The Cruel Prince Audiobook By Holly Black cover art

The Cruel Prince

The Folk of the Air, Book 1

Preview
Get this deal Try for $0.00
Offer ends January 21, 2026 11:59pm PT
Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible? Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Just $0.99/mo for your first 3 months of Audible Premium Plus.
1 audiobook per month of your choice from our unparalleled catalog.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, podcasts, and Originals.
Auto-renews at $14.95/mo after 3 months. Cancel anytime.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

The Cruel Prince

By: Holly Black
Narrated by: Caitlin Kelly
Get this deal Try for $0.00

$14.95/mo after 3 months. Cancel anytime. Offer ends January 21, 2026 11:59pm PT.

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $28.79

Buy for $28.79

LIMITED TIME OFFER | Get 3 months for $0.99 a month

$14.95/mo thereafter-terms apply.
By #1 New York Times bestselling author Holly Black, the first book in a stunning new series about a mortal girl who finds herself caught in a web of royal faerie intrigue.

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.

Jude was seven years old when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong there, despite her mortality. But many of the fey despise humans. Especially Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King.

To win a place at the Court, she must defy him--and face the consequences.

In doing so, she becomes embroiled in palace intrigues and deceptions, discovering her own capacity for bloodshed. But as civil war threatens to drown the Courts of Faerie in violence, Jude will need to risk her life in a dangerous alliance to save her sisters, and Faerie itself.
Action & Adventure Dark Fantasy Fantasy Fiction Literature & Fiction Romance Romantasy Royalty Science Fiction & Fantasy Series Essentials

Featured Article: The top 100 series of all time


The feeling of discovering that your favorite new listen is actually the start of a series is euphoric. That you can immediately hit play and re-enter a beloved new world, or love story, or era from history is a gift to the devoted listener. But how to pick just 100 of these unique and immersive listening journeys? We defined a series as having a minimum of three books, and—after some debate—we decided the titles had to be anchored in fiction. From YA to horror to historical fiction, from fresh voices to seminal tales, hours of discovery await.

Unexpected Plot Twists • Complex Political Intrigue • Distinct Character Voices • Rich World-building • Emotional Range

Highly rated for:

All stars
Most relevant
Girlie is a fearless warrior. Fantasy is not my favorite genre. The world-building and all the characters involved is overwhelming. However, I really enjoyed this book. I would totally recommend 👍

Jude Jude jude

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

A bit of a slow start, but the last third of this book has me hooked. Can't wait for the next one.

Loved it!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Time and again, I thought I had the main character’s plan all worked out. Thankfully, I was wrong every time. This one surprised me at every turn.

Holly Black Never Disappoints

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

This series is amazing. It has everything you are looking for in a series. A little bit and alot of everything

loved

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

love this series - this is the second time I've read it! the reason i gave 4 stars for performance was because there were parts that must have been post recorded and added in - you can hear the difference. other than that it was great!

love the series

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

See more reviews