Series profile
The Folk of the Air
by Holly Black
A completed young-adult faerie trilogy about ambition, court power, betrayal, and a hostile attraction.
- Status
- Complete series
- Published
- 3
- Commitment
- Medium series
- Audience
- Young Adult / Crossover
Reading route
Start with the profiled opening volume.
1 of 3 volumes profiled
- 1Fantasy CompassThe Cruel PrinceBook profile
The Cruel Prince
A mortal teenager raised in Faerie pursues power inside a court that treats her as lesser.
The first book is more political than romantic in structure even though the central relationship is a major reader promise.
Series intelligence
Before you start the series.
Where to begin, how much the complete reading path asks of you, and whether the central story has an ending.
- Linear reading order
- Complete
- 3 published books
Where to start
Start with The Cruel Prince and continue in series order. The central story is designed to be read linearly.
- The Cruel Prince
The intended starting point for the continuous central story.
The central series is complete at 3 books.
The full published path is a medium-length series spanning 3 books.
Best if you want
- A politically ambitious heroine and ruthless faerie rules.
- Court intrigue with romantic hostility.
Think twice if you need
- A gentle faerie world or healthy communication.
- Romance as the only engine of the plot.
Outside the score
Reader context
Series information guides suitability and commitment. Matrix scores remain attached to individual books.
Reader advisories
- Violence
- Child peril
- Grief and loss
Editorial record
Sources and review
Matrix v1.0 / calibrated / high confidence / reviewed 2026-07-23