---
product_id: 73214471
title: "Cruel Prince"
price: "₹ 2965"
currency: INR
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 13
url: https://www.desertcart.in/products/73214471-cruel-prince
store_origin: IN
region: India
---

# Award-winning trilogy start Bestselling YA dark fantasy #1 Immersive, richly detailed Faerie world Cruel Prince

**Price:** ₹ 2965
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

## Summary

> 🧚‍♀️ Enter the dark, dazzling world where faerie obsession began — don’t get left behind!

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** Cruel Prince
- **How much does it cost?** ₹ 2965 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.in](https://www.desertcart.in/products/73214471-cruel-prince)

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## Why This Product

- Free international shipping included
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## Key Features

- • **Award-Winning Storytelling:** Experience a critically acclaimed narrative, winner of Goodreads YA Best Fantasy (2019 & 2020) and the Silver INKY Award.
- • **Rich, Vivid World-Building:** Lose yourself in a fully realized Faerie realm, complete with political intrigue, magic, and unforgettable creatures.
- • **Unapologetically Bold Themes:** Explore intense themes of family, power struggles, and identity, including authentic LGBTQ+ representation.
- • **Complex Characters & Dark Intrigue:** Engage with morally grey heroes and villains in a world where power, betrayal, and desire collide.
- • **Dive into a #1 Dark Fantasy Phenomenon:** Join 70,000+ readers captivated by this bestselling YA novel that redefined faerie lore.

## Overview

The Cruel Prince is the first book in Holly Black’s bestselling Folk of the Air trilogy, a dark fantasy YA novel that has won multiple prestigious awards and captivated over 70,000 readers. It features a richly detailed Faerie world filled with political intrigue, complex characters, and bold themes including family, power, and identity. Praised for its intoxicating storytelling and vivid world-building, it’s a must-read for fans of immersive fantasy and morally complex narratives.

## Description

First in the bestselling Folk of the Air trilogy. The sequels - The Wicked King and The Queen of Nothing - are the winners of/won the Goodreads YA Best Fantasy in 2019 and 2020. Nominated for the CILIP CARNEGIE MEDAL 2019. Winner of the silver INKY for best international YA book. "A dark jewel of a book . . . intoxicating" - Leigh Bardugo, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Six of Crows Of course I want to be like them. They're beautiful as blades forged in some divine fire. They will live forever. And Cardan is even more beautiful than the rest. I hate him more than all the others. I hate him so much that sometimes when I look at him, I can hardly breathe. One terrible morning, Jude and her sisters see their parents murdered in front of them. The terrifying assassin abducts all three girls to the world of Faerie, where Jude is installed in the royal court but mocked and tormented by the Faerie royalty for being mortal. As Jude grows older, she realises that she will need to take part in the dangerous deceptions of the fey to ever truly belong. But the stairway to power is fraught with shadows and betrayal. And looming over all is the infuriating, arrogant and charismatic Prince Cardan . . . Dramatic and thrilling fantasy blends seamlessly with enthralling storytelling to create a fully realised and seductive world, brimful of magic and romance.

Review: An excellent series starts with this fabulous book - “I have lied and I have betrayed and I have triumphed. If only there was someone to congratulate me” Four treacherous stars for a dark fantasy that is driven by greed, betrayal, deception, and desire. A book that is simple in its story telling, fascinating in its characters and enthralling in its plot. The Plot Jude is the 8-year-old daughter of parents who are murdered by the emotionless hand of the king Madoc. A man who enjoys playing all sides in a conflict and world of deception that is not obvious through the book or to many of the characters in the story. Until thee event !!! With a mission to recover his natural daughter Vivi, Madoc kills the parents of the three girls but vows to bring all three sisters up as his own, in the world of Faerie. With a roof over their heads, luxury to enjoy, and an education, none of the girls want for anything except the love of a parent, a childhood devoid of cruelty and a life in a mortal world. Which brings us to cruel prince Cardan. Cardan, along with his band of merry friends, torment and subject Jude to life of brutality both physically and emotionally, earning Cardan the title of ‘The Cruel Prince’. Yet he is a boy possessed with a charming tongue laced with words that can manipulate, entice, and charm!!! With no desire to rule, Cardan must endure his own cruelty as a victim of his brother’s torturous ways and as the second child who struggles to find his own place where status matters. Jude’s two sisters also play an important role in a story of cruelty, survival and corruption. Vivi is the natural born child of Madoc and has security that none of the other sisters are afforded. Meanwhile, Taryn is caught in a love triangle with her sister Jude over the charming Locke. However, whilst each of the sisters turn anger and resentment towards each other, Locke cunningly seeks to play both for his own amusement. Review and Comments You have probably guessed the enjoyment from the book came from the characterisation with an intriguing plot taking second place in terms of appeal. The characters Jude and Cardan, were intoxicating, I loved the vulnerability that was allowed to show through the characters, yet they possessed sharp wit, cunning minds, and scheming brains that were tested in the most sensational way as they attempted to pull off a very dangerous coup. However, not the stuff of fairy tales, as Jude ponders "Let me not be that kind of fool to base my strategies on riddles" We were treated with an abundance of deliciously evil characters, charming players, dark royalty and the cunning spies, which I enjoyed. But what I loved more was that each were allowed to play their part creating a thrilling multi layered story. For example, I haven't yet mentioned that recruited by Dain, the prince of spies. Jude lives a duplicitous life as one of Dain's hired agents, watching, luring, and observing. A role that must remain undetected from the King, the powerful and fearless Madoc, others from the court and even her own sisters. This dynamic was the best part of a storyline and a plot that was a little too predictable which took the book down in rating. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the world building, the scheming and how the whole plot came together in the end. Be prepared for a ramp up in action and thrill, because the story builds with a much better second half. Holly Black is another force in the world of dark fantasy. As for who will enjoy the book?. It is recommended for readers of the 'The Court of Thorns and Roses', 'The Crooked Kingdom' and the 'King of Scars'
Review: Worth the hype! - The Faerie world we are introduced to in The Cruel Prince is very much like the numerous legends of Fairies from various cultures: yes, some are beautiful, but there are others with horns, tails, brutal strength, wings, and no shortage of cunning. There are goblins, and phookas, and water demons, and just about anything you could imagine in such an unparalleled world. What suited this world, if not the story, plot, and characters, was the flowery writing style. Often this type of writing, while painting a stunningly detailed picture of a world and setting, can slow the pacing of plot itself. This was not the case at all with this book. This story was so full of twists and turns. Honestly, there were a lot of aspects of this story that were BRUTAL. Some of the Fae in The Cruel Prince are cunning, and malicious, and not to be trusted. The Game-Of-Thrones-style scenes were shocking, and you could never fully tell where the story was going - which is something I love about a fantasy book/series. Our main character, Jude, while an exciting and bad*ss character, is often an unreliable narrator. She's often so blinded by her own goals and emotions that stepping stones to major plot twists are so easily missed, and I adored that about this story. Every character in this novel was a villain to some extent, which was so refreshing and exciting. This is a world without consequence, and the lengths to which some characters go to achieve their goals, or to put others down, is on another level. Not only was bullying life-threatening, there were also elements of abuse within families, which made this such an intense, and heart-wrenching read. All throughout, there was a constant underlying question of morals , which were pushed and stretched and often discarded altogether. With Kings and Queens, Seelie and Unseelie courts, this was a novel filled with politics, which can either help or hinder a readers enjoyment. Learning the dynamics of Faerie, be it the politics, to the glamours, to the poisonous fruits, was so fascinating from start to finish that I could hardly get enough of it. While we're provided with a stunning map at the beginning of this book, the descriptive writing makes it all too easy to picture and get lost within this world. Overall, I was not expecting this novel to be how it was going in, and fell in love with the world and brave and brutal characters within it. Though it was filled with cruelty and deception, this book emphasised the love within families, the problems within relationships, particularly those with uneven power dynamics, and even showcased some great LGBT+ representation. TW: bullying, murder, suicide, abuse, and loss of parents.

## Features

- The Cruel Prince
- Must read book
- It is made up of premium quality material.

## Technical Specifications

| Specification | Value |
|---------------|-------|
| Best Sellers Rank | 2,167 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) 1 in Dark Fantasy for Young Adults 1 in Fiction About Parents for Young Adults 1 in Fairy Tales & Folklore for Young Adults |
| Customer Reviews | 4.3 out of 5 stars 72,893 Reviews |

## Images

![Cruel Prince - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/61mh6nw63+L.jpg)

## Available Options

This product comes in different **Media Format** options.

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ An excellent series starts with this fabulous book
*by M***R on 2 July 2022*

“I have lied and I have betrayed and I have triumphed. If only there was someone to congratulate me” Four treacherous stars for a dark fantasy that is driven by greed, betrayal, deception, and desire. A book that is simple in its story telling, fascinating in its characters and enthralling in its plot. The Plot Jude is the 8-year-old daughter of parents who are murdered by the emotionless hand of the king Madoc. A man who enjoys playing all sides in a conflict and world of deception that is not obvious through the book or to many of the characters in the story. Until thee event !!! With a mission to recover his natural daughter Vivi, Madoc kills the parents of the three girls but vows to bring all three sisters up as his own, in the world of Faerie. With a roof over their heads, luxury to enjoy, and an education, none of the girls want for anything except the love of a parent, a childhood devoid of cruelty and a life in a mortal world. Which brings us to cruel prince Cardan. Cardan, along with his band of merry friends, torment and subject Jude to life of brutality both physically and emotionally, earning Cardan the title of ‘The Cruel Prince’. Yet he is a boy possessed with a charming tongue laced with words that can manipulate, entice, and charm!!! With no desire to rule, Cardan must endure his own cruelty as a victim of his brother’s torturous ways and as the second child who struggles to find his own place where status matters. Jude’s two sisters also play an important role in a story of cruelty, survival and corruption. Vivi is the natural born child of Madoc and has security that none of the other sisters are afforded. Meanwhile, Taryn is caught in a love triangle with her sister Jude over the charming Locke. However, whilst each of the sisters turn anger and resentment towards each other, Locke cunningly seeks to play both for his own amusement. Review and Comments You have probably guessed the enjoyment from the book came from the characterisation with an intriguing plot taking second place in terms of appeal. The characters Jude and Cardan, were intoxicating, I loved the vulnerability that was allowed to show through the characters, yet they possessed sharp wit, cunning minds, and scheming brains that were tested in the most sensational way as they attempted to pull off a very dangerous coup. However, not the stuff of fairy tales, as Jude ponders "Let me not be that kind of fool to base my strategies on riddles" We were treated with an abundance of deliciously evil characters, charming players, dark royalty and the cunning spies, which I enjoyed. But what I loved more was that each were allowed to play their part creating a thrilling multi layered story. For example, I haven't yet mentioned that recruited by Dain, the prince of spies. Jude lives a duplicitous life as one of Dain's hired agents, watching, luring, and observing. A role that must remain undetected from the King, the powerful and fearless Madoc, others from the court and even her own sisters. This dynamic was the best part of a storyline and a plot that was a little too predictable which took the book down in rating. Nevertheless, I enjoyed the world building, the scheming and how the whole plot came together in the end. Be prepared for a ramp up in action and thrill, because the story builds with a much better second half. Holly Black is another force in the world of dark fantasy. As for who will enjoy the book?. It is recommended for readers of the 'The Court of Thorns and Roses', 'The Crooked Kingdom' and the 'King of Scars'

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Worth the hype!
*by E***A on 17 April 2020*

The Faerie world we are introduced to in The Cruel Prince is very much like the numerous legends of Fairies from various cultures: yes, some are beautiful, but there are others with horns, tails, brutal strength, wings, and no shortage of cunning. There are goblins, and phookas, and water demons, and just about anything you could imagine in such an unparalleled world. What suited this world, if not the story, plot, and characters, was the flowery writing style. Often this type of writing, while painting a stunningly detailed picture of a world and setting, can slow the pacing of plot itself. This was not the case at all with this book. This story was so full of twists and turns. Honestly, there were a lot of aspects of this story that were BRUTAL. Some of the Fae in The Cruel Prince are cunning, and malicious, and not to be trusted. The Game-Of-Thrones-style scenes were shocking, and you could never fully tell where the story was going - which is something I love about a fantasy book/series. Our main character, Jude, while an exciting and bad*ss character, is often an unreliable narrator. She's often so blinded by her own goals and emotions that stepping stones to major plot twists are so easily missed, and I adored that about this story. Every character in this novel was a villain to some extent, which was so refreshing and exciting. This is a world without consequence, and the lengths to which some characters go to achieve their goals, or to put others down, is on another level. Not only was bullying life-threatening, there were also elements of abuse within families, which made this such an intense, and heart-wrenching read. All throughout, there was a constant underlying question of morals , which were pushed and stretched and often discarded altogether. With Kings and Queens, Seelie and Unseelie courts, this was a novel filled with politics, which can either help or hinder a readers enjoyment. Learning the dynamics of Faerie, be it the politics, to the glamours, to the poisonous fruits, was so fascinating from start to finish that I could hardly get enough of it. While we're provided with a stunning map at the beginning of this book, the descriptive writing makes it all too easy to picture and get lost within this world. Overall, I was not expecting this novel to be how it was going in, and fell in love with the world and brave and brutal characters within it. Though it was filled with cruelty and deception, this book emphasised the love within families, the problems within relationships, particularly those with uneven power dynamics, and even showcased some great LGBT+ representation. TW: bullying, murder, suicide, abuse, and loss of parents.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I thought I would hate these books - I couldn't have been more wrong. Try them!
*by K***D on 2 November 2022*

When Jude is 7 years old her parents are murdered and she and her sisters stolen away to live in the High Court of Faerie by the true father of their oldest sibling. Faerie is a cruel and dangerous place at the best of times, especially for mortals, but by the time she is 17 Jude is determined to belong. But she is surrounded by enemies, and in particular Prince Cardan, the youngest and hardest of the High King’s sons. She will have to risk her life and form dangerous alliances to survive and find her place in the High Court. Do you know that feeling you get when you are sure you are going to hate a book? This had come highly recommended, but it is a Young Adult (nothing wrong with the YA genre but I am an well-weathered adult and struggle to care about the things that bother teenagers), Hate to Love (a challenging subgenre because a. it is obvious from about page 3 who the future lovers are going to be and b. it can slip into encouraging and even idolise toxic masculine behaviour), Faerie (a setting that can too easily be underthought and, also, the love interest has a tail for goodness sakes – Furries can furry but it’s not my thing) romance. On top of this, the opening chapter (opening chapters are hard) is a bit clumsy – it’s hard to care about the deaths of characters we don’t know, I felt unclear from whose perspective we are seeing it, and it was extremely violent but muffled by maximum a YA novel will tolerate. Happily, I couldn’t have been more wrong about this book. Black’s Faerie is interesting, chaotic, and obeys clear and consistent rules. Our be-tailed Prince is no two-dimensional love interest but fully four dimensional – breadth and depth, changing over time. This is true of all the characters, who consistently make interesting, individual, and flawed decisions that meant I was hooked from the second page of chapter 2. Most of all, Jude is fabulous. She has the key characteristics of a YA heroine – worrying about boys and her relationships with her family – but she is courageous to the point of arrogance, ambitious to the point of brutal ruthlessness, and takes risks that are absolutely breath-taking. It is perfectly common for a YA heroine to be in a constant state of anxiety, but we are totally sold because we feel that Jude is in constant danger. The relationships between the key characters feel complex and real, and that between Jude and Prince Cardan works brilliantly in particular because of Jude’s flaws: in her arrogance it takes her a long time to understand why he behaves as he does and what is actually going on. Jude is, quite simply, one of the most fully realised heroines I have ever read. There is another thing about this book that normally puts me off – it is the first in a series. Often this means an unsatisfying end to the first book, but Black avoids that brilliantly. I normally don’t have the time to read a full series so will stop at the first book whether it is good or not (my TBR pile is mountainous): the moment I finished the Cruel Prince, I downloaded the second and third book on my Kindle and stayed up all night to finish them. If Young-Adult Hate-to-Love Faerie Romance is your thing, then you must read this – I strongly suspect it is the best of its kind. But for anybody who likes top quality writing, complex characters, razor sharp plots and the sort of constant sense of peril that normally belongs to thrillers: read these books. They’re brilliant.

## Frequently Bought Together

- The Cruel Prince (The Folk of the Air)
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*Last updated: 2026-09-18*