Okay but a fantasy book with a mostly politcal main plot and a romance subplot is MY SHIT. it just hits different 😭 (and romance subplots are usually better than romance main plots imo because the characters have more development apart from each other but romance main plots are also fun sometimes)
This is the main reason I didn't buy the cruel prince since recently when I learned it wasn't about the romance!!! Like some of us who actually don't want the main plot to be romance exist!!!
Unpopular opinion: Romantic subplot is ALWAYS so much better than as a main Plot. Romance as a main plot leaves only room for shallow character development.
FOR REAL! when i read romance books, it gets a little boring when there isn't much going on in the background. still love romance, just like romance subplots more!
update! i've read a couple of romance books recently, and i can confirm that romance books actually do have space for character development ;-; i've had a blast reading a couple but i can't see myself reading ONLY romance. will always be a fantasy girlie, but i still like romance nevertheless now!
@@chelestax okay before i say anything, i definitely recommend you read the folk of the air (if you haven't) because it's still really good. i honestly can't give any good recs ;-; personally i love iron flame by rebecca yarros sm (it's wayyy better than fourth wing imo). Everything else I read might not be up your alley 😅 (percy jackson, wings of fire, one of us is lying, etc.)
This was ME I read for the enemies to lovers, but stayed for the political plot 💀 edit: wow! since many of you agree, I recommend you guys to read the mirror visitor series (first book is a winter's promise). FML is nothing like Jude but she's smart (investigative wise, not emotionally) and she gets whisked away into the court's royal politics (similar to Jude), due to a political marriage strengthen their countries union. However she soon realised that it wasn't just for mere politics, but for "undisclosed purpose" and was just being used for her capabilities all along :0 hope you guys go give it a read!
I came for 'trying to find books to recommend to my secondary school students', stayed for the best alternate version of Pride and Prejudice ever written (on some days, I think Holly Black could beat out Austen in a showdown!)
She gonna love the ending of the next one (low key was angry about the romance at first tbh. I like it in the later books tho). #2 and 3 hit different and I love them. May be my favorite series
I have 20 pages left of first book and I am literally the girl from the TikTok like I thought there was going to be more romance then just straight politics, and now I don’t know if I should read the second one. Like is there more romance in the nexts books??
@@katehuhn4592 Fair question! I was in your shoes when I started the trilogy and was mad about the lack of romance going on because I needed that in my YA books. I also experienced the bully trope for the first time with this, and I am not really a fan, but it makes their story so much better in the next books! There is romance in the next book, and they get on more even ground in The Wicked King and lean more into a relationship we support. By the end of it you might not like him because something happens that makes you feel betrayed after the relationship buildup, (it's there, I promise you, and it's good,) but the third and final one, The Queen of Nothing is the greatest book I have read all year!!! It does finish all loopholes, and yes politics, but even more than that, they have a solid relationship that was better than what you could hope for them getting into the first book. It's so sweet you will be swooning and in love with this series! The first one is disappointing about their relationship, but it's mostly about Jude's journey, and as she finds herself and her purpose in the world of the fae, the world and its characters become more hers than she could have been without the journey. It's so wonderful, and I promise Cardan is someone you will like and support for Jude later. Please don't judge this series based on the first book like I almost did; each book is better than the last by more than 25%. If you have any questions, let me know! :)
@@katehuhn4592yes read the next books. although the romance isn’t very prominent in the first book, you can see it a lot more in the next 2 books. just keep in mind that the main story isn’t about the romance so it doesn’t concentrate on it
@@triaurorar3291 I've only read the first and half of the second. Idk why but I just didn't like the second and couldn't force myself to finish it 😭 I'll prolly start it again tho
yeah i was thinking about that because literally the first two books are named after him! everyone is saying the romance isnt there when there's literally so many moments?!?? the plot was literally well developed and interesting, and i would genuinely recommend to anyone regardless of the romance
I actually only read this book because I saw a video of someone mentioning this exact thing. Wasn’t interested in it from what I heard about it online before that, but then someone made a short of what it’s actually about and convinced me to read it. I ended up really liking it xD
Did you read the entire series bc I just tapped off after starting the second book. I don't remember exactly why, but I do remember it was eighter the writing or the way the story was going.
This is the thing that finally convinced me to read The Cruel Prince after years of assuming it wouldn't be for me because of the way people talk about it. Thanks.
Why👀? Because they only read the 1st book....and already judging 🙂....believe me...this patience would give you reward once you dive into the next 2 books....it is worth it
@@scorpion9175-k3u Because despite liking The Darkest Part of the Forest, this came out during the Sarah J. Maas era, and the way people talked about it made it sound like it was part of the Sarah J. Maas style romance, i.e. insufferable characters, romanticised abusive relationships, romanticised gender roles, bland male characters who are somehow also terrible people even though they're not interesting - just overall nothing I want to read. But a political fantasy with a romance subplot I can do, and I already like Holly Black.
@@bookswithike3256Yeah, I found Mass' relationships very unhealthy. Cardan and Jude I would consider a properly fantastical example of how to SOLVE an initially unhealthy relationship and grow a better one!
Ive finished the cruel prince three days ago. And guess what. I ordered the wicked king. It finally arrived.. THE BOOK IS LITERALLY INFRONT OF ME. LETS GOOOOOO
That was my exact reaction to his book. However, I also love a good political fantasy, so this book hit every right note for me. I came for Jude and carden, but I stayed for the political interworkings of the fae.
As a booktok reader since 2020, Cardan and Jude are my absolutely all time favorite couple. I've read the folk of the air series more than 10 times and I Loved it everytime.
I saw The Wicked King on a display stand when I walked into the library a while back. The cover made stopped me in my tracks and immediately add it to my tbr (I had a bunch of reservations put out on other books across multiple series so couldn't read it immediately)
Ok since I feel safe in a community of readers I shall rant here: I absolutely HATE Jude and Cardan's entire relationship. When I read this book Jude doesn't even talk about Cardan that much, she's more absorbed in her own shit which like totally go queen but she doesn't really show a SLIVER of "I like you" attitude, even when she sees Cardan surrounded by chicks she's like "ew what a slut 🙄" or something. I found the love story between her and Lock or Loke or however you spell his name (I read the book in my native language) WAY more compelling and interesting but then of course they HAD to ruin it and make him a complete asshole. What I'm saying is that we get a peek into Jude's thought process and she never even mentions liking him. She mentions that he's attractive but never really nothing other than that. But the moment she hears that Cardan likes her she just shifts her entire mood and proceeds to make out with him, which I felt was a huge jump that made no sense and came towards the END of the book so they had many chances throughout the book to get closer but every one of their interactions came out of a place of hate, at least for Jude. Not to mention Cardan has no redeeming qualities at all. And the book is all like "well he doesn't KILL" and omg that's like so hot that he doesn't kill as if it isn't EVEN LOWER THAN THE BARE MINIMUM. It's like when you congratulate a guy for not speaking over you and for not doing something when you tell them not to do it. CONGRATULATIONS, YOU HAVE ACHIEVED THE BARE MINIMUM. Meanwhile, Lok was a perfect arc, he was supportive and adorable, and didn't deny Jude the adventures she craves in her life. IF ONLY HE DIDN'T TURN OUT TO BE A RAGING SOCIOPATH WHO DATED HER BITCH SISTER THE ENTIRE TIME. And I'm not gonna type this and pretend like I know how to write a compelling enemies to lovers, but I AM gonna type this and pretend like I know how to NOT write an enemies to lovers. That being said, this isn't a "marked" situation, where anyone who likes the house of night series is automatically my mortal enemy, no. I have no issues with people who like this book series, to each their own. And the reason I typed all of this is because my friends don't listen to me when I rant about books I hate, so
I agree with what you said about Locke.. Jude and Locke had way more of a connection than Jude and Cardan, like actually built a relationship between her and him but with Cardan he just somehow has an obsession with her?? She goes on and on about how she hates him but when he kisses her shes all of a sudden in love with him? What I really didn’t understand about the character Locke was how he was suppose to be obsessed drama and action but then he leaves Jude for her boring twin sister who ends killing him (what a waste of a character) like she was boring from the start , what was he even expecting?? not to mention how many times she back stabbed Jude , i rlly did not like her This series was hyped up a bit too much, it had a good plot but the characters and the romance was annoying to read 3.5/5 for me
@@caterlink99 good analysis, this was a curious thing for me too. However, I enjoy reading books in this series/world and just adapted. (Not saying you should!)
This is why I gave up reading ya fantasy. There are so many cool ideas in them, but every time I start a series it seems to devolve into "girl has to choose between two boys, one is chill and one is not but the author is told by their editor first pass that the romance with the not chill one feels weird and forced when the chill, supportive option is right there so instead of reworking the end game romance to be *good* just heel turns the chill one into an absolute lunatic so the not chill one feels good in comparison" Got exhausting after a while so I just stopped bothering.
Ok I’ve read the whole trilogy and I loooved ittt! BUT I will not read something like that again because I will not be able to tear myself away from it
Okay so I'm going to rant about my life right now, but the cruel prince saga was a Fcking breath of fresh air for me. Since I don't know how many years, every Fck time I want to red a YA fantasy novel book, it turned out to be a romance novel. And I hate them. Every time, the main plot is the romance, the real plot goes secondary. It's frustrating cause I really don't like romance and all the thing to it. I mean, I don't mind a biiit of it, but I don't want it to be the main plot! The cruel prince was a surprise really, I got it as a present, read it and I loooved it. It's still a '' basic enemy's to lover'' bit so well executed that it dob' t even feel like a cliché. If anybody have in mind a fantasy YA book without romance as the main plot, or even secondary plot, or even without romance, plllease spam me
Okay, I'll bite; this book is shit and has one of the most irredeemably toxic relationships I've come across. Wanna know why? Cardan uses magic to sexually assault Jude in the first act! They make her take her clothes off and do humiliating actions without her consent or power to stop. Also I could go into all the problems with conflicts being resolved way too easily, none of the plot beats having actual consequences, and how it uses a non-consentual brainwashing plot as it's supposedly woke great LGBT rep but I've complained about this series enough and don't have the energy or time to go into it right now.
@@ultimatebishoujo29 yep. It was confusing cause they kept going on about these letters that weren't in the book. I was so annoyed when I found out some editions had the letters. I bet it makes more sense with them too 😅
Ok so, I was there for all the political crap, but Cardan and Jude? That guy bullied her and would've gladly killed her for sport. Not cute. Disgusting imo.
Wait… it’s NOT actually a romance? I’m interested. Update: Read the book. HATED Cardan, but holy shit I need more Heather and Vivi those two have my whole heart 💖
I enjoyed Cruel Prince, but I don’t like Cardan very much. I like the politics. Yet, I cannot enjoy romance that is simply a way for the characters to cope with the craziness around them.
Ok but that’s what I WANT! I will happily take political fantasy action with a sprinkle of romance that hopefully is enemies to lovers. Would much rather have that then a romance that just happens to take place in a fantasy world.
okay, quick question for anyone who has read The Cruel Prince, what is it’s age rating/spice level? because i’ve seen a lot about it online and it looks really good and i want to read it, but i’m not a big fan of books with too much spice
I've read only the first two books, but there isn't anything very explicit in them. There's one (or 2?) slightly steamy scenes but it's more 'fade to black' and doesn't go into intense detail. Its like when you watch a movie and the people kiss and start to undress but then there's another scene, and you kind of know what happens and you see some of it but not everything.
I'm literally a Victorian prude, and I was comfortable with the level of intimacy. There's a scene in the third book as well which is a bit more obvious (though still no graphic detail), but for REASONS I will not reveal here, I had 0 problems with it being included. And the lovely thing is that it will not impact either the plot or their romance at all if you skip both those scenes. I think Holly Black had to write them for those who DEMAND spice. The buildup of the relationship is much more central. And one of the things I loved best was having a strong female lead character who didn't ever feel the need to have sex to prove herself as an adult! (She just.. . . fights people instead 😉)
There's practically nothing in the first 2 books- in the third, there's a scene but not too explicit at all- couple paragraphs you can gloss over and comfortably move on tbh. :)
If I had to rate it on a scale of 0-5, five being the most descriptive, explicitly sexual, I would rate the Cruel Prince, Wicked King and Queen of nothing at about 0.5-1. In the first two books, there's a bit of kissing and steamy tension between Jude and Cardan, and a couple spots where sex between other characters is heavily implied, but not explicitly described. The third book has a sex scene between Cardan and Jude, but even then, it's pretty tame, not really graphic or descriptive. The whole series has mentions of nudity, but it's very matter of fact, and, again, not graphic.
MY FAVORITE FANTASY POLITICAL ROMANCE IS RUSSIAN ROULETTE AND ITS ON WATTPAD Wanted to mention it here ( ^^) The revolutionarya are smart ah especially Ame
The romance subplot is the undercurrent of the whole story though I think, it’s just ever-present even when not the main focus, especially later. I loved the books!! 2 & 3 especially!!!
Ok but this actually make me want to read it more i heard stuff wich makes me think its very much romance centered like say a court of thorns and roses but om going to read the cruel price now lol Politics!
I think it's because Cardan is INTRODUCED in the early chapters as an obvious hate-to-love interest, and I think lots of people take that at face value and spend the rest of the series expecting romance of which there is approximately 20 pages total throughout the trilogy. Remember folks - Holy Black is a FAE AUTHOR. She's trying to trick us!
Same!!! I LOVE being able to analyse characters so jude was like my favourite part of the story ^^ I also really love that her a taryn basically have the same trauma but respond differently to it. I feel like that was also one of my favourite parts since idk, i feel like people don't often recognise that there is not only 1 "correct" way to deal with it if that makes sense??? Lol
Me rereading the cruel prince right now (well, the queen of nothing by now) and realizing I've tricked myself into misremembering what this book was about and how much of it was actually about the romance. Yeah, i feel this.
I love the Cruel Prince books. Don’t get me wrong, Carden started out as an asshole, but to see Jude grow to love him just as much as he did, made me so happy. I started on the Queen of Nothing by mistake, but that book made the whole series make so much sense to me.
It took me so long to get to this one precisely cause I thought it was mainly romance😅 I only gave it a chance because I wanted me some folklore-ish fairies, so glad I did. Holly Black and her publishers were smart to market it as romance, but it almost missed me.
I tried reading the cruel prince, but I just don't understand political plots. They're so confusing to me. Fantasy is also really confusing to me too. Just not my favorite, I prefer dystopian/sci fi
Perhaps unpopular opinion? But I didn't really like this very much. There is nothing wrong with it, I am just 37 and find no joy in young adult tropes. Decided to give it a chance since a lot of people seemed to like it.. and... meh? Someone getting bullied in magic high school is not something I find interesting to read. Not for me, glad it exists for others to enjoy.
Are you sure that the wicked king is good bc i bought it and oh boy i got confused Maybe bc i didn't see the cruel prince and i can't buy it bc I'm too broke 😅
Yeah you can't really read the second book of the trilogy without reading the first. There's so much information about the world and the characters in the first one you're bound to be lost if you start later
Ok just saying An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir and a curse so dark and lonely (I don’t remember who wrote it) are a great books. They are romance fantasy books.
Lol, everyone is obsessed with Jude and Cardan because they are the best enemies-to-lovers power couple! And The Folk of the Air series is one of the few, rare series that I reread on a fairly regular basis. I love the dialouge!
Absolutely! (And as someone who studies medieval history, it's a LOT more realistic than fantasy! There were real royal couples like this - looking at you, Eleanor of Aquitaine!)
You're supposed to think that initially. Holly Black likes to trick us like her own fae. And she wanted us to have to read the third book to find out his motives there - though the fact that he hesitated a beat before joining in the laughter gave me a strong suspicion he was trying to protect Jude from something. Like the faerie fruit scene in the first book where Cardan tells Jude to kiss his foot; sounds awful out of context, but in fact Nicasia was about to initiate and orgy with a non-consensual Jude, and Cardan was outnumbered, so he played along and shifted the focus back on to Jude's inferior status as his subject to prevent the others from sexually assaulting her.
@cmm5542 that's fair. I think I might've been so distracted by the political aspect of the books that I never really got attached to Cardan at all. I did read them all, and of course I'm glad he's still kicking, but he's no Rhysand, Rowan, Xaden, etc. imo. I think their ages, or age group, got in the way for me. Everyone saw them as kids, they were kids. Reading them as a twenty something year old, yeah these characters aren't relationshipable. There were just boundaries like that for me. I'd read them again with a new perspective, if you think I should.
@cmm5542 I don't think Cardan was a bad character, he was complicated and we were supposed to have a different perspective by the end. He just wasn't ever like... 😍🥵🥰
Exactly. I also thought this's gonna be a enemies to lovers romance book but I could barely find a chapter about romance in it. And I am not satisfied with jude and carden yet😭 So please tell me the next books contain more romantic parts to give me the courage to start them.
Just keep going just keep going Just get through the first and the second and the third. Oh my goodness the third the last one. Oh my goodness oh my goodness the third that’s all I have to say is the third 3❤. 3❤. 3❤. 3😍. 3🥰. 3😘. 3🤭. 3🤗. 3🫠. 3🫶🏽. 3👏. 3👍🏽. 3🔥. 3🎇. 3🎆. 3💕. 3💞. 3💓. 3💗. 3💖. 3💘. 3💝. 3💟.
There is more romance to come. Also, to anyone struggling with the power dynamic between Jude and Cardan initially I will always say: 'Have you read Pride and Prejidice? Because this is the Exact. Same. Trope!' (Honestly, I think Cardan redeems himself better than Darcy. It's just Darcy SAYS more in apology in P&P.)
There is more of Cardan and Jude's relationship in books 2 and 3. The third book does have a sex scene, but it's pretty short and not terribly descriptive. Although the dialogue between them is 🤌chef's kiss.
YOU DONT KNOW HOW MUCH THIS MAKES ME ACTUALLY LOOK FORWARD TO READING THIS BOOK I bought it when I was in a bookstore last summer but I've not had time to read 😔 Knowing that the romance is just some subplot makes it sound a lot more appealing already
I thought from Cardan's introduction in the early chapters that the romance would be all there was (insert eye roll), then a few chapters further in I was like 'Wait, what else is going on here? YOU MEAN THERE IS MORE TO JUDE'S STORY THAN HER FALLING IN LOVE WITH SOMEONE SHE SHOULDN'T? Bring it on!' 😅 (Note: by 'someone she shouldn't' I mean 'a romance that looks like it SHOULD be a toxic failure, but keeps you on edge wondering if these two tenacious characters are ACTUALLY going to defy the odds and social expectations to pull it off!
Im glad romance isnt the main plot. Im much more interested in the politics, the world and the MC being a spy. I wish the author of Iron Flame would take notes because the romance between the two main characters is literally wrecking the story.
I still love it cuz romance as the main plot gets boring for me i prefer some ✨court drama✨ and betrayals and politics mixed in (and yes i read the whole series i loved it)
This is so me. I honestly like romance subplots, but this one was barely there and people made it seem like it was this HUGE romance book. I read the first one, hated it, still bought the second one bc everyone said it was good (and ofc I listened) and I dnfed it.
This is so funny because I have a similar story! You see, I was checking through the YA to find books to recommend to my students - I don't usually read fantasy - so I just read the beginning of The Cruel Prince. It was compelling so I turned to the end to see if it would be worth reading through (I tend to not care about knowing the ending; I'm more interested in how the characters get there but HATE getting let down by tragic or inconclusive endings). As soon as I read that ast line 'It's what you wanted, isn't it? What you sacrificed everything for. Take it. It's all yours' - I turned back to the beginning and started reading as fast as I could! 😅
@@cmm5542 oh man 😅 I agree about the endings, sometimes having spoilers can make it way more fascinating, especially when you can pick up on all the little hints that *could* mean something but you don't know what exactly, or how they get from here to the end
EXACT LYYYYYY LIKE THE ROMANCE SUB PLOT JUSR BECOMES SO MUCH MORE BETTER AND AUTHENTIC WHEN ITS NOT THE MAIN THING AND ITS MORE POLITICALLY CENTERED CAUSE THAT MAKES THE ROMANCE WORTH IT
Funny i came across this ryt when i am reading the cruel prince i was confused with how little romance is hinted between them and i really dislike cardan and now i cant wait to see theyre gonna fix that
I love TFOTA series sooooo much!!! I prefer romance as a subplot in fantasy, because way too many romantasy completely fail in creating a balance between smut and serious plots. They will bring up how horny and in love a character is while they’re in a meeting discussion genocide, or 2 seconds after abolishing slavery the couple will have sex, like it just ruins the grim atmosphere and I just can’t take the topics on hand seriously since the main character themselves aren’t🥲 SPOILER THRONE OF GLASS: Like when Aelin and Rowan(it was Rowan right??) goes on an ice cream date out in a city where she’s wanted by the king??? like how am I supposed to believe the king is a real threat to you, you’re in danger and you have to hide when you’re strolling down the streets snacking on some rainbow sprinkles??? Get out of here
COMPLETELY agree! I simply do not have the level of suspension of disbelief to accept that someone running for their life has time to think about sex! (Not sure if you've read the Wicked King yet, so I won't give it away, but there's one scene where Cardan is injured and Jude is exhausted, but they're alone together and any other author would have had them have sex even though they're clearly not physically up for it, which I HATE; but Holly Black DOESN'T do that to them, and I love her for it!)
Okay but a fantasy book with a mostly politcal main plot and a romance subplot is MY SHIT. it just hits different 😭 (and romance subplots are usually better than romance main plots imo because the characters have more development apart from each other but romance main plots are also fun sometimes)
Thank you someone who thinks the same way as me! Yes I much prefer a fantasy book with a romance subplot over a straight up romantic fantasy
Sameeee, I don't typically like JUST romance in a book, but I love when it's a subplot to a big intricate story. I might actually get this now.
Fr
Yesss can someone reccommend me books like that?
@@somethingsomething6461100% shatter me, it’s soooo good
ok why do people not lead with the romance being a subplot? i don’t want to read romantasy, i want to read fantasy books with minor romance plots.
THIS.
YES I WANT THAT SO MUCH
Same
I recommend mortal instruments series and mistborn series
SAME EXACTLY
This is the main reason I didn't buy the cruel prince since recently when I learned it wasn't about the romance!!! Like some of us who actually don't want the main plot to be romance exist!!!
Unpopular opinion: Romantic subplot is ALWAYS so much better than as a main Plot. Romance as a main plot leaves only room for shallow character development.
FOR REAL! when i read romance books, it gets a little boring when there isn't much going on in the background. still love romance, just like romance subplots more!
Exactly It's Ironic How Characters falling for each other "in process" is more practical and yet is in a fantasy book.
update! i've read a couple of romance books recently, and i can confirm that romance books actually do have space for character development ;-; i've had a blast reading a couple but i can't see myself reading ONLY romance. will always be a fantasy girlie, but i still like romance nevertheless now!
@@SakuraCrystalMoonooh if you don’t mind, do you have recs for romance stories with good character development?
@@chelestax okay before i say anything, i definitely recommend you read the folk of the air (if you haven't) because it's still really good. i honestly can't give any good recs ;-; personally i love iron flame by rebecca yarros sm (it's wayyy better than fourth wing imo). Everything else I read might not be up your alley 😅 (percy jackson, wings of fire, one of us is lying, etc.)
This was ME I read for the enemies to lovers, but stayed for the political plot 💀
edit: wow! since many of you agree, I recommend you guys to read the mirror visitor series (first book is a winter's promise).
FML is nothing like Jude but she's smart (investigative wise, not emotionally) and she gets whisked away into the court's royal politics (similar to Jude), due to a political marriage strengthen their countries union. However she soon realised that it wasn't just for mere politics, but for "undisclosed purpose" and was just being used for her capabilities all along :0
hope you guys go give it a read!
This is totally me🤣🤣 it happens to me all the time while reading romantic fantasy books
I came for 'trying to find books to recommend to my secondary school students', stayed for the best alternate version of Pride and Prejudice ever written (on some days, I think Holly Black could beat out Austen in a showdown!)
Do you have any enemies to lovers recommendations I’m new to fantasy
@@amishasalvatore4234 i would definitely recommend 'Cruel prince'
Drop the recs
Yes, but other subplots don’t have “By you, I am forever undone” or “judejudejudejudejudejudejudejude” in them
Granted. (Waves hand in majestic dismissal like Cardan would 😁)
Fr
Lol, that is very true! I love Cardan's flowery speeches! The dialogue in the entire series is absolutely golden!
or “kiss me. kiss me until i am sick of it.”
Romance isn't the main plot? You mean I've just been letting that book gather dust for nothing???
Oh my gosh! Yes! I've refused to pick that book up for months now. But a story with romance being secondary to the plot? Yes, pleaaseeee!!!
Exactly me 😂
😂
yea, i might actually give it a chance now!
OK my friend advertised it as a romance and i finaly sucked it up and read it and OMG ITS POLITICAL FANTASY I READ THE WHOLE SERIES IN AWEEK
What the fuck read it it’s so goof
FINALLY. I never knew the name of my favourite fantasy genre until NOW. I CRAVE political fantasy. And. romantic. SUBPLOTS.
Then political romantasy. My favorite too lol.
YESSS
😂
GRRM is a master of political fantasy
😂😂
She gonna love the ending of the next one (low key was angry about the romance at first tbh. I like it in the later books tho). #2 and 3 hit different and I love them. May be my favorite series
I have 20 pages left of first book and I am literally the girl from the TikTok like I thought there was going to be more romance then just straight politics, and now I don’t know if I should read the second one. Like is there more romance in the nexts books??
@@katehuhn4592 it’s a fantasy court drama. There are some spicy scenes, sure, but it’s not the main plot exactly.
Exactly!!! I have been trying to figure out how to explain my same feelings on that, and you did it so well!!!
@@katehuhn4592 Fair question! I was in your shoes when I started the trilogy and was mad about the lack of romance going on because I needed that in my YA books. I also experienced the bully trope for the first time with this, and I am not really a fan, but it makes their story so much better in the next books! There is romance in the next book, and they get on more even ground in The Wicked King and lean more into a relationship we support. By the end of it you might not like him because something happens that makes you feel betrayed after the relationship buildup, (it's there, I promise you, and it's good,) but the third and final one, The Queen of Nothing is the greatest book I have read all year!!! It does finish all loopholes, and yes politics, but even more than that, they have a solid relationship that was better than what you could hope for them getting into the first book. It's so sweet you will be swooning and in love with this series! The first one is disappointing about their relationship, but it's mostly about Jude's journey, and as she finds herself and her purpose in the world of the fae, the world and its characters become more hers than she could have been without the journey. It's so wonderful, and I promise Cardan is someone you will like and support for Jude later. Please don't judge this series based on the first book like I almost did; each book is better than the last by more than 25%. If you have any questions, let me know! :)
@@katehuhn4592yes read the next books. although the romance isn’t very prominent in the first book, you can see it a lot more in the next 2 books. just keep in mind that the main story isn’t about the romance so it doesn’t concentrate on it
Ok but then there’s the “kiss me until I’m sick of it” and there will be squealing
Or "by you i am forever undone"
@@petraobradovic9495 YESSSS
Girl same, people convinced me to read it for cardan and jude and there was barely any romance 😭💀
Other side characters are mentioned more than cardan is in the book like romance where??😭
@@caterlink99 exactly 😭💀
The first book sets things up, there is so much more romance in the second and third books. If you haven't read them, please do, they're amazing!
@@triaurorar3291 I've only read the first and half of the second. Idk why but I just didn't like the second and couldn't force myself to finish it 😭 I'll prolly start it again tho
Have some patience girls😌 read next two books first
It’s a romance book, imo. It’s just that it has an actual plot. Not like a romantasy where there is only pining and shagging and no plot
yeah i was thinking about that because literally the first two books are named after him! everyone is saying the romance isnt there when there's literally so many moments?!?? the plot was literally well developed and interesting, and i would genuinely recommend to anyone regardless of the romance
I actually only read this book because I saw a video of someone mentioning this exact thing. Wasn’t interested in it from what I heard about it online before that, but then someone made a short of what it’s actually about and convinced me to read it. I ended up really liking it xD
Did you read the entire series bc I just tapped off after starting the second book. I don't remember exactly why, but I do remember it was eighter the writing or the way the story was going.
This is the thing that finally convinced me to read The Cruel Prince after years of assuming it wouldn't be for me because of the way people talk about it. Thanks.
Why👀? Because they only read the 1st book....and already judging 🙂....believe me...this patience would give you reward once you dive into the next 2 books....it is worth it
@@scorpion9175-k3u Because despite liking The Darkest Part of the Forest, this came out during the Sarah J. Maas era, and the way people talked about it made it sound like it was part of the Sarah J. Maas style romance, i.e. insufferable characters, romanticised abusive relationships, romanticised gender roles, bland male characters who are somehow also terrible people even though they're not interesting - just overall nothing I want to read. But a political fantasy with a romance subplot I can do, and I already like Holly Black.
@@bookswithike3256Yeah, I found Mass' relationships very unhealthy. Cardan and Jude I would consider a properly fantastical example of how to SOLVE an initially unhealthy relationship and grow a better one!
Yeah I also didn't find much romance there just a lot of scheming and plotting 😅 But I'm still obsessed over Jude and cardan❤
Ive finished the cruel prince three days ago. And guess what. I ordered the wicked king. It finally arrived.. THE BOOK IS LITERALLY INFRONT OF ME. LETS GOOOOOO
That was my exact reaction to his book. However, I also love a good political fantasy, so this book hit every right note for me. I came for Jude and carden, but I stayed for the political interworkings of the fae.
I came and stayed for both! Love a story with more than one plot thread!
tbh i got confused about politics most of the time
FINALLY SOMEONE SAYS IT, I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE AN ACOTAR KIND OF THING BUT NoOOOoOoOooo IT'S POLITICS!!!!
I love when the romance is a subplot like yes please. They are always the best and they have the best couples!
As a booktok reader since 2020, Cardan and Jude are my absolutely all time favorite couple. I've read the folk of the air series more than 10 times and I Loved it everytime.
Nuh cuz I would be mad opposite way around, if someone recommended me fantasy book and then ronace turned out to be main plot 🤡
I saw The Wicked King on a display stand when I walked into the library a while back. The cover made stopped me in my tracks and immediately add it to my tbr (I had a bunch of reservations put out on other books across multiple series so couldn't read it immediately)
I loved this book. And I love the addions of How the King of Elfhame learned to hate stories & the Stolen Heir
Had me sold as soon as you said it was a young adult political fantasy(with a tertiary romance subplot),, sounds great
I got psychic damage from 'young adult' until I remembered that 'Cruel Prince' and 'Captive Prince' are different books.
They are both excellent series though. The second book of CP is absolutely amazing.
@@priiifrg WHICH CP????
I tried Captive Prince on a lark and ah, no, too much for me. Can see why people enjoy it though! Catharsis in darkness.
Ok since I feel safe in a community of readers I shall rant here:
I absolutely HATE Jude and Cardan's entire relationship. When I read this book Jude doesn't even talk about Cardan that much, she's more absorbed in her own shit which like totally go queen but she doesn't really show a SLIVER of "I like you" attitude, even when she sees Cardan surrounded by chicks she's like "ew what a slut 🙄" or something. I found the love story between her and Lock or Loke or however you spell his name (I read the book in my native language) WAY more compelling and interesting but then of course they HAD to ruin it and make him a complete asshole.
What I'm saying is that we get a peek into Jude's thought process and she never even mentions liking him. She mentions that he's attractive but never really nothing other than that. But the moment she hears that Cardan likes her she just shifts her entire mood and proceeds to make out with him, which I felt was a huge jump that made no sense and came towards the END of the book so they had many chances throughout the book to get closer but every one of their interactions came out of a place of hate, at least for Jude.
Not to mention Cardan has no redeeming qualities at all. And the book is all like "well he doesn't KILL" and omg that's like so hot that he doesn't kill as if it isn't EVEN LOWER THAN THE BARE MINIMUM. It's like when you congratulate a guy for not speaking over you and for not doing something when you tell them not to do it. CONGRATULATIONS, YOU HAVE ACHIEVED THE BARE MINIMUM.
Meanwhile, Lok was a perfect arc, he was supportive and adorable, and didn't deny Jude the adventures she craves in her life. IF ONLY HE DIDN'T TURN OUT TO BE A RAGING SOCIOPATH WHO DATED HER BITCH SISTER THE ENTIRE TIME.
And I'm not gonna type this and pretend like I know how to write a compelling enemies to lovers, but I AM gonna type this and pretend like I know how to NOT write an enemies to lovers.
That being said, this isn't a "marked" situation, where anyone who likes the house of night series is automatically my mortal enemy, no. I have no issues with people who like this book series, to each their own. And the reason I typed all of this is because my friends don't listen to me when I rant about books I hate, so
Have you read “The Lies of Locke Lamora” trilogy…. Its obsession and very immersive
(Scott Lynch) … lots of generously developed characters
@gonnfishy2987 ooh sounds awesome. I'll see if the bookstore has it, thanks for the recommendation!
I agree with what you said about Locke.. Jude and Locke had way more of a connection than Jude and Cardan, like actually built a relationship between her and him but with Cardan he just somehow has an obsession with her?? She goes on and on about how she hates him but when he kisses her shes all of a sudden in love with him? What I really didn’t understand about the character Locke was how he was suppose to be obsessed drama and action but then he leaves Jude for her boring twin sister who ends killing him (what a waste of a character) like she was boring from the start , what was he even expecting?? not to mention how many times she back stabbed Jude , i rlly did not like her
This series was hyped up a bit too much, it had a good plot but the characters and the romance was annoying to read 3.5/5 for me
@@caterlink99 good analysis, this was a curious thing for me too. However, I enjoy reading books in this series/world and just adapted. (Not saying you should!)
This is why I gave up reading ya fantasy. There are so many cool ideas in them, but every time I start a series it seems to devolve into "girl has to choose between two boys, one is chill and one is not but the author is told by their editor first pass that the romance with the not chill one feels weird and forced when the chill, supportive option is right there so instead of reworking the end game romance to be *good* just heel turns the chill one into an absolute lunatic so the not chill one feels good in comparison"
Got exhausting after a while so I just stopped bothering.
Man the letters to jude were so gooood🎉
Hey in my defense as a full time romance reader it was one of the best books and I'm waiting for my time to go to the bookstore to get the 2nd book
I feel personal being called out here😂
Ok I’ve read the whole trilogy and I loooved ittt! BUT I will not read something like that again because I will not be able to tear myself away from it
Okay so I'm going to rant about my life right now, but the cruel prince saga was a Fcking breath of fresh air for me. Since I don't know how many years, every Fck time I want to red a YA fantasy novel book, it turned out to be a romance novel. And I hate them. Every time, the main plot is the romance, the real plot goes secondary. It's frustrating cause I really don't like romance and all the thing to it. I mean, I don't mind a biiit of it, but I don't want it to be the main plot!
The cruel prince was a surprise really, I got it as a present, read it and I loooved it. It's still a '' basic enemy's to lover'' bit so well executed that it dob' t even feel like a cliché.
If anybody have in mind a fantasy YA book without romance as the main plot, or even secondary plot, or even without romance, plllease spam me
I came for the enemies to lovers and stayed for the world building and political intrigue.
Okay, I'll bite; this book is shit and has one of the most irredeemably toxic relationships I've come across. Wanna know why? Cardan uses magic to sexually assault Jude in the first act! They make her take her clothes off and do humiliating actions without her consent or power to stop.
Also I could go into all the problems with conflicts being resolved way too easily, none of the plot beats having actual consequences, and how it uses a non-consentual brainwashing plot as it's supposedly woke great LGBT rep but I've complained about this series enough and don't have the energy or time to go into it right now.
My copy of the thord book doesnt have the letters and I'm still mad.
Really?
@@ultimatebishoujo29 yep. It was confusing cause they kept going on about these letters that weren't in the book. I was so annoyed when I found out some editions had the letters. I bet it makes more sense with them too 😅
Look it up, you can find them posted for free!
Ok so, I was there for all the political crap, but Cardan and Jude? That guy bullied her and would've gladly killed her for sport. Not cute. Disgusting imo.
Wait… it’s NOT actually a romance?
I’m interested.
Update: Read the book. HATED Cardan, but holy shit I need more Heather and Vivi those two have my whole heart 💖
No it's not lol ppl just hype up the romance aspect.
@@katgreer6113 Not surprised
I enjoyed Cruel Prince, but I don’t like Cardan very much. I like the politics. Yet, I cannot enjoy romance that is simply a way for the characters to cope with the craziness around them.
im on the third book and im at the part where they.. uhm.. ahaha..!
Ok but that’s what I WANT! I will happily take political fantasy action with a sprinkle of romance that hopefully is enemies to lovers. Would much rather have that then a romance that just happens to take place in a fantasy world.
CRUEL PRINCE IS SO GOOD
I MEAN THERES MORE ROMANCE AS YOU GOOO AHHHHHH
I tried to read it but the way Jude was treated turned me off from Cardan completely and I had to stop reading
The romance in those books is sooooooo worth it
Totally but I still loved itb❤❤❤
okay, quick question for anyone who has read The Cruel Prince, what is it’s age rating/spice level? because i’ve seen a lot about it online and it looks really good and i want to read it, but i’m not a big fan of books with too much spice
I've read only the first two books, but there isn't anything very explicit in them. There's one (or 2?) slightly steamy scenes but it's more 'fade to black' and doesn't go into intense detail. Its like when you watch a movie and the people kiss and start to undress but then there's another scene, and you kind of know what happens and you see some of it but not everything.
I'm literally a Victorian prude, and I was comfortable with the level of intimacy. There's a scene in the third book as well which is a bit more obvious (though still no graphic detail), but for REASONS I will not reveal here, I had 0 problems with it being included.
And the lovely thing is that it will not impact either the plot or their romance at all if you skip both those scenes. I think Holly Black had to write them for those who DEMAND spice. The buildup of the relationship is much more central. And one of the things I loved best was having a strong female lead character who didn't ever feel the need to have sex to prove herself as an adult! (She just.. . . fights people instead 😉)
There's practically nothing in the first 2 books- in the third, there's a scene but not too explicit at all- couple paragraphs you can gloss over and comfortably move on tbh. :)
If I had to rate it on a scale of 0-5, five being the most descriptive, explicitly sexual, I would rate the Cruel Prince, Wicked King and Queen of nothing at about 0.5-1.
In the first two books, there's a bit of kissing and steamy tension between Jude and Cardan, and a couple spots where sex between other characters is heavily implied, but not explicitly described.
The third book has a sex scene between Cardan and Jude, but even then, it's pretty tame, not really graphic or descriptive.
The whole series has mentions of nudity, but it's very matter of fact, and, again, not graphic.
People who hate the series are the ones who just assumed it was some fae smut
Am I the only one who doesn't like Cardan with Jude? He was a jerk.
Only reason I would buy this book would be to find the page that just says, "Jude, Jude, Jude, Jude, Jude, Jude, Jude, Jude, Jude, Jude,"
chapter 15 was our apology
Hahaha
Oh yes.
IM IN THE MIDDLE IF THIS BOOK AND I WAS WONDERING WHY IT WASNT LIKE ANYTHING I EXPECTED!!!! EVERYONE KEEOS SAYING ITS A ROMANCE BUT THATS BS 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
Ok but holly black is one of my fav authors
MY FAVORITE FANTASY POLITICAL ROMANCE IS RUSSIAN ROULETTE AND ITS ON WATTPAD
Wanted to mention it here ( ^^)
The revolutionarya are smart ah
especially Ame
The romance subplot is the undercurrent of the whole story though I think, it’s just ever-present even when not the main focus, especially later. I loved the books!! 2 & 3 especially!!!
Same here!
Ok but this actually make me want to read it more i heard stuff wich makes me think its very much romance centered like say a court of thorns and roses but om going to read the cruel price now lol
Politics!
I think it's because Cardan is INTRODUCED in the early chapters as an obvious hate-to-love interest, and I think lots of people take that at face value and spend the rest of the series expecting romance of which there is approximately 20 pages total throughout the trilogy.
Remember folks - Holy Black is a FAE AUTHOR. She's trying to trick us!
I just bought The Cruel Prince!! Im gonna resd the series after i read tgcf
tbh my favorite part about the book is Jude and her psychology
Same!!! I LOVE being able to analyse characters so jude was like my favourite part of the story ^^
I also really love that her a taryn basically have the same trauma but respond differently to it. I feel like that was also one of my favourite parts since idk, i feel like people don't often recognise that there is not only 1 "correct" way to deal with it if that makes sense??? Lol
Me rereading the cruel prince right now (well, the queen of nothing by now) and realizing I've tricked myself into misremembering what this book was about and how much of it was actually about the romance. Yeah, i feel this.
It’s not mainly romance? Reliefed, I might reconsider giving it a shot
JUDE AND CARDAN ARE SO CUTE THO
Unpopular opinion here: I actually kinda hated the romance subplot...
I love the Cruel Prince books. Don’t get me wrong, Carden started out as an asshole, but to see Jude grow to love him just as much as he did, made me so happy. I started on the Queen of Nothing by mistake, but that book made the whole series make so much sense to me.
It took me so long to get to this one precisely cause I thought it was mainly romance😅 I only gave it a chance because I wanted me some folklore-ish fairies, so glad I did. Holly Black and her publishers were smart to market it as romance, but it almost missed me.
Omg 😳 make another video with her reaction on the end of the second book PLEASE ❤
I tried reading the cruel prince, but I just don't understand political plots. They're so confusing to me. Fantasy is also really confusing to me too. Just not my favorite, I prefer dystopian/sci fi
I’m on book 3 right now! Loving it
Perhaps unpopular opinion? But I didn't really like this very much. There is nothing wrong with it, I am just 37 and find no joy in young adult tropes. Decided to give it a chance since a lot of people seemed to like it.. and... meh? Someone getting bullied in magic high school is not something I find interesting to read. Not for me, glad it exists for others to enjoy.
RahMance book?
I literally bought this book because the covers were pretty💀😭
But iam so glad i did because it was amazing. I read the first book in under a week.
Are you sure that the wicked king is good bc i bought it and oh boy i got confused
Maybe bc i didn't see the cruel prince and i can't buy it bc I'm too broke 😅
Yeah you can't really read the second book of the trilogy without reading the first. There's so much information about the world and the characters in the first one you're bound to be lost if you start later
Ok just saying An Ember in the Ashes by Sabaa Tahir and a curse so dark and lonely (I don’t remember who wrote it) are a great books. They are romance fantasy books.
Lol, everyone is obsessed with Jude and Cardan because they are the best enemies-to-lovers power couple!
And The Folk of the Air series is one of the few, rare series that I reread on a fairly regular basis. I love the dialouge!
Absolutely!
(And as someone who studies medieval history, it's a LOT more realistic than fantasy! There were real royal couples like this - looking at you, Eleanor of Aquitaine!)
“I did” What are you talking about I never intentionally lied to you but I’m not denying it WHAT DID I DO
I don't think I read them with the right attitude. I kinda thought Cardan was a bit of a clown for laughing at her at that one point.
You're supposed to think that initially. Holly Black likes to trick us like her own fae. And she wanted us to have to read the third book to find out his motives there - though the fact that he hesitated a beat before joining in the laughter gave me a strong suspicion he was trying to protect Jude from something. Like the faerie fruit scene in the first book where Cardan tells Jude to kiss his foot; sounds awful out of context, but in fact Nicasia was about to initiate and orgy with a non-consensual Jude, and Cardan was outnumbered, so he played along and shifted the focus back on to Jude's inferior status as his subject to prevent the others from sexually assaulting her.
@cmm5542 that's fair. I think I might've been so distracted by the political aspect of the books that I never really got attached to Cardan at all. I did read them all, and of course I'm glad he's still kicking, but he's no Rhysand, Rowan, Xaden, etc. imo. I think their ages, or age group, got in the way for me. Everyone saw them as kids, they were kids. Reading them as a twenty something year old, yeah these characters aren't relationshipable. There were just boundaries like that for me. I'd read them again with a new perspective, if you think I should.
@cmm5542 I don't think Cardan was a bad character, he was complicated and we were supposed to have a different perspective by the end. He just wasn't ever like... 😍🥵🥰
Interesting
She'll be back at the end of book 2
Exactly. I also thought this's gonna be a enemies to lovers romance book but I could barely find a chapter about romance in it. And I am not satisfied with jude and carden yet😭
So please tell me the next books contain more romantic parts to give me the courage to start them.
Just keep going just keep going Just get through the first and the second and the third. Oh my goodness the third the last one. Oh my goodness oh my goodness the third that’s all I have to say is the third 3❤. 3❤. 3❤. 3😍. 3🥰. 3😘. 3🤭. 3🤗. 3🫠. 3🫶🏽. 3👏. 3👍🏽. 3🔥. 3🎇. 3🎆. 3💕. 3💞. 3💓. 3💗. 3💖. 3💘. 3💝. 3💟.
I would say the third one would have more romance than the 2nd one
M writing this comment again ," have some patience girl, read next two books first 😌"
There is more romance to come.
Also, to anyone struggling with the power dynamic between Jude and Cardan initially I will always say: 'Have you read Pride and Prejidice? Because this is the Exact. Same. Trope!' (Honestly, I think Cardan redeems himself better than Darcy. It's just Darcy SAYS more in apology in P&P.)
There is more of Cardan and Jude's relationship in books 2 and 3. The third book does have a sex scene, but it's pretty short and not terribly descriptive. Although the dialogue between them is 🤌chef's kiss.
What happened to your nose?!
YOU DONT KNOW HOW MUCH THIS MAKES ME ACTUALLY LOOK FORWARD TO READING THIS BOOK
I bought it when I was in a bookstore last summer but I've not had time to read 😔
Knowing that the romance is just some subplot makes it sound a lot more appealing already
I thought from Cardan's introduction in the early chapters that the romance would be all there was (insert eye roll), then a few chapters further in I was like 'Wait, what else is going on here? YOU MEAN THERE IS MORE TO JUDE'S STORY THAN HER FALLING IN LOVE WITH SOMEONE SHE SHOULDN'T? Bring it on!' 😅
(Note: by 'someone she shouldn't' I mean 'a romance that looks like it SHOULD be a toxic failure, but keeps you on edge wondering if these two tenacious characters are ACTUALLY going to defy the odds and social expectations to pull it off!
OH MY GOD I LOVE THAT BOOK :D!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
#jarden is amazing
Im glad romance isnt the main plot. Im much more interested in the politics, the world and the MC being a spy.
I wish the author of Iron Flame would take notes because the romance between the two main characters is literally wrecking the story.
Why the band-aid on the nose?
That's all i could think about! 😮
I still love it cuz romance as the main plot gets boring for me i prefer some ✨court drama✨ and betrayals and politics mixed in (and yes i read the whole series i loved it)
FINALLY someone realizes it! it’s worth the hype but NOT for the category it’s in 😮💨😮💨
still love the book though ❤
Yes indeed!
I read it too
But cardan just a red flag
But also jude is a bit, I don't know
They deserve each other
This is so me. I honestly like romance subplots, but this one was barely there and people made it seem like it was this HUGE romance book. I read the first one, hated it, still bought the second one bc everyone said it was good (and ofc I listened) and I dnfed it.
guys i hv a doubt , is this the book which the prince is getting abused by his brother or smthg like that ...........
11 year old me reading it all Holly blacks books
K but fantasy books with a romance subplot r way superior to fantasy romances
I read the cruel prince trilogy backwards and it was still really interesting lol
This is so funny because I have a similar story! You see, I was checking through the YA to find books to recommend to my students - I don't usually read fantasy - so I just read the beginning of The Cruel Prince. It was compelling so I turned to the end to see if it would be worth reading through (I tend to not care about knowing the ending; I'm more interested in how the characters get there but HATE getting let down by tragic or inconclusive endings). As soon as I read that ast line 'It's what you wanted, isn't it? What you sacrificed everything for. Take it. It's all yours' - I turned back to the beginning and started reading as fast as I could! 😅
@@cmm5542 oh man 😅 I agree about the endings, sometimes having spoilers can make it way more fascinating, especially when you can pick up on all the little hints that *could* mean something but you don't know what exactly, or how they get from here to the end
EXACT LYYYYYY
LIKE THE ROMANCE SUB PLOT JUSR BECOMES SO MUCH MORE BETTER AND AUTHENTIC WHEN ITS NOT THE MAIN THING AND ITS MORE POLITICALLY CENTERED CAUSE THAT MAKES THE ROMANCE WORTH IT
It's really not that good. The books. Especially the last one.
WAIT I THOUGHT THIS WAS A DARK ROMANCE ENEMIES-TO-LOVERS BOOK WITH A TERTIARY HIGH COURT POLITICAL SUBPLOT! CLEARLY theres been some unspoken mistakes
NOPE not even close hahaha 😂
Hihi. Tithe by the same author, for anyone wanting to know where all that started.
started reading the series for the romance. stayed for the political drama because sweet jesus do they have some issues
I want to read these books so bad XD I've only read The Darkest Part of the Forest by her and I loved it.
Okay. But the bandaid... Explain
Funny i came across this ryt when i am reading the cruel prince i was confused with how little romance is hinted between them and i really dislike cardan and now i cant wait to see theyre gonna fix that
What happened to your nows
( Sorry, I meant Nose)
I love TFOTA series sooooo much!!! I prefer romance as a subplot in fantasy, because way too many romantasy completely fail in creating a balance between smut and serious plots. They will bring up how horny and in love a character is while they’re in a meeting discussion genocide, or 2 seconds after abolishing slavery the couple will have sex, like it just ruins the grim atmosphere and I just can’t take the topics on hand seriously since the main character themselves aren’t🥲
SPOILER THRONE OF GLASS:
Like when Aelin and Rowan(it was Rowan right??) goes on an ice cream date out in a city where she’s wanted by the king??? like how am I supposed to believe the king is a real threat to you, you’re in danger and you have to hide when you’re strolling down the streets snacking on some rainbow sprinkles??? Get out of here
COMPLETELY agree! I simply do not have the level of suspension of disbelief to accept that someone running for their life has time to think about sex!
(Not sure if you've read the Wicked King yet, so I won't give it away, but there's one scene where Cardan is injured and Jude is exhausted, but they're alone together and any other author would have had them have sex even though they're clearly not physically up for it, which I HATE; but Holly Black DOESN'T do that to them, and I love her for it!)
If you like fun stories, read the belgariad.
Dude i have no idea why i picked up book 2 but im so glad i did cause the series gets so much better
Yes, I don't understand why so much people say that The cruel prince is a book of "romance"... Don't see the book or what?