The Cruel Prince by Holly Black (Paperback)

Jude was only seven when her parents were murdered and she and her sisters were taken into the world of Faerie. Raised in the High Court among beings who are immortal, powerful and often cruel, Jude grows up as an outsider, tolerated at best and despised at worst because she is human.

More than anything, Jude wants to belong. She trains, studies and hardens herself to survive a court ruled by fear, ambition and magic. Her greatest obstacle is Prince Cardan, the youngest son of the High King, whose beauty is matched only by his talent for cruelty. Their rivalry places Jude in constant danger, yet backing down is not an option.

As court politics grow darker, Jude is drawn into schemes that reach far beyond childhood rivalries. Deception, manipulation and hidden power shape daily life in Faerie, and Jude begins to realise how far she is willing to go to protect herself and the people she loves. Each choice pulls her deeper into a web of secrets that threatens to destabilise the realm itself.

With betrayal looming and violence close at hand, Jude must decide who to trust in a world where honesty is weakness. The Cruel Prince opens The Folk of the Air series with a story of power, survival and the cost of wanting more than the world intends to give.