I hope Magnus Falke from last week’s article will hold you over on the Sex-O-Meter because the book I’m reviewing today is a solid zero. But I swear I have a good reason.

So far, this blog has dealt purely with contemporary fiction romance novels. But today, we’re diving into a new subgenre– romantasy. Romantasy, a recently coined literary term, is when the plot points of a fantasy novel and romance story combine to create an even better, even spicier love child. The romantasy book I’m reviewing this week is The Cruel Prince by Holly Black.

Something unique about this book is that it’s listed as young adult (YA) fiction. In fact, the YA label is what kept me from reading it for so long. But my friends promised me that the slow-burn romance that unfolds over the trilogy would satisfy my insatiable craving. I’m glad I gave this book a try because, while it’s marketed for “young adults,” it packs a romantic punch. With its beautiful prose, crafted plot, and fierce enemies-to-lovers storyline, it kept me engaged up until the last page.

Jude Duarte was stolen from the mortal world, along with her twin sister, Taryn, and her older sister, Vivienne. Vivienne turns out to be Jude and Taryn’s half-sister, her birth father being Madoc, a general of the High King in the Fae world. Jude spends years in the Fae world trying to prove her worth to no avail. It’s interesting how Jude interacts with her oppression– instead of backing down and wallowing in it, like many heroines before her, she vows to be better than any of the Fae who look down on her. She vows to get revenge.

Jude is a badass. This book is driven by Jude’s dedication to her goal and vendettas, her biggest goal being to take out the youngest son of the High King, Prince Cardan. Prince Cardan is everything Jude is not– regal, selfish, cruel, and cunning. Jude continues to get bullied by his friends in her childhood and endures their torture for fear of endangering her sister, Taryn.

Cardan really sets a new standard for enemies-to-lovers cruelty– not only does he make Jude kiss his feet, but he also lets his friends almost drown her in the river. Additionally, he makes her strip to her underwear in front of their class and eats the forbidden Faerie fruit. Safe to say, Jude has grounds to despise him. So why does she also… think he’s kinda hot?

The first book deals with world-building and character development, especially of Jude and her sisters. But while the romance is technically a subplot, I kept flipping through the pages waiting for Cardan’s little gremlin name to appear. As much of an asshole as he was, for some reason I still wanted him to just kiss Jude — maybe then they would stop actively trying to wage war on each other's families. 

Plus, as always, Cardan is a complicated foil to Jude. His backstory is tragic and only continues to worsen as the novel goes on. His actions, while not justified, are explained by the end of the novel. And while they didn’t garner complete forgiveness from me, I empathized with Cardan’s experience.

There were several moments throughout this read where I screamed, “It’s because he loves you, dummy!” at Jude and exclaimed, “Stop being a five-year-old,” to Cardan. Both of them are horrible at expressing their emotions. 

My worst fear with a book, especially in a series, is that the slow-burn romance extends across novels. In other words, they don’t kiss in the first book. But people, don’t fret– there was kissing. And it wasn’t a childish peck, either– it was hot, heavy, and filled with 300 pages worth of hatred and desire. Also, Jude might have had a knife to Cardan’s throat during. Once again, evidence she is a badass.

This book will keep you gasping. The amount of plot twists, mysteries, and secrets that unfold throughout this story will keep you flipping the pages and highlighting entire passages. Holly Black is a fantastic writer and I’m so grateful she brought Jude and Cardan’s story to life. The end of this book is a cliffhanger that will force you to order The Wicked King the second you hit page 370. 

Sometimes, even the most enthusiastic of smut readers (aka, yours truly) need a YA break. The Cruel Prince is perfect for an enticing, engaging break from mind-altering smut.

See you next read,

Charlotte

Photograph: Pinterest