This book. I don't even know where to start. For one, I definitely didn't think I would like it this much! I'm not a big fan of faeries, but the twist and turn made me like it. There were moments when I literally stopped breathing and was scared to read on, afraid of what's about to happen next. The main reason why this book got me hooked was because I wanted to know what Jude will choose to do, every time she had to make a choice.

This is also the first time where I read a book but I didn't root for the two main characters to end up together, at the beginning. I'm still not sure if I do ship Jude and Cardan. But I don't mind them together. We'll see what happens.

This book has not even been released yet and I am already excited for the next installment!

Wow, this book was sooooo good!
With twists around every corner, it made me paranoid, suspecting everyone and trusting nobody... And I loved it!

I tjoroughly erklärt The Cruel Prince. It is a fast-paced thriller set in Faerie. From the first pages you are properly sucked into the world if Jude and her sister Vivi and Taryn. Human, forced to grow up amobfsr fairies, Jude craves acceptance and a position of power. As such this is a story about prejudice, inferiority and superiority and the battle for acceptance. Circumstances and opportunity force Jude on a trajectory that will lead her away from her home and on a path of war with the man who raised, while also throwing her into the company of the young man who she believes hates her. Together they become responsible for the crowning of a new High King and thus are forced to fight for Faerie, and by extension for the human world, because only a measured and peaceful ruler would allow for a regulated interaction between the worlds. The alternative is lawlessness and bloodshed.

A mystical book full of plot and intrigue and the wondrous sinister fae of Holly Black legend. I will wait with bated breath for the sequel!

Jude watches a stranger murder her dad with a sword thrust upward through his belly and then stride on to murder her mum with a sword in her back. Then that self-same stranger kidnaps Jude and her two sisters.

Ten years later Jude is still a member of the stranger's household, being brought up as his daughter, being educated with the Gentry and learning strategy and swordfighting from her 'father'.

Jude isn't popular with all the 'Gentry' though and she struggles to remember her place sometimes, which gets her into bother, dangerous bother. Suffice it to say that she gets entangled in the politics of royalty, ends up fighting a serious battle with her twin sister and of course has to attend many court balls.

I felt at times a strong sense of deja vu when reading this book, even though this is the first time I've read it. I couldn't fathom why. Perhaps because, although completely different, it did remind me ever so tenuously of Poison Study, just a bit. Which reminds me that if you like this book, when you get a moment it is worth also reading Poison Study (The Chronicles Of Ixia Series) by Maria V. Snyder, as that too is a really good story.

I genuinely punched the air when I was approved for this book on NetGalley. I've been a fan of Holly Black's work since I first borrowed 'Tithe' from my sister's bookshelf when I was about twelve, and I've yet to be anything other than delighted by one of her books. My impatience to get hold of a copy of 'Cruel Prince' meant the moment I saw this I requested it, and I was super excited to be approved. However, I held off on reading it for a couple of days. November's been a bad month for me in terms of reading, and while part of that is because I've been busy with uni and NaNoWriMo and so on, it's also because my mental health has been rubbish. I didn't want to ruin this book for myself by reading it when I wasn't in the right headspace to enjoy it, you know? It was a bit of a toss-up: would it cheer me up, or would my black mood stop me from enjoying it?

I don't know as it actually cheered me up, but I definitely didn't find myself unable to enjoy it: quite the opposite. I half-heartedly told myself I wouldn't read the whole thing in an afternoon, because I had so many other things I was meant to be doing (like actual work), but I did. I couldn't stop myself.

And of course, as someone who lovels all of the Holly Black books I've read so far, but especially the fairy ones, I was bound to enjoy this. This is not in any way an unbiased review. Her books hit me on two levels: on the one hand, they indulge my folklore nerdery and love of any intriguing portrayal of fairies, and on the other hand, they speak to my twelve-year-old self who was blown away by 'Tithe', so I get all nostalgic as well.

Speaking of that nostalgia, although this book primarily features a new cast of characters, there are guest appearances from those featured in previous books: Kaye and Roiben (from 'Tithe') appear, which made me very happy, as well as characters from 'The Darkest Part of the Forest'. I think it *is* worth reading those first; it's not 100% essential, but it'll definitely add more to the scenes where those characters appear, and besides, they're great books, so why wouldn't you?

Other things I enjoyed about this book:

- Once again, like 'The Darkest Part of the Forest', it features female characters who are both feminine and 100% ready to fight at all times. I enjoy this. I like the idea that being a knight doesn't mean not wearing dresses or enjoying looking nice now and again.
- Sibling relationships that are complicated and messy but essential to everyone involved. I'm a sucker for siblings and just complicated family dynamics generally, which this book has in spades. I mean, it doesn't get much more complicated than the man who raised you being the same person who murdered your actual parents, does it?
- The worldbuilding, and a fairy world that is beautiful and bloody and decadent and twisted and entirely removed from conventional human moralities and ways of working.
- The fact that the characters actually felt young, despite the fantastical setting, and that although they live in a world which magic, they still have to go to school (even if it's a school run by fairies). I don't know. It was odd, the school element, because occasionally it felt incongruous, but in the best way. Like it helped to set the story apart from more conventional stories featuring schools and also from more conventional fairy worlds.
- Also it meant there were multiple levels of tension, from everyday cruelty and bullying to big political machinations and systemic disruption of the status quo, which helped to keep things interesting.

And seriously, the political machinations are -- they're quite something. The plot is so tied up in the character development that you never see it coming, because if you tell someone who has only read the first chapter what happens at the end, they won't connect with it at all, because you don't expect to care about the people involved. And then you do. And it catches you completely off-guard how much. There are feelings, guys.

This is already getting long, and I guess the impression I'm trying to give is that I really liked it, of course I really liked it, I was never not going to like it -- but I'll leave you with a few quotes I enjoyed.

"I live with that fear, let it settle into my bones, and ignore it. If I didn't pretend not to be scared, I would hide under my owl-down coverlets in Madoc's estate forever. I would lie there and scream until there was nothing left of me."

"Faerie exists beside and below mortal towns, in the shadows of mortal cities, and at their rotten, derelict, worm-eaten centers. Faeries live in hills and valleys and barrows, in alleys and abandoned mortal buildings."

"Hitting him was the most honest thing I've done in a long time. I feel better than great. I feel nothing, a glorious emptiness."

"I cannot seem to contort myself back into the shape of a dutiful child. I am coming unraveled. I am coming undone."

"Maybe there's something broken in me from watching my parents being murdered. Maybe my messed-up life turned me into someone capable of doing messed-up things. But another part of me wonders if I was raised by Madoc in the family business of bloodshed. Am I like this because of what he did to my parents or because he was my parent?"

"He's a monster, so if I want to do a very bad thing, he's not going to judge me for it. Much."

So yeah, I enjoyed it. And although it distracted me from work for a fair while, I still wished there was more of it, because I wasn't quite ready to leave that world and those characters yet.

This review is also on Goodreads and my blog (links below).

Jude is a child living with her parents, her twin Taryn and her older sister Viv when a stranger appears at their door and kills her parents before her eyes. The murderer? Her Mother’s faerie ex-husband Madoc who has come to retrieve his daughter (Viv) whom he previously thought dead. He takes the two human twins with him, returning to Faerie and raising them all as his own. That’s the background.

Madoc is the High King’s General; because of this he has the power to demand that the human twins be treated as his own. So Jude and Taryn are educated with the Faerie gentry, schooled in swordsmanship by Madoc and attend functions at Court. Madoc has remarried, his new wife Oriana is not Jude’s favourite person, but she very much loves her younger brother from this union, Oak.

But not all of the faeries are happy to have humans in their midst, least of all humans with privilege and protection of the General.

Jude dreams of becoming a Knight – a fanciful ambition for a mortal in Faerie but one that she is determined to fulfil. She knows she can’t live under Madoc’s protection forever and if she wants to stay in Faerie rather than return to the mortal lands she is going to need to find some power of her own. Her twin is content with finding a marriage to keep her in Faerie but Jude wants to follow her own dreams.

Jude is educated with the High King’s son Prince Cardan, and his group of gentry faerie friends. They are not fond of humans and even less so of the twins, making life difficult for the twins. This animosity between Jude and Cardan is a theme that runs throughout the novel.

When the High King decides to leave his throne, a succession must follow. Any one of the King’s offspring could wear the Blood Crown, but it’s Prince Dain that the High King has chosen.

So when Dain makes a proposition to Jude, she realises that this could be her chance to find power and forge her own destiny.

I really enjoyed this book. I loved the progression of Jude’s character and the quick escalation of the issues she had in front of her.

Through Jude, Black explores what it’s like to be different in society, to stand out from the crowd and to suffer the consequences of such differences.

Black’s land of Faerie had me thoroughly enthralled and I loved the contrast of the normalcy of going to Target in the mortal lands and the magic, and darkness, of Faerie.

While this book begins somewhat sedately (well, aside from the brutal murder of Jude’s parents) everything soon escalates to the point that you just want to keep reading. It’s a book full of betrayal, loyalty, families, scheming, ambition and secrets.

It is packed with fantastic characters. I’ll admit to being somewhat confused by the different court and placing some of the characters to begin with – I was a bit overwhelmed by names at the start. One of these thoroughly interesting characters is Prince Cardan who is at the heart of the cruelty, taunting and abuse that Jude encounters in Faerie.

I think of the things I liked most about Black’s characters is that they are flawed. No-one is perfect, each has their own stories and desires. Couple that with Black’s descriptive writing, fantastic world building and captivating plot, it’s hard not to love this book.

I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Jude has been living in Faerie for years, but she doesn't belong here. She was born mortal and, after her parents' brutal murder, she and her sisters were stolen away and brought to live with the fey. Jude longs to be as powerful as they are, but as a mortal she is often tormented by them, especially by Prince Cardan, youngest son of the High King. As she struggles to find a way to protect herself from the cruelty of the fey, she becomes involved in palace intrigues and ends up in the middle of a civil war; and she might be the only one with the power to resolve it.

The Cruel Prince was a dark and wonderful start to a series which shows a lot of potential. If you like creative fantasy books, with a surprising plot and morally grey characters, you should check it out.

The story was very well-crafted. The plot was never boring: it had some slower parts but they were necessary to describe the world and present the characters. The more action-packed scenes were jaw-dropping. The story was full of twists and turns and, while I expected some of them, the vast majority was a complete surprise for me. The ending, especially, was shocking! I did not see it coming at all and it was so satisfying seeing how (view spoiler)

The characters were also interesting. I think Holly Black did a great job portraying the fey, showing how they can be both charming and frightening. And I loved how she played on the fact that, while they can't lie, they are dangerously deceitful. However our main character, the mortal Jude, was definitely my favourite. It was easy to sympathize with her for what she had to suffer, and yet she was far from being a powerless or innocent victim. As the story progressed she became more and more ruthless and gradually discovered how far she could go not only to defend herself, but also to gain true power. She was almost and anti-heroine, and I loved her.
As for Cardan, I am conflicted about him. On one hand, I really disliked him for his bullying; on the other, I could see his charm and I enjoyed reading about him. Similarly, [his relationship with Jude wasn't ideal but I kind of want to see them together. Possibly as an evil and ruthless couple... (hide spoiler)]

There were a couple of things I wanted to know more about, and characters I wanted to see more, but I am hopeful the next book will expand the world even more. I am very excited for it!

Thank you NetGalley for allowing me to read this. Not what I was expecting...better!
As you may expect from Black, there’s plotting, intrigue, darkness and something otherworldly. I was uncertain at the beginning, but as we pick up pace and start to see more of what’s going on it becomes more and more intriguing.
I loved the premise of this, and the blending of fae and mortal worlds was deftly done.
Typically, we’re left with many questions for part two but this was a cracking start to the series.

This was my first Holly Black book and I'm certain it won't be my last! The Cruel prince is a dark and beautiful delight that will make you question what it is to be neither good or bad. The story held plenty of spine-tingling twists, beautiful imagery & an (anti)heroine you can cheer for. The romance is subtle, yet swoony. I expect to re-read many times during the excruciating wait for the sequel!

This is a tough one for me to rate and review. On the one hand I really enjoyed this. It was so much darker and deceptive than I could have imagined and I couldn't put it down. Most of the characters were cruel and conniving and it just set this apart from other Fae books I've read recently. But on the other hand there's something that I can't quite put my finger on that's just stopping me from raving about this book. Maybe it's because it took me a while to get used to the world and it was a little slow to start, so I don't feel like I was fully immersed in the story for a good chunk of the book.
Either way, it was a solid start to a series and I can see how the story will get darker and more fleshed out as the series continues.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a digital ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first experience with Holly Black’s writing, although her books have been on my radar for a long time, and after reading The Cruel Prince I will definitely be reading more from her. Suffice to say this: Page five. That’s how long it took for my jaw to drop. I was honestly gripped right from the beginning. The world building was so beautifully executed; I could but see the creatures and the lands described. The co-existence of the modern world as we know it and Faerieland, with the characters being able to travel between the two, really worked for me, because it made the story seem just a little more plausible than other fantasy worlds.

Three is an odd configuration of sisters. There’s always one on the outside.

In this first book of a series we follow Jude, a mortal living amongst Faeries with her two sisters, her twin Taryn and her half-mortal older sister Vivi. The three of them were taken to Faerieland a few years ago and now they live there with their Faerie family, if it can be called so. The exploration of familial bonds between the three sisters as well as the relationships with the rest of their circle was one of the main aspects of the story that got me intrigued.

Is it like being doubled or more like being divided in half?

I also love the twin dynamic explored in this novel, how two people can be identical on the outside but so different on the inside; it highlights that every person is unique, whilst sharing a special bond that cannot be fabricated or easily broken.

I am coming unraveled. I am coming undone.

Jude is a mortal girl amongst Faeries, always having to prove herself but always coming short, building up slowly but surely to her having enough and deciding to fight back, in order to finally discover her true self. We gather so much for her personality in contrast to her twin sister, Taryn, who seems more calculated, adaptable and practical. Jude, on the other hand, is so spontaneous and cannot pretend anymore, which attracts attention and rivalries. She seems to be telling the story directly to the reader, which makes the narration more personal and direct.

The plot, as the title suggests, has to do with kingdoms. Power, politics and deceit are a major part of this story. While this book is mainly plot-driven, the author introduces a lot of characters and gives us a good idea of who they really are, allowing a lot of room for them to grow in the future installments in this series and, if I judge from the events of this book, a lot of twists and turns await the reader as well. The first half in mostly concentrated on world-building, but it seemed in no way slow-paced to me. I was, however, not sure why it was divided in two separate books. In my opinion, there were a lot of references of Greek mythology and Tolkien, which remain a source of inspiration for fantasy literature in general.

If you haven’t heard of this book already and prefer fantasy as a genre, pick up this book in January, when it comes out.

Quality Rating: Three Stars
Enjoyment Rating: Three Stars

The Cruel Prince reminded me why I wanted to get away from mainstream Young Adult books - I don't think the whole genre is bad, and I don't necessarily think this book was terrible, but I'm so sick of romance being the only thing that's paid proper attention to in a story. I adored the use of traditional faerie - it's one of the reasons Holly's been such an important writer for me since I was a kid - but that was about all I liked in this one.

In terms of the overall story, I felt like this novel was very repetitive at the start. I'm not a fan of the bullying trope at the best of times (once you've read it once, you know it regardless of if you swap out school books for fairy fruit). The Cruel Prince just had the same scene several times over without much development between them. But then, once you pass the halfway mark, suddenly everything becomes very fast and rushed. The amount of exposition and action shoved into the end of this book was too much - it almost felt like two books pushed into one so there was a build-up at the start.

That being said, my biggest complaint is the romance. If you've been around for a while, you know this isn't a new thing. For some reason that I don't understand considering the idea of female empowerment and independence so many modern YA authors seem to support, romance continues to be all-consuming when it's put in a Young Adult book with a female protagonist. It doesn't happen with the male protagonists - they might have a love interest, but it's generally given a balance of attention. But if a book is targetted towards a female audience, the romance has to get in the way of the heroine's quest. It gets very, very boring.

Amongst this, the romances tend to be really unhealthy in this book. They're explicitly revealed as so (eventually), but they're still treated with such casualness that I couldn't help but be uncomfortable. The man who raises Jude, and who she looks up to (regardless of what she says in her head) literally murdered both her parents in front of her. (That's not a spoiler, it's in the first ten pages.) These unhealthy relationships also get in the way of important ones the protagonist has - most significantly her sisters. Female-to-female relationships are so important, but they're neglected in favour of romance here seemingly without major consequence. Yes, characters can change. But they haven't in the course of this book. Actions speak louder than words.

Although, that also contradicts my next gripe. While the characters don't develop as such, they're too volatile throughout the entirety of this story to be convincing. There were times I didn't understand what was happening because a character had acted so out of the blue - a reveal I didn't realise was a reveal until it was too late because their motivations didn't make sense. Maybe I struggled to understand them because I found them all dislikeable (flawed characters are fine, but horrible people are hard to engage with), but regardless it built up another barrier between me and the story.

I'm really sad I didn't enjoy The Cruel Prince. As I've said, Holly has been a huge figure in my reading since I read The Spiderwick Chronicles, which was one of the first books that got me into reading as a whole. Her exploration of faerie and it's parallels to the real world are always fascinating, I'm just disappointed that the YA cliche of romance got in the way of this one.

I enjoyed stepping into the fantasy world of the Fae for this, So many books have the same characteristics for the supporting characters in this genre, and Holly made it feel like a story about friends.

It is so great to be back in Holly Black's world of faerie. Dark, disturbing, cruel, imaginative and full of adventure. I have been a fan since 'Tithe', which was a refreshing change for the YA genres at the time. There is a strong female protagonist, struggling to fit into a world where she doesn't belong, great characterisations and a pacey storyline. This is a great start to a series that again crosses the two worlds of human and faerie, and I can't wait for the next one!

I haven’t even finished Holly Black’s brand new book yet and I have to write about it.

‘The Cruel Prince’ is another of Holly Black’s long-awaited return to Faery (if you haven’t read ‘The Darkest Part of the Forest’ or the ‘Modern Tales of Faery’, DO IT!) and it’s basically been giving me life over the last week. This is a book I could devour in one sitting but I’m stretching it out and making it last.

Jude was seven years old 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.

In doing so, she becomes embroiled in palace intrigues and deceptions, discovering her own capacity for bloodshed. But as civil war 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.
Right?!

There’s something about Holly Black’s rich, brutal, dark and luscious depictions of Faery that pulls be under as swiftly as a water nymph. The world she’s weaved for ‘The Cruel Prince’ is completely mesmerising.

Palaces, castles and estates inhabited by ancient Fae and coated in cobwebs; intricate mazes you might never leave; young Fae taking lessons under trees and next to rivers; a world separated from the human world by a sea – it’s pure magic.

Jude, Taryn and Vivi are three very different sisters and I love the secrets, the pacts, the jealously and the genuine love between them even as they battle against their own trials and struggle to survive in the harsh world of Faerieland. With about a quarter of the book to go, and another two books in the trilogy to come, I don’t yet know what else is to come for these girls, but I’m already looking forward to spending more time with them and cheering them along in their fight for survival in a world where nowhere and no one is safe.

Basically, you should probably pre-order your copy stat. I NEED to talk about this book with someone. Like, yesterday.

This was my first Holly Black book and it did not disappoint. This book was so good.I am so glad I was approved on Netgalley for this.

I really loved the world of faerie, it was described really well. It was interesting to see that our world could be seen from within faerie and that they were linked.

The writing was really good and easy to read. The pacing of the book was done well and to me it felt like a quick read. I read it in just 2 days. There were a lot of twists and turns that I did not see coming. I thought the story was going in one direction and it went in completely the other. I was not expecting that ending. I need the sequel now! Even though this book isn't even out yet.

I really liked Jude, the narrator of the story, the way she handled difficult situations. She knew what to she wanted and did everything she could to achieved that. She was really kick-ass and never gave up. I think first person narration was good as we could see exactly what she was thinking. It was done in such a way that crucial information was left out, , so I was still left guessing on what she would do.

Vivi was one of my favourite characters. She stayed true to her belief and didn't like her father because of what he did. She knew to be cautious around him. She didn't like Faerieland and showed it.

Taryn, Jude's twin sister, was quite different to Jude. She wanted to find love and marry one of the fair folk. At times I found it annoying that all she wanted was that and she didn't support her sister enough. I didn't expect the direction her character went in.

Cardan, the 6th Prince, was mean to Jude because she is mortal. I really liked his character development and was glad to see there was more to him than his hatred for Jude.

This was BY FAR my most anticipated read of 2017/2018, so when I received an ARC I was so excited. And nervous. What if it didn't live up my expectations? What if it turned out like every other run-of-the-mill YA fantasy involving fairies? I needed have worried though - this was awesome. It had everything I'm looking for in a YA fantasy - drama, awesome inspiring characters, a complex villain and an interesting plot with a twist.

We start The Cruel Prince with a double murder which leaves twins Jude and Taryn orphans and, along with thier elder half-Fae sister Vivienne, stranded far from home in the land of Faerie. Raised by the Fae Madoc, who murdered her father, we skip ten years later and find the three girls each trying to fit in among the very race they should despise. A race that is cruel to humans, keeping them as slaves, who mock Jude and her sister for their mortality and inability to be as perfect as them. Yet Jude still wants to make a name for herself within this world, and she's going to do it by deceiving and spying her way to the top. Faeries cannot lie - and Jude will exploit this weakness to topple the High King and crown a new royal.

In Jude we have a main character who is deeply conflicted. She's bullied by her 'peers' at school, subjected to cruel tricks by Cardan, one of the royal Prince's who rule the land she's now living in, and his gang of followers. Yet still she wants to be like them, and is envious of their beauty and talent. She feels deeply inadequate, yet also feels like she doesn't belong back in the human world either. She's also desperate for the attention of her 'father figure' Madoc, despite all he's done to her. She still loves him.

Her relationship with sister Taryn is wonderful. Alike in appearance only, we see Taryn struggle to gain her own place within Faerie - deciding that the best way to fit in is by marrying a Fae and accepting her fate as a 'lesser' being. In her own way she has the strength to accept her position in life, and it mirrors Jude's own acceptance to go against what it expected and make her own name for herself.

It's the character of Cardan however, that really stands out here though. Through Jude's eyes we see a mean and vicious Fae who hates her. He's all consumed with hatred for Jude, and wants nothing more than to make her life hell. But it goes deeper than that. This is no one dimensional character, and as the story unfolds we meet a man that's deeply troubled, taunted by his older siblings, yet charismatic and complex. And repulsed at himself.

The plot itself is fast paced, with plenty of twists and turns to keep me guessing until the end. I didn't want to put this down. It's also incredibly well written. Every character we meet is fully developed, with so much potential leading into the second installment for Bomb, Ghost, Roach and all the rest. I cannot wait. Cannot. Wait.

4 1/2 stars. Over the course of this year, I've read both books that I've liked and books I've disliked. I've read books that I've loved and, it's fair to say, books that are better written, more unique, and more groundbreaking than this book. That being said, however, I am struggling to recall a book that has left me this excited about a YA series in a very long time.

It seems like forever since I read a completely juicy YA fantasy with just the right amount of drama, action, surprises, nastiness and the tiniest hints at romantic possibility. The wait for the next book is going to be torture!

Holly Black knows her audience so well. She's not kind to us because she knows we don't really want that anyway. So of course The Cruel Prince opens with a brutal murder that leaves Jude, her twin sister Taryn, and their older sister Vivienne at the mercy of the redcap general - Madoc. Jump to ten years later, and the three sisters are all living in Faerie. They've been raised as Madoc's own, more or less, and each is trying to find her own place among the beautiful but cruel, deceitful but always honest, fey.

For Vivi, return to the human world is the answer. For Taryn, assimilation and playing by the rules is the only way. For our narrator - Jude - rebellion, bloodshed and winning her place in the King's council is what she desires.

It is extremely compelling. Even before the real drama kicks off in the later chapters, I was so wholly pulled into Jude's world. The bullying she endures at the hands of her fey classmates adds a heavy dose of unfairness to keep you pissed enough to turn the pages. Then we get to the spying, secrets, betrayals, side-switching and, oh wow, can I just have the next book please?

In truth, not a single character is entirely likeable. All are complex, more than a little flawed, and nobody can be trusted. Even Jude. It's really quite wonderful. Cardan, the "cruel prince" from the title, is an asshole. A drunken, bullying, selfish asshole. And yet... and yet. We shall see.

In case it wasn't obvious, I loved it. All the drama is absolutely delicious and, while Black does draw on some familiar tropes, the world, characters and politics feel fresh in her hands. It charges to a climax full of surprises and the ending doesn't disappoint. Nicely wrapped up but with enough to leave me desperate for the next instalment. I can't wait!

Man oh man. This book was amazing. I've been really feeling the faerie and fantasy vibe this year and this book delivered what it needed to. If you are really into these themes, then you will definitely love this book. Jude is not a pawn in somebody else's game, she learns how to play the game in order to one up everybody else and in those moments that she did, she truly shone as a character. Essentially she is learning to play 'the game of thrones.' I truly loved this book and cannot give it more praise.

For lovers of Maria V. Snyder's Chronicles of Ixia series.