I got to know about the Captive Prince series by C.S. Pacat via book recommendations on social media. Somehow, I hadn’t heard of this gem before. I have to admit, I had not expected to fall in love with this series as much as I did. Based on the summary I found online, I thought it would be smut with barely any plot. Surprisingly enough, this was not at all the case and I found myself lost in this amazing tale of friendship, betrayal, and unlikely romance.
Attention: I will be reviewing all books in this series in this post, but everything except the first book will be hidden so that you do not read any spoilers unless you want to.
Book 1: Captive Prince
Captive Prince
While I consider Captive Prince to be historical fiction (because there’s nothing supernatural or magical that takes place), the story is set in a fictional world that calls to mind Ancient Greece and Italy. Damen, heir to the throne of Akielos, loses everything that he holds dear when his half-brother seizes power and banishes him to Vere as a slave. His new master, Prince Laurent, is known as a cold and manipulative man who embodies the Veretian decadence despised by Damen. But the court and its politics are treacherous and before Damen realises what is happening, he finds himself in the middle of a dangerous power struggle. Forced into an unlikely alliance, can Damen and Laurent find a way to save themselves, their thrones, and their countries?
An amazing romance
If there’s one thing that I adore in a story, then it’s an impossible romance. And this book has heaps of it. It’s subtle, it’s a slow burn and it is WAY less smutty than I had expected, but boy, my heart soared because of this story. The world building is superb, but it were the characters who really stole my heart, especially Laurent. He reminded me distinctly of a perpetually annoyed version of Robin Hobb‘s Fool (whom I also passionately love) with his sharp tongue and witty remarks. Come to think of it, there are also certain similarities to be found between Fitz and Damen.
The initial plot of the story also reminded me a bit of Ai no Kusabi, a Japanese novel series I read a couple of years ago. While I’ve always been drawn to that story, its writing style was actually very cold and distant and I did not end up liking the series as much as I would have hoped. If only it would have been written like Captive Prince. The writing style of C.S. Pacat is definitely also unusual (both from a grammatical and from a lexical point of view) but somehow, that didn’t bother me at all. I’m curious to read more of her work though, to see if it was a style choice or simply the way she writes.
I devoured this series from start to finish in little over a week. I wish more stories would be published about these amazing characters…pretty please? Without a doubt: five gemstones out of five!
Book 2: Prince’s Gambit
Summary & Evaluation (click here)
This books takes the story away from the decadent Veretian Court and into the world of army camps and battlefields. Following Laurent into the trap set by his uncle at the end of book one, Damen must make good use of all his military knowledge to ensure their survival. As they grow closer together, it becomes increasingly difficult to keep his true identity hidden….
A strong sequel
Although I prefer the court setting of book 1, I loved this book as much as the first one. The story is fast paced and the romance starts to blossom.
Book 3: Kings Rising
Summary & Evaluation (click here)
This book reads like a boulder rolling from a hill, drawing the characters closer and closer to an inevitable fate. I am often able to predict the end of a story, but this was not at all the case for this series. It kept me on the edge of my seat and I sometimes even had to put down my book to catch my breath and gather all my courage to discover how it would end. Would they survive? And if so, would their love? A breathtaking conclusion: 5 gemstones out of 5.
Book 3,5: The Summer Palace and Other Stories
Summary & Evaluation (click here)
This collection of short stories take place at various moments throughout the events of the trilogy and provides us with more background for some of the minor characters. But, most importantly, there are new tales about Laurent and Damen. Aaaaaaagh <3 Do you need to read it to understand the story? No, not at all. Would I recommend it? Absolutely! Interesting extras: 4 gemstones out of 5.
Age Category: For a mature audience
Representation: Bisexual and gay main and supporting characters. PTSD.
Trigger Warnings (click here, may contain spoilers)
Warnings for murder, abuse, betrayal, rape, and violence.Do you want to discover more?
If my review inspired you to pick up the book, don’t hesitate to check it out at Goodreads or at the below online stores. If you decide to buy it via one of the following links, I will receive a small percentage at no extra charge for you!
- Amazon.nl: Captive Prince Paperback edition
- Amazon.nl: Prince’s Gambit Paperback edition
- Amazon.nl: Kings Rising Paperback edition
- Amazon.nl: The Summer Palace and Other Stories Paperback edition
Similar to this
If you are into stories about court politics and impossible romance, you will want to check out the Folk of the Air series by Holly Black (my review can be found here). This series is much less dark than Captive Prince though, written for a younger audience, and much more magical (it’s about a Fae kingdom). It’s also one of my absolute treasures though.
Another interesting take on court politics is of course the amazing Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb. This is the series that got me hooked on fantasy and it will be forever one of my go-to series. As mentioned before, some aspects of the two main characters reminded me strongly of the main characters of the Farseer Trilogy. This is an adult epic fantasy, and it’s not at all as dark or as explicit as Captive Prince. Nor as romantic (which I regret a bit).
Recently, C.S. Pacat also published her newest book, Dark Rise. I ordered it right away, but, unfortunately, it still hasn’t managed to cross the ocean to get to me. I am so curious to read this! It tells the story of a world in which magic has disappeared, together with the knowledge about the struggle between Light and Dark. But the Stewards stand guard, ready to protect humanity if the Dark King would ever return. As evil forces stir, reborn heroes and villains of long ago start to draw battle lines…Update: my review can now be found here!