The Cruel Prince

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black is a young adult fantasy novel that follows seventeen-year-old Jude Duarte, who was taken as a child to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie after witnessing her parents’ murder. Despite being mortal and despised by the faeries, Jude is determined to earn her place in this dangerous court. The story centers on her struggles with political intrigue, deception, and power plays within the faerie realm, especially in her tense relationship with the cruel and wicked Prince Cardan. As Jude navigates the deadly court politics, she discovers her own capacity for cunning and bloodshed, ultimately facing life-threatening alliances to protect her sisters and the faerie realm itself.