Title: Captive Prince (Captive Prince #1)
Author: C.S Pacat
Genre: Fantasy | M/M | Romance
Publisher: Berkley
Publication Date: April 7, 2015
Format: Physical
Source: Library
Damen is a warrior hero to his people, and the rightful heir to the throne of Akielos. But when his half brother seizes power, Damen is captured, stripped of his identity, and sent to serve the prince of an enemy nation as a pleasure slave.
Beautiful, manipulative, and deadly, his new master, Prince Laurent, epitomizes the worst of the court at Vere. But in the lethal political web of the Veretian court, nothing is as it seems, and when Damen finds himself caught up in a play for the throne, he must work together with Laurent to survive and save his country.
For Damen, there is just one rule: never, ever reveal his true identity. Because the one man Damen needs is the one man who has more reason to hate him than anyone else…(goodreads).
If I had to wrap up Captive Prince in one sentence, it would be "it took me by surprise."
Plot: I'd seen this book around the blogosphere a lot lately, and as an avid pursuer of romance, I knew I had to have it. When I first started reading it, I was a bit uncomfortable by the mention of rape and pedophilia, but Pacat handled it all quite well. I don't know how to explain it more than just that. I think everyone has to read it from him/herself to decide their reaction, but I was comfortable enough with the topic to want to continue the series. If you're still uneasy about all of the sex, it might help that Pacat has this unusual way of writing her graphic scenes to be somewhat"off camera." You are aware of what is happening, but Pacat does not overly state each movement or action.
Now I know I said that I wanted this book because of the romance aspect, but let me be clear and say that romance buffs will be disappointed with this first book. To me, Captive Prince doesn't read like a true trilogy, instead, it reads like one book told in three separate parts. This first part is mostly setting the scene and showing who all the key players are.
Characters: While not told in the first person perspective, Captive Prince is told from Damen's angle. He is a captured prince who is sold to the enemy as a sex slave. His master and enemy, Laurent ,is crazy as all hell - but given his environment, I can say that some of his actions are justified. They both live in a world where you can't trust anyone and political alliances play a major role in how they should behave. I felt that Captive Prince only revealed the tip of the iceberg for both Damen and Laurent, and I'm most interested in seeing them grow to trust each other and take their destinies into their own hands.
Worldbuilding: In my head, the world of the Captive Prince was very much so ancient Greece. A world full of slavery and same-sex coupling just for the sake of sex and political advances (rather than actual sexual preference). I loved it because it was full of court betrayal and intrigue, and I'm eager to see the rest of Pacat's world in the next installments.
Short N Sweet: C.S Pacat's world is both beautiful and ugly, and I can't wait to see how the story progresses!
Labels: 4 stars, book review, c.s pacat, captive prince, penguin berkeley, review
