The Cruel Prince Trilogy (The Folk of the Air)

By Holly Black

Rating : 4.5 Stars for the series.

The Vibe: This is a YA Fantasy series with morally gray characters. Less spice (basically none), but more politics. Each book gets progressively more suspenseful. This is not a cozy, cottage-core series.

What's It About? Human twins (and their fae sister) are abducted from the mortal world, and grow up in fairyland . This is a land where humans are either despised, tortured or used as unwitting slaves. Jude, the main character, wrestles with her quest for power throughout the series.

What I loved:

• Jude is not your typical fantasy heroine with innate powers in a magic-less world. She constantly works to outwit everyone around her in an effort to compensate for her lack of magic. This leads to Jude's morally questionable decisions and her misinterpretation of others' motives (at times).

• For a YA series, the politics are sophisticated. Everyone is vying for a station or a throne -- everyone is lying and plotting. Each book progressively gets more intense.

• The romance had tension without a lot of smut -- although it is pretty toxic, especially in the first book.

What I Didn't Love (but can forgive);

• The first book (specifically) has a lot of toxicity and bullying. It's integral to the story and the characters' development, but it is there.

• The enemies-to-lovers theme isn't fully developed until book three. There is romantic tension, it's just not as developed as in some other romantasy series.

Series Breakdown:

• Book 1 (The Cruel Prince) 4 stars -- This book establishes the world building and tension. It's fairly Dark.

• Book 2 (The Wicked King) 4.5 stars -- The politics involved make this a book that is difficult to put down. Characters are growing and scheming -- and that ending.

• Book 3 (The Queen of Nothing) 5 stars -- My favorite of the series. I thought it was the most balanced. The politics, the romantic tension and the character arcs came together to a satisfying conclusion.

Final Thoughts:

This series has a unique heroine, it's dark and addictive. These books are for you if you enjoyed Fourth Wing's tension and stakes -- though this has less romance and spice; and if you liked Throne of Glass's later books with their politics and intrigue, try this series.

Do I Recommend?

Yes. Especially if you're in the mood for an addictive, fast series read without spice.