Latest Posts by readingsmessingupmyback - Page 3

Cruel prince reader here: NOPE can't do it! Valerian forced her to the ground and made her eat fearie apple which makes her lose control of her body and mind. Sound very similar to date rape drug. Like I know it's called CRUEL prince but I figured the way everyone was stanning Jude and Cardan that he wasn't gonna be too bad. Sure he wasn't the 1 who did that but some shit just crosses the line and he has to be help responsible for the actions of friends trying to impress him. Tumblr is fucked up

Okay. 

I’m going to start with the Faerie apple scene, and then I’ll discuss Cardan and Jude.

Faerie is a dangerous world, right? So dangerous for mortals, in fact, that they cannot eat the food without salt, they can’t eat certain apples, they must go around with rowan berries to avoid charms, etc. etc. The world Holly Black creates is scary, and cruel, and one you would not want to live in. 

However, this is Jude’s home. She’s been forced to grow up here. She’s been forced to live and survive despite the cruelty around her, and she’s survived. In fact, she’s incredibly brave for not only learning how to live in this world, but also standing up to those who aim to hurt her. 

And Jude, for so long, has been keeping herself safe. This moment of eating the Faerie apple, then, while horrible, reminds Jude, and by extension, us (the readers), that Faerie isn’t a safe place. Any safety that Jude had felt up to this moment is gone. She’s vulnerable and can’t stand up for herself and it is cruel. Horrible. Terrifying. It’s a reminder that this world is not meant for mortals, that dangers lurk in every crevice, and even out in the open. It’s a reminder to us, too, that Jude isn’t invincible. She’s human, just like us. 

Now, onto Cardan. 

I’m not just going to say ‘Faeries are cruel,’ because sure, they can be, but Cardan does need to be held responsible for his actions. He and his behavior shouldn’t be written off. 

He’s a bully. He causes pain. And yes, when Jude and Taryn were thrown into the river, he does try to end it sooner. If I’m not mistaken, too, he does try to get his friends to stop their actions in the Faerie fruit scene. But yes, he is cruel, and treats mortals terribly, and treats lots of people terribly, actually, but he was also abused. Is abused. That’s not an excuse for his behavior. Don’t get me wrong: he treats others with immense cruelty at times, and that shouldn’t be ignored or excused. But, it is all he knows. There’s more about why Cardan’s the way he is in the sequel, The Wicked King, but the little moments we catch of how he’s treated by Balekin helps to explain his cruelty. 

That all being said, I think the characters of Jude and Cardan are very dynamic, and as the book (and sequel) show, they aren’t just the badass and cruel characters that we originally met. They are both vulnerable and have been through traumatizing and horrible experiences and that does, inevitably, shape who they become. Ultimately, though, it’s not who they have to be. And I think that both Jude and Cardan are learning that. Particularly Cardan. 

So yes. There are incredibly cruel moments in the book. I think that was going to be unavoidable, particularly when Holly Black’s created such a dangerous world. But those moments don’t necessarily undermine the rest of the book, or the series.