The Cruel Prince

started 29/01/25 | finished 10/02/25 

In all honesty, when I first picked up The Folk of the Air series, I wasn’t sure I was going to get through it. I have a rocky relationship with reading and go through huge slumps every year. My 14-year-old self would be horrified to know that I allow myself to DNF books these days if it means that I don’t fall into another slump. 

When I first started reading The Cruel Prince, I don’t think I was ready for the nosedive into the fae world. My only real experience with fae stories is Sarah J Maas and Cassandra Clare – and while I loved the lore, it wasn’t something I try to seek out in my fantasy books. It was, for lack of a better description, a culture shock. But, as I kept reading, Jude and Cardan convinced me to stick around. 

I have to say, at least from a writer’s point of view, I absolutely adore Jude’s character. I will happily devour a story with a main character who is incredibly flawed. On a surface-level, I loved that she wasn’t just an “average, ordinary-looking" girl but rather a human who was surrounded by creatures that are by default, biologically gorgeous. On top of this, her hunger for power was enticing – she wasn’t this character with perfect morals or undoubted innocence. It felt incredibly human to watch her grow from nothing to someone who was powerful, not just with a sword but with her mind. It was hard work and self-determination that got her where she was, not just plot armor. 

The romance was another part that kept me coming back for more. I’m a sucker for enemies to lover's romance, especially – as much as I hate to admit it – how drawn out it was. I don’t think either of them said “I love you” until the final book, and although that was frustrating from an audience’s point of view, it was also deliciously captivating. It’s that yearning and angst that really drives it home.