This second installment of Holly Black’s Cruel Prince series had some really great developments. Cardan is on the throne but under the control of Jude, his seneschal. Jude is in charge of the Court of Shadows. She must run both the kingdom and her spy network, while Cardan parties, but Jude struggles to hold it all together.
I loved the progress of Cardan and Jude’s relationship and almost loved it all the way up to the end where I was a bit disappointed. However the ending, if disappointing, does lead you right up into book three.
Jude’s trauma from her imprisonment was well done but as far as long term consequences, I felt was a bit lacking. But the action and the twists and turns were awesome and unexpected. The intrigue, gripping. The power plays were well done and there were parts of the ending that verged on epic.
Cardens character progressed very nicely. I liked to see him begin to come into his own as king and how Jude influenced him. And the theme on keeping power presented at the beginning of the book leads into the ending of the book, even if the results were less than satisfying.
Altogether, definitely worth the read, and loving the world that Holly Black has created!
I’ve already started on book 3, can’t wait to see what happens next!
JA Curtis 