Book Review: The Cruel Prince

I’m finally reading The Cruel Prince series! Technically it’s called The Folk of the Air series, but I don’t know how many people really call it that. Anyway, the series is not new, it’s been on my tbr for a very long time, and I bought the three-book set back in August.

I finished the first book, The Cruel Prince, a few days ago and I really liked it. It’s definitely heavier on the politics than romance, but it was really interesting. The novel follows Jude Duarte, a human living amongst the fey (that’s how it’s spelled in this book). She has been living in the treachorous High Court of Faerie since she was 7 when her parents were killed and she was taken by the Faerie King’s General along with her twin sister, Taryn, and their older sister Vivi.

Now ten years later, Jude has been trained by her “father” Madoc to fight and strategize, and she wants to be chosen as a knight for one of the princes or princesses. She’d prefer that over being forced into an advantageous marriage. While Jude plots on ways to get into someone’s court as a knight, she must go to lessons aka school every day where she loves to learn, but is constantly tormented by the youngest prince, Cardan, and his friends. Cardan and co. hate humans and make sure Jude knows it.

But as the story goes on and the King gets closer to naming which of his children will be his successor, Jude learns nothing is as it seems. People she thought she could trust may not be trustworthy and people she thought were bad may be her best allies. Even Cardan who she always thought hated her, may not hate her after all…

Can Jude become a knight? Can she make it through all the politics unscathed?

I really liked Jude and how strong she is. Taryn is my least favorite character so far and Cardan intrigues me! There were some parts that were a little slower than others, but I think it’s setting up for big things in the next two books so I’m excited for that!