The Folk of the Air Trilogy: A True Story of Adventure, Love, and Survival

The Cruel Prince follows Jude Duarte, a human who lives in the Faerie realm. Jude's parents were murdered when she was seven years old, and she and her two sisters were brought to life in the terrifying High Court of Faerie. Jude, although human, wants nothing more than to belong with the animals who took her from her home after ten years. However, most fey loathes humans, particularly the King of Elfhame's youngest son. To be admitted to the Court, she must disobey him and the mortality she has battled so hard to stay in Faerie. As a result, she becomes enmeshed in the High Court's intrigues and deceptions, finding her ability for violence and bloodshed.

The Cruel Prince is a thrilling and engrossing read. The book's style is characteristic, and its dark political intrigue disconcerted me. The world of Faerie has a whimsical and wild vibe to it, but the actual design of the world is a little more mysterious and mystical. The book's principal places have a strong presence, but the real geography of Faerie isn't as substantial, providing room for the reader's imagination to fully bring the setting to life. However, while the novel's world creation is excellent, the novel's finest quality is its plot and its characters.

The characters in this book astonished me time and again. They had numerous layers, and their acts at various points throughout the narrative contradicted my first views of each of them. All of the characters are nuanced, vicious, and crafty, and you'll be left wondering whom you should side for. Even the "good" characters have weaknesses that help them to be more accessible and believable. Particularly the 'villains.' Their character development is excellent since the author does not diminish their humanity. They continue to love, care, cry, and even exhibit compassion, but something prevents them from doing the right thing. Many times while reading this novel, I found myself wondering who the 'villains' and 'heroes' were.

Jude is an absolutely enjoyable character to follow. She appears to be written like other female characters in YA books, boring and unrelatable at first, but as the narrative progresses, readers discover a genuine depth to her character. It's encouraging to watch her take action and take control of her destiny. She wishes to be strong to overcome her fear. She aspires to be more than she is, to be more than a mortal. She has a startling propensity for cruelty, leaving readers unclear of her moral compass at times. Her vulnerability, tenacity, and attraction to darkness are the traits that define her narrative.

"I want to be like them." They're as lovely as divinely made swords. They will live endlessly."

Some of my favorite quotations from the trilogy are included here.

"We've spent so much time in our shield, you and I." And it appears that none of us knows how to get rid of it."

“But we all want stupid things. That doesn’t mean we should have them. He seems like a fairy lover straight out of a poem, the sort where the lady who goes away with him gets nothing good."

"In the past, faeries kidnapped a human girl, and she vowed to destroy them."

Final Thoughts:

Overall, The Cruel Prince presents a dark story full of betrayals, an enemies-to-lovers relationship, and people with depth and weaknesses, with an ending that is both heartbreaking and rewarding. The Cruel Prince is the first installment of The Folk of the Air trilogy. I truly enjoyed The Cruel Prince and would suggest it to anyone looking for a dark fairy tale.

*Spoiler*

The relationship between Jude and Cardan, on the other hand, was the sole drawback for me. Both of them strike me as morally grey people, but I find it troubling that this book romanticizes a possibly abusive relationship. Cardan is constantly described as cruel, and the book is ironically named The Cruel Prince after him. We see him do cruel things to Jude without remorse throughout the series, and it all seems to be overlooked in the name of 'love'. Not to mention the multiple hints dropped about him being an alcoholic. I'm curious to see how they can have a 'happy' typical YA finish.

"Cardan is much more stunning than the others. I despise him much more than the others. I despise him so much that I have trouble breathing when I see him."

And I never felt the spark, especially since there are no Cardan POVs.

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