nere's Reviews (86)

thursday, june 15, 2023
saturday, july 22, 2023 (reread)
I have no idea how to write a review for this. I cannot write coherent thoughts, I love it for all the world. 

thursday, june 22, 2023
wow. blew all my expectations out of the water. everything I found at fault with the first book is suddenly gone with this one. I care about these characters SOOO much. I love Cardan and Jude. separately and together. and by god, does Holly Black know how to write tension. it's palpable and ancient. and she does the rare thing of balancing their hate and attraction on a razor's edge. I'm also realizing it's intensely gratifying to be in the head of someone who is such a cruel and conniving protagonist, but believing for all the world that what they're doing is for the greater good. Jude is a character for the ages.

peak book to get you out of a reading slump. funny and engaging until the end. the 400 pages fly by

wednesday, june 7, 2023
this is a book I primarily knew as a Tik Tok book. and with it came all of the implications of that, negative or otherwise. previously hailed as the pinnacle of enemies-to-lovers trope, I saw a booktube video that rectified this misconception and said it was a political intrigue story first with a romance subplot in the distant background.

I'm glad I went into this with the allure of false advertising dropped. I could enjoy it for what it was, instead of going in expecting something and being met with a story with different priorities.

the novel follows Jude, a human brought to the world of Faerie by the man who killed both of her parents. it’s best, in my opinion to go into the story not knowing much else.

I will tell you what it's not: this is not a romance novel. romance is an attribute, as it often is in young adult fiction—but it is not the central theme. In the foreground, The Cruel Prince is a political intrigue story among Fae. in the background, an enemies-to-lovers story that is not the main priority. if you go into it expecting only that, you will find this novel lacking.

as far as character work goes, it took a while for me to warm up to these characters. despite that, Jude, in particular, stands out to me as a pretty unique protagonist—she’s selfish and conniving without ever coming across as evil.

the story is supremely engaging with a power beyond my understanding. The moment I picked up the book I couldn’t put it down. I just had to finish it to see what would happen next. and that sense of total enthralled engagement remains until the end.

wednesday, june 7, 2023
feels it’s a little ridiculous to be like: this is Good. does anyone know? are people aware of this? this book about the creation of human life?… that pioneered Science Fiction as a genre?.. its commenting on the morality behind creation for creations sake. and the responsibility associated with bringing forth life against its will? .. but it IS! AH the pitfalls of man’s hubris to play god!

thursday, march 2, 2023
one major selling point of this for me is that i totally forgot i’ve ALWAYS been obsessed with the etymology of words. just something innate in my interests like shakespeare and the history of medicine. so this totally scratches a niche itch for me. 

this is everything dark academia was always SUPPOSED to be. critique of: academia as an institution, the centering of the white male perspective, and the gatekeeping of education. the message is not left to subtlety or negotiation. it tells you in no uncertain terms that revolution requires violence—to reap benefits we will not sow. 

also, this book does a pretty fantastic job of depicting the unspoken allegiances and fraught relationships present in young adult friend groups.

thursday, february 23, 2023
really love the concept, not entirely a fan of the execution
friday, june 30, 2023 (reread)
past me doesnt know what shes talking about. this shit FUCKS. (this series to meant to be reread)