First in the bestselling Folk of the Air trilogy. The sequels – The Wicked King and The Queen of Nothing – are the winners of/won the Goodreads YA Best Fantasy in 2019 and 2020. Nominated for the CILIP CARNEGIE MEDAL 2019. Winner of the silver INKY for best international YA book. “A dark jewel of a book . . . intoxicating” – Leigh Bardugo, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Six of Crows Of course I want to be like them. They’re beautiful as blades forged in some divine fire. They will live forever. And Cardan is even more beautiful than the rest. I hate him more than all the others. I hate him so much that sometimes when I look at him, I can hardly breathe. One terrible morning, Jude and her sisters see their parents murdered in front of them. The terrifying assassin abducts all three girls to the world of Faerie, where Jude is installed in the royal court but mocked and tormented by the Faerie royalty for being mortal. As Jude grows older, she realises that she will need to take part in the dangerous deceptions of the fey to ever truly belong. But the stairway to power is fraught with shadows and betrayal. And looming over all is the infuriating, arrogant and charismatic Prince Cardan . . . Dramatic and thrilling fantasy blends seamlessly with enthralling storytelling to create a fully realised and seductive world, brimful of magic and romance.

About the Author

Holly Black is the author of bestselling contemporary fantasy books for kids and teens. Her titles include the Spiderwick Chronicles(with Tony DiTerlizzi), The Coldest Girl in Coldtown, the Magisterium series (with Cassandra Clare) and the Folk of the Air series, which begins with The Cruel Prince in 2018, nominated for the CILIP CARNEGIE MEDAL 2019, and winner of the Silver Inky for best International YA book. Her new book, How The King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories published in 2020. She has been a finalist for an Eisner Award, and the recipient of the Andre Norton Award, the Mythopoeic Award and a Newbery Honor. She lives in New England with her husband and son in a house with a secret door.