From the Bookshelf of The Introvert Readers…

The Cruel Prince (The Folk of the Air, #1)

Holly Black

Start date: July 1, 2021

Finish date: July 31, 2021

Discussion: BOTM

Discussion leader: Maple

Why we're reading this: It won the July BOTM poll (YA fantasy)
[close] It won the July BOTM poll (YA fantasy)

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Showing 2 of 14 topics — 143 comments total

BOTM

* August BOTM Discussion: Caraval
By Anushka , The Feminist Reader · 2 posts · 18 views

last updated Aug 30, 2021 08:32PM

* August BOTM: Crooked Kingdom
By Anushka , The Feminist Reader · 3 posts · 21 views

last updated May 12, 2022 04:11PM

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What Members Thought

Mar 17, 2023 Charity (Booktrovert Reader) rated it it was amazing

I have a confession, I DNF'd this book years ago. I did not like it and I closed the book halfway through.

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Now that I have been on Bookstagram and seen this book all the time now. I had to give this another try.

I am so glad I did. This is the best thing I have read in a while. I believe that my taste has changed and I could fully enjoy this book. ...more

74 likes · Like · see review

Mar 13, 2021 Cass (all too tired) rated it liked it

Shelves: read-with-pride, uncomfy-ness, the-hype-train

3.5 stars

I think is a solid book, a good book, even. BUT I didn't enjoy it as much as the hype said I would. Warning, there may be unmarked spoilers that I am too lazy to find, so be warned if you haven't read this book yet.

The best part of this book was the ~sexual tension~ between Cardan and Jude. I ship them ~~completely~~ almost completely. They clearly have a relationship going for them (and after binging a bunch of fanfics of post TQoN, the most tooth rotting fluff ever), I actively ship Jurda ...more

40 likes · Like · see review

Jan 29, 2021 Gabriela Almeida rated it really liked it

Shelves: enemies-to-lovers, own, fantasy

This book felt like a garden so I will describe the characters with plants

- Jude is a rose. She seems delicate and vulnerable just because she is a woman, but if you try to mess with her, you will probably get hurt. She doesn´t take crap from someone and we get to know that in this book.

“If I cannot be better than them, I will become so much worse.”

- Cardan is a cactus. He has that type of deadly beauty that will charm and enchant you. I know he has more inside of him (I don’t know if this true

This book felt like a garden so I will describe the characters with plants

“If I cannot be better than them, I will become so much worse.”

- Cardan is a cactus. He has that type of deadly beauty that will charm and enchant you. I know he has more inside of him (I don’t know if this true, but I read that some cactus in the desert have water in them and I guess Cardan might be that type of cactus). I actually felt bad for him in the ending and I also felt bad for liking him so much but is like Britney spears says “mama, I am in love with a criminal”

I will just describe the relationship between Cardan and jude with this sentence
the volume inside of this bus is astronomical
One of the best enemies to lovers I had read. They are hot, I thought I had a literary orgasm while reading the scenes between them. Just the scene with the knife. Gosh
“Have I told you how hideous you look tonight?” Cardan asks, leaning back in the elaborately carved chair, the warmth of his words turning the question into something like a compliment.
“No” I say, glad to be annoyed back into the present. “Tell me.”
"I can't.”

Locke and Jude’s twin were just a waste of space. They are like the space without grass in the garden, where we try to plant something, but it will not grow because that space is arid.
Vivi and Oak are daisies, the ghost/ roach and the bomb are lilies, Oriana is a violet and the rest are just grass because I don´t care about them.

Now, the plot. Like I said this book felt like a garden because in the first part we don´t see anything. Nothing interesting happens and I just felt bored (this is my opinion okay). But then in the second part we see the results of the first part, everything starts blowing and the story takes form. The ending was amazing and I can´t wait to read the second book.

Part one – 246 pages which is basically 66.5% of the book and I gave it 3 stars
Part two – 124 pages which is 33.5 % of the book and I gave this part 5 stars
So, in conclusion: 3x 0.665 + 5x 0.335 = 3.67 = my rating

...more

33 likes · Like · see review

Oct 15, 2020 cherelle rated it it was ok

Shelves: genre-fantasy, 2-stars

does NOT live up to the hype meh || 2 stars ✨

｡･:*:･ﾟ★,｡･:*:･ﾟ☆
I was quite disappointed by this one, having heard loads and loads about it.

The world-building was intriguing but there was no proper pacing at all. The Cruel prince dragged me along for nearly the entire book until it finally spits out a few game-changing secrets in the succession at the very end. The plot was repetitive and predictable and so the ending was the only part of the book I genuinely enjoyed.

Honestly, I did have fun read ...more

16 likes · Like · see review

Jun 07, 2021 Maddie rated it really liked it

Shelves: my-books, fav-series

4.5 stars. That ending!!! Like- what am i supposed to do now?! Ngl, i started off thinking that this was gonna be like a 3 star read for me. Boy was i wrong lol

14 likes · Like · see review

Jun 15, 2021 gwyneth rated it liked it

I didn't think I enjoyed it as much as everyone else. It was a fine read, and I'd like to continue with the next one, but I'm not begging for it because I haven't yet developed a strong bond with the characters. I also didn't agree with so many of the main character's decisions, but that's what made it entertaining and a little edgy.

With variable pacing and characters, the novel started strong, went weakly, peaked, and then fell completely flat at the end. The writing was well written. The novel ...more

8 likes · Like · see review

Oct 22, 2021 Krysta (spicy.spine.breaker) rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: romance, fantasy-romance, fantasy, fiction, on-the-bookshelf-display, 2021-reads, fae-trash, enemies-to-lovers

I.
Hate.
Taryn.

2 likes · Like · see review

Jun 30, 2025 batoulandherbooks rated it it was amazing

Shelves: fantasy, romance, one-sitting, fiction

⭐️4.5 Stars ⭐️

“Most of all, I hate you because I think of you. Often. It's disgusting, and I can't stop.”

blah blah blah, proper name, place name, backstory stuff... basically sums me up any time cardan spoke.

This book is great in so many ways. the very beginning which captures the reader, the world-building and beautiful descriptions ~~(especially the descriptions of all the men 🫣)~~, the surprises, drama, all of it (relatively).

I've never read a holly black book before, and I was in awe of her ...more

1 like · Like · see review