The Cruel Prince cover art

The Cruel Prince

The Folk of the Air, Book 1

Preview
Get this deal Try Premium Plus free
Offer ends 29 January 2026 at 11:59PM GMT.
Prime members: New to Audible? Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Just £0.99/mo for your first 3 months of Audible.
1 bestseller or new release per month—yours to keep.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, podcasts, and Originals.
Auto-renews at £8.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically.

The Cruel Prince

By: Holly Black
Narrated by: Caitlin Kelly
Get this deal Try Premium Plus free

£8.99/mo after 3 months. Cancel monthly. Offer ends 29 January 2026 at 11:59PM GMT.

£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £22.99

Buy Now for £22.99

LIMITED TIME OFFER | £0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Premium Plus auto-renews at £8.99/mo after 3 months. Terms apply.

About this listen

The start of a thrilling new fantasy series from best-selling author Holly Black about a mortal girl who finds herself caught in a dangerous web of royal faerie intrigue.

Of course I want to be like them. They're beautiful as blades forged in some divine fire. They will live forever. And Cardan is even more beautiful than the rest. I hate him more than all the others. I hate him so much that sometimes when I look at him, I can hardly breathe.

One terrible morning, Jude and her sisters see their parents murdered in front of them. The terrifying assassin abducts all three girls to the world of Faerie, where Jude is installed in the royal court but mocked and tormented by the Faerie royalty for being mortal. As Jude grows older, she realises that she will need to take part in the dangerous deceptions of the fey to ever truly belong. But the stairway to power is fraught with shadows and betrayal. And looming over all is the infuriating, arrogant and charismatic Prince Cardan.

Dramatic and thrilling fantasy blends seamlessly with enthralling storytelling to create a fully realised and seductive world, brim-full of magic and romance.

©2018 Holly Black (P)2018 Bolinda Publishing Pty Ltd
Epic Fantasy Fantasy Fiction Romantasy Royalty Science Fiction & Fantasy

Listeners also enjoyed...

Visions of Flesh and Blood cover art
Fourth Wing (Part 2 of 2) (Dramatized Adaptation) cover art
The Serpent and the Wings of Night cover art
Six of Crows cover art
Demon in the Wood cover art
House of Earth and Blood (Part 2 of 2) (Dramatized Adaptation) cover art
Crimson Bound cover art
Bring Me Their Hearts cover art
The Adversary cover art
Curse of Shadows and Thorns cover art
Reign of the Fallen cover art
New Spring cover art
Rule cover art
Elantris (1 of 3) [Dramatized Adaptation] cover art
Seraphina cover art
Ascendant cover art

Featured article: The top trending BookTok audiobooks


For audiobook lovers, nothing comes close to the feeling of stumbling upon a new favourite adventure, love story, or thriller. Finding that new favourite is now easier than ever! The world of BookTok is overflowing with audiobooks ready to become your new obsession....

All stars
Most relevant
A brilliant story and a brilliant performance! I cannot recommend this book enough. Bring on book 2

A must read!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

I liked the sound of this book so decided to give it a go and I’m really glad I did. So far there isn’t any major romantic aspect but I have a feeling that could change in book 2. It has kept me guessing what will happen next and I really didn’t think that Jude would take the path she did in the end. I have a feeling book 2 is going to be an even better read, I really hope I’m not disappointed.

Good read so far

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

some might enjoy this book but I didn't. it was a little predictable and long winded..

total fairy

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

I bought this when on offer and without any research. An ok story but not riveting. The narrator made it difficult to distinguish between characters, none of whom are particularly likeable.

Not the target audience

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Narrator really good. Story good. Have read the next book The Wicked King and that was just as good. Can't wait for the next story.

Loved this.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

See more reviews