Description:

An instant bestseller!
By #1 New York Times bestselling author Holly Black, the first book in a stunning new series about a mortal girl who finds herself caught in a 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.
Jude was seven years old when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the treacherous High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong there, despite her mortality. But many of the fey despise humans. Especially Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King.

To win a place at the Court, she must defy him--and face the consequences.

In doing so, she becomes embroiled in palace intrigues and deceptions, discovering her own capacity for bloodshed. But as civil war threatens to drown the Courts of Faerie in violence, Jude will need to risk her life in a dangerous alliance to save her sisters, and Faerie itself. **

From School Library Journal

Gr 9 Up—Human Jude has been raised along with her twin, Taryn, and half-sibling, Vivi, in Faerieland by Madoc, the faerie who murdered her parents. This intricate realm is filled with beautiful, blood-thirsty, playful, and powerful faeries who seem to have no patience or use for humans beyond enslaving them with magic. Despite this, Jude is determined to earn respect and a place in it all by becoming a knight. First in a planned trilogy, this YA fantasy features a political scramble reminiscent of Game of Thrones, with spies, manipulation, romance, swordplay, betrayal, and an intoxicating darkness that manages to enrapture Jude and readers. Black has created a brutal and captivating world, filled with complex characters and their intricate and layered relationships. Jude is a mighty heroine; strong, smart, cunning, and yet completely vulnerable. Teens meet her as she's no longer interested in restraining her emotions and actions and is willing to give up anything in order to work for what she wants, which makes for a powerful and dangerous damsel getting herself out of distress. VERDICT Another fantastic, deeply engaging, and all-consuming work from Black that belongs on all YA shelves.—Emily Moore, Camden County Library System, NJ

Review

**Caitlin Kelly captures the capriciousness and cruelty of the Fae, along with their sweet tones and charming but deadly personalities. Her Jude is both strong and vulnerable, and Kelly portrays her changing emotions well. Black's dark Faerie tale world draws listeners in and definitely leaves them wanting more. -- "School Library Journal (starred audio review)"

Surprises abound in this capricious tale, which shifts and changes just when readers think they have gained their footing on the complicated details and emotions that enliven Black's faerie world..[A] fierce and dazzling first in the Folk of the Air series -- "RT Book Reviews (4 stars)"

This splendidly wicked and richly created story is one you won't want to miss. -- "BuzzFeed"

Spins a tale of court intrigue, bloodshed, and a truly messed-up relationship...This is a heady blend of Faerie lore, high fantasy, and high-school drama, dripping with description that brings the dangerous but tempting world of Faerie to life. -- "Kirkus Reviews"

This story reveals greater depth and detail of Faerie than ever before. Black's characters are no longer playing the game without knowing the consequences...Black unfolds this sweeping, twisting narrative with the fine-tuned understanding of someone who's spent nearly her whole life poking around the depths of Faerie. -- "BookPage"

Black is a master at world-building...Jude, who possesses just enough badness that you really root for her...will have fans eager to follow her. Good thing the book kicks off a trilogy. -- "New York Times"

Narrator Caitlin Kelly perfectly crafts the fierce and determined voice of seventeen-year-old Jude...[and] smoothly transitions from one character to the next, creating energized dialogue that reflects the drama of the story. Listeners will be enchanted by Jude and her fantastical world of fast-paced adventure, political intrigue, and a hint of romance. -- "AudioFile"

Black is well known for writing dark fairy-tale novels, but this is her darkest to date. Blood splatters every page with bullying, attempted and actual murders, political betrayal, and revolt. -- "BookRiot"

Heart-in-throat action, deadly romance, double-crossing, moral complexity-this is one heck of a ride. -- "Booklist (starred review)"

Spellbinding...Breathtaking set pieces, fully developed supporting characters, and a beguiling, tough-as-nails heroine enhance an intricate, intelligent plot that crescendos to a jaw-dropping third-act twist. -- "Publishers Weekly (starred review)"