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Holly Black

The Cruel Prince (The Folk of the Air, 1) Paperback – December 4, 2018

by Holly Black (Author)

25,331 ratings

Book 1 of 3: Elfhame: The Folk of the Air

Editors' pick Best Young Adult

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By #1 New York Times bestselling author Holly Black, the first book in a stunning new series about a mortal girl who finds herself caught in a web of royal faerie intrigue.

Of course I want to be like them. They're beautiful as blades forged in some divine fire. They will live forever.

And Cardan is even more beautiful than the rest. I hate him more than all the others. I hate him so much that sometimes when I look at him, I can hardly breathe.

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.

Print length

416 pages
Language

English
Publisher

Little, Brown Books for Young Readers
Publication date

December 4, 2018
Grade level

9 and up
Reading age

14 years and up
Dimensions

5.5 x 1.13 x 8.25 inches
ISBN-10

031631031X
ISBN-13

978-0316310314
Lexile measure

HL760L
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Popular Highlights in this book

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“Most of all, I hate you because I think of you. Often. It’s disgusting, and I can’t stop.”
Highlighted by 5,016 Kindle readers
I want to win. I do not yearn to be their equal. In my heart, I yearn to best them.
Highlighted by 2,487 Kindle readers
I cannot seem to contort myself back into the shape of a dutiful child. I am coming unraveled. I am coming undone.
Highlighted by 1,973 Kindle readers
I can see why humans succumb to the beautiful nightmare of the Court, why they willingly drown in it.
Highlighted by 1,667 Kindle readers

From the Publisher


	The Wicked King	The Queen of Nothing	How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories	The Stolen Heir	The Darkest Part of the Forest	The Coldest Girl in Coldtown
Fall under the spell of Holly Black's fantasy worlds!	The enchanting and bloodthirsty sequel to the New York Times bestselling novel The Cruel Prince.	A curse forces the Queen of Faerie to choose between ambition and humanity in this jaw-dropping finale to The Folk of the Air trilogy.	Return to the captivating world of Elfhame with this illustrated addition to the New York Times bestselling Folk of Air trilogy.	Return to Elfhame in the first book in a thrilling new duology, following Jude's brother Oak, and the changeling queen, Suren.	A girl makes a secret sacrifice to the faerie king in this lush New York Times bestselling fantasy.	A wholly original story of rage and revenge, of guilt and horror, and of love and loathing from Holly Black.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Praise for The Cruel Prince:

A New York Times Bestseller

An IndieBound Bestseller

A Boston Globe Best Book of 2018

An ALA 2019 Children's Notables List Pick

"Black is a master at world-building, conveying integral details without that information ever seeming tedious or encyclopedic, whether you're well versed in faerie or a newcomer to the genre....the experience of reading a novel like this is something like being surrounded by magic."―The New York Times Book Review

"Lush, dangerous, a dark jewel of a book. Black's world is intoxicating, imbued with a relentless sense of peril that kept me riveted through every chapter of Jude's journey. And Jude! She is a heroine to love--brave but pragmatic, utterly human. This delicious story will seduce you and leave you desperate for just one more page."―Leigh Bardugo, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom

"I require book two immediately. Holly is the Faerie Queen."―Victoria Aveyard, #1 bestselling author of The Red Queen series

* "[S]pellbinding....Breathtaking set pieces, fully developed supporting characters, and a beguiling, tough-as-nails heroine enhance an intricate, intelligent plot that crescendos to a jaw-dropping third-act twist."―Publishers Weekly, starred review

* "Another fantastic, deeply engaging, and all-consuming work from Black that belongs on all YA shelves."―School Library Journal, starred review

* "Jude, who struggles with a world she both loves and hates and would rather be powerful and safe than good, is a compelling narrator. Whatever a reader is looking for--heart-in-throat action, deadly romance, double-crossing, moral complexity--this is one heck of a ride."―Booklist, starred review

"This is a heady blend of Faerie lore, high fantasy, and high school drama, dripping with description that brings the dangerous but tempting world of Faerie to life. Black is building a complex mythology; now is a great time to tune in."―Kirkus Reviews

* "Black, quite rightly, is the acknowledged queen of faerie lit, and her latest shows her to be at the top of her game, unveiling twists and secrets and bringing her characters vividly to life."―VOYA, starred review

"With complicated characters, a suspenseful plot, and a successful return to the Faerie setting of many of her popular books, Black's latest is sure to enchant fans."―The Horn Book

"Another enthralling story in Black's fantasy catalog."―PASTE.com

"Black has a compelling series about fairies, politics and finding your place in the world, starting with this novel, which I read in a single day."―USA Today

Praise for Tithe:
YALSA's Teen Top Ten

ALA Best Book for Young Adults

New York Public Library's "Best Book for the Teenage Reader"

* "A gripping read."―Publishers Weekly, starred review

About the Author

Holly Black is the bestselling author of contemporary fantasy novels for teens and children, including Tithe: A Modern Faerie Tale and the #1 New York Times bestselling Spiderwick series. She has been a finalist for the Mythopoeic Award and the Eisner Award, and the recipient of the Andre Norton Award. Holly lives in Massachusetts with her husband, Theo, in a house with a secret library. Her website is www.blackholly.com.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Little, Brown Books for Young Readers; Reprint edition (December 4, 2018)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 416 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 031631031X
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0316310314
Reading age ‏ : ‎ 14 years and up
Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ HL760L
Grade level ‏ : ‎ 9 and up
Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 12.8 ounces
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 1.13 x 8.25 inches

Best Sellers Rank: #1,904 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #4 in Teen & Young Adult Dark Fantasy
- #10 in Teen & Young Adult Sword & Sorcery Fantasy
- #25 in Teen & Young Adult Fantasy Action & Adventure

Customer Reviews:
25,331 ratings

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Holly Black

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Holly Black is the #1 New York Times bestselling and award-winning author of speculative and fantasy novels, short stories, and comics. She has been a finalist for an Eisner and a Lodestar Award, and the recipient of the Mythopoeic Award, a Nebula, and a Newbery Honor. She has sold over 26 million books worldwide, her work has been translated into over 30 languages and adapted for film. She currently lives in New England with her husband and son in a house with a secret library.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5

25,331 global ratings

5 star		66%
4 star		21%
3 star		9%
2 star		2%
1 star		1%

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Emily Johnson

My Chaotic Commentary

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on January 21, 2023

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The first seven chapters are heavier in the world and character building so by mid book there’s little explanation needed to move the political plot along at an entertaining pace. I almost stopped reading right at the point where the book finally picked up.

The romance aspect of this story is not exactly poorly written but it’s weird. I root for the romance like they are siblings or something. There’s an unnatural nature of it that doesn’t leave the reader settled so if you want that in an ‘enemies to lovers’ trope, don’t look for it here. Maybe I’ll feel different once I’ve read through the next books but I think the end book romance could actually have been delayed a bit more. You get one make out scene that feels rushed into to what - extend interest into the next book I suppose? I think the tension could have been there with a bit more subtlety. The tension of a potential kiss that didn’t happen could have done the job more effectively.

Most of this book is political fantasy. It reminded me a bit of the Game of Thrones series but the narration perspective is definitely more aimed for the young adult. GOT swapped narrators so you understood everyone’s positions and left you as the reader deeply connected to at least one of the many characters. This book only stays in the perspective of Jude so there’s a lot of grey ambiguity on what people are thinking or want which separates you from understanding or caring about them as quickly. The clothing and setting is so well described in comparison that there’s starkness in the ambiguity with the characters that leaves them feeling unfinished or underdeveloped.

Jude’s character and arc. She feels like a child at the start and a grown woman at the end. I do like that she’s driven and a fighter. She’s selfish. She still cares about being feminine and beautiful while also being cunning. It felt like Jude was written by a woman who, like Jude, has juggled managing societal expectations of being a woman and her own desires that may contradict those expectations. She wants to be loved but isn’t obsessed with it. Her own cruelties can be largely explained away as trauma response or choosing the lesser of two evils making her a clear protagonist. Her character really solidly forms when she’s led by a purpose. To me, that’s actually what drew me to her character. She gives herself purpose and follows it fiercely even when there’s a cost to herself or others. That always makes for interesting reading.

I have one true complaint. It’s trivial but needled under my skin during reading. Some of the sentence structure is just unnecessarily hard to read. Long sentences spliced up with commas and reordered. I could always figure out what was trying to said but reading sentences 4 times to understand them is tedious. Most of the time they are only descriptive things too, not even really needed to tell the story. At certain points I’d just skim them and skip to the next important detail. It felt like the writing was trying to be - smarter than it was? Note that I don’t mind descriptive writing or world building either. Just don’t make me have to do mental gymnastics to know what Jude’s dress looked like. Or at least give me a trophy if I do.

4 people found this helpful

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The Belle

and enthusiasts are pushing the free marketing of books attached to hashtags and accompanied by beautiful and creative photography upon Instagram and other social media ...

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on March 9, 2018

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I used to never be a reader who gave into the hype and buzz a new book can sometimes bring along with it. But while Instagram has taken book marketing to an entirely different level, some books are becoming difficult to ignore. Literally thousands upon thousands of readers, reviewers, publicists, and enthusiasts are pushing the free marketing of books attached to hashtags and accompanied by beautiful and creative photography upon Instagram and other social media site purveyors daily. The Cruel Prince was one book that began to saturate my feed as readers latched on to the newest novel by fantasy maven Holly Black; their accolades and insistent cries that the book shattered them caught my interest and I decided to dive in.

The opening is brutal. Young Jude and her two sisters are enjoying a quiet afternoon at home, the TV lulling them into a comfortable slumber while their parents tinker about in other parts of their cozy home. Unbeknownst to them, this is the day that everything they have ever known will change, as the man watching their home from across the street decides to finally make his move. The stranger barges into their haven and shatters the idyllic scene by murdering both of Jude's parents in a quick and succinct fashion.

Whisked away to the land of Faerie, Jude and her sisters are forced into a life settled firmly on the borders of being outsiders. Her oldest sister, Vivi, being the cause of the disruption in their lives, is ironically the most unhappy with their new situation. She is only Jude's half-sister, the result of their mother faking her own death and spiriting herself and her pregnant belly back to the mortal world, with the help of a secret love. Previously attached to a brutal war general of Faerie, Jude's mother committed the ultimate act of betrayal by hiding the child, and the result was her execution. By the laws vested in Faerie, General Madoc became responsible for the children of his wife the moment she died at his hand, and he takes his responsibilities very seriously.

Growing up in Faerie has had its difficulties, almost from day one. Jude is not one of them, not a member of the Fair Folk. She is human: dispensable and fragile; a veritable non-starter. Her saving grace, however, is that she is a member of the upper class and elite. Having been raised by Madoc garners her a touch of reverance. He is a man who commands respect and if he doesn't find it, he takes it by force. Having risen to become the right hand of the Faerie King by hook, crook, and buckets of blood, Jude is afforded a modicum of respect in Madoc's stead. But behind the scenes, she is taunted and ridiculed by her peers, looked at as a pretender, and as a frail human who has no real worth or talent. To say the situation is complicated is an understatement.

The worst of those who bully her is Cardan, the beautiful young Prince of Faerie who chooses to amuse himself by taunting her and putting her right onto the cusp of deathly danger before ripping her back. He skulks around the periphery of her life with his band of merry friends, waiting for any opportunity he can find to make her life miserable. Her twin sister Taryn also suffers the same fate of having her life soaked in nasty words and actions . . . but there is something different in the way Cardan treats Jude - almost as if he divines immense pleasure from making her bleed from within, from personally making her feel like less than human . . . and more like an animal.

Cardan is cruel, to say the least of it. But Jude has other things on her mind. She has to find a way to solidify her place in Faerie as the impending years of her adulthood begin to creep just over the horizon. She has some ideas on how to do this, but she finds that she's blocked at every turn by her pseudo-father, Madoc. He insists that he has her best interests at heart, and he has always treated her just the same as his true born daughter Vivi, but Jude is cloaked in a blanket of frustration and raw anger. She wants to fight. She's trained for it. So why won't he allow her her chance?

She's also finding herself strangely attracted to a member of Cardan's vicious pack, but the man in question seems to have secrets of his own, hidden within the endless depths of his mysterious soul and locked behind the doors of the expansive empty mansion on the outskirts of the forest that he calls home.

And then a proposition is brought to Jude, from the most unlikely of characters. The man most believed to become King after the current reign is over comes to her in secret, seeking an alliance. Prince Dain offers Jude her innermost heart's desires, in exchange for information. He wants her to become his spy, part of his Court of Shadows. And Jude must toe the thin line between safety and sure death to get the Prince what he demands.

But before Jude can achieve her goal and find her place in Faerie, everything begins to unravel like so much thread from a well-worn sweater. And on an evening that was supposed to be dedicated to a fresh new start, Jude will watch everything burn to the ground, leaving her to pick up the pieces and put them back together all on her own.

The Cruel Prince is the first book in the Folk of the Air trilogy, and before I recommend this to you let me say - you will be clamoring for more from the moment you turn the last page. This novel, set in the high-fantasy world of enigmatic Faerie, is sharp and deceptive, taking the reader on a roller coaster ride full of darkness and delight. The writing is masterful and faithful to the fictional world of Faerie as most high-fantasy readers know it. Sometimes YA books can come across as a bit corny, but this one was full of strong female characters and flawed systems. Nothing was obvious, and the plot was well-played.

This is one book that lives up to the hype. Appropriate for readers ages 13+, fans of The Cruel Prince would be wise to look into the rest of Black's literary catalogue, as the worlds of her novels have finely tuned connections. Also, the cover art and a sneak peek excerpt has been dropped via Entertainment Weekly - both can be viewed on their website.

13 people found this helpful

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Taylor Wahl

A great mix of fantasy and political intrigue

Reviewed in the United States 🇺🇸 on December 8, 2022

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As an avid fae fantasy reader I knew I'd probably like this book - but I liked it SO much more than I thought I would. This book took me by surprise - it starts with a somewhat adolescent feeling centered around Jude and her sister Taryn, human children stolen away to faerie lands, who are mercilessly bullied by Prince Cardan and his even nastier friends. However Jude's defiance of Cardan, and her ambitions to become a knight of the court, quickly lead her into the dark and deceitful world of political intrigue, where the stakes are MUCH higher. As Jude becomes more entangled in the royal goings-on, she finds herself wondering if she is straying too close to darkness. After other royal faeries' machinations come to fruition, her strategic and political prowess are put to the test, and she must make some difficult choices of her own.
Black's world-building is quite strong - there is enough here to make it stand out, but also enough common threads to have a sense of familiarity based in faerie lore. This is enhanced in many ways by its juxtaposition against the modern mortal world, which is explored a few times throughout.
For those looking for a lot of romance or spice...not much to be found here, but I imagine it will come to play in later books.
I love her play of light vs. dark in each of the respective characters. As we, the reader, follow Jude, we learn that those who seem dark may not be quite so, and those who seem good might not have the best intentions. Jude is a captivating female lead, and her evolution through the book takes us on quite the journey. Cardan is quite the faerie of mystery, and I can't wait to learn more about him. Book 1 ends on quite the cliffhanger, and I'm beyond excited to go straight into Book 2 and see how their fates intertwine.

2 people found this helpful

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Georgiana89

Great fantasy plot, setting and heroine, slightly weaker on the romance

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on February 18, 2018

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Based on the description and title, I was expecting this to predominantly be a fantasy romance, with a "bad boy" or perhaps even villainous fairy love interest. I really enjoy that sort of thing, but was worried it might feel a bit generic and overdone.
I was therefore pleasantly surprised to discover that this is basically full-blown fantasy, with the focus very much on politics, plotting and life and death scenarios. It's also very strong on showing the emotional conflicts and inner turmoil faced by the characters, particularly the lead, Jude.
Speaking of Jude, I was expecting either a kick-ass fantasy heroine or a softer romantic lead. Again, my assumptions were dashed. She turned out to be a very dark heroine, bordering on antiheroine. She kills, she plots, she does ruthless things. And her backstory and her ongoing fears and ambitions are so well set out that you completely understand the things she does and keep rooting for her.
The supporting characters were also mostly compelling and nuanced. I particularly liked Madoc, Jude's adoptive father, a bloodthirsty fairy general who killed her biological parents but genuinely loves and cares for her. The unusual backstory and set-up really add a lot compared to the standard set up of a human girl either wandering into faerie by mistake or discovering she is half fairy herself. Jude has grown up as an aristocrat of the fairy world, but facing huge prejudice for being biologically human. And her feelings towards her adoptive father and adopted land are wonderfully conflicted.
The world is set out beautifully and strikes a nice balance between solidly well-developed and appropriately dreamlike. I didn't realise until close to the end, when a cameo made it clear, but this is set in the same world as the author's old Tithe novels. I didn't enjoy them as much as this, but I think the existence of all that existing world-building really helped here.
As I've mentioned, romance was much less front and centre than I was expecting, though it bubbles under the surface, There was a side romance that felt rather throw away and did nothing for me. It's quite clear from both the title and the entire set up that Cardan, the titular Cruel Prince, is meant to be the main love interest, though, without getting too spoilery, there's surprisingly little development on that front in this volume. If I had one quibble with the book, it's that I was a little disappointed in Cardan. I was expecting him to be a bit like the Darkling or similar - cruel in a scheming, sinister way, with lots of ambition but also lots of charm. In this instalment at least, he was more like a petty, spoiled school bully, albeit one who happened to be a fairy prince, and wasn't particularly competent. And the way he treated the heroine was unpleasant and not linked to any wider plan.
Overall though, this was a really well-written and well-plotted fantasy with a great heroine and I'm really looking forward to the next instalment.

77 people found this helpful

Tasha Ní Mhiacháin

4.5 ⭐

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on November 9, 2018

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4.5 ⭐

My first time in Elfhame left a bad impression. I felt so out of step because everyone was gushing about The Cruel Prince and I was on the outside thinking ‘I just don’t get it.’ That’s partly why I do not like reading books mid hype.

But anyway..

A friend talked me into reading The Wicked King, a little longer in the world of Elfhame and I finally felt like I was starting to get it.

With Queen of Nothing on the horizon I decided to participate in a readalong with two people who haven’t yet stepped into the world Holly created.

Despite having read it… Despite knowing every twist and turn… I loved it.

I think people should be warned that this isn’t your typical YA story, you’ll step into Elfhame, you’ll be surrounded by cruel, beautiful, wicked creatures and you’ll probably question your own morals when you fall in love with them. There’s still plenty of characters I hate, don’t get me wrong but there’s a lot I can’t help loving.

It’s full of danger, betrayal, bloodshed, manipulation and cunning. Cunning above all else because the Folk cannot lie so they have to be especially clever with everything they say and do.

During my first read it was hard to grasp that along with the new world setting and everything else but this time I paid attention to every word.

If you’re like me, if you love everything fae and you’re unsure about this, my advice is to read it twice. Give yourself a wee break between reads and see where it takes you the second time around. I’m so glad I gave it another go. I am now really and truly obsessed.

Here’s one of my favourite moments;
“Take care,” he says, and then smiles. “It would be very dull to have to sit here for an entire day just because you went and got yourself killed.”
“My last thoughts would be of your boredom,” I tell him.

30 people found this helpful

Keith Crawford

I thought I would hate these books - I couldn't have been more wrong. Try them!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on November 2, 2022

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When Jude is 7 years old her parents are murdered and she and her sisters stolen away to live in the High Court of Faerie by the true father of their oldest sibling. Faerie is a cruel and dangerous place at the best of times, especially for mortals, but by the time she is 17 Jude is determined to belong. But she is surrounded by enemies, and in particular Prince Cardan, the youngest and hardest of the High King’s sons. She will have to risk her life and form dangerous alliances to survive and find her place in the High Court.
Do you know that feeling you get when you are sure you are going to hate a book? This had come highly recommended, but it is a Young Adult (nothing wrong with the YA genre but I am an well-weathered adult and struggle to care about the things that bother teenagers), Hate to Love (a challenging subgenre because a. it is obvious from about page 3 who the future lovers are going to be and b. it can slip into encouraging and even idolise toxic masculine behaviour), Faerie (a setting that can too easily be underthought and, also, the love interest has a tail for goodness sakes – Furries can furry but it’s not my thing) romance. On top of this, the opening chapter (opening chapters are hard) is a bit clumsy – it’s hard to care about the deaths of characters we don’t know, I felt unclear from whose perspective we are seeing it, and it was extremely violent but muffled by maximum a YA novel will tolerate.
Happily, I couldn’t have been more wrong about this book. Black’s Faerie is interesting, chaotic, and obeys clear and consistent rules. Our be-tailed Prince is no two-dimensional love interest but fully four dimensional – breadth and depth, changing over time. This is true of all the characters, who consistently make interesting, individual, and flawed decisions that meant I was hooked from the second page of chapter 2.
Most of all, Jude is fabulous. She has the key characteristics of a YA heroine – worrying about boys and her relationships with her family – but she is courageous to the point of arrogance, ambitious to the point of brutal ruthlessness, and takes risks that are absolutely breath-taking. It is perfectly common for a YA heroine to be in a constant state of anxiety, but we are totally sold because we feel that Jude is in constant danger. The relationships between the key characters feel complex and real, and that between Jude and Prince Cardan works brilliantly in particular because of Jude’s flaws: in her arrogance it takes her a long time to understand why he behaves as he does and what is actually going on. Jude is, quite simply, one of the most fully realised heroines I have ever read.
There is another thing about this book that normally puts me off – it is the first in a series. Often this means an unsatisfying end to the first book, but Black avoids that brilliantly. I normally don’t have the time to read a full series so will stop at the first book whether it is good or not (my TBR pile is mountainous): the moment I finished the Cruel Prince, I downloaded the second and third book on my Kindle and stayed up all night to finish them.
If Young-Adult Hate-to-Love Faerie Romance is your thing, then you must read this – I strongly suspect it is the best of its kind. But for anybody who likes top quality writing, complex characters, razor sharp plots and the sort of constant sense of peril that normally belongs to thrillers: read these books. They’re brilliant.

7 people found this helpful

Lizzie

A novel of political machinations, of lies and brutality, of cruelty and beauty and brilliance

Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on February 1, 2018

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This book starts with a murder. Two, actually. The grisly murder of a woman and her husband by her ex-husband, who just so happens to be Madoc, a vicious faerie warmonger. But rather than return to Elfhame empty handed, he takes with him his daughter Vivi, but also her seven-year-old half-sisters Taryn and Jude, who he chooses to raise in his estate, in the world of the fae.

Raised as mortals in the world of the faeries is a precarious, often dangerous and always brutal existence. The Cruel Prince follows Jude, now a teenager, as she aims to prove herself as more than just human, as a powerful warrior set to be chosen as a knight in a faerie court. However, Jude's hopes and aims do not go to plan, and soon she finds herself hired as a spy for one of the princes in line for the throne of Elfhame.

This is a novel of political machinations, of lies and brutality, of cruelty and beauty and brilliance.

Someone on GoodReads described it as the literary equivalent of being hit by a truck, and I think that sums it up pretty well.

There is so much to discuss in this novel that it is hard to know where to begin -- Jude's ambition, her sisters' secrets, Madoc's secret allegiances, cruel Cardan, beautiful Locke and the fruit! But I genuinely think it's best if you go into this book knowing as little as I did.

Jude is a brilliant, furious creature -- the product of murder, danger and brutality, strength built upon her fragility and weaknesses as a mere mortal, easily swayed and damaged by the world around her.

I know it is February (though I read this at the start of January) and so this is quite a ridiculous thing to say, but The Cruel Prince is one of my favourite books so far this year. The thing is I think its going to stay as one of my favourite books. I think I've found a new favourite author, and I honestly can't believe I've not read any Holly Black until this. I've already gifted a copy of this to a friend who loves her writing, knowing that they would absolutely need to read this -- and it also meant I have someone to talk to about my emotions.

I'm going to be counting the days until I can get back to Jude and her story; roll on the rest of The Folk of the Air series.

What to read next:
Rebel of the Sands by Alwyn Hamilton
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
The Call by Peadar O'Guillin

23 people found this helpful

Slippy

Idee mit Potential, überzeugt aber nicht

Reviewed in Germany 🇩🇪 on July 21, 2018

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Ich bin durch Zufall auf das Buch gestoßen und durch die positiven Rezensionen dazu animiert worden, es zu kaufen. Ich habe mir etwas in Richtung "Red Queen" oder "Shadow & Bone" vorgestellt, also zwar Jugendliteratur, aber halt richtig gute.
Der Anfang hat mir auch richtig gut gefallen, er hat mich geradezu angefixt. Die Welt fand ich interessant, man muss nicht lange warten, bis Action aufkommt, supi. Danach allerdings hat sich meine Begeisterung gelegt, wovon ich vieles darauf zurückführe, dass ich altersmäßig (26) langsam aus dem Genre Jugendliteratur wachse.

[Im Folgenden kommen kleine Spoiler]

Das größte Problem hatte ich mit den Charakteren. Jude ist als Hauptfigur gewiss keine Sympathieträgerin. Ich hatte schon in einer anderen Rezension gelesen, dass man mit ihr vielleicht nicht warm werde, und das ist auch wahr. Sie ist eigentlich ziemlich kacke und egoistisch, ohne dabei interessant zu sein. Darüber ist sie ein Übercharakter, der irgendwie alles kann, kämpfen, Intrigen spinnen, stehlen, etc etc. Der Autorin gelingt es in meinen Augen nicht, ihr einen richtigen Charakter zu geben, da ihre Entscheidungen häufig keinen Sinn ergeben und eher zum Weiterführen der Handlung getätigt werden. Dasselbe gilt auch für jeden anderen der vielen blassen Charaktere. Das hat mich richtig aufgeregt. Kaum einer der Personen hat mehr als zwei Charaktereigenschaften: Madoc/Bain/Cardan/jeder Fey ist grausam und hinterhältig, Vivi ist rebellisch, Jude ist nervtötend und undurchsichtig, Taryn ist nur nervig. Die Charaktere sind austauschbar, blass und langweilig. Das macht auch die kurze Liebesgeschichte überaus langweilig, kein Funke springt über, nichts. Irgendwann verfliegt auch die Dramatik, wenn jeder ständig, STÄNDIG, als grausam bezeichnet wird, weil z.B. Madoc kaum grausame Sachen macht und ebenso ständig gesagt wird, dass er Jude und ihre Schwestern liebt, und man das auch ebenso wenig sieht. Der Court of Shadows, dem Jude irgendwann angehört, ist so blass und so ohne Charakter, dass es wehtut. Ich war und bin sehr sehr enttäuscht. Dadurch, dass die Charaktere so blass sind, ist man dann auch mit wenig Sympathie dabei und wenn halt welche von ihnen sterben, dann juckt mich das kaum.

Ohne groß auf den Inhalt einzugehen, hatte ich auch mit der Handlung ein paar Probleme. Das Grundgerüst ist überschaubar, die "Überraschung" beim Ende sehr vorhersehbar. Sehr lange Zeit passiert kaum etwas, es geht nur um das Mobbing und Judes nervtötende Schwester und eine kleine Liebesgeschichte. Viele Dinge ergeben keinen Sinn und sind überdramatisiert dargestellt. Bis zum eigentlichen Finale passiert eigentlich nüscht. Obwohl man weiß, dass irgendeine Falle kommt, wird nichts getan. Das hat mich aufgeregt. Einen roten Faden habe ich auch nicht wirklich entdecken können, mir war sehr lange Zeit nicht klar, in welche Richtung das Buch denn nun eigentlich gehen würde, und auch die Auflösung war dann nicht wirklich überzeugend. Mit der schwachen Handlung kamen dann auch Logikfehler oder einfach Dinge, die nicht so gut passten. Es hat sich mir nicht erschlossen, warum Jude nicht einfach in die menschliche Welt abhaut. Es wird nie richtig erklärt, wie die Welten miteinander verbunden sind, dabei wäre das wirklich interessant gewesen. Die vielen Courts wurden einfach nur hingeklatscht, die Personen blieben vage im Gedächtnis. Die ganze Geschichte mit Taryn war so unnötig und nervtötend, dass ich das Ebook gerne in die Ecke gepfeffert hätte. Und dass man einfach zu verfeindeten Lagern hingeht und sagt: Hey, machste bei unserem Coup mit, und alle es abnicken, macht einfach keinen Sinn. Wie so vieles einfach zu blass.

Mein größtes Problem war, dass viele Dinge so oft erwähnt wurden, dass sie irgendwann ihr Drama verloren. Feys sind grausam - das wird durchgekaut, aber richtige Gefahr kam irgendwie nie so richtig auf, auch, wenn es für Jude mal eng wurde (dafür ist aber auch der Schreibstil mitverantwortlich). Jude hat Angst, ständig, immer, aber ihre Handlungen zeigen das wirklich NIE. Jemand, der Angst hat, handelt eher so wie Taryn. Die Autorin wird nicht müde zu erwähnen, wie viel Angst Jude je hatte und wie sie damit zurechtkommt, aber immer mehr Angst hat - es geht so viel um Angst, dass man bei dem Wort irgendwann nur noch die Augen verdreht.

Der Schreibstil war in Ordnung. Den ganzen Aufwand, den man auf das Beschreiben der Kleider verwendet hat, hätte man besser in gute Charakterbeschreibungen investieren können. Oft kam mir der Stil gelangweilt vor, so als wüsste die Autorin genau, wo sie denn hin will, und schreibt es deswegen so langweilig wie möglich herunter. Ganz oft haben mir Detailbeschreibungen gefehlt, von Reaktionen, Gesichtern, ich hätte gerne mehr richtige Dialoge gehabt, die mehr als nur Drohungen gewesen wären.

Ich komme langsam besser zum Fazit: Der Anfang war gut und die ganze Welt hat mir gut gefallen, da ist definitiv viel Potential drin. Ich hatte öfter das Gefühl, dass mit den ganzen royalen Intrigen auf Game of Thrones angespielt wird, ohne dabei auch nur annähernd das Niveau zu erreichen. Mit besser ausgearbeiteten Charakteren hätte man schon viel erreichen können. Vielleicht ist für die Zielgruppe 16+ ansprechend, mich hat es nicht überzeugt, und ich werde auch die Fortsetzung nicht kaufen.

75 people found this helpful

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Ships from: Amazon.com

Sold by: Amazon.com

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