Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 370 pp.
Published January 2, 2018
Jude was seven 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.
As Jude becomes more deeply embroiled in palace intrigues and deceptions, she discovers her own capacity for trickery and bloodshed. But as betrayal threatens to drown the Courts of Faerie in violence, Jude will need to risk her life in a dangerous alliance to save her sisters, and Faerie itself.
While I rarely enjoy being a spoilsport, I failed to experience that magical spark that made so many readers fall in love with The Cruel Prince. I'm more disappointed than I would be in another book that wound up as an average read, most likely thanks to the enormous hype surrounding this new series. There were certainly elements that tempted me into loving it: those who enjoy reading prose on the flowery side have a feast of descriptive writing awaiting them. Beneath the gilded surface, though, I never quite connected to any of the characters, nor did I find many of their relationships among one another tremendously compelling. The emphasis on setting seemed to take priority over plot and character, which prevented me from enjoying The Cruel Prince as much as I wanted to. There were some definite positives to the book, however, and your own enjoyment may depend on what you look for most in a fantasy novel:
You'll LOVE it if...your favorite part of fantasy novels is the atmosphere.
Not a single detail slips by in Black's descriptions. Every character's expression, posture, and wardrobe are meticulously described throughout the novel. Taking advantage of the creative liberty afforded by the Fae's domain, Black also spins together a succession of woods, castles, and seas as enchanting as they are deadly. While other kingdoms are only hinted at, the world-building that takes place in The Cruel Prince is extensive and lush. It isn't quite as involved as a classic, epic high fantasy but a similar depth of inspiration persists throughout the novel. At times this preoccupation with detail borders on the self-indulgent; however, for readers who seek the most vivid mental picture of a fictional realm, The Cruel Prince delivers with panache.
You'll LIKE it if...anything involving the Fae makes a book better for you.
Dozens upon dozens of magical creatures cross The Cruel Prince's pages, drawing on generations of fables and fairy tales to construct an immersive world. Not being overly knowledgeable about this particular mythology, many of the Fae mentioned were new and fantastical to me. In all likelihood this unfamiliarity led me to miss certain undercurrents to the story; oftentimes a character would be described as a particular type of Fae, with little explanation of their role or powers to follow. For those who read far more stories involving the Fae there could be a second layer of meaning to who Black cast in certain roles, although those undercurrents were lost on me. One consistency across the entire kingdom, though, was the ruthlessness of its inhabitants. These Fae are conniving, selfish, and cruel, utterly unlike the Disney-esque fairies in other fantasy tales.
You MAY NOT like it if...you're picky about slower-paced plots.
All that focus on atmosphere and environment takes a toll on pacing. For nearly two-thirds of the novel I wondered where exactly the story would go and found my interest waning as the characters behaved more like archetypes than unique creations. The final portion of the book moves along at a faster clip, distracting from the thin characterizations and relationships, with a payoff that has me tentatively curious about where the sequel will go. I feel as though I had to work too hard to reach that ending, though, and I don't particularly care what happens to any of the main players.
Ultimately, the strong descriptive prose and weak plot and character development balanced out to result in a thoroughly average read. Whether you value atmosphere or pacing more will likely have a large influence on how much you enjoy your own journey down to the Underground.
RATING:
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