“Because you’re like a story that hasn’t happened yet. Because I want to see what you will do. I want to be part of the unfolding.” ~The Cruel Prince
…this quote though MY GOODNESS *chef kiss*
~Review~
(SPOILER FREE)
3.5/5 Stars
(Briefing)
After watching the murder of her parents, Jude and her sisters are taken away from all they know and are brought to the world of the High Court of Faerie. There, they grow up to be humans in a world of powerful creatures, submissiveness being their most reliable form of defense. They learn how to live with the Fae, and how to survive, but when Jude challenges the youngest Fae prince of the High King, Prince Carden, she becomes ensnared in a plot more deadly than anyone anticipated. Her choices of survival are slim, and she may have to rely on a person she could never trust. She’s good at deceiving, and her swordsmanship is some of the best, but to achieve a spot on the High Court to prove she’s strong enough to be a knight, she may have to choose a different tactic to reach her goal. A strategy surely to bring nothing but death.
(First Impression 4/5)
The book has obvious intrigue, and if you read the beginning of The Cruel Prince you’ll understand what I mean. I was drawn in easily with the first page. I love the idea of Fae and magical worlds full of creatures. Jude’s feisty spirit made me laugh, though her boldness got annoying after a while whenever she almost DIED, which was quite often. Sadly, something was missing in this story. I didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought I would, and it was different from what I had expected it to be.
There were many good points in this book, and I did finish it. One of the best points was the fantastical atmosphere and wonder of the storyline. Who doesn’t love magical worlds full of these magical creatures known as Fae?
(Character Development 2/5)
For me, character development is vital to any story, and if not achieved, will drag the book down with it. Jude was what I’d call a “Superman” character. Though Jude had faults and struggles (she is human after all), the strength and power she had over one of the most “aggressive” species on planet earth made her flaws minuscule.
There isn’t much to review on the growth of the characters; they stick to their beginning personalities and structure. I didn’t see much change apart from Jude going from a powerless child to a stronger young woman, but still “powerless”. There were meager portions of growth in all of the characters. Cardan was, of course, insanely attractive, as all Fae are, but his character was never enhanced. He did change somewhat—or I should say, parts of his life and reasons for his behavior were discussed—probably the most out of all the characters. Nevertheless, it felt like Cardan and the others were stuck in one spot, permanently, resisting moving forward. Plus, Cardan shifted from flirty prince to murderer in a span of two sentences.
I may be acting unfairly, in fact, I am. I only read book one of this series, after all. Even so, there still should’ve been some growth, right? I believe there is a possibility I haven’t read the full depth of each character’s foundation and structure. Undoubtedly, there is so much more to this story and its characters, but I’m sad to say I won’t be reading any further into this series.
(World-Building 4/5)
The world-building was amazing. It wasn’t hard to find myself walking beside Jude in Faerie, with all its glamor and deceiving habitants. It was a beautiful place with beautiful sights, and even though it was dangerous I wish I could travel there.
But (*cries* yes, I’m sorry, there is yet again another “but “) I was caught off guard when it suddenly jumped to the human world, and I mean THIS human world. They went to JC Penny’s and Walgreens…
Of course, there’s nothing wrong with that, it was just a weird curve in perspective I’ve never come across before, at least not in this way, and I didn’t like it much. The beginning had me thinking it was a historical period of time, which I admit is my own brain’s fault. I wish the modern aspects of their world had been introduced sooner in the story to make it all tie together better.
(Emotions 3/5)
Jude never seemed to catch a break, which made me sympathize with her, even though it was usually her fault whenever she fell into a trap. Her vulnerability and frustration of not being able to take action made me frustrated with her. And of course, the beginning of The Cruel Prince started tragically and was surely traumatizing for the protagonist. But it was so soon in the story it was hard for me to connect to those emotions.
(Style 4/5)
The style was easy to read and flowed nicely! There’s not much to note here. I thought everything was worded well. The author’s creativity was eccentric and new, not at all predictable, apart from the romantic aspects (which were very little). But, I suppose stories with the “Enemies to Lovers” troupe sometimes work that way. The story itself just wasn’t for me.
(Cleanliness 4/5)
The Cruel Prince was pretty clean where sexual romance is concerned. It is on the violent side of YA, and a little dark, as well as some crude language. This is also the first book, and with most Fae-oriented stories, I have a feeling it may get worse. They tend to be on the more *steamy* side of YA.
(Conclusion 3/5)
I did finish this book because I read expecting more, and the ending was probably my favorite part. It was exciting and I wish there was more of that in the book. I won’t be continuing with this series, but I don’t regret reading The Cruel Prince. I’m sure countless others would love this series, but for me, it wasn’t my cup of tea, or perhaps hot chocolate…I like hot chocolate more than tea.
Genres: young adult, fantasy, romance, Fae, magic
*Disclaimer*
This is an honest review and in NO WAY an attempt to bash the author!!
!TRIGGER WARNING!
Death, murder, violence, semi-gore, harassment
(It’s been a bit since I’ve read The Cruel Prince, so I apologize if I missed any other triggers!)
“But you, take courage! Do not let your hands be weak, for your work shall be rewarded.” 2 Chronicles 15:7
Julia Rose Books 