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Cover of The Cruel Prince by Holly BlackThe Cruel Prince
Modern · Fiction, Fantasy, Romance

The Cruel Prince

by Holly Black
2018 · 378 pages · Fiction
62.0Must-Read
Score Modern
Lifetime bestseller
≈ 9 hours to read · about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day

What it's about

Jude was seven when her parents were murdered and she and her sisters were taken to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, she wants to belong there, despite being mortal, and despite Prince Cardan, the most beautiful and cruel of the Folk, whom she hates more than anyone.

Why it's worth reading

It launched Holly Black's Folk of the Air series, a hugely popular young-adult fantasy.

You'll love it if you liked

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Six of CrowsLeigh Bardugo

Good to know

It's the first of a trilogy, full of scheming and enemies-to-lovers romance.

By the numbers

62.0Must-Read Score
  • Readers38 out of 100 · counts 42%
  • Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
  • Bestseller37 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
  • Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%

Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.

Where it ranks

Reads as

Epic

How we rank

Already read it? Upload your Goodreads or StoryGraph history and get the 50 best books you haven't read, tuned to your taste.Get my 50

More by Holly Black

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Explore the best-of lists

All 36 best-of lists →
Fantasy booksTop 25 · 459 rankedRomancesTop 25 · 233 rankedModern booksTop 25 · 1,573 rankedBooks of the 2010sTop 25 · 736 rankedMysteries and thrillersTop 25 · 555 rankedLiterary novelsTop 25 · 309 rankedMemoirs and biographiesTop 25 · 290 rankedScience fiction booksTop 25 · 313 ranked

Quick answers

Is The Cruel Prince worth reading?

Yes. It launched Holly Black's Folk of the Air series, a hugely popular young-adult fantasy. It ranks #2,186 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 62.0 (the best book we found scores 99).

What is The Cruel Prince about?

Jude was seven when her parents were murdered and she and her sisters were taken to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, she wants to belong there, despite being mortal, and despite Prince Cardan, the most beautiful and cruel of the Folk, whom she hates more than anyone.

How long does it take to read The Cruel Prince?

About 9 hours (378 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.

What should I read after The Cruel Prince?

If you liked it, try The Stolen Heir by Holly Black, A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas or Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo.