Book review: ‘The Cruel Prince’ all you need to know

Today we talk about a series that, despite its popularity on booktok, has not really been understood. The cruel prince.

A trilogy + picture book that won many hearts mainly because of the two main protagonists.

Jude and Cardan hate each other, can’t see each other and always hope not to end up in the same room. So naturally, they are the perfect couple for the hearts of all readers.

Enemies to lovers is a very old trope in novels and even today it does not want to leave the stage to someone else.

I myself loved every single page where those two got together. (Or at least almost all of it, in some I just wanted to beat him up.)

These two are very charming and attractive as characters. So much so that they sent all the readers on TikTok into confusion.

In fact, in video after video, this trilogy has been passed off as a simple romance with some fantasy touches when in fact it’s quite the opposite.
And as soon as you start the book this is clear. For the protagonist’s aim is not to cross her arms waiting for her relationship with her enemy to improve.

Jude doesn’t really give a damn.

What she wants, the goal that makes her wake up in the morning, is indeed to make anyone who has ever harmed her pay. And she wants to do this by acquiring power.

Our dear Jude always walks a tightrope, on the borderline between being a good character and a real villain.

Because yes, we see what happens from her point of view, so we understand the motivations and after a while we no longer pay attention to the numerous murders.

For others this is not the case.

If I were a normal inhabitant of that kingdom, I would not think that she is very good-natured. But then again, the inhabitants aren’t very normal either.

They’re all fae but that’s not even the point. They all like to see others in crisis, other people’s pain entertains them and they are extremely good with words.

The writer to restrict the power of these people has taken away their ability to lie but even with that, they manage to turn people around as they wish.

Especially humans, like Jude. She is at a disadvantage against all the creatures around her, and they like to remind her of that.

This is the story of how a girl does everything to get what she wants and what develops between her and Cardan in the meantime is just a great decoration.

The story is about much more, politics, betrayal, extravagant friendships, strategic plans and poisoning.

And I am grateful that this is so. Because this allows the plot to flow fast and make sense of the existence of all the characters.

Also, despite it not being a novel, the parts about those two never cease to keep you in suspense. In agony, waiting to see what will happen the next time they talk to each other.

Would I recommend it?

I have no doubt that I would recommend this series to all fantasy lovers. I have the books here beside me as I write this article and I am extremely tempted to give it a re-read.

Don’t miss this gem but, and I will say this for the last time, read it mainly for the politics and personal growth part, because it is not a novel.

I will add, however, that despite not focusing on that, I love Cardan and Jude.

Jude is resourceful, brave, caring and sassy. Cardan is charming, knows he is and uses it to his advantage. He is also a huge simp and this strangely, adds to his charm.

Enjoy the read and when you have finished the saga remember to take a look at the beautiful fanart you can find on Pinterest.

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