Book Review: The Cruel Prince by Holly Black + Giveaway! (International)

Title: The Cruel Prince (The Folk of the Air #1)

Author: Holly Black

Publication (of my edition): January 2018, Little, Brown Books

Purchase details: Ordered online from the Strand Book Store website.

Blurb:  Of course I want to be like them. They’re beautiful as blades forged in some divine fire. They will live forever.

And Cardan is even more beautiful than the rest. I hate him more than all the others. I hate him so much that sometimes when I look at him, I can hardly breathe.

Jude was seven years old when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong there, despite her mortality. But many of the fey despise humans. Especially Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King.

To win a place at the Court, she must defy him–and face the consequences.

In doing so, she becomes embroiled in palace intrigues and deceptions, discovering her own capacity for bloodshed. But as civil war threatens to drown the Courts of Faerie in violence, Jude will need to risk her life in a dangerous alliance to save her sisters, and Faerie itself.

The Bengali Nomad's Rant

Prologue:

One fine day, while browsing through Goodreads, I stumble upon an upcoming YA Fantasy novel about Faeries. It reminds me of the reading days back in my teenage years. Back then, I was completely obsessed with Julie Kagawa's The Iron Fey series. But unfortunately, like all good things, The Iron Fey series came to an end. Yet the teenage me held on to the hope of finding another remarkable series about fair folk. Fast forward back to January 2018: Completely enticed by the cover and the blurb, I buy the YA Fantasy book online on an impulse. For a moment, I do question my terrible life choices (seeing that I already had so many review books left). But alas, it was only for a moment, and before I knew it, the moment had passed.

The Book Reading Experience:

I breezed through The Cruel Prince in one sitting. I started reading on a Monday night, promising myself an hour of leisure reading before going back to doing schoolwork. But one hour proceeded to two, and so on. By the time I finished reading, I glimpsed out of my dorm room window only to see the sunlight peeking in through leafless, frost covered branches. Inside, my heartbeat was a fluctuating mess. My mind was a flurry of emotions. I can't remember the last time I've felt so giddy upon finishing a book. The Cruel Prince was one of my first reads of 2018, and it might just be one of my best as well. The main character, Jude, was so... raw. Her conflict of emotions, between desiring to truly become a part of the faery world and wanting resist for the sake of staying true to her biological roots, was a feeling that I could relate surprisingly well with. The plot was full of twists and turns, guided by intriguing characters making the most unpredictable decisions along the way. The book has everything: vivid imagery, a mysterious and suspenseful story line, and above all, an epilogue that may be the biggest plot twist in the novel. (Marvel post- credits scene anyone?) This  isn't your usual "damsel in distress falls in love with handsome fair folk" story. Jude is too strong and cunning of a protagonist. This is a story about vengeance, honor, politics and suspense. And anyone who likes indulging in YA fantasy novels will enjoy every minute of it. 

All hail YA fantasy novels with fair folk and strong female leads!! 👏👏👏👏👏 I hope to see more of them out there. 

The Bengali Nomad's Rating: 5/5 Palanquins

Giveaway Time!

If any of you were familiar with The Strand Book Store, or even if you've just read the New York Times over this past week, then you might've heard that the owner Fred Bass had passed away recently. The Strand is one of my favorite places to spend time at in New York City. One could go in and spend hours, possibly even days, in there. And it has always reminded me of the unique charm of an independent book store. But anyway, to commemorate Fred Bass' efforts, I've decided to give away a hardcover of The Cruel Prince to one lucky winner, ordered online from The Strand. This giveaway is open internationally and ends in about a week. 

Official Giveaway Rules:

• Open internationally to individuals aged 13 or above.
• Any link provided in the rafflecopter widget must be functional, or else it will disqualify your entry.
• I will verify entries. False entries will be disqualified.
• Since the book will be shipped directly from The Strand, I am not responsible for any lost/damaged packages.
• Winner will be notified directly either through Facebook or email. Please note that I do not announce my winners.
• Remember, the more options you complete on the rafflecopter, the more entries you get, A.K.A more chances for you to win!

That's it! Good luck folks! Giveaway ends on January 24th, 2018 at midnight [EST]. 

a Rafflecopter giveaway