Let's talk about the character everyone loves to hate, or maybe just hates to love. Honestly, if you’ve read The Cruel Prince by Holly Black, you know that the title is a bit of a bait-and-switch. Cardan Greenbriar is the one with the crown and the drinking problem, sure. But Locke? Locke is the one who actually makes your skin crawl once you realize what’s happening behind those tawny, fox-like eyes.
He isn't a brute. He doesn't go around breaking wings or slamming heads into tables like Valerian. No, Locke is much worse because he plays with the one thing humans in Elfhame actually have: their hearts.
Locke The Cruel Prince: The Master of the "Good Story"
The thing you have to understand about Locke is that he’s bored. Incredibly, dangerously bored. Being an immortal faerie with nothing but time and luxury, he views the world as a stage. He literally told Jude Duarte that he wanted to be part of the "unfolding of the tale."
He wasn't complimenting her. He was treating her like a plot point.
Most people think of villains as people who want power or gold. Locke doesn't care about the throne, at least not in the way Madoc or Balekin do. He wants a narrative. He wants the "spices" of life—envy, fear, anger, and jealousy. To him, love is "plain" without a little bit of trauma to salt the bread.
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The Most Elaborate Betrayal in Elfhame
Remember the "test" he put Taryn through? This is the peak of his cruelty. He didn't just cheat on Taryn with her twin sister, Jude. He convinced Taryn that staying silent while he seduced her sister was a way to prove her love. It was a sick game to see if she could act like the Folk—changeable, heartless, and aesthetic-driven.
- He courted Taryn in secret for months.
- He paraded Jude around the court to make Nicasia jealous.
- He let the entire school think Jude was the one who "stole" him, leading to her being bullied even harder.
- He did all of this while Taryn watched, crying in secret.
It’s actually messed up when you realize he intentionally manufactured a sibling rivalry that almost ended in fratricide, all because he thought it would make for a better story.
Why We All Fell for the Fox Smile
Kinda embarrassing to admit, but the first time I read the book, I actually liked him for a few chapters. He seemed like the "nice" one in Cardan’s toxic friend group. He’s the guy who helps the boy with the broken wing at the revel. He’s the guy who winks at Jude and makes her feel like they’re sharing a secret against the world.
But that’s the trap. Locke is the son of Liriope, a consort who was famous for her beauty and her tragic end. He grew up in an empty estate (Hollow Hall) with no parents and an endless appetite for "merriment," as Cardan calls it.
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He uses his appearance—that russet hair and those soft, feline eyes—to lower your guard. In a world where everyone is screaming their villainy from the rooftops, the guy who whispers poetry is the one you should actually be worried about.
The Downfall: What Really Happened at the End
If you haven't finished the trilogy, look away. Seriously.
Locke’s obsession with "the story" eventually backfires. After he marries Taryn, he gets bored of her. The drama of the secret affair was over. The wedding was done. He started treating her like furniture, leaving her for weeks and hosting month-long parties with people who didn't care about her.
The turning point? He told Taryn that the "story had gone out of her."
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That was his biggest mistake. You can't spend years teaching someone how to be cruel and then be surprised when they use that knowledge on you. Taryn, the sister who always tried to play by the rules, ended up stabbing him in the throat with a jeweled letter opener.
It wasn't a grand duel. It wasn't a heroic sacrifice. It was a messy, sudden end to a man who thought he was the narrator of everyone else’s life.
The Aftermath of Locke’s Death
- Taryn’s Pregnancy: She flees to the human world because she's carrying Locke’s child.
- The Inquest: Jude has to sneak back into Elfhame (while exiled!) to stand trial in Taryn's place because they look identical.
- The Lack of Mourning: Almost nobody in the High Court actually cares that he's gone. Even his "friends" like Cardan and Nicasia seem more annoyed by the inconvenience than the loss of a life.
How to Spot a "Locke" in Your Own Reading
If you’re looking for more characters that hit like Locke, look for the "Aesthete Villain." These aren't the guys with the swords; they're the guys with the wine and the witty remarks. They value beauty over morality and entertainment over loyalty.
To really understand the impact of Locke the Cruel Prince, you should re-read the novella The Lost Sisters. It’s written from Taryn’s perspective, and it shows just how much gaslighting he did to convince her that his betrayal was actually a romantic gesture.
If you want to dive deeper into the Folk of the Air universe, your next move should be to track down the "hidden" letters between Cardan and Jude, or check out How the King of Elfhame Learned to Hate Stories. It puts Locke’s brand of "storytelling" into a whole new context when you see how Cardan actually viewed his friend's antics. Stop looking for the hero in the fox-eyed boy—he was never there.