by Holly Black

YA Fantasy, 2002 by Simon Pulse, 272 Pages 

What I Didn’t Like:

• Slow start. It took a bit for me to connect with Kaye’s voice and her world. 
• I didn’t like Kaye much at all. She’s NOT a good friend and she’s incredibly selfish. 
• The romance felt forced instead of believable. Where normally I’d think YA romance is cute, this felt like a stretch as if the author knew it needed a little something.

What I Did Like:

• The faeries. I liked how this had shades of the myths we’ve heard but with twists. I also really appreciated the name detail being included.
• Roiben. He’s deep and multi-layered. He’s dangerous but he also reads as broken. I almost wish he was our MC, actually, and I’d like the backstory! 
• The ending. Although I saw some of it coming, I liked the way it played out. 

Who Should Read This One:

• Faerie fans who want a fast read that’s a little on the darker side.

My Rating: 3 Stars

• This one is good but it’s not as good as the Cruel Prince trilogy. Fans will need to dive into this one remembering that it’s a separate world completely.