Teaser Tuesday: The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by Ambrosia of The Purple Booker.
To play along just do the following:

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) “teaser” sentences from somewhere on that page
• BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE SPOILERS! (make sure that what you share doesn’t give too much away! You don’t want to ruin the book for others!)
• Share the title & author, too, so that other TT participants can add the book to their TBR Lists if they like your teasers!

The Cruel Prince by Holly Black.

The Cruel Prince – Little, Brown
Books for Young Readers

I do not yearn to be their equal.
In my heart, I yearn to best them.
— Chapter 4

“So you accept.”
It’s frightening to have a choice like this in front of me, a choice that changes all future choices.
— Chapter 10

Faerieland may have several kings, queens, and other royalty but it most definitely has one high queen to rule them all and her name is Holly Black. I have always loved Holly’s writing and especially the characters who populate her ever more fantastic stories. And I could not be more excited that after so long she not only returns to Faerie but that we also get two more books with these characters. If you’ve read her other Faerie books, you’re in for a special treat of cameos and other eastereggs.
The usual perspective for stories like this is the human looking in or the fae looking out but with this Holly has mastered the art of having a mortal brought up and more or less fully adapted to the strange tradition and doing everything to remain in, possibly overdoing it and in a way besting the fae at their own games. It’s in my opinion and interesting play on nature vs. nurture and the willingness and ability to adapt, to survive and thrive. And with this cast of characters, it’s really Holly at her best, each with their own motives, schemes, characteristics, strengths, and weaknesses … and the occasional frustrating/endearing blind spot.
I’m fully jumping on the “I need the second book now if not yesterday” waggon. Not because the first book ends on a mean cliffhanger but because I cannot wait to find out how all of these plots continue. It’s a little like leaving a highly competitive chess match right when both players are about to check each other with equal chances of checkmate. Only that this game has more than two players and the rules change whenever you blink.

Readers know that wishes and bargains with the fae are dangerous. Would you feel prepared enough to enter into such an agreement? Share your ideas and teasers in the comments.