Accessibility-wise, the illustrated book is great for reluctant readers or those who appreciate visual art. The text is broken up by full-page illustrations, and the stories are short. It feels less intimidating than a dense novel. I’ve seen it used in some schools to discuss graphic narrative and fairy tale tropes. 'The Lost Sisters', being a pure text novella, is more for the voracious readers who just can’t get enough of the world.
2026-07-25 15:55:40
5
JonahGray
Responder
Sales
The tone shift between the main books and the companions is notable. Jude’s narration is sharp, direct, and driven. Taryn’s is fearful and defensive. Cardan’s stories are lyrical, melancholic, and steeped in metaphor. Reading them back-to-back showcases Black’s range. She’s not a one-voice author. She tailors the prose to the character’s psyche, which makes each companion feel distinct and essential to understanding the full tapestry of Elfhame.
It’s a level of authorial care you don’t always see in companion pieces, which can sometimes feel like repackaged cut scenes.
2026-07-25 17:16:50
2
DanWolfe
Book Scout
Engineer
My book club did the whole series plus companions last month. The discussion about 'The Lost Sisters' was the most heated! Half the group thought it was a vital look at internalized misogyny and the limited options for mortal women in Faerie. The other half thought it was a weak apology for a traitor. We spent more time on that than on the climax of the trilogy.
The Cardan book, everyone agreed, was beautiful and sad. It sparked a conversation about nature vs. nurture and whether childhood trauma excuses later cruelty. So if you want thought-provoking material for discussion, both companions are goldmines.
2026-07-26 15:58:50
12
DaxPowell
Plot Explainer
Lawyer
If you’re debating which one to read first, I’d say publication order: 'The Lost Sisters' after 'The Cruel Prince' (or after the trilogy), then 'How the King...' after you finish everything. That’s how the author intended them to be experienced, and it builds the layers of understanding gradually. Jumping straight to Cardan’s childhood before you’ve even seen him be cruel might lessen his impact in the first book. Let the mystery and menace sit for a while before you peek behind the curtain.
2026-07-27 08:13:53
14
OscarHale
Responder
Translator
The ethical dimension of these companions is interesting. Is Taryn owed sympathy? Does Cardan’s tragic past excuse his bullying? The books don’t answer directly; they just present the evidence. 'The Lost Sisters' forces you to sit in the discomfort of understanding a character you dislike. 'How the King...' asks you to pity a character who did terrible things. They resist easy moralizing, which is what makes the whole series so compelling for older YA and adult readers.
2026-07-28 05:00:11
14
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That Prince Is A Girl: The Vicious King's Captive Slave Mate
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They don’t know I’m a girl.
They all look at me and see a boy. A prince.
Their kind purchase humans like me—male or female—for their lustful desires.
And, when they stormed into our kingdom to buy my sister, I intervened to protect her. I made them take me too.
The plan was to escape with my sister whenever we found a chance.
How was I to know our prison would be the most fortified place in their kingdom?
I was supposed to be on the sidelines. The one they had no real use for. The one they never meant to buy.
But then, the most important person in their savage land—their ruthless beast king—took an interest in the “pretty little prince.”
How do we survive in this brutal kingdom, where everyone hates our kind and shows us no mercy?
And how does someone, with a secret like mine, become a lust slave?
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AUTHOR'S NOTE.
This is a dark romance—dark, mature content. Highly rated 18+
Expect triggers, expect hardcore.
If you're a seasoned reader of this genre, looking for something different, prepared to go in blindly not knowing what to expect at every turn, but eager to know more anyway, then dive in!
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Check out my new book, sequel and set in the Urekai Universe: Once His Bully, Now His Whore.
I ripped his claws from my shoulders and pinned his arms above his head. He thrashed under me, his eyes flashing with something deeper than anger.
That was when I sensed it.
The sweet scent of cinnamon—the smell of a wolf’s arousal.
We froze, our bodies pressed together, so close I could feel the tremors of his heart against mine.
That wasn’t all….I felt his hardness, bulging and aching with need.
“Don’t look at me.” He turned away, squeezing his eyes shut as his cheeks tinted pink with shame. “I give up, so just kill me already, I can’t take it anymore.”
I swallowed hard, faltering yet again.
But instead of recoiling, instead of mocking him, I crashed my lips against his.
****
Darius Lane lost everything for the sake of love and freedom.
Once a renowned Alpha betrothed to the princess of Fenrir, he was stripped of his title and dignity after he chose the man he loved over a Royal decree—the same man who betrayed and left him to bear the brunt of his actions.
Out of despair, the young princess had taken her own life and Darius was condemned for murder, thrown at the mercy of Prince Kael, the ruthless tyrant who reduced him to less than a slave.
But when Kael moves to end his life, the unthinkable happens. A mate bond sparks between them, turning the tides.
The tyrant prince faltered for the first time in his life, unable to believe he was tied to his sister’s killer. And a man at that!
It is a prison of desire for Darius, for he began to crave the cruel prince who takes pleasure in his suffering.
Against their will, their wolves yearn for each other, and hatred soon blurs into obsession.
Some chains are made of iron, others are forged by fate.
Edrian Lorne has never dreamed of freedom. Born a slave, trained to obey, and scarred by a master’s cruelty, he has learned one truth: hope is dangerous, but when war tears his world apart, he finds himself standing before the Crown Prince of DarkMoonCrest… and the impossible happened when their eyes met, and the mate bond roared to life.
Prince Xander Veyrion has spent his life pursuing one thing, the throne. The bond to a slave is a threat to everything he has built, to every alliance he needs. Yet denying the pull between them proves harder than ruling a kingdom cursed to rot without a noble-born mate.
In the shadows of court intrigue, deadly magic, and whispers of rebellion, the bond between Edrian and Xander burns hotter with each stolen glance and forbidden touch. But when betrayal strikes and a killing curse forces their hands, they must decide, cling to ambition and lose each other, or defy the kingdom and claim a love that could bring an empire to its knees.
A slave with no hope.
A prince with everything to lose.
And a bond that could change the fate of a kingdom.
Saving an injured Fae in the forest had not been Islinda's plan, and worse, he turns out to be royalty, Prince Valerie of the summer court, heir and crown prince to the throne of Astaria.
Thea, a mistreated omega is forced into a contract marriage by the powerful Wolf Prince Damian who saved her life.
But as their love deepens, a curse threatens to tear them apart, when the truth about her identity is revealed. She must choose between revenge and redemption as she takes her rightful position as the Luna of the Prince.
Theodore is said to have been cursed by the gods, all his life he has been told he is ugly and undesirable.
The arrival of the suave Lord Alistair brings light into his life. But Lord Alistair has a dark secret, a secret that could break their bond forever.
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The prince of the vampire kingdom has disappeared, at the same time, a vicious blood sucking beast emerges in Theodore's kingdom, Theodore is tasked with discovering who the beast is. The beast is closer to him than he would ever believe.
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The vampire kingdom sends men to the kingdom to look for their prince, Alistair and Theodore discover that some secrets are best left as secrets.
Who is the vampire prince? Read to find out
My friend lent me 'The Cruel Prince' and said it was a complete story... I finished it and immediately texted her 'WHERE IS THE NEXT ONE?!' She thought it was funny. So, PSA: It is very much part of a series. A brilliant, addictive series.
The Cruel Prince series, officially known as The Folk of the Air trilogy by Holly Black, consists of three main books:
The Cruel Prince (2018)
The Wicked King (2019)
The Queen of Nothing (2019)
In addition to the main trilogy, there are also companion works set in the same universe:
How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories (2020) – a novella told from Cardan's point of view.
The Stolen Heir (2023) – the start of a new duology sequel series.
The Prisoner’s Throne (2024) – the conclusion of the Stolen Heir duology.
So while the original Cruel Prince series is a trilogy, the full world of Elfhame has expanded into more than five books.
I'd argue the ONLY correct order is the trilogy in sequence. The novella is a nice-to-have, but it's separate. The emotional payoff in 'The Queen of Nothing' relies entirely on you having followed Jude's struggle from the very beginning in 'The Cruel Prince'. Skipping or rearranging books would ruin the carefully built character development and political maneuvering.
Holly Black is a master of plot twists that build on previous events. You'd miss so much foreshadowing and subtle callbacks if you didn't read them in order. Just do it the way the author intended.
Spent way too much time mapping out the reading order for 'The Cruel Prince' series and its extended world after stumbling through it myself. The core trilogy is straightforward: 'The Cruel Prince', then 'The Wicked King', finishing with 'The Queen of Nothing'. After that, you've got 'How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories', a companion novella from Cardan's perspective. It works beautifully as an epilogue, but honestly, I read it right after finishing the trilogy because I couldn't get enough of his voice.
Where it gets optional but fantastic is the duology that starts with 'The Lost Sisters', which is a short e-novella from Jude's sister Taryn's view of the first book's events. It's divisive but adds crucial context. The full duology continues with 'The Stolen Heir' and 'The Prisoner's Throne', focusing on a new generation. I'd say finish the main story and Cardan's novella first, then decide if you want more of that world. Jumping into the duology immediately might feel like a gear shift.
'The Cruel Prince' is absolutely a series that stands out. It's a trilogy by Holly Black, starting with 'The Cruel Prince', followed by 'The Wicked King', and concluding with 'The Queen of Nothing'. The series dives deep into the treacherous world of faerie, focusing on Jude, a human girl navigating political intrigue, betrayal, and her complicated feelings for Prince Cardan. The books are packed with sharp wit, morally grey characters, and a romance that's as toxic as it is captivating. If you're into dark fantasy with a bite, this series is a must-read.