The Cruel Prince’s world left me hungry for more, and I eagerly waited for the next chapter. As I counted down the days, I discovered something more interesting. What did I find? Oh, just a treasure of enchanting tales waiting to be discovered!
Imagine faerie stories filled with forbidden romances and twists that’ll leave you breathless. Sounds irresistible, right? Well, that’s exactly what I experienced! From hidden realms to dangerous liaisons, each book promised an adventure as thrilling as Holly Black’s masterpiece.
So, if you’re craving a literary masterpiece that’ll transport you to realms beyond imagination, stay up with me! We’re about to start a journey through the pages of books that’ll keep you spellbound.
10 Best Books Like The Cruel Prince:
Let’s rewind the story of “The Cruel Prince” and let yourself match my picks with it. We met Jude and her twin sister Taryn, along with their older sister Vivi. They have their lives turned upside down when a man named Madoc arrives who claims to be Vivi’s father and a faerie from a magical land called Faerie. Madoc kills their parents and takes the girls to Faerie with him.
In Faerie, Jude and Taryn face bullying from the prince, Cardan, and his friends. Despite this, Jude dreams of becoming a knight for protection. She gets involved in the politics of Faerie when the King announces he will step down, and Jude decides to become a spy for the chosen heir, Dain. Meanwhile, Taryn keeps secrets from Jude, including her engagement to Locke, one of Cardan’s friends. Jude also starts a secret relationship with Locke. As tensions rise in Faerie, Jude struggles with her various roles and relationships.
Things come to a head at the coronation when Dain is murdered, and Jude captures Cardan to prevent Balekin, Dain’s brother, from taking the throne. However, she learns that Locke and Taryn are together, and she feels broke. In a surprising twist, it’s revealed that Oak, Madoc’s son, is Dain’s child and a rightful heir to the throne. Jude and Cardan work together to ensure Oak’s safety and his place in Faerie’s politics. At last, we see Jude planning to stay in Faerie to help Oak, while Cardan becomes king, and Oak grows up in the mortal world under Vivi’s care.
How do these books relate to The Cruel Prince?
The Cruel Prince is a mixture of Fantasy, Young Adult, Romance, Fiction, Young Adult Fantasy, and Magic genres. The following books target the same genre, the same fictional world, and the same fantasy vibe.
1. The Wicked King:
This book is the sequel to “The Cruel Prince.” What could be more similar to a book than its sequel? That’s why I picked it for the list. The book begins with Jude. Jude is worrying about losing control over the High King, Cardan. Many new challenges arise in the kingdom. A refugee seeking shelter and a witch offering suspicious gifts, everything is doubtful. Jude uncovers plots against Cardan, including marriage plans and assassination attempts. With alliances shifting and betrayals surfacing, tensions rise.
Jude navigates these dangers to protect her loved ones and maintain Cardan’s rule. She confronts threats from Prince Balekin and contends with her sister Taryn’s wedding and Locke’s schemes. Using clever tactics, Jude thwarts assassination attempts and exposes poison plots at a crucial masquerade ball. Through strategic alliances and cunning, Jude aims to safeguard Cardan’s reign and secure her place in Elfhame’s tumultuous world.
| Publisher | Little, Brown Books for Young Readers |
| Publishing Date | First published January 8, 2019 |
| Language | English |
| Pages | 336 Pages |
| Series | The Folk of the Air (#2), Elfhame (#2) |
| Literary awards | Locus Award Nominee for Best Young Adult Book (2020), Goodreads Choice Award for Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction (2019), Lodestar Award Nominee (2020) |
| Characters | Madoc, Taryn Duarte, Jude Duarte, Cardan Greenbriar, Vivienne |
| ISBN-10 | 0316310336 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-0316310338 |
2. A Court of Thorns and Roses:
In “A Court of Thorns and Roses,” we meet Feyre. She is a nineteen-year-old hunter. Feyre accidentally kills a wolf and gets into big trouble. She’s taken to a magical land full of faeries led by Tamlin. Tamlin looks terrible, but he is not always a beast. Feyre’s feelings for Tamlin change from cold to hot as she settles in. But trouble brews in the faerie world—a dark shadow threatens to destroy everything, including Tamlin’s home.
In this book, we’ll see Feyre on her adventure as she tries to save Tamlin’s world. In this exciting mix of love, danger, and magic, we will get the same fantasy vibes as in The Cruel Prince. Sarah J. Maas’ tale will keep you hooked until the very end.
| Publisher | Bloomsbury Publishing |
| Publishing Date | First published May 5, 2015 |
| Language | English |
| Pages | 416 Pages |
| Series | A Court of Thorns and Roses (#1) |
| Literary awards | Lincoln Award Nominee (2017), Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction (2015) |
| Settings | Prythian |
| Characters | Amarantha, Rhysand, Elain Archeron, Lucien Vanserra, Feyre Archeron, Tamlin (A Court of Thorns and Roses), Nesta Archeron |
| ISBN-10 | 1635575567 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-1635575569 |
3. The Bridge Kingdom:
The main character, Lara, is a tough princess. She’s been trained all alone. She’s sure about two things King Aren of the Bridge Kingdom is her enemy, and she’s determined to defeat him. The Bridge Kingdom is a powerful place in a world wrecked by storms. It gets stronger by making others weaker, like Lara’s own home. So, when Lara is sent there pretending to be a bride for peace, she’s ready to do whatever it takes to break their strong defenses and beat their king.
But as Lara gets to know her new home and learns more about the fight for control over the bridge, she starts wondering if she’s the good guy or the bad guy. As her feelings for King Aren change from being cold and unfriendly to intense love, Lara has to decide which kingdom she’ll protect and which one she’ll destroy. If you liked books like “From Blood and Ash” and “A Court of Thorns and Roses”, you’ll love this one too.
| Publisher | Context Literary Agency LLC |
| Publishing Date | First published October 16, 2018 |
| Language | English |
| Pages | 354 Pages |
| Series | The Bridge Kingdom (#1) |
| ISBN-10 | 1733090320 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-1733090322 |
4. A Curse So Dark and Lonely:
The book is about a prince named Rhen. He got cursed by a powerful magic user. The curse made him repeat the same autumn when he turned eighteen. He thought if a girl loved him, he could break the curse. But things got worse. He turned into a terrible beast that wanted to destroy everything. He wrecked his castle, hurt his family, and lost all hope.
On the other hand, Harper had a tough life, too. Her dad was gone, and her mom was sick. Her brother didn’t think she could do much because she had cerebral palsy. She learned to be strong to survive. One day, she tried to help a stranger in Washington, DC, and was pulled into a magical world. Harper didn’t know what to believe in this strange place. A prince? A curse? A monster? Spending time with Rhen, she started to understand what was happening. Rhen also saw Harper differently.
He started to hope again. But there were strong enemies against them. Just breaking the curse wasn’t enough to save Harper, Rhen, and his people from total ruin. Falling in love could break the curse, and to save the kingdom, they had to break the curse.
| Publisher | Bloomsbury YA |
| Publishing Date | First published January 29, 2019 |
| Language | English |
| Pages | 484 Pages |
| Series | Cursebreakers (#1) |
| Literary awards | Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction (2019) |
| Settings | Emberfall, Washington, D.C. (United States) |
| Characters | Harper, Rhen, Grey |
| ISBN-10 | 1681195089 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-1681195087 |
5. The Shadows Between Us:
Alessandra feels tired because people don’t notice her. But she has a plan to change that. She wants to make the Shadow King like her. Then, she’ll marry him. After that, she plans to kill him and take his kingdom. Nobody knows how powerful the Shadow King is. Some think he controls shadows, while others believe he hears his enemies’ thoughts. But Alessandra believes she deserves power and will do anything to get it.
The problem is that Alessandra isn’t alone in wanting to kill the king. She has to protect him from other attempts on his life while trying to become his queen. She struggles not to fall in love with him because she thinks a cunning queen would suit the Shadow King best.
| Publisher | Feiwel and Friends |
| Publishing Date | First published February 25, 2020 |
| Language | English |
| Pages | 386 Pages |
| Series | The Shadows Between Us (#1) |
| Literary awards | Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction (2020) |
| Characters | Alessandra Stathos, Sergios Stathos, Chrysantha Stathos, Ikaros Vasco, Hestia Lazos, Rhoda Nikolaides, Leandros Vasco, Myron Calligaris, Kallias Maheras, Melita Xenakis |
| ISBN-10 | 1250189969 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-1250189967 |
6. Dark King:
The first-person perspective tells the book. The plot begins as I am a fairy princess with magical powers from the sea. Now, I’m hiding in a small, messy place without my magic. I find comfort in old cookies, Elvis music, and my hula-hoop. But then a very attractive fairy king comes and takes even those things away.
He’s cruel and throws me into prison. But I make a deal with him: I’ll help him find a special magic sword in exchange for my freedom. What he doesn’t know is that the sword might bring back my lost magic.
But as we travel together, I start feeling strange things for him. When he touches me, I feel desire. And I can see he feels the same way. If I let myself fall for him, I might lose my chance to get my magic back. Worse, I might lose my life. C.N. Crawford, the author of Dark King, is a fresh author for me, and we must give her more tries. This book was good enough to be read twice.
7. An Enchantment of Ravens:
This book is a magical story of Isobel. Isobel uses her magic paintbrush to make beautiful pictures, but she has to pay a price. She sells these paintings to fairy creatures who can’t do things like bake or write without falling apart. These fairies want human-made things, so they give Isobel valuable magic in exchange for her art.
But when Isobel paints a sad expression on Rook, a prince from the fairies, she messes up big time. This makes him look weak, which could make him lose his throne or even get killed.
Rook is furious and takes Isobel to his kingdom to be judged for what she did. But there’s trouble in Rook’s kingdom, and they’re attacked from all sides. Isobel and Rook have to rely on each other to survive. As they spend time together, they start to trust and start loving each other.
But loving a human is against the rules for fairies, and breaking the rules could mean they both die. Isobel and Rook go on a dangerous journey through a beautiful but corrupt world. They’ll have to pay a heavy price to stay alive, maybe one worse than death.
| Publisher | Margaret K. McElderry Books |
| Publishing Date | First published September 26, 2017 |
| Language | English |
| Pages | 300 Pages |
| Title | An Enchantment of Ravens |
| Characters | Isobel, Rook |
| ISBN-10 | 1481497596 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-1481497596 |
8. Once Upon a Broken Heart:
Once Upon a Broken Heart is a Young Adult Fantasy Romance about Evangeline Fox. Evangeline always believed in love and happy endings. But then she finds out that the person she loves will marry someone else. To try to stop the wedding and heal her broken heart, Evangeline makes a deal with a charming but bad Prince of Hearts. He agrees to help her, but he wants three kisses from her whenever he wants them.
But after Evangeline gives him the first kiss, she realizes that dealing with someone who can live forever is risky. And the Prince of Hearts wants more from her than she agreed to. He has plans for Evangeline, plans that could end in the best happy ending or the worst tragedy. Just imagine how much fun is going to happen next.
| Publisher | Flatiron Books |
| Publishing Date | First published September 28, 2021 |
| Language | English |
| Pages | 408 Pages |
| Series | Once Upon a Broken Heart (#1) |
| Literary awards | Goodreads Choice Award Nominee for Young Adult Fantasy & Science Fiction (2021) |
| Characters | Jacks, Evangeline Fox, Apollo Acadian, Chaos (Fate), Ariel “LaLa” Lagrimas, Marisol Tourmaline, Luc Navarro |
| ISBN-10 | 1250268397 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-1250268396 |
9. Bride:
The story “Bride” is a fantasy book about three types of creatures: Humans, Vampires (vampires), and Weres (werewolves). They all dislike each other but are trying to make alliances. The main characters are Misery, the daughter of a powerful Vampyre leader, and Lowe, the Alpha of the Weres.
In the beginning, Misery and Lowe are getting married to unite their species. They meet for the first time at their wedding. The story jumps back and forth in time. Misery has a tough past, but she has a good sense of humor. She grew up with humans, hiding her true identity because her father was not a good person. Her father forced her to marry Lowe for the safety and power of the Vampyres. The romance between Misery and Lowe develops slowly.
| Publisher | Berkley |
| Publishing Date | February 6, 2024 |
| Language | English |
| Pages | 416 Pages |
| Title | Bride |
| ISBN-10 | 0593550404 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-0593550403 |
Misery, being a Vampyre, doesn’t understand Lowe’s feelings for her until she can smell them. Lowe, the Alpha of the Weres, doesn’t initially like Misery’s company. However, as they fall in love Misery changes him. The story includes modern technology like phones, cars, and laptops. Misery even codes. The book is full of fun and humor. The book has elements of slow-burning romance and paranormal themes. The story feels like it’s part of a series, and there could be more novellas added to it in the future.
10. A Dance with the Fae Prince:
A Dance with the Fae Prince is an NA Fiction book about Katria. She knew her family would sell her. But Katria didn’t know a fae prince would buy her for marriage. Katria promised herself that she wouldn’t love. Her family was cruel, and she didn’t want that kind of “love.” Then, she married Lord Fenwood, who paid a lot for her. She just wanted a better life without love. But Lord Fenwood made it hard not to love him.
As they got closer, strange things happened. There were weird rules, scary noises at night, and attacks by fae creatures. Katria didn’t think these things were real. When she saw a secret ritual, she got taken to a fae world, Midscape. Surviving there as a human was tough. Katria also accidentally got magic from ancient kings, for which a king wanted to kill her. Her husband was the real king, hiding.
Katria had the power to save the fae. But who would save her from love, which she promised never to feel? It has a happy ending. If you like fantasy and romance, with a bit of steam and a slow-burning love story, this book is for you.
| Publisher | Silver Wing Press |
| Publishing Date | First published August 19, 2021 |
| Language | English |
| Pages | 352 Pages |
| Series | Married to Magic (#2) |
| ISBN-10 | 194969433X |
| ISBN-13 | 978-1949694338 |
Final Words:
In conclusion, the journey through books akin to “The Cruel Prince” offers a way to fantastical realms and forbidden romances that leave readers amazed. These stories are full of excitement and magic. They take you to amazing places where anything can happen. You can join thrilling adventures in fairyland, make daring alliances, and uncover mysterious secrets.
Whether you want to face dangerous politics in “The Wicked King,” solving curses in “A Curse So Dark and Lonely,” or exploring the unique relationships between humans and fairies in “An Enchantment of Ravens,” you’ll be drawn into worlds you’ve never imagined. Every page is filled with magic, romance, and adventure that will keep you hooked. If you love fantastic journeys, these books are a must-read.