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A review by brii_brii
The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
4.0
06/16/2022 ☆☆☆
06/04/2024 ★★★★
Honestly, my experience with this book the second time around was drastically different than the first. I'm really wondering what kind of mood I was in when I got myself into it two years ago, because I really enjoyed it this time.
I really like Jude. She's badass, although quite young and immature, and it really shows. I want to say that she has a ton of personal growth through this story, but I really don't think that she does. Her ego gets dropped down a peg or two throughout the book, so maybe that helps a bit, but that's the truth of it. I say that, but I still really truly do love her. Her “I won't back down attitude” has me entirely on her side and devoted to her, and I cannot be swayed (even if she is extremely gullible and naive and a little blood thirsty).
It was nifty seeing her relationship with Maddox after everything, and I really enjoyed the familial story being told on the side of all the political stuff to the other. I think the two different sides of this book were really well blended.
I think one of my struggles with this book the first go around may have been the schooling bits of it and the insistent bullying bits of it. I usually steer clear of academia books or any books in a school type setting, as that's just not my thing. Especially when bullying gets added to the mix, I'm just not interested. So first read though, I maybe have hated it so much that it influenced my overall rating of the book Second read through, I knew it was going to be there, so I think i put more of an effort into focusing on motivations behind Cardan and Locke, and I enjoyed my time a lot more. (Also, f*ck Locke).
I felt much more emotionally invested this time. And my heart was entirely on the line. Mostly for Oak, I won't lie. I love the polotis in this book. I think they're done so well and not overbearing. I was never bored through the story, and I was always looking forward to what happened next.
I also really like that romance didn't take center stage. I really quite like it when my romance is a subplot, rather than the main focus, and I know it's coming, but for book 1, I think it was beautifully managed.
I truly do love Holly Black
06/04/2024 ★★★★
Honestly, my experience with this book the second time around was drastically different than the first. I'm really wondering what kind of mood I was in when I got myself into it two years ago, because I really enjoyed it this time.
I really like Jude. She's badass, although quite young and immature, and it really shows. I want to say that she has a ton of personal growth through this story, but I really don't think that she does. Her ego gets dropped down a peg or two throughout the book, so maybe that helps a bit, but that's the truth of it. I say that, but I still really truly do love her. Her “I won't back down attitude” has me entirely on her side and devoted to her, and I cannot be swayed (even if she is extremely gullible and naive and a little blood thirsty).
It was nifty seeing her relationship with Maddox after everything, and I really enjoyed the familial story being told on the side of all the political stuff to the other. I think the two different sides of this book were really well blended.
I think one of my struggles with this book the first go around may have been the schooling bits of it and the insistent bullying bits of it. I usually steer clear of academia books or any books in a school type setting, as that's just not my thing. Especially when bullying gets added to the mix, I'm just not interested. So first read though, I maybe have hated it so much that it influenced my overall rating of the book Second read through, I knew it was going to be there, so I think i put more of an effort into focusing on motivations behind Cardan and Locke, and I enjoyed my time a lot more. (Also, f*ck Locke).
I felt much more emotionally invested this time. And my heart was entirely on the line. Mostly for Oak, I won't lie. I love the polotis in this book. I think they're done so well and not overbearing. I was never bored through the story, and I was always looking forward to what happened next.
I also really like that romance didn't take center stage. I really quite like it when my romance is a subplot, rather than the main focus, and I know it's coming, but for book 1, I think it was beautifully managed.
I truly do love Holly Black