
Common Sense Media · Press review: A solid winner with action-packed magical intrigue keeping readers guessing
- Positive
Kirkus Reviews · Press review: dark tale with heady blend of lore and drama; excellent time to engage
- Mixed · ★★★☆☆
The Contented Reader · Book blog: solid but conflicting, with engaging second half and intriguing plot twists
- Positive · ★★★☆☆.5
Kell-Read · Book blog: enjoyable with compelling political intrigue and intriguing character dynamics
- Positive
Glasgow Women's Library · Book blog: fascinating, with a compelling protagonist and complex ethical exploration
- Positive · 7 – Very Good, leaning towards an 8
The Book Smugglers · Book blog: heart-wrenching and satisfying with compelling character depth and darkness
- Positive
Jenny Sandiford · Book blog: fast-paced and addictive with excellent world-building and character dynamics
- Positive
Blue Marble Review · Book blog: A marvelous triumph of political intrigue with sensational betrayals throughout
- Positive · 4 or 4.5 stars
Books Teacup and Reviews · Book blog: addictive and fascinating dark fantasy with complex plot and strong characters
Only Jenny Sandiford and Books Teacup Reviews discuss its pacing: both find it fast-paced and addictive.
Pacing
2 find it fast-paced and addictive
Who says what
Pacing
Praise
“It is a fast paced, addictive read that made me start on the second book as soon as I finished.”
— Jenny Sandiford · Book blogPraise
“It was addictive, dark, twisted, and fast-paced YA fantasy with complex and interesting plot and characters.”
— Books Teacup Reviews · Book blogWhat readers & critics say
Reception leans positive: Kirkus Reviews praises the court intrigue, while The Book Smugglers calls it Jude's story and rates it a 7, leaning towards an 8. The reservations come from book bloggers (Kell Read, Books Teacup Reviews), who found the opening stretch slow and the bad-boy trope familiar.
“Black is building a complex mythology; now is a great time to tune in.”
— Kirkus Reviews“The dialogue is droll, the characters vibrant, and the action near-constant.”
— Common Sense Media4.3from 75,857 Amazon ratings, as of Nov 2026— reader ratings, not a LuvemBooks score
Siri from Theresa reviews The Cruel Prince
Siri shares a critical, in-depth review of The Cruel Prince by Holly Black, highlighting issues with worldbuilding, pacing, and characterization.
A BookTube review by Theresa, 2018 · 42.3K views · 21K subscribers · Watch on YouTube ·
Their views, not ours. The points are our AI summary of what they say, each playing from where they say it.
Another view · loved it
The reviewer loved the series for its lush fairy-tale setting, relentless political scheming, and Jude's determined, morally grey agency. They note that readers should not expect traditional high-action battles or wholesome romantic dynamics, as the story revolves around manipulative, dark court politics. While they feel the concise length causes certain character evolutions to unfold a bit quickly, they strongly recommend the trilogy as an entertaining and immersive binge-read. Elliot Brooks on YouTube
A Flimsy, Underwhelming Plot
Siri felt the coronation plot was sparse enough to summarize in a few sentences, lamenting the absence of complex subplots or genuinely high stakes.
Telling Rather Than Showing Character Traits
Siri points out that while the text constantly insists Jude is a ruthless, highly skilled swordswoman, the book rarely demonstrates these abilities through actual action.
Unappealing Love Interest and Dynamics
Siri strongly dislikes Prince Cardan, arguing he behaves like a petty bully without any charm, redeeming qualities, or justifiable reasons for his hatred.
Preview the book
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Was this helpful?
The Cruel Prince opens a dark faerie court series in which a mortal girl raised among the fey fights for a place beside a cruel prince. Reviewers credit the plotting, which keeps turning, and a heroine whose survival, not romance, drives the story. The caveat is a first section some found slow, plus a familiar bad-boy trope.
- Is it worth reading?
- For most reviewers here, yes. Common Sense Media calls it an action-packed, twisty tale of magical intrigue. The catch is pacing: reviewers split, with two calling it fast-paced and addictive while others found Part One slow and short on plot until Part Two.
- Similar books
- The most direct next step is The Wicked King, Holly Black's own continuation of Jude's story. For another faerie-court fantasy with a romance-forward angle, A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas is the usual comparison. The Ballad of Never After by Stephanie Garber and Legendborn by Tracy Deonn also sit in YA fantasy, though the sources do not draw direct comparisons to them.
- Who should read this?
- Readers who want political scheming and family stakes will get the most from it. Reviewers stress that Jude's survival, not the prince, is the draw, so anyone coming only for a brooding love interest may be disappointed. Those who want a front-loaded romance or an immediate payoff are pointed elsewhere.
- What age is it for?
- Best for ages 15 and up, going by Amazon's listing; both stress its maturity. Common Sense Media's content notes mention violence and betrayal throughout.
- About Holly Black
- Holly Black is an American writer and editor best known for her children's and young adult fiction.
- How does it compare to The Wicked King?
- The Wicked King is the book Jenny Sandiford started as soon as she finished this one, which suggests the series hooks readers into continuing. The sources provided here do not compare the two books' quality or pacing, so no verdict on which is stronger can be drawn from them.
- Does it have dark content?
- Yes. One reviewer flags violence throughout. Jenny Sandiford found the humiliating situations Black puts her characters through stressful.
- Is there a film adaptation?
- The book was optioned for a film by Universal Pictures and Michael De Luca in June 2017, according to Wikipedia, which cites Deadline. The sources here do not say whether a production has followed.
Summarize this book
Is it worth reading?
Who should read this?
What age is it for?
About Holly Black
How does it compare to The Wicked King?
Does it have dark content?
Is there a film adaptation?
Summarize this book
Jude Duarte, seven when her parents were murdered, is raised in the High Court of Faerie by their killer, the general Madoc. Ten years later she wants to belong in a court that despises mortals, and defying Prince Cardan pulls her into palace intrigue and her own capacity for bloodshed. As civil war looms she needs a dangerous alliance to save her sisters and Faerie itself.
Follow up
Does it have a satisfying ending?
Does it stand alone?
Synthesized from verified book data & published reviews · How we review
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What would you like to know about The Cruel Prince?
Answers come from our editorial notes on this book. If we haven't covered something, we'll say so.
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Our Review
We review the evidence: published critics, reader verdicts and BookTube reviews, gathered and weighed with AI assistance and edited by LuvemBooks, rather than one reader's first-hand take.
Holly Black's dark faerie court drama, the first Folk of the Air book, wins its strongest praise for plotting that keeps turning and a heroine worth following. Its caveats are a slow first part and a bad-boy trope that Books Teacup and Reviews finds familiar.
What happens to Jude in The Cruel Prince?
Jude Duarte was seven when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were taken to the High Court of Faerie, where they were raised by the killer, the general Madoc. Ten years on she wants to belong in a court that despises mortals, and Prince Cardan, the youngest and cruelest son of the High King, makes that hard.
To win a place she must defy him, and doing so draws her into palace intrigue and her own capacity for bloodshed. As civil war looms, she needs a dangerous alliance to save her sisters and Faerie itself.
This is not a love story at heart. Jude and Cardan share an enemies-to-lovers tension, but the book's weight falls on politics, family and survival.
What do reviewers praise in The Cruel Prince?
Common Sense Media calls it an action-packed, twisty tale of magical intrigue that makes clear the fey can be ferociously deadly. It also credits the droll dialogue and vibrant characters.
The Book Smugglers draws a sharper line. In its view the book separates itself from earlier dark-faerie novels through its relationships and its focus on family, and it insists this is Jude's story, not a romance with a mean prince.
The reviewer rated it 7, leaning towards an 8, and praised an ending that is both heart-wrenching and satisfying.
Jenny Sandiford enjoyed the setting and a family dynamic she found unusual, and called the book fast-paced and addictive enough that she began the second book at once.
The Barnes & Noble edition's own reviewers are not among the voices quoted here, so Jude's portrayal rests on the critics above.
Where does The Cruel Prince lose reviewers?
Pacing is the clearest complaint. thecontentedreader.ca found the first section slow and short on plot, though the second part redeemed the book for her; she rated it three stars, calling it solid but conflicting. Kell Read, who gave it roughly three and a half stars, also felt Part One was largely unnecessary and found Jude wishy-washy until Part Two.
Books Teacup Reviews, which was largely warm toward the book, objected to the trope of the bad boy who turns out to be good and who is cruel because he dislikes how he feels around a girl. The same reviewer was satisfied that romance stays secondary.
The Book Smugglers flagged at least one poorly timed romantic interlude as eye-roll-inducing teenage melodrama. Jenny Sandiford found the Faerie setting a little clichéd, though she thinks that familiarity is part of the draw.
No critic here weighs the plotting for coherence or fairness, and no ratings from teen readers are available.
Is The Cruel Prince suitable for teens?
Amazon's listing gives 15 and up, while Common Sense Media stresses its maturity. Common Sense Media's content notes mention the book's violence and betrayal.
thecontentedreader.ca adds that the book carries a number of trigger warnings, and Jenny Sandiford found it stressful at times because Black puts her characters through humiliating, horrible situations. The Barnes & Noble edition and other special editions exist; Wikipedia notes the book drew enough enthusiasm to generate several collector's editions from publishers including Illumicrate, FairyLoot and Barnes & Noble.
Is The Cruel Prince worth reading?
Weighing these reviews, the tension they circle is between a fierce, absorbing court thriller and a slow, familiar-feeling first stretch. Those who like intrigue and a morally compromised heroine are pointed towards it; those who want a front-loaded romance or a fast opening are pointed away.
One reviewer and another both treat Jude's survival, not the prince, as the draw, so readers who come only for a brooding love interest may be disappointed.
The book was optioned for a film by Universal Pictures and Michael De Luca in June 2017, according to Wikipedia, which cites Deadline.
Sources & Further Reading
The key facts and claims in this review are grounded in the retrieved, verified sources listed below.
- 1
Holly Black, LuvemBooks
- 2
hachettebookgroup.com
- 3
thecontentedreader.ca
- 4
- 5
womenslibrary.org.uk
- 6
thebooksmugglers.com
- 7
jennysandiford.com
- 8
blackholly.com
- 9
bluemarblereview.com
- 10
- 11
en.wikipedia.org
- 12
commonsensemedia.org
- 13
booksteacupreviews.com
- 14
Kirkus Reviews
Age & Reading Level
Our age band
Ages 15–18
Reading level
Young adult
Amazon listing
Ages 15+ (set by customers) · Grade 9 and up
Our age band groups books for browsing; it isn't an age a review gave.
Tropes
enemies to loversmorally greyslow burn
From how readers describe it, not our own reading.
5 content notes · who it suits
Content to know about
violence and betrayal throughout
humiliating, brutal treatment of the characters
the murder of the heroine's parents
implied romantic situations
light cursing
Skip if you want a romance-forward story or a fast opening, or humiliating and brutal scenes put you off.
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