The Folk of the Air Series (The Cruel Prince, The Wicked King and The Queen of Nothing) by Holly Black

This series is sometimes tagged as enemies-to-lovers, but I feel that is mispresenting the intensely complicated hate-love relationship that develops. Also, this series is dark and vicious, which I found absolutely captivating. Holly Black created wonderful, villainous characters and the world building and character development were fantastic throughout the series. I could not recommend this series enough for those that love a dark fantasy storyline, with some romance thrown in.

In the first book of this series, The Cruel Prince, we meet Jude as a child. Her parents are murdered by a Faerie and she and her sisters are brought to live in the dark and twisted High Court of Faerie which is often detrimental to a human like her. She learns to survive by being just as wicked as the faeries and creates a crazy scheme to get herself a higher standing. What I loved about this intro is that everyone is vicious and pretty horrible, and yet I still found myself enjoying each character and even routing for some of them. Jude also started fighting for herself without being self-sacrificing which seems to be in so many YA books nowadays.

I unfortunately can’t add the synopsis or summaries for the second and third books without giving spoilers away. But those books include some great twists and plotlines that keep this magical story thrilling all the way through.

The Cruel Prince Synopsis: Jude was seven 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.

As Jude becomes more deeply embroiled in palace intrigues and deceptions, she discovers her own capacity for trickery and bloodshed. But as betrayal 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.