Review: The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

The Cruel Prince review

The book in 3 sentences:

• “If I cannot be better than them, I will become so much worse.”
• Mortals in the world of fey.
• Brutality, politics, and constant danger.

This was such a good book, honestly a joy to read.

When I first started reading The Cruel Prince, I felt comforted immediately. When a book introduces you to a rhyming fairytale poem by Robert Graves, you know the author loves the world into which you’re about to dive.

I felt the need to go slow. To savour every description and detail. Honestly, I’ve not felt like that in a while.

It might have been the sunshine that was sleeping in through my living room window after a cold and brutal storm that made me feel nostalgic. But more likely, it was the setup, the pace, the scene-setting. Essentially, Holly Black’s writing.

There was not one moment in this book that I felt was dragging. Not one sentence I thought was out of place. I was completely absorbed the whole time.

The author’s description of such a weird and complicated world is a marvel. Even though these things are fantastical, you quickly grasp what they look like, filling in the gaps with your imagination, which allows the story to flow much better. We don’t need exact descriptions of clothes and features and landscapes, just enough to let our minds do the rest.

I’m so glad the reel convinced me to read it because I’m itching to read the next book in the series.

Want more from The Cruel Prince? Here are the three things that influenced Holly Black’s writing 👇

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