Holly Black’s 'The Cruel Prince' series is a complete trilogy, perfect for binge-readers. The first book, 'The Cruel Prince', sets the stage with Jude’s brutal introduction to the Faerie court, where survival means outmaneuvering immortal schemers. The second, 'The Wicked King', turns the stakes even higher with Jude’s risky gambit to control the throne. The finale, 'The Queen of Nothing', ties everything together with explosive confrontations and hard-earned victories.
What I love about this series is how each book feels distinct yet connected. The first is about proving yourself, the second about holding power, and the third about reclaiming your place. The pacing never drags, and the political intrigue stays sharp. Jude’s growth from an angry outsider to a cunning leader is one of the best arcs in YA fantasy. The side characters—especially Cardan—add layers of complexity, making the world feel alive. If you’re into morally gray characters and fairy tales with teeth, this trilogy is a must-read.
For similar vibes, check out 'Folk of the Air' companion novellas, which add extra depth to the story. They’re not essential but enrich the experience.
Three books complete 'The Cruel Prince' series, but the real magic is in how they evolve. Book one introduces Jude, a human caught in Faerie’s deadly games, where every smile hides a knife. Book two sees her pulling the strings as power corrupts in unexpected ways. By book three, the consequences of her choices crash down, forcing her to confront what she’s willing to sacrifice.
The series stands out because it avoids typical fantasy tropes. There’s no chosen one—just a girl who claws her way up through sheer will. The romance is messy, the alliances shifty, and the victories bittersweet. Holly Black doesn’t shy away from showing the cost of ambition. If you like stories where the protagonist earns every scrap of respect, this trilogy hits hard. For more Faerie intrigue, 'An Enchantment of Ravens' offers a softer but equally captivating take.
The Cruel Prince series, officially known as The Folk of the Air trilogy by Holly Black, consists of three main books:
The Cruel Prince (2018)
The Wicked King (2019)
The Queen of Nothing (2019)
In addition to the main trilogy, there are also companion works set in the same universe:
How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories (2020) – a novella told from Cardan's point of view.
The Stolen Heir (2023) – the start of a new duology sequel series.
The Prisoner’s Throne (2024) – the conclusion of the Stolen Heir duology.
So while the original Cruel Prince series is a trilogy, the full world of Elfhame has expanded into more than five books.
2025-06-04 15:09:36
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That Prince Is A Girl: The Vicious King's Captive Slave Mate
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They don’t know I’m a girl.
They all look at me and see a boy. A prince.
Their kind purchase humans like me—male or female—for their lustful desires.
And, when they stormed into our kingdom to buy my sister, I intervened to protect her. I made them take me too.
The plan was to escape with my sister whenever we found a chance.
How was I to know our prison would be the most fortified place in their kingdom?
I was supposed to be on the sidelines. The one they had no real use for. The one they never meant to buy.
But then, the most important person in their savage land—their ruthless beast king—took an interest in the “pretty little prince.”
How do we survive in this brutal kingdom, where everyone hates our kind and shows us no mercy?
And how does someone, with a secret like mine, become a lust slave?
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AUTHOR'S NOTE.
This is a dark romance—dark, mature content. Highly rated 18+
Expect triggers, expect hardcore.
If you're a seasoned reader of this genre, looking for something different, prepared to go in blindly not knowing what to expect at every turn, but eager to know more anyway, then dive in!
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Check out my new book, sequel and set in the Urekai Universe: Once His Bully, Now His Whore.
Layla is a human slave who is mocked for being useless, ugly, overweight, and completely insignificant. She should never have been anywhere near the wolves’ sacred mating ritual, but one wrong turn drops her right in the middle of it. And, of course, she unknowingly sits in the one place no wolf dares to go: beside the infamous Cursed Alpha Prince.
Scarred. Cold. Silent. Lucian Stark is the Alpha King’s undefeated warrior. A wolf so feared that even the King watches his steps around him.
The moment their eyes meet, the mate bond snaps to life.
The kingdom freezes in horror.
A human slave? Mated to him? To the monster whose last nineteen mates died before the next full moon? Unluckily, Layla becomes the twentieth. So now the only question that matters is…Will she survive what none of the others could, or is she already living on borrowed time?
Some chains are made of iron, others are forged by fate.
Edrian Lorne has never dreamed of freedom. Born a slave, trained to obey, and scarred by a master’s cruelty, he has learned one truth: hope is dangerous, but when war tears his world apart, he finds himself standing before the Crown Prince of DarkMoonCrest… and the impossible happened when their eyes met, and the mate bond roared to life.
Prince Xander Veyrion has spent his life pursuing one thing, the throne. The bond to a slave is a threat to everything he has built, to every alliance he needs. Yet denying the pull between them proves harder than ruling a kingdom cursed to rot without a noble-born mate.
In the shadows of court intrigue, deadly magic, and whispers of rebellion, the bond between Edrian and Xander burns hotter with each stolen glance and forbidden touch. But when betrayal strikes and a killing curse forces their hands, they must decide, cling to ambition and lose each other, or defy the kingdom and claim a love that could bring an empire to its knees.
A slave with no hope.
A prince with everything to lose.
And a bond that could change the fate of a kingdom.
Saving an injured Fae in the forest had not been Islinda's plan, and worse, he turns out to be royalty, Prince Valerie of the summer court, heir and crown prince to the throne of Astaria.
Theodore is said to have been cursed by the gods, all his life he has been told he is ugly and undesirable.
The arrival of the suave Lord Alistair brings light into his life. But Lord Alistair has a dark secret, a secret that could break their bond forever.
..........
The prince of the vampire kingdom has disappeared, at the same time, a vicious blood sucking beast emerges in Theodore's kingdom, Theodore is tasked with discovering who the beast is. The beast is closer to him than he would ever believe.
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The vampire kingdom sends men to the kingdom to look for their prince, Alistair and Theodore discover that some secrets are best left as secrets.
Who is the vampire prince? Read to find out
Thea, a mistreated omega is forced into a contract marriage by the powerful Wolf Prince Damian who saved her life.
But as their love deepens, a curse threatens to tear them apart, when the truth about her identity is revealed. She must choose between revenge and redemption as she takes her rightful position as the Luna of the Prince.
'The Cruel Prince' is absolutely a series that stands out. It's a trilogy by Holly Black, starting with 'The Cruel Prince', followed by 'The Wicked King', and concluding with 'The Queen of Nothing'. The series dives deep into the treacherous world of faerie, focusing on Jude, a human girl navigating political intrigue, betrayal, and her complicated feelings for Prince Cardan. The books are packed with sharp wit, morally grey characters, and a romance that's as toxic as it is captivating. If you're into dark fantasy with a bite, this series is a must-read.
Spent way too much time mapping out the reading order for 'The Cruel Prince' series and its extended world after stumbling through it myself. The core trilogy is straightforward: 'The Cruel Prince', then 'The Wicked King', finishing with 'The Queen of Nothing'. After that, you've got 'How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories', a companion novella from Cardan's perspective. It works beautifully as an epilogue, but honestly, I read it right after finishing the trilogy because I couldn't get enough of his voice.
Where it gets optional but fantastic is the duology that starts with 'The Lost Sisters', which is a short e-novella from Jude's sister Taryn's view of the first book's events. It's divisive but adds crucial context. The full duology continues with 'The Stolen Heir' and 'The Prisoner's Throne', focusing on a new generation. I'd say finish the main story and Cardan's novella first, then decide if you want more of that world. Jumping into the duology immediately might feel like a gear shift.