The Cruel Prince by Holly Black

• Teenage mortal Jude has spent more than half her life in Faerieland, a dangerous place where everyone is beautiful, powerful, and magical -- except for for her.  Mortals are few and far between in Faerie, mostly servants or lovers, powerless and frequently humiliated; it's a dark, intoxicating, and supremely scary world, but it's home nonetheless.
• Jude and her twin sister Taryn have been raised by the ruthless faerie general, Madoc, her mother's ex-husband (who murdered Jude's parents in front of her very eyes ten years ago), and she has learned much from him about strategy and sword-fighting.
• Jude longs to be a knight and fight on behalf of one of the high court faeries, so when presented with the opportunity to work for a faerie prince, she seizes it in hopes of gaining power -- only to be swept up in political schemes that endanger her and her whole family.  Is getting what she wants worth the price?

Grades 9-12
Book 1 of The Folk of the Air series

Love this series so much I'm rereading it.  Jude is a prickly heroine who has decided to stop playing nice and go after what she wants, and it's so fun to tag along on her journey.  The whole series is full of suspense and plot twists.  If you like Game of Thrones-style twisted politics and betrayal, swordplay, romance, spying, and family drama, then I bet you won't be able to put this one down.