The Cruel Prince

When their parents are killed by the Faerie Lord, Madoc, Jude and her twin sister Taryn are taken to live in the world of Faerie. It is a dangerous world and as mortals they are a target for Faerie spite. Jude is determined that she will not succumb. Though a mortal she is fascinated by this world. She is determined that she will not fall under its spell and become anything other than herself. But the Faerie Court is a dangerous place full of secrets, deception and treachery. Will Jude’s ambition destroy her? Or can she chart her own destiny?

Holly Black catapults her readers into a world of Faerie that is a far cry from the romanticised imagination of Disney. This is a cruel world, its inhabitants unfeeling, malicious and untrustworthy. Though in many respects immortal, they can be killed and they delight in the wounding or killing of others. They despise humans only envying them their ability to lie. They are beautiful. Jude aspires to be like them. Black creates the atmosphere of this world meticulously through Jude’s eyes, through dialogue and incident. The result is a lush, immersive experience that will delight readers who have enjoyed Game of Thrones where plot and counter-plot are the norm; where little is what it seems. This is not a book to linger over but to turn the pages quickly to follow Jude as she makes her choices – and then wait for the sequel.