The Cruel Prince by Holly Black is a #1 New York Times bestselling novel and for good reason. It is an enthralling fantasy story that is even acclaimed by another NYT best-selling author, Leigh Bardugo, most known for her book Six of Crows, stating it’s a “lush, dangerous [and] a dark jewel of a book.” 

The story starts off a little morbid with the main character Jude’s mother and father being brutally slain in front of her and her two sisters by her mother’s ex-husband from a different land, a land of magic and beauty: Faerieland. 

The story follows an orphan mortal girl, Jude, who is trying to earn her place in the High Court, but it’s not as simple as it sounds, being a mortal girl with zero faerie blood in her she must either marry into or earn her place in the High Court by being a personal servant or knight to one of the six princes or princesses. 

Being the type of person Jude is, she’d rather be a knight than rely on love to keep her place in the High Court, but what will she do when Madoc, her mother’s ex-husband, murderer, and now adoptive father won’t allow her to enter into the only tournament that will allow her knighthood? What deals will she strike to keep her place in the High Court? What betrayals and new companions and possible friends will she meet on the way? And who, if anyone, will be her love interest in the end? 

All questions that you will have to find out for yourself once you read the jaw-droppingly awesome book that is The Cruel Prince by Holly Black. 

The book itself is beautifully written with amazing vocabulary that is not mind-numbingly bland, but also not too hard to understand. The plot is intricate and is a perfect balance of fighting and a genuine story plot. It paints a beautiful image in your head as you read and it’s like watching a movie but through words. Plus the plot twists will leave your jaw on the floor; they are amazing and surprising. Overall, I’d give this book a 9.5/10 because I truly believe that it was a great book and heavily recommend it to any fans of fantasy, action, blood, guts, and gore.