The Cruel Prince
The Cruel Prince is a young adult fantasy novel by Holly Black, published on January 2, 2018 by Little Brown Books for Young Readers.[1]
 The cover art of The Cruel Prince | |
| Author | Holly Black |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | The Folk of the Air |
| Genre | Fantasy |
| Publisher | Little Brown Books for Young Readers |
Publication date | January 2, 2018 |
| Pages | 384 |
| ISBN | 978-0-316-31027-7 |
| Followed by | The Wicked King |
It is the first book in ''The Folk of the Air'' trilogy, and follows Jude Duarte, a human girl living in a world where humans co-exist with faeries.
Though Vivi, her older sister, is fae and possesses a "split-pupiled gaze" and "lightly furred points" on her ears, the family lives a largely ordinary existence (eg. eating fish sticks and watching television), until their lives are upended by a violent murder.
Swept against their will to Elfhame ("Faerieland"), the sisters must adapt to living alongside powerful creatures with a deep disdain for humans and a penchant for violent delights.
In June 2017, it was announced that The Cruel Prince had been optioned for a film adaptation produced by Universal Pictures and Michael De Luca.[2]
The book features appearances by characters from Black's previous Modern Tale of Faerie trilogy, as well as characters from her standalone novel The Darkest Part of the Forest, establishing that those books take place in the same universe as The Cruel Prince.
Characters
Main
- Jude Duarte
- Cardan Greenbriar
- Madoc
- Vivienne "Vivi" Duarte
- Taryn Duarte
Recurring
- Oriana
- Locke
- Nicasia: Princess of the Undersea, Cardan's former girlfriend
- Valerian
- Balekin Greenbriar
- Dain Greenbriar
- Oak
- The Roach
- The Bomb
- The Ghost
Minor Characters
- Tatterfell
- Eldred
- Elowyn Greenbriar
- Fand
- Princess Rhyia
- Noggle
The Folk of the Air trilogy
The Wicked King is the second book in The Folk of the Air trilogy by Holly Black. The story continues where The Cruel Prince left off, with Jude and her newfound position in the faerie world. The sequel was released on January 8, 2019 and published by Little Brown Books for Young Readers.[3]
The Queen of Nothing is the third book and finale planned for the trilogy, and wraps up the many cliff hangers from the Wicked King. It was released November 19th, 2019. [4]
The Lost Sisters is an companion novella in the same universe, taking place in the same time frame as the first book. It focuses on Jude's twin sister Taryn. It was released October 2, 2018 and is only available as an audiobook and an e-book.[5]
How the King of Elfhame Learned To Hate Stories is a companion novella scheduled for release on November 24th, 2020 and will focus on Cardan Greenbriar. Per Black's website, the novella will feature "delicious details of life before The Cruel Prince, an adventure beyond The Queen of Nothing, and familiar moments from The Folk of the Air trilogy, told wholly from Cardan’s perspective."[6]
References
- Serrao, Nivea (April 24, 2017). "Holly Black is back for a new series — see the cover now". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved October 9, 2017.
- Fleming Jr., Mike (June 28, 2017). "Universal, Mike De Luca Win 'Spiderwick Chronicles' Holly Black Novel 'The Cruel Prince'". Deadline. Retrieved October 9, 2017.
- "The Wicked King - Holly Black". blackholly.com. Retrieved 2019-01-17.
- "The Queen of Nothing - Holly Black". blackholly.com. Retrieved 2019-08-05.
- "The Lost Sisters - Holly Black". blackholly.com. Retrieved 2019-03-18.
- "How the King of Elfhame Learned To Hate Stories - Holly Black". blackholly.com. Retrieved 2020-08-06.