My Comfort Series: Obsessing Over The Cruel Prince

This series is my absolute favorite. The drama, the love-hate relationship I have with the main characters, the sexual tension, the DRAMA! I started reading Holly Black in high school—I devoured The Tithe series, and she quickly became one of my favorite authors. And okay, maybe I’m technically too old to be reading YA, but fantasy is one of my favorite genres, and she just does it so well. Her world-building is superb, and I love all the characters.

So, I’m going to try my best to explain the series. Please forgive me—I am terrible at summaries. I was never good at writing essays in school, so bear with me, yeah? 🤣

The Basics of The Cruel Prince

So, The Cruel Prince series aka The Folk of the Air series—centers around our badass heroine, Jude Duarte. She’s a human girl forced to live in Elfhame because her very unhinged fae stepdad, Madoc, killed her parents and kidnapped her and her twin sister, Taryn, to raise them in the faerie world. Jude and Taryn are fully human, but their older half-sister, Vivienne, is half-fae because Madoc was out here bumping the bumping with their mom, who got pregnant and ran away from Elfhame. She wanted no part of that mess, but Madoc was like, hell no, that’s my baby, and tracked her down. He ended up taking all the kids back to Elfhame because, deep down, he’s a little guilty,but mostly, he’s just cray cray.

Now, fast forward to Jude and Taryn growing up in Elfhame. Madoc trains Jude to be a soldier, while Taryn trains to be the perfect housewife so she can marry royalty and finally be accepted by the fae. But let’s be real—the fae still don’t give a damn about them because they’re human.

Then there’s him. Cardan. A fae prince and the bane of Jude’s existence. They have a classic will-they-won’t-they dynamic, and honestly, they annoyed me so much throughout most of the series. 🤣

Of course, there’s so much more to the plot, but that’s the general setup. The series consists of three books:
1. The Cruel Prince
2. The Wicked King
3. The Queen of Nothing

Plus, there are a few spin-offs, prequels, and extras to dive into.

Why This Series Has My Heart

First and foremost,the romance. I’m not ashamed to say it: the relationship between Cardan and Jude is everything. 😭 These two will make you mad, make you laugh, and make you cry. Their dynamic is pure chaos, and I love it.

Then there’s the world-building. Holly Black has crafted such an immersive universe across all her books, and The Folk of the Air fits right into it. I love being able to connect little details between different series,it makes me feel like I live in these books.

I also love Jude’s relationship with her younger brother, Oak. No matter how different their upbringings are or how much power he holds compared to her, she’s always ready to protect him. She’s that big sister who will throw hands if necessary, and I respect it.

A Special Place in My Heart

I started reading Holly Black’s books in high school,a time when I was really going through it. High school was rough. Stuck in a toxic household, feeling like I didn’t belong, not wanting to be in school, not wanting to do anything, really. I felt stuck. Unwanted. Emotionally drained.

Reading her books gave me an escape. It was comforting to get lost in these stories, even just for a little while.

The Perfect Read for Cozy Days

This series is perfect for rainy days, warm summer nights, or just lying in bed winding down after a long day. You really can’t beat a good fantasy novel,I’m telling you.

If you love fantasy, check out this series. Let me know what you think,maybe it’ll become one of your favorites too!

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