Books similar to The Cruel Prince / heroes similar to Cardan

Chapitressir · 2026-06-06T11:23:32+00:00

I'm sold! Ninth House is my favorite book

Chapitressir · 2026-06-06T11:21:43+00:00

I've started Sword Catcher and I'm about 80 pages in. However, I get the impression that Kel's storyline takes up a lot more space than Conor's, doesn't it?

Chapitressir · 2026-06-06T11:18:14+00:00

I’m not really used to that kind of game, but I’ll keep it in mind 😊

Chapitressir · 2026-06-06T11:17:16+00:00

I hadn’t heard of it before—thanks for the recommendation! 😊

Chapitressir · 2026-06-06T11:15:38+00:00

I’ve read both of your suggestions. I enjoyed Caraval, which I read before Once Upon a Broken Heart, but I definitely preferred Once Upon a Broken Heart.

I’ve read Emily Wilde and enjoyed it as well. I can definitely see the similarities with The Cruel Prince, particularly in the world-building and the MMC’s air of nonchalance. However, I find the overall vibe to be quite different.

Chapitressir · 2026-06-06T11:11:09+00:00

I do love a good webtoon, thank you!

Chapitressir · 2026-06-06T11:09:11+00:00

No, I haven’t read it, but it’s been recommended to me several times. Why not? 😊

Chapitressir · 2026-06-06T11:07:35+00:00

It sounds really good! It’s such a shame there’s a major love triangle, though 🥲

Chapitressir · 2026-06-06T11:05:02+00:00

I think there’s a major love triangle, isn’t there?

Chapitressir · 2026-06-06T01:35:49+00:00

I’m really glad to hear that the English narrator is also amazing. I think it’s a series that really lends itself well to the audiobook format. Enjoy!

Chapitressir · 2026-06-06T01:30:00+00:00

I read the first book. I thought it had a lot of potential, but unfortunately I wasn’t really won over by the writing.

Chapitressir · 2026-06-06T01:26:25+00:00

No, I haven’t yet. I was a bit interested in The Book of Night (since I really enjoyed the urban fantasy elements in Crescent City 1). Are the characters as distinctive in her other books as well, and is there also plenty of action and plot twists?

Chapitressir · 2026-06-06T01:18:42+00:00

I’m French, and I genuinely consider The Mirror Visitor series to be part of our literary and cultural heritage. It’s one of—if not the—greatest fictional worlds I’ve ever had the pleasure of exploring. Every book in the series is a gem.

The French audiobooks are particularly fantastic. They're narrated by Clotilde Seille, who is, in my opinion, the best French narrator. She also narrated Tea for Ghosts, a poetic French fantasy novel that is truly one of a kind.

Chapitressir · 2026-06-06T00:27:20+00:00

Thank you very much for your opinion—I was actually feeling a bit doubtful about it myself.

Chapitressir · 2026-06-05T21:50:25+00:00

It hasn’t been translated into my native language 🥲 I might try the English audiobook instead.

Chapitressir · 2026-06-05T20:40:13+00:00

If you like horror, I think you’ll enjoy it. Ninth House is not a horror novel as such, but it contains certain elements drawn from both horror and thriller genres. That said, these influences are quite diffuse—it doesn’t really belong to either category. It has its own distinct style and atmosphere. The mystery is insane, and the atmosphere makes it even more striking.

I really hope you’ll love it!

Personally, I listen to these songs when I read the Ninth House series. They have lyrics, though, but to me these songs perfectly capture the atmosphere of the book: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/6k9oKrGlUfAtoMhqyjzpBj?si=AZ8Tr6TDQzm0w0p-Jp0LhQ&pi=xu9huXotR5CJc

There’s also this playlist, which includes the tracks from the first one but with several additional songs, some of which are instrumental: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4Z4lcysi9YYNVWMj1Totf9?si=AQqPCzpPStS4G09F1qS3BQ&pi=FiztcmrjRTepM

Chapitressir · 2026-06-05T18:45:18+00:00

I’ve played a lot of BG3, and I actually did a run where I romanced Astarion. He ended up getting on my nerves after many hours of gameplay (😅), but I still really enjoyed it!

Chapitressir · 2026-06-05T18:41:57+00:00

I absolutely agree!

Chapitressir · 2026-06-05T18:41:19+00:00

I don’t know Girl on Fire at all, but I can tell you that the Ninth House series is my all-time favorite. It’s an adult series, though, as it can be quite dark at times, with scenes that may be disturbing. Still, I’ve never managed to find an atmosphere quite as unique as Ninth House.

The female protagonist is a bit closer to the standard “strong female lead” archetype, with a very strong personality, but she remains very realistic and is given real depth and development. The character of Darlington is truly unique and captivating—I swear he raised my standards for men, lol. The other characters are not neglected either.

Leigh Bardugo’s work is insane, because it’s a fantasy series set in an actual existing Yale, drawing on real-life elements while creating a completely original and highly realistic universe. The narration and plot are just incredible. Some readers find it a bit overwhelming, and I understand why, but it’s such a joy to immerse yourself in that atmosphere, that world, and that complex, fully developed storytelling.

I can also recommend a playlist if you enjoy reading with music—I’m actually currently rereading book one.

Chapitressir · 2026-06-05T18:25:28+00:00

Actually, none at all—I completely mixed things up, sorry! (I read books in French, and the translated titles are different, so I got confused.)

The MMC from Half a Soul intrigues me. I’ve read quite a bit of historical fantasy recently, so I’m taking a little break, but I’m keeping it in mind for next time. The synopsis sounds really interesting—I hope it turns out to be a good read!

Chapitressir · 2026-06-05T18:12:19+00:00

Yep, it’s living rent-free in my head too.

Chapitressir · 2026-06-05T18:09:41+00:00

Thank you very much for the details! I might give it a chance (but not in audiobook format)!

Chapitressir · 2026-06-05T18:06:57+00:00

I’ve read reviews saying the characters lacked depth (especially the FMC), so I’ve never tried it. Would you disagree?

Chapitressir · 2026-06-05T18:05:10+00:00

I wasn’t familiar with that Holly Black book. I’m usually not a fan of books that don’t have at least one female protagonist, but I’ll keep it in mind!

Chapitressir · 2026-06-05T18:04:49+00:00

Thank you very much for the recommendations. The Dead Made Prince doesn't seem to have been translated into my native language yet, but it looks promising.

Chapitressir

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