BookCompleted series2018

The Cruel Prince

by Holly Black

Book 1 in The Folk of the Air

Jude Duarte does not survive Elfhame by being sweet. She survives by becoming harder to beat, and watching Cardan realize that is half the fun.

Goodreads 4.0/5 1,754,143 ratings

Quick fit

Is this story right for you?

A decision-first view of the reading experience.

Content warnings: Violence, Bullying, Blood, Death, Parental death, Drugging, Attempted murder, Trauma, Abuse, Alcohol use, Drug use, Gore, Harassment, Murder, Poisoning, Suicide, Self-harm, Body shaming, Slut shaming, Slavery, Child abuse, Cheating, Grief, Injury detail, Vomiting / emesis, Manipulation

Length370 pages

Series statusCompleted series

Spice1/5

PacingMedium

Story profile

The strongest reviewed signals about romance, fantasy, and the reading experience.

Matched by the most important shared story signals, with the tradeoffs made explicit.

336 pages Completed series

Holly Black

Similar because

Ya fantasy · Ambitious schemer · Mythic

356 pages Completed series

Holly Black

Similar because

Ya fantasy · Betrayal to trust · Survivor

620 pages Ongoing series

Ashley McLeo

Similar because

Political intrigue · Moderate · Survivor

Different because

Slow pacing rather than Medium. A longer read (620 vs 370 pages).

Book details