1. The Wicked King
Jude's scheming escalates in the sequel. Higher stakes, more twists, and the dynamic with Cardan intensifies.
2. A Court of Thorns and Roses
A huntress is taken to the faerie court and slowly realizes the world is far more complex than she was raised to believe.
3. An Ember in the Ashes
A scholar and a soldier in a brutal empire. The tension between them is the engine of the series.
4. Six of Crows
A criminal mastermind assembles a crew for an impossible heist. Darker than Cruel Prince but just as compulsive.
5. The Star-Touched Queen
An Indian mythology-inspired fantasy about a girl with a cursed horoscope who finds herself queen of death.
6. Wintersong
A girl bargains with the Goblin King to save her sister. Germanic folklore, music, and dark romance.
7. The Cruel Prince companion stories
How the King of Elfhame became what he is — told from Cardan's POV. Essential context for Cruel Prince fans.
8. Strange the Dreamer
A librarian obsessed with a lost city finds himself in a mythical place where gods once lived.
9. Daughter of the Forest
A Celtic mythology retelling of The Six Swans. Dark, romantic, and deeply rooted in folklore.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I read after The Cruel Prince?
The Wicked King immediately — it ends on a cliffhanger. Then The Queen of Nothing to finish the trilogy. After that, ACOTAR is the most natural next series.
Are there books like The Cruel Prince for adults?
A Court of Thorns and Roses transitions from YA to adult over its series. The Folk of the Air trilogy itself (Cruel Prince etc.) is technically YA but reads older. Strange the Dreamer is more adult in feel.
What makes fae romance so addictive?
The "you can't trust them but you can't resist them" dynamic creates perfect narrative tension. Fae characters who operate by rules that don't map to human morality are inherently compelling.
Any books like The Cruel Prince with mortal-fae romance but no cliffhangers?
Wintersong by S. Jae-Jones works as a standalone. Daughter of the Forest by Juliet Marillier is a standalone. Tithe by Holly Black (Cruel Prince's predecessor) also works alone.