The Folk of the Air series by Holly Black should have a spot in every single fantasy romance book recommendation list. The Cruel Prince series offers unmatched worldbuilding and thrilling political intrigue. Woven together with what I considered to be the benchmark for all other enemies to lovers book to strive for it is a magical ride you absolutely cannot mix. However, there are seven books in this universe — ten if you include the original trilogy from early 2000s. So, having a The Cruel Prince Series Order guide to walk you through the correct reading order is probably helpful, if not essential!
The Cruel Prince Series Order
The universe of Elfhame is currently divided into two series. Here’s my recommended order for how to read Folk of the Heir Trilogy and Stolen Heir Duology.
- The Cruel Prince
- This is where the story begins. Dive in here to get to know Jude, Taryn, Cardan and Madoc.
- The Lost Sisters
- Read this after The Cruel Prince. Without spoilers this is basically Taryn’s version of some of the events in The Cruel Prince. This is a novella so should be a pretty quick read. Alternatively, you can read this at the end of the trilogy. It doesn’t add anything, but it might want to make you see things differently. (It didn’t do that for me, but I hold grudges.)
- The Wicked King
- Continue with the adventure you’ve embarked on in The Cruel Prince.
- Queen of Nothing
- Finish off the trilogy of our main cast by reading the last book of the Folk of the Air series.
- How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories
- Another novella that offers a few tidbits from Cardan’s perspective. Run, don’t walk to read this one.
- The Stolen Heir
- Move onto the next duology. This is a couple of years after the events of the Queen of Nothing and has a familiar cast, although the main characters are Oak and Wren.
- The Prisoner’s Throne
- Finish off the duology, and you’re home free!
What is the age rating of The Cruel Prince?
It’s young adult, but not it’s current definition of it. It’s like young adult that skewed towards adult before new adult was a concept. While there are not many explicit, mature scenes there are lots of adult themes and trauma covered like war, murder and a bit of gore.
Is The Cruel Prince Spicy?
No. And it doesn’t need it. It has lots of romance, yearning and pining. While there are romantic scenes I’d rate it at🌶️🌶️ with most of the action happening behind close doors. But don’t let the lack of spice to deter you from reading this. This book is what I judge all enemies to lovers against. The tension, the banter, and the romance are all impeccable.
Is The Cruel Prince Finished?
Folk of the Air (Jude and Cardan’s story) and The Stolen Heir duology (Oak and Wren’s story) are finished. However, The Prisoner’s Throne ended with a definite open end. There is going to be another series coming out that takes place in the Undersea, rumored to be written in Cardan’s POV.
When Should I read The Modern Faerie Tales?
You’ll notice that I omitted The Modern Faerie Tales from my infographic. You don’t need to read it for The Cruel Prince in my opinion. The main characters of this series make cameos in The Cruel Prince series but they’re not necessary to the plot. However, Holly Black is an amazing author and you should read everything she writes, ever. You can read it before The Folk of the Air series for chronological consistency, or any time after.
Have you read The Cruel Prince or The Stolen Heir? What did you think? Drop your thoughts in the comments—I’d love to know!
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