The Cruel Prince (The Folk of The Air #1) by Holly Black

Rating:⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

"Most of all, I hate you because I think of you. Often. It's disgusting, and I can't stop."

This book just has to be one of the best works from Holly Black that I have read to date. With a story following a mortal girl, in a world where Fey and faeries are above all, come and join Jude on her journey as she attempts to prove to all of them that she is just as good as they are.

This YA high fantasy book seems to have put a spell on me! It felt like I was being drawn into a faerie dance and I could not stop. Learning Jude's story of how she was taken to the Land of the Fey with her sisters was interesting to the say the least. The Fae are described in a striking way; with tails like different animals, some with horns and a plethora of exceptional hair and eye colours. Tormented, bullied and degraded for years for being herself(a mortal) Jude finally had enough. She decided to strike back against the greatest mortal hater of them all, Prince Cardan.

Once I picked up this book, I could not put it back down. I was obsessed with Cardan's quirky and effortlessly rude demeanour. He was nearly always bored with everyone and everything yet somehow he was obsessed with making Jude's life hell. "Have I told you how hideous you look tonight?" There was real depth to Cardan aside from his snide remarks, he was a victim himself of cruelty, like Jude. Cardan was abused, degraded and pushed by his brother Prince Balekin.

Cardan wasn't a sweet, gentle guy like you would expect to find as a main character but personally, I found the snarky, sarcastic comments made him all the more suitable for Jude.

Jude's character is fierce, yet scared. I find this makes her quite a strong female lead as she has everything to loose if anything goes wrong (Or if her secrets are discovered). She puts on this façade of confidence and fearlessness, all while hoping they don't sense her unease. "If you hurt me, I wouldn't cry. I would hurt you back".

This book I must give a rating of 5/5 as it had many twists and turns I did NOT expect. This book is near flawless in my eyes, but no book is perfect! (This book is very close to perfection as a book can get). I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of Red Queen(Victoria Aveyard), The Mortal Instruments(Cassandra Clare) and Three Dark Crowns(Kendare Blake).