The full review + more can be found at The Book Bratz

After all the hype I have heard for The Cruel Prince and for The Wicked King I expected something a lot different then what I read. Holly Black is an amazing writer, her world of Faerie was intriguing and beautifully written. I loved it. But her characters, they didn't mesh well with me. I was hoping to go into The Cruel Prince and love it that I would be as excited as everyone else for The Wicked King but honestly I am not that eager for the next book. Yes, the cliffhanger has me curious but that is about it.

My favorite character in this book? Oak. Jude's little brother. He is my favorite hands down. Other then him I disliked almost every other character in the book. Jude was alright. I liked her view on certain things and her determination. But at certain points she would do things that made me put The Cruel Prince down and question why I was even reading this book. All the secondary characters could have used more flesh. I would have liked to know a lot more about Locke, Cardan, Madoc, Bomb and Ghost then what were handed. To me they were just there. I am still not entirely sure how Jude and Locke's relationship started to be honest. One moment he was part of Cardan's cruel friend group that tormented Jude and her sister and next he was her "boyfriend."

I don't think you need me to tell you that Cardan is the Cruel Prince in which the book is named after. He is horrible. I've seen readers stick up for him being cruel and abusive towards Jude for that fact of his own up bringing. But after the way he treated Jude through out the book and then a two page kiss is an extremely toxic ship.

Unpopular opinion: I think Cardan is an asshole.

Honestly, if I continue on this review is going to get ranty really quick. In my opinion The Cruel Prince did not live up to all its hype. Holly Black is an amazing writer her style is memorizing and the world she built was amazing. I will not take that away from her. Her characters on the other hand are just not likable. Considering the cliffhanger and how much I was to see Jude get herself out of this mess I will probably read The Wicked King when it is released but I am in no rush.