The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

Plot: 3.5 stars

Characters: 4 stars

Writing: 4 stars

Overall: 3.5 stars

Okay so first off I'd like to say that as much as I was looking forward to this book, it was a solid 3.5 star read for me. Here's why: Cardan was frustrating, Jude was frustrating, Taryn had no backbone, and the plot was dull. I know this is blasphemous to say about a best seller, but truly it was just drab. I think I kept reading because everyone raved about it so much that I knew it had to get better, but it took so long to get better that by the time it did I was like....seriously?? NOW you want to improve?

BUT!! On the heels of this, boy when it got better, it REALLY got better.

The ending? Lord have mercy. It was SO good. I loved it. I think something I'm really a sucker for (shout out to SJM on this one) is when an author schemes behind the pages of what you're seeing so the twist at the end of the book really throws you for a loop. I felt like this book delivered on this front. At the end I was left with my jaw hanging loosely and I was eager for the next one. It takes a lot of talent for an author to turn a two star read into a four star read in the last 40 pages of the book, I'll give you that. And it was only because of this that I purchased the next one, The Wicked King, and decided to continue the series (review to come).

I will say, though, that looking back on the first book it really wasn't all that memorable. In the second book, Black makes references to the first book with context and it's great that she does. If she didn't include context, I'd have been lost, honestly. So, there's that too. Also, the characters? Okay, Jude was really frustrating because she just wouldn't get. over. herself., but eventually it all makes sense so it ended up okay. And Taryn? If ever was a woman I wanted to throttle, it would be her. Why she would willingly enter into a marriage with a guy who "likes his stories," the world may never know, but she did. And it was infuriating. But Cardan? Talk about a character who makes you feel pure hatred. He does. But I think the thing about these characters is that if you're feeling something, that means the author is doing something right, which speaks to Black's talents.

If the book were only based on the characters, it would've been a 2 star read. Or, if I hadn't finished it and gotten to the end, also a 2 star read. But I did finish it and I can recognize the talent this author has, so I've given it a 3.5.