"The Cruel Prince" by Holly Black (Updated)

In The Cruel Prince by Holly Black, Jude was only 7 when she saw her parents killed and was taken to the High Court of Faerie  .  Ten years later, Jude wants to belong, but being a mortal, she is looked down on.  Jude has seen a lot of killing, but know she wants power.  However, the risk is great, can she do it?

Teaser from page 6:  "You were stolen from me," he told her.  "I have come to take you to your true home, in Elfhame beneath the hill."

I thought this book was very good.  It kept me engaged throughout.  I really enjoyed watching Jude grow up through the book.  I was going to give it a 5 star rating, but the ending pushed it to 5++ stars!  I look forward to book 2.  (Gerard's review)

Karen's review 1/30/18:
The Cruel Prince by Holly Black is the first book in a fantasy trilogy. There is a lot of bullying of Jude, a mortal who was stolen along with her twin and older Faerie sister from our world by her mother’s former husband, a general in Faerie land. Jude really wants to fit in to Faerie land and desires to be a knight, but General Madoc, the guy who killed her parents and brought her to live with him, puts the kibosh on that. Jude becomes a killer and a spy for Dain, one of Cardan’s brothers. Carden and his friends are the ones bullying Jude, but Jude gets revenge. There is a lot of political betrayal and intrigue in this first book.

My teaser from page 83:  "It's shocking," he says, as though he's giving me some great compliment.  "I know humans can lie, but to watch you do it is incredible.  Do it again."

I have mixed feelings about Jude. I liked her in the beginning, but by the end, I really don’t like her much. She has become manipulative, mean and bloodthirsty like the general who she hated for killing her parents. I must admit, it is an interesting novel. The ending was not exactly like I expected, but came close. I probably will continue with this series. (3 stars)

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