The Cruel Prince

4.5/5 stars
Jude is bad-ass, she knows what she wants and she'll do whatever it takes to get it. Holly Black is the best, i love all of her books about Faerie, this one included.
The story is about a young girl named Jude and her sister, who get whisked away to the land of the Fae after their parents are brutally murdered. There, although she starts out hating where she is, as the years pass she begins to adapt and wish she belonged there. But mortals can never compete with Faeries, and the Gentry of Faerie love to show that, Prince Carden especially, with the way he bullies her constantly and derides her. But with the King of Faerie soon to abdicate, court intrigue arises as to which of his heirs will take the throne, and Jude must figure out how to strengthen her position and prove she is not as powerless as everyone thinks she is.
Holly Black proved that there is such a thing as a unique “fairy” tale when she expanded on her dark world of Faerie to create a completely new story with awesome and often frightful characters. And honestly, Jude is the best. I've read so many books where the main character acts like they're strong but end up not being able to make hard decisions or do the best thing. But when Jude sees her chance, she seizes it and she is willing to do whatever it takes to get where she needs to be, even if it means bloodying her hands a little.