Captive Prince Series by C.S.Pacat — Series Review & Summary

CAPTIVE PRINCE SERIES 

Book 1: Captive Prince

Book 2: Prince’s Gambit 

Book 3: King’s Rising

Before we talk about this beautiful masterpiece, let’s talk about Trigger Warnings for this book.

TW: Human Slavery, Child Abuse and Rape.

This trilogy has two spectra of audience, either those who love this series or those who hate this series. Fortunately, I am on the list of those people who not only loved these books but became obsessed with them and who can’t seem to stop talking about them. I cannot thank C.S.Pacat enough.

This series has changed my opinions, made me think, question my writing skills and raised a bar for Romance books. Captive Prince by C.S.Pacat is one of the most beautifully written series in the enemies to lover and slow-burn category that I have come across. C.S.Pacat managed to break and mend my heart with Captive Prince Series.

This series is set in a fantasy world where surprisingly there aren’t mythical creatures or magic but rather a world where there are human slaves and pets. And I am absolutely in love with storytelling and word-building by C.S.Pacat.

The story follows the journey of Damianos, the Crown Prince of Aikelon who is surprisingly stripped of his title, his life and finds himself in collars, sent as a Pleasure slave to the Prince of Vere as a peace treaty between two enemy nations.

SUMMARY: 

      “This place sickened him. Anywhere else, you simply killed your enemy with a sword. Or poisoned him, if you had the honourless instincts of an assassin. Here, it was layer upon layer of constructed double-dealing, dark, polished and unpleasant.”

Book 1: Captive Prince, follows the journey of Damianos (who goes by the name Damen), as he tries to understand the nation, their culture, his urge to protect other slaves and escape as soon as possible to go back to his people. Inevitably, Damen finds himself in midst of family drama and has to try to understand the layers behind the Prince’s or rather his masters, cruel acts.

            “Laurent could inspire homicidal tendencies simply by breathing.”

 “To get what you want, you have to know exactly how much you are willing to give up.”

Book 2: Prince’s Gambit,  picks up with Damen accompanying Laurent on his border duty. The journey towards the border isn’t as easy as it seems. They are accompanied by untrained and undisciplined soldiers. With their own fracture in disputes, each day towards the border seems like a test. From the un-united army to surprise attacks, Damen and Laurent begin to trust the others insight and follow their suggestions. After facing a series of challenges, not only do they manage to reach the border but also manage to win a fort to themselves.

            “I lack,” said Laurent, “the easy mannerisms that are usually shared with,” you could see him pushing the words out, “a lover.”
           “You lack the easy mannerisms that are usually shared with anyone,” said Damen.”

“The ache of loss didn’t make sense, because Laurent had never been his.”

Book 3: King’s Rising, begins with a bang. An Akielon an in charge of a Veretian fort with an Akielon army at their gates, the final part of this beautiful story takes us to our inevitable doom. With each chapter, we come closer to discovering betrays, secrets and fight for not one but two thrones. As a formal alliance is made between the two, they must focus on what they really want. A Kingdom or this.!

“I think if I gave you my heart, you would treat it tenderly.”

MY THOUGHTS:

 There aren’t words that can describe the beauty of these books. C.S.Pacat did an amazing job with this series. Damen and Laurent, two people who could not be any more different from each other. Yet, if we strip their soul naked, they are examples of two people who are just made for each other. We know since the start that they will end up together but it wasn’t easy. There was constant interference – be it them being their stubborn self or their cruelty, the people around and of course, their past. Between the responsibilities of their kingdom and ranging the loss of their family, the two of them understand each other like no one. The pain, the longing to be with the other and yet the baggage, the past between evident, stopping them. With each chapter, we see a new level of depth in their character that one cannot help but fall in love with. With each page, the want to see them together; with each changing chapter, the need to see them on their throne and with each word, the shocking twist that manages to stop us and stare into oblivion.

Don’t be shocked, if this series ends up giving you a serious hangover or the want to just start to re-read the whole series again because every time, I finish a book and am deciding my next read, my heart earns for this series.

You can find my other reviews here.