Verwunschener Wald mit knorrigen Bäumen als Symbol für The Cruel Prince

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A mortal girl at the court of the fae and a prince who despises her: The Cruel Prince by Holly Black is, for many readers, the model for enemies to lovers in fantasy. An Amazon series has been announced. We analysed press reviews and reader opinions in English and German and summarise what readers love and what they criticize.

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At a glance

  • Author: Holly Black
  • Published: 2018 by Little, Brown; German edition 2018 by cbj as „Elfenkrone“
  • Series: The Folk of the Air, book 1 of 3
  • Genre: Dark fantasy, young adult, romantasy
  • Tropes: Enemies to lovers, slow burn, royal romance, morally grey heroine, court intrigue
  • Adaptation: Series with Ridley Scott’s company in development at Amazon, still at an early stage according to German media
  • Goodreads: 4.00 out of 5 from about 1.9 million ratings
  • LovelyBooks (Germany): 4.1 out of 5 from more than 900 ratings

What is it about?

At seven, Jude watches her parents being murdered. She and her sisters then grow up at the High Court of Faerie, mortals among immortals who despise humans. Ten years later she wants to earn her place and takes on the cruellest of them all, Prince Cardan.

What readers love about The Cruel Prince

  • A dark faerie world: The fae are cruel and cunning rather than cute. Critics praise Holly Black as a master of worldbuilding.
  • Jude as a heroine: Ambitious, cunning and willing to use violence. Many readers celebrate her as a morally grey character fighting her way up.
  • Intrigue and twists: Spies, betrayal and double-crosses. The final chapters in particular are hard to put down.
  • Jude and Cardan: Many see their tension as a textbook example of long-game enemies to lovers.
  • Layered relationships: Madoc, Jude’s adoptive father and her parents’ murderer, fascinates critics and readers.

What readers criticize

  • Slow start: On Goodreads, Reddit and LovelyBooks, readers say the first half drags.
  • Toxic dynamic: Cardan and his friends bully Jude. For some, the shift from hate to attraction is too quick or feels unhealthy.
  • Unlikable characters: Some readers cannot connect with Jude or the rest of the cast.
  • Told, not shown: Critics note that Jude’s skills are asserted more than shown and that side characters like her sisters stay thin.
  • More fantasy than romance: Readers expecting a love story may be disappointed by book one. Many recommend reading on because book two is stronger.

Content notes

According to reviews, the book contains graphic violence, the murder of parents in front of a child, humans enslaved by magic, and bullying and psychological abuse. Publishers recommend it from age 14.

Success

According to its US publisher, the novel is a New York Times bestseller and received honours such as a Boston Globe Best Book of 2018. It was nominated for the 2018 Goodreads Choice Awards.

What writers can learn from it

  • Danger makes a fantasy world come alive. The fae work because they are truly threatening.
  • Morally grey characters divide readers. That is intended, but readers still need a reason to root for them.
  • A slow opening costs readers. Especially in book one, the world should not crowd out the plot.

Conclusion

The Cruel Prince is dark, scheming fantasy with a heroine readers do not forget. Fans of court intrigue, fae and enemies to lovers across a whole trilogy will find a modern classic. Readers looking for quick romance need patience.

Sources

For this overview we analysed the following reviews and articles:

Ratings as of November 2026.

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