Tuesday 2 January 2018

YOUNG ADULT URBAN FANTASY REVIEW: The Folk of the Air 1: The Cruel Prince - Holly Black

Release Date: 02/01/18
Publisher: Hot Key Books

SYNOPSIS:

Of course I want to be like them. They're beautiful as blades forged in some divine fire. They will live forever.

And Cardan is even more beautiful than the rest. I hate him more than all the others. I hate him so much that sometimes when I look at him, I can hardly breathe.

One terrible morning, Jude and her sisters see their parents murdered in front of them. The terrifying assassin abducts all three girls to the world of Faerie, where Jude is installed in the royal court but mocked and tormented by the Faerie royalty for being mortal. As Jude grows older, she realises that she will need to take part in the dangerous deceptions of the fey to ever truly belong.
But the stairway to power is fraught with shadows and betrayal. And looming over all is the infuriating, arrogant and charismatic Prince Cardan . . .
Dramatic and thrilling fantasy blends seamlessly with enthralling storytelling to create a fully realised and seductive world, brimful of magic and romance.


REVIEW:

As a long time reader of Holly's books, when I discover that there's a new one on the horizon, the calander is marked, the days are crossed off and the long wait is on its countdown.

Why is this the case? Well for me, Holly is an author who always delivers on the top notch fiction not only for the young adult audience but also produces a book for all ages. Her characters are flawed, have goals and also have to learn to adjust to changes as they happen alongside living with the consequences of those choices.

It gives them a reality, a roundedness that appeals and of course allows you to form a relationship with them and whilst some of them are from the "otherworld" its these foibles that really help bring the world to life. Here within this book we're treated to a tale of action, of political double dealing and of course danger around every turn from both friends and foes. I loved it.

Back this up with Holly's wonderful storytelling style, top notch prose alongside an overall arc that promises a hell of a lot as well as delivers in this first part all round makes this a tale that was sadly finished too quickly due to my voracious reading. I can't wait to see what happens next.