‘The Cruel Prince’ by Holly Black is the holy grail of ethereal, bloodthirsty, thoughtful world building, and character development. Despite what one could assume from the jacket cover, this book is not entirely about the main character, Jude, falling in love with a malicious faerie prince named Cardan. It is the story of a determined mortal woman who, despite knowing she is out of her depth, desperately wants to do right by her sisters, brother, and adopted kingdom. In this book, romance is definitely a subplot, and readers will experience a deep dive into fantasy-political discourse and prejudice stemming from jealousy of a life not typically held by a mortal. The writing in ‘The Cruel Prince’ is relatively simplistic, making it an easy read for anyone interested, but the use of eccentric wording gives the book itself a magical feel. It captures readers within the pages and successfully creates a complex world that is easy to imagine on the edge of the mortal realm.