The cruel prince

The Cruel Prince Publishing Hydra

If you are an inveterate reader and you like stories that go beyond romances, little adventures... then you may know The Cruel Prince.

If you don't know what it's about but it has caught your attention, take a look at what we can tell you about it so you know if it's a read that might interest you. Go for it?

Who wrote The Cruel Prince?

Who wrote The Cruel Prince?

The author and thinking mind of The Cruel Prince is none other than Holly Black. She was already known for The Spiderwick Chronicles, which got a lot of attention, so she already had some fame. But with this one he did not disappoint his readers.

Holly was born in 1971 in New Jersey and lived in a Victorian house. Not much is known about her childhood, other than that she graduated with a BA in English in 1994. Five years later she married Theo Black, with whom she had a son, Sebastian. All of them, as well as some cats, live in New England (where it says on its website that it has a secret library).

La The first novel he published was not until 2002, The Tribute: A Modern Fairy Tale. This book had two sequels, Valiant and Ironside.

In 2004 he released The Wrath of Mulgarath with which he managed to be a bestseller. But what she really raised to the top of young adult novel writers was The Spiderwick Chronicles, a series of five books (although only the first two are better known of them).

And when did The Cruel Prince come out? It was in 2018 when this first book came out, followed the following year by both the second and third parts.

In addition, it is known that the producer Universal Pictures has acquired the rights to the trilogy to adapt it into a movie, so we will have to wait if it lives up to the books. However, the news was released in 2017 and although it seemed that it was going to be released in 2018, not much more is known about it yet (only that the producer was going to be Michael de Luca and the supervisor Kristin Lowe).

What genre is The Cruel Prince?

Within literature, the book of The Cruel Prince is framed in the fantasy genre. Why? Well, first, because it takes place in a place that doesn't exist and because some of the characters or situations are supernatural.

Apart from that genre, we could also frame it in dystopian fantasy, because the kingdom and society in the books is anything but utopian.

What is the synopsis of The Cruel Prince?

La The Cruel Prince Synopsis, says so:

“Jude was seven years old when her parents were murdered and, along with her two sisters, she was transferred to the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, the only thing she Jude wants, despite being a mere mortal, is to feel that she belongs there. But most faeries despise humans. Especially Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King. To gain a foothold in court, Jude must confront him. And face the consequences. As a result, she will be drawn into a web of intrigue between immortals, and she will discover her own knack for bloodshed.”

Right from the beginning, the author presents us with a story that is not going to be the same as fairy tales or 'light' stories, so to speak, but puts us into a dystopian story, with a 'cruel' setting and where the things are not so pretty.

What is The Cruel Prince about and what characters are important

What is The Cruel Prince about and what characters are important

Without revealing too much about The Cruel Prince, we can tell you that the main character is Jude Duarte, a 17-year-old mortal girl who has lived since she was 7 years old in the Faerie Court. The problem is that she doesn't belong to that "world" even though she loves it and wants to fit into it; but the fact that she is mortal, unlike her faeries, puts a lot of obstacles in her way.

El male character in this case is Cardan, the youngest son of the king of the faerie court whom everyone avoids due to a prophecy that was foretold about the misfortune he would bring. He hates Jude for his mortality and therefore tries to make her life miserable.

Alongside Jude, we have her two sisters, Taryn and Vivienne.Secondary but important characters in the story. All of them are very different from each other and the decisions they make throughout history condition Jude's own.

Of course, there are many more important supporting characters who are related in some way to Jude or Cardan.

Unlike other fairy books, where the world they represent seems idyllic, Holly Black was based on traditional folklore about fairies, where these are dark, violent, liars, thieves, etc. That is why the novel of The Cruel Prince has that gloomy air and a deeper and denser plot.

Of course, it is a reading for teenagers, from 15-16 years old.

how many books are there

the cruel prince trilogy

Source: a few words

If you are one of those who likes long books, such as bilogies, trilogies, sagas, etc. then you will like these books. And it is that The Cruel Prince is the first book in a trilogy called The Dwellers in the Air. There are two more books already published that complete Jude's story.

Specifically, you would have:

  • The cruel prince.
  • The evil king.
  • The queen of nothing.

Before continuing reading we warn you. Although we are only going to put the synopsis of the novels, if you do not want to find any spoilers, it is better that you skip it since that way you avoid knowing where the story is going to go when you have not yet read all the books.

Having said that…

The evil king

La synopsis tells us:

"Jude must keep his brother safe, and to do so he has teamed up with the evil king, Cardan, and become the true wielder of the Crown's power. Navigating a sea of ​​constant political betrayal is difficult enough, but Cardan is, on top of that, terribly difficult to control. He does everything he can to undermine Jude, though his fascination with her remains intact. When it becomes clear that someone close to Jude is planning to betray her, putting not only her life in jeopardy but the lives of those she loves most, Jude must uncover the betrayer, battle her complex feelings for Cardan, and maintain control of the faerie despite to be deadly."

The queen of nothing

Looking at your synopsis, in the book you will find the end of the trilogy, and Jude's story.

“The exiled mortal queen of Faerie, Jude, is powerless and still reeling from her betrayal. But she is determined to take back everything that has been taken from her. And his chance comes when his sister Taryn asks for his help because her life is in danger. Jude must return to the treacherous court of Faerie if she is to save her sister. But Elfhame isn't like she was before Jude left. War is imminent. And Jude is going to have to enter enemy territory to resume the bloody power play of the immortals. And when a powerful curse is unleashed and panic spreads, Jude must choose between fulfilling his ambition or preserving his humanity...

Apart from these books, which would be the official trilogy, it is true that the author has released some other related books. For example:

  • How the king of Elfhame learned to hate tales. Before he was a cruel prince or an evil king, Cardan was a young faerie with a heart of stone. Holly Black offers us a deeper insight into the dramatic life of Elfhame's enigmatic High King, Cardan. This story includes rich details of his life before The Cruel Prince and an adventure beyond The Queen of Nothing, as well as intimate moments, experienced throughout the Dwellers in the Air saga, told from Cardan's perspective.
  • the lost sisters. Sometimes the difference between a love story and a horror story is where the end comes... While Jude fought for power in the Court of Elfhame against the cruel Prince Cardan, his sister Taryn began to fall in love with the tricky Locke. Part apology and part explanation, it turns out Taryn has a few secrets of her own to reveal.
  • A visit to the impossible lands. It is a gift that Holly Black herself gave to those who bought the book from the Hidra publishing house. It told a short story of the inhabitants of the air and was used as a promotion for the book.

Now you know everything about The Cruel Prince and the story you will find in the book. You only have to read it if you have not done so or tell us what you thought if you have already read it.


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