The Cruel Prince (The Folk of the Air, #1) (edició 2018)

I LOVED THIS ( )

Holly Black knows her faerie folklore. The Cruel Prince, first book in The Folk of the Air series, shows the fae in all their ruthless, spiteful and selfish glory. Too bad it's wrapped in a fairly standard YA story. From the back of the book:

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.

The strength of the story is in its setting and how well Black understands the folklore she used as her inspiration. Black's writing constantly reminds us just how other Elfhame and the fae are. The fae cannot lie yet they can still deceive with the truths they tell. Immortal and hauntingly beautiful, yet they have no purpose to their long lives other than to amuse themselves, which tends to lean towards cruel tricks and bullying. Glamours, fairy oaths, debts and obligations, Black includes them all.

It took me a while to feel invested in the story. Part of that was due to my fairly neutral feelings towards Jude. Desperate to fit in, Jude is just as petty as the fae she loathes though it takes her a while to realize it. Once she does and fully commits herself, she becomes a lot more interesting. Jude's bullheaded determination takes her far and it was enjoyable to finally see her outsmart the fae. I wish the sister's relationship was explored more. It has a lot of potential. Half-fae Vivi acts more human than either Jude or Taryn at times. Taryn's betrayal was not completely unexpected and I have a feeling she's in for heartbreak in the future.

There is a romance. It's not the main focus of the story though I think I can see where it's potentially heading. My guess is it's an enemies turn lovers deal. While I was able to guess most of the twists the story took, I was quite surprised with that tricky ending.

I listened to the audio book narrated by Caitlin Kelly. I enjoyed her narration. She does a great job with character voices.

Even though I enjoyed the ending and kind of want to know how Jude manages to keep her little brother safe, I don't feel any desire to pick up the next book. Perhaps this will change in the future. ( )

Holly Black did not have a very inspiring start with this novel, but thankfully she managed to get over the initial over-explaining of her protagonist to settle into the real story. Most of her other books have an ease of tone, where the reader is just thrown into a world of magic with very few explanations and a lot of thematic implications that you either get or you don't, so the focus on the protagonist's recitation of her own origins can't help but feel awkward. Once we get into the story, though, the intrigues of the fey court take over. To an extent I dind't find a lot to connect with in our lead, since she is stubborn to the point of irrationality, but her tenuous position as a human in the truely faerie world does present a unique quandrum. By the end of this first book in the series she has provded thatg she can tangle with (and occasionally triumph over) the real faeries who surround her, but I guess we'll have to see if she can manage not to get herself killed by the end of things. ( )

Read #2
This book splits itself into two books, which is an organizational strategy that works really well for me. This split tells my brain that things have changed and to start looking for how the characters act differently and how motives start to show through deception. Jude is super cool, Cardan is interesting, and everyone else is well-rounded.

Although this book has some violence, I feel like it's appropriate for most middle-grade readers. The later books get a little steamier, but this one balances plot, relationships, and world-building really well.

I wish I understood the lying thing better. If a fairy says something, does that make it the truth? Or is it the truth because they can say it? For example, at the beginning of the book, Vivi says she will always hate Madoc, can she say this because she just decided it and now it is the truth? Can she not say something to oppose it in the future?

Read #1
Honestly, the fanart drew me to this book (thank you Instagram!) However, the cliffhangers and surprises kept me reading ( )

This is my first Holly Black novel and I must say I’m hooked. I followed along with the audio and I truly enjoyed the experience. Caitlin Kelly did a fantastic job with the characters. This book is full of many dark surprises and twists and I can’t wait to read and listen to the Wicked King! ( )