Review: The Cruel Prince
Book information
Title: The Cruel Prince
Author: Holly Black
Where to buy: Amazon.
My review has heavy spoilers including the ending and major plot events. Proceed at your own risk.
- Jude
I wonder if faerie wings grow back; I know that butterflies that lose a wing never fly again.
- Jude
'I am going to fall in love.'
I am surprised into laughter. 'So you’ve just decided? I didn’t think it worked like that. I thought love was supposed to happen when you least expected it, like a sap to the skull.'
- Taryn & Jude
'Do you know what mortal means? It means born to die. It means deserving of death. That’s what you are, what defines you—dying. And yet here you stand, determined to oppose me even as you rot away from the inside out, you corrupt, corrosive mortal creature. Tell me how that is. Do you really think you can win against me? Against a prince of Faerie?'
- Cardan
'You think because you can humiliate me, you can control me?'
- Jude
'I know humans can lie, but to watch you do it is incredible. Do it again.'
- Prince Dain
'I am no murderer'
- Cardan
But we all want stupid things. That doesn’t mean we should have them.
- Jude
Likes:
Chapters. Most of them include only 6-12 pages and if it has more the next chapter after it has less than 6-12 pages. Perfect balance.
Characters aren't flat. Jude has nervous tics, special abilities and her own will (against Cardan). Cardan isn't just mean, but also has his vulnerabilities (is madly in love with Jude), he doesn't know how to hold a sword and he doesn't want to kill anyone, despite being so cruel. And so on and so on for the other characters. They each have their own backstory and special traits.
Original. There were some unoriginal parts, but I found it interesting how faries couldn't lie and that some possesed a tail. They also had special magic and fruits not only to harm humans but also themselves. Salt on food to destroy ensorcellment, stockings inside out so you won't find ourself astray and dried rowan berries in your pockets so you have a free mind. All interesting and show how vulnerable Jude and her sister can be in this fairy world. The crowning ceremony and that one of the royal family MUST crown the person was also interesting. Especially as it was connected with the plot and made everything interesting in the end.
Plot twists. This is actually hard to say, as some were predictable for me like the one with Locke, but the ending of the book and it's plot twist wasn't expected at all. The main difference about it is that one already showed hints for how it will go and the other one didn't and only got revealed when it already happened to show it to the reader too.
Characters aren't stupid. Even though fairies can't lie they still know when someone lies. For example when Jude came home after being enchanted by the magic fruit and Madoc knew she lied when she said she done that to herself on purpose and was just having fun.
Main character isn't stupid either. When she goes to Prince Dain she still has her facade on, knowing that someone might listen. She is a natural as Prince Dain said! Also, other example include her planning for who will be the next crown king, was clever and she played it through to find any lack in the plan. And every time something seemed to get noticed she told the right person (Vivi) and knew what to say and what not in given time (didn't mention that she was a spy until she wasn't anymore).
Appearance isn't over explained and gives the reader the freedom of making things up with their own fantasy.
Fairies aren't just evil or just good. I don't know why, but when people come up with made-up creatures they are either all evil or all good. No in-between and that's really annoying. Each Individual is different, already shown in us humans, so why can't be made-up things too? It makes sense for a species to be known as evil, like the fairies in this book, but it was still shown that some have a kind heart and don't only deceive humans and use them as slaves, for instance. Even though at the beginning it might seemed like fairies always hate humans, at the end it was made clear that fairies can fall in love with humans.
Trauma. The main character and her sisters experienced the traumatic event of seeing both their parents being murdered. And it lasted on them forever. It wasn't like: Now I feel stronger and now I will forget that it ever happened. Instead Jude became powerful, she wanted power, she wanted to be in control and not be controlled ('You think because you can humiliate me, you can control me?'). She got all this in the end, with her hard work and smartness. Vulnerability was still shown ("Yes, they frighten me, but I have always been scared, since the day I got here. I was raised by the man who murdered my parents, reared in a land of monsters. I live with that fear, let it settle into my bones, and ignore it.") and also in many different ways, like total despair ("I am not okay. I am not okay. I am not okay."), anger ('You may win in the end, you may ensorcell me and hurt me and humiliate me, but I will make sure you lose everything I can take from you on the way down. I promise you this') and even by judgment ("She acts like it’s her personal tragedy and hers alone."). I love that this book doesn't just have a poweful main character who forgets about all this, but that it makes her stronger and showing the readers her process through it in many different ways. You can't, but empathise with Jude!
I actually dislike most of the time the 'girls are powerful and they are stronger' kind of media. As it is poorly dispictured and makes them just look stupid or extremely haughty. You can be powerful, you can be a dominant woman, but you don't need to put everyone lower than you and humiliate them. Dominance is when you show power when others try to put you down. Not by putting everyone down even people who don't mean any harm to you. And this book done an perfect job about this. For example Jude and Cardan fought in the book multiple times and Jude always exclaimed what she wanted him to do differently and why she is so angry about it/him. Example: “I don’t know what you said to her, but don’t you ever go near my sister again,” I tell him, my hand still on the front of his velvet doublet. “You gave her your word.” In this case the exclaim is: 'Don't ever go near my sister again' and the explaining why she is so angry so that he understands is: 'You gave her your word'. Sometimes she doesn't express it that freely, but shows it indirectly or after the fight at some point. But she always explains what she wants and why she wants it. And if someone gets violent she does too, but not beforehand. You could say she is gentle, but I would say she knows when to use her power for her benefit.
Some explanations are coming way later than they happened, showing that the author must really worked hard and kept notes to remember to explain it later on in the story. For example: Cardan showed that he didn't want Jude to be killed when he said 'Enough' after she almost got chocked to death by Valerian. Near the end of the book we get to know that he doesn't want anyone to die, nor kill anyone himself. Small details are so big in the end.
The love. Cardan and Jude. It develops on a normal speed, considering that it is a trilogy and that it isn't the main plot. From enemies to lovers, and at first I was a bit afraid finding out how they develop into lovers 'cause I know other books with this trope who managed it poorly (main reason I don't like that trope), so I didn't have high expectations on this one. And it turned out way better than I thought it will. The reasoning for them to love eachother is always the part were authors fail, but Holly Black knew what to do. Jealousy. It's so easy and yet so hard. Jealousy is great for enemies to lovers. Being jealous of the other person and therefore hating them, but not actually knowing anything about them and how hard they life could be. And on top: Hating that you love them, due to society and your own insecurities. Society hates humans and only use them for their own advantage so Cardan was afraid that he loved her 'cause he knew others wouldn't approve of it and he wasn't sure if he wanted it 'cause he was still jealous of her perfect life.
Reference 1: 'I hate you because your father loves you even though you’re a human brat born to his unfaithful wife, while mine never cared for me, though I am a prince of Faerie. I hate you because you don’t have a brother who beats you. And I hate you because Locke used you and your sister to make Nicasia cry after he stole her from me. Most of all, I hate you because I think of you. Often. It’s disgusting, and I can’t stop.'
Reference 2: "His hands are moving slowly because he is trying to stop himself."
Regarding Jude, she starts to feel connected to him too before Cardan confessed to her. For example, the hiding scene where she went to Balekin's house, where also Cardan lived.
Scene 1: I should be glorying in seeing Cardan like this. I should be glad that his life sucks, maybe worse than mine, even though he’s a prince of Faerie and a horrible jerk and probably going to live forever. If someone had told me that I’d get an opportunity to see this, I would have thought the only thing I’d have to stifle was applause. But watching, I cannot help observing that beneath his defiance is fear. I know what it is to say the clever thing because you don’t want anyone to know how scared you are. It doesn’t make me like him any better, but for the first time he seems real. Not good, but real.
Scene 2: “I am no murderer,” says Cardan, surprising me. I would not have thought that was something to be proud of.
Scene 3: However horrible Cardan might be, I now see what he might become and am truly afraid.
Emotions and relationships are way more complex in this book. For example, readers and Jude always thought that Cardan and Balekin didn't like eachother, specially when Balekin was eager to find Cardan so that he can be crowned and Balekin already killed his other family members when they disobeyed and he also punished Cardan when his sword fighting wasn't good enough by being hit on his back by a belt. But then Balekin put himself protectively in front of Cardan so that Cardan doesn't get hurt. Characters aren't just flat, but their relationships to eachother aren't either.
Reference: He knocks Cardan out of the chair, throws him to the floor, and covers Cardan’s body with his own. As I stare at them, I realize how little I’ve understood their relationship.
Dislikes:
Not original. Why do fairies need to have pointy ears, why can't they have some other physical attribution that is different? Why do they also have wings? And horns are often used too. Since it's fantasy I was expecting more originality and more new fantasy.
Slow paced at the beginning of the book. Takes about 80-100 pages till it gets exciting to read. I don't have a issue with books who need to explain a few things before getting to the exciting part, but it wasn't necessary for this book. It could have been exciting sooner.
I don't quite understand how Madoc cares so much about all his 'daughters' and not just his biological, as he literally killed the parents instead of just taking that 1 biological daughter and leaving. Or only leaving with that 1 daughter after he killed that parents. He wanted the others. But reminded them how less worth they are in Elfhame.
Most plot twists were predictable, except for the ending.
How it works: Only everything that is lower than 9 gets reduced from the final rating. Depending on how strong it inflicted the overall enjoyment of reading it effects differently.
[ Story 8 / 10 ]
[ Characters 9 / 10 ]
[ Triggering 0 / 10 ]
[ Topic/Genre 10 / 10 ]
[ Writing style 8 / 10 ]
[ Grammatic and spelling 10 / 10 ]
[ Ending 10 / 10 ]
Final Rating
4/5
My expectation for this book was extremely low. I actually thought this will be a 1-star read. Popular books are usually not my taste and I already had bad experience with it, but curiosity got the best of me and I am glad it did. I really didn't think it would be so good! Definitely recommended!
Started the book: 21. April 2024
Finished the book: 24. April 2024
Wrote the review: 25. April 2024
Comments
Post a Comment