I read some of Holly Black’s books back in high school and loved her world building and characters. I hadn’t picked up a book of hers until “Cruel Prince” became popular on social media, but it was exactly the same high level of world building that I remembered. 

Black does an excellent job of balancing the fantastical, whimsical elements of fairyland that we grew up with with the darker side that’s more true to folklore. It creates a far richer world to experience. 

Her characters in “Cruel Prince” are also compelling, I couldn’t wait to see what happened next as I kept promising myself “just one more chapter” before I went to bed.