The Cruel Prince - Holly Black

"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."

The story-line started off quite tragic, with Jude's parents being brutally killed off from the bat. From that, I was expecting some kind of revenge story, or emotionally harrowing character development, because to witness that when you're young will obviously take a toll.

But no. That wasn't explored. Right off the bat, our main character goes on to enter some kind of tournament she has no experience in whatsoever. There's nothing ingrained within her to take on this challenge, no power she embodies, intellectually or physically. She is spactaularly mediocre. Whilst it took place, all I kept thinking about was how flimsy the battle was, neither did it feel complete. Just rushed. 

The political intrigue was when things started hotting up for me, but even that wasn't the most complex or brutal of story lines. Jude definitely came into her own and started manoveuring with aplom.  

Beneath her frail mortal body and her too-short lifespan, Jude was a hungry, ruthless beast craving power, scheming, betraying, and wanting with a fiery need to become one the creatures that tortured her and rejected her. I was rooting for her to an extent, if only to teach those awful fae that expendable humans can outmanoeuvre them, but she really needs to calm down, this hunger consumed her thoughts and didn't leave place for other, more pleasant sentiments. Don't get me started on her parade of stupid decisions.

Cardan , one of the fairy princes, was not better, he is an interesting and occasionally fun character but that doesn't erase the fact that he's cruel, irresponsible and petty, a true bully. Madoc, Locke, Dain, Taryn, they were hideous, but let me tell you this, that is not a bad thing. Sure, I didn't particularly connect with any of them, but this detachment liberated me from the usual fear for their lives, or sorrow for their misfortunes, only the occasional anger and disgust. 

As in all Holly Black books it was the writing that won me over. Her writing was beautiful and her descriptions of fairyland and its inhabitants made me want to jump around in happiness. The world Holly Black painted, with her lush descriptions, the revels and the colourful creatures that came straight out of a storybook is a place worth visiting, and cherishing. 

Overall a great summer read to fill your head with beautiful images but not overwhelm you with an emotional plot. Will be reading the rest of the series to see what goes down. 

Age Rating 13+. Drinking, murder, torture (mild) and humiliation.