Kings Rising (The Captive Prince Trilogy Book 3)

(Originally reviewed for Love Bytes Reviews with my personal copy.)

This final installment in the Captive Prince Trilogy has been a very long time coming. And it has been very anxiously awaiting by adoring fans worldwide. I was dancing around the living room in glee when it downloaded from the store from my pre-buy. It seemed I had been waiting forever!

The wait is over! Of course I had to drop everything and quickly read the book! I had read somewhere that someone thought a chapter had been added to the end of book two when it was re-released. I was horrified. Had I missed something? Did I need to rush out and buy the newer version? I bought books one and two as soon as they came out, so they were an older version, but I’m happy to say the third book picks up on the very next page from the end of book two in the version that I own and read, so if there is another chapter in the re-released version it isn’t on the end. If you have older versions of one and two, don’t worry, you can grab this and go!

In King’s Rising, we are back with our heroes Prince Damianos of Akielos and Prince Laurent of Vere. When we ended book two, Prince Damianos, or Damen, had just been recognized by the troops and now Prince Laurent was about to find out that he has slept with his brother’s killer! Drama!

Well, the drama doesn’t just end there. There are several twists and turns in the plot which keep you guessing. Of course, those of you who have been following along will know that Laurent always seems to be one step ahead of most things, and nothing has changed….he still is…at least for a good portion of this book.

But subterfuge, evil plots, spies and turncoats abound. Beyond the secret identity of Damen, there is a ton of other stuff going on. I have to give kudos to Ms. Pacat. All of her characters are very well written. The background characters which in other people’s works might be shallow, are all fleshed out here and well woven into the tapestry of this story.

No spoilers. I think you will love this book. I myself absolutely LOVED it. It ended EXACTLY as I thought it should. I’m so very happy! Take my advice and pick it up today. It is imperative that the series be read in order. If you haven’t read books one and two…shame on you! Get them today! I’ll warn you, they’re more expensive than many books in this genre…but worth it!

Great series, very gripping. I remember reading the first book years back before the sequels were made, and it left a strong impact on me. Every once in a while, I'd wonder how freece was going to pull off a satisfying ending without being predictable. I never should have doubted, what a fantastic way to close the series.

When the third book arrived, I forced myself to be patient. I picked up the first two that I'd bought when the author first released printed copies. I relived the days of lj when each chapter was an event. I refreshed my memory. I fell in love with Damen (so honorable, so naive, so unready to rule) and with Laurent (so tortured, so clever, so honorable) all over again.

Then I finally picked up the third book. I'd read the first chapter when it was released as a teaser, so I was prepared for the first betrayal. Though I trusted Laurent and knew it wasn't, it couldn't be. I loved finally getting inside Laurent's head. I loved so much of this book. (Just like all her writing.)

I'm amazed at her ability to keep all the pieces of the plot in motion and never lose control of it. How she creates characters that are real. None of them are perfect, and they all have a character arc. What could be a throwaway character, or just a set piece, comes back in a later book as crucial. (Charls!)

The angst, the betrayals, the blindspots that both Damen and even Laurent have that almost destroy everything. My heart was in my throat so many times wondering how they would get out of the next impossible situation.

And the author did it. The good guys win. They've each grown and become kings in every way possible. She even added depth to Jokaste (Margaret).

It ended before I was ready. But that's a compliment. I'll spend much time wondering just what the rest of their lives will be like. They'll be distant friends that I don't hear from any more, but I know are out there: living, loving, growing, fighting, and getting into impossible, and inappropriate, adventures.

Absolutely an amazing end to the trilogy! I picked up the first book on a whim after reading The Foxhole Court and it was recommended to me. I never expected to fall in love with these characters as quickly as I did. I was fascinated by the worlds C.S Pacat created and I can't wait to read their future adventures, whether they take place in the kingdoms of Vere or someplace else entirely.

Well this was a totally unexpected read. I thought I'd run out of good historical and fantasy fiction when I stumbled on this series which has everything I like in those genres with the added attraction of a hot, dark romance between the two protagonists, both men, both kings.
Highly recommended.

This trilogy is amazing. I cannot wait for this author to write more novels, Pacat is a fantastic writer with wonderful imagery and deep, well-rounded characters. 10 out of 10, this series is HIGHLY recommended.

It deserves a hard cover. When I received the product by priority express mail, I was disappointed by the quality of the physical state of it, not the content of it. The edges are a little creased during transportation. Please consider a better quality paperback if not hard cover. I would recommend a more attractive cover design as well.

A beautiful conclusion to a complex story. It's not for everyone, as it covers lots of dark themes, but for me it was one of the most gripping political intrigue fantasies. And a side of slow burn love story to boot. Definitely recommend it, but do beware of the content warnings (especially for the first book of the series).

It deserves a hard cover. When I received the product by priority express mail, I was disappointed by the quality of the physical state of it, not the content of it. The edges are a little creased during transportation. Please consider a better quality paperback if not hard cover. I would recommend a more attractive cover design as well.

A beautiful conclusion to a complex story. It's not for everyone, as it covers lots of dark themes, but for me it was one of the most gripping political intrigue fantasies. And a side of slow burn love story to boot. Definitely recommend it, but do beware of the content warnings (especially for the first book of the series).

I was a little worried about picking up where the stories left off, but was able to drop right back into flow. My heart hurt when I thought of Damen & Laurent losing the delicate trust that they had begun to build. Damen never wavered though. He stayed constant and true and trusted that Laurent would be there in the end. They were like two sides of a coin. Perfect compliments to each other. I'd like to see what they could achieve with time and freedom from brothers and uncles. I love this series. I hope C.S. Pacat has more wonderful stories living inside. I'd love to go along for the ride.

The Captive Prince Trilogy is one long story. You need to read all three books in order: Captive Prince, Prince’s Gambit, and Kings Rising. Book 1 was good. Book 2 was the best. I did not like Book 3. The ending of Book 3 was good - it was happy for the main characters. But prior to the end Book 3 was mostly frustrating feelings and a couple of stupid events. I put an example in Spoiler below. Books 1 and 2 had more interesting strategies and events. Book 3 was no fun.

The story is mostly about military, wars and politics in two countries/kingdoms. There are a lot Machiavellian strategies, conflicts and trickery. Other adjectives to describe the story: enslavement, rape, torture, sexual depravity. Gay male sex is talked about a lot. Both countries have sex slaves and other slaves.

Laurent is a 20-year-old prince soon to be made king of Vere. His uncle is the current Regent but plans to kill Laurent so he can stay in power. They are master manipulators working against each other. Laurent appears to be evil, cold and intriguing. There is a lot of mystery about him.

Damen is a prince from Akielos. Damen’s brother Kastor took over the Akielos throne and sent Damen to Vere to be a slave.

I don’t know the author’s inspirations, but I imagine the following could have been inspirations: David Bowie for Prince Laurent, his country Vere being like Italy, valuing art and beauty. Gerard Butler in the movie 300 would be Damen. His country Akielos similar to Sparta.

SEX:
Throughout the books characters talk a lot about men having sex with men, teenage boys, and male slaves. These are references to sex not detailed explicit sex scenes, but this keeps sex frequently in the reader’s mind. Most of it is male-male sex but there is one male-female sex scene.

The total number of sex scenes for all three books is about 6: 3 short scenes, 3 longer scenes, and many references to sex having happened. In one scene two men are forced to wrestle naked on stage with the winner raping the loser.

TORTURE:
There is a whipping torture scene in Book 1. A couple torture scenes are referred to in Book 3.

CAUTION SPOILER:
An example of a Book 3 stupid event: someone surrendering himself without good reason to an enemy who will kill him, then luck saves the day. The logic for this did not fit the character’s logic and abilities in the first two books.
END SPOILER.

DATA:
Narrative mode: 3rd person. Story length: about 947 pages includes all 3 books. Swearing language: strong. Sexual language: strong/explicit. Number of sex scenes: about 6. Setting: a time of swords and horses in a fictional land. Copyright: 2013, 2014, 2016. Genre: gay male fiction.

*****SPOILERS BELOW*****

"I'm glad you're here," said Laurent. "I always thought that I'd have to face my uncle alone."
He turned to look at Damen, and their eyes met.
"You're not alone," said Damen.

I'm so glad I decided to reread the first two books (after not initially liking them years ago) and then read this one. Otherwise I would have missed out on something truly wonderful.

The last book ended in a horrible cliff-hanger where Damen was revealed to be Prince Damianos...and now we see the consequences of that reveal. Laurent and Damen have been growing closer this whole time but at this revelation, with everything out in the open, their complicated relationship takes a few steps backward. The strain in their relationship affects them both and they must come to terms with who they are and what they really mean to one another.

"I miss you," said Laurent. "I miss our conversations."
...... "I miss you too."

When they finally reunite and are intimate, that sex scene was even better than in the last book! Damen continues to be incredibly tender as he takes his time and works at bringing Laurent pleasure. Damen is such an incredibly kind man and I love the honesty and care he shows Laurent. He really sees the man under Laurent's mask he shows the world.

"How can you trust me, after what your own brother did to you?"
"Because he was false," said Damen, "and you are true. I have never known a truer man." He said, into the stillness, "I think if I gave you my heart, you would treat it tenderly."

And Laurent really makes you feel for him. He clearly has little to no experience with genuine kindness and having Damen constantly provide it really wears away at Laurent's inner walls.

"I hated you," said Laurent. "I hated you so badly I thought I'd choke on it. If my uncle hadn't stopped me, I would have killed you. And then you saved my life, and every time I needed you, you were right there, and I hated you for that, too.

I really loved how much the characters cared about one another. It's incredible how far they've come. And after they reconcile, they don't hide their feelings from each other or the men around them. I loved how much they wanted to keep each other safe. And how far they were willing to go to do so.

"No. Listen to me." He felt Laurent's hand firm on the back of his neck. "I'm not going to let my uncle hurt you." Laurent's blue gaze was calm and steady, as if he had made a decision and wanted Damen to know it. "It's what I came here last night to say. I'm going to take care of it."

..............

"Even now, all he had to do was denounce Laurent and he could face Kastor with a real chance of taking back his throne.
But he asked himself the question in Ravenel, and now he knew the answer.
A kingdom, or this."

The ending confrontation with the Regent was fantastic and Damen's little speech to the council about Laurent made me wanna cry!

This is, without a doubt, the best and most well-written enemies to lovers and slave/master story I've ever read. It's incredibly well-paced and believable in terms of the characters' relationship development. The plot was amazing! Pacat had me overcomplicating my theories and ideas and then second guessing them over and over. I seriously can't recommend this series enough! Do yourself a favor and read this series ASAP!

What makes it great is the balance. A little humor and angst mixed in with just the right amount of violence and plot. If I had a reset button, I would reread this a hundred times to fall in love all over again.

An enjoyable ending to the series, though not entirely satisfying as it leaves off on a cliffhanger. Certain plot points also end up being resolved a little too easily. That said, the book is still enjoyable, with many amazing and memorable scenes.

These are such good books. Kings Rising is the last of the trilogy. I thoroughly enjoyed them, but I had to go back and re-read the first two before I could read the third as there was such a publishing gap between them. Laurent and Dameneous (sp) were complex, entirely different characters but each was fully capable of becoming a king. The trip to Kingsmeet was as exciting as the rest of the books, especially with their captive in the cart. I was sorry to see the end. I hope the author writes many more just as entertaining.

This final chapter as the climax to this amazing trilogy was no less than spectacular. The continuing obstinate dynamic between Damen and Laurent culminated into a perfectly poetic ending. This story is one that draws you in and keeps you, making you feel the pains and grievances and pleasures and happiness of these two remarkable characters. I LOVED this book series and will go on to count it as one of my all time favorites in my lifetime. If it was possible to give more than five stars, I wouldn't hesitate.

This is almost a harlequin romance... But with guys. The sexual aspect is subservient to the overall fantasy-based stories. Also, the bad people are really nasty- it is quite satisfying to hate them so completely !

So I recommend it: too bad there are no illustrations...

I LOVED this book. This series was consistently well-written, well-paced, and suspensful. I am itching to read more! I texted my friend after finishing and immediately asked where the rest was. I really hope C. S. Pact writes another- I will be keeping my eyes open.

Honestly, it was fantastic. The romance truly wraps up beautifully, and I know that even at the end I was clamoring for more. Not because it left me unsatisfied as a reader, but because I wanted a continuation on the adventures that take place in this world.

I'm sure everyone wishes there was more, some sort of epilogue or even another book, but I think the ending book to this trilogy is thoroughly satisfying. Definitely worth every penny I spent! Also, long live Charls!!!

Great climaxing end to a beautiful series. Compared to the first two books which were slightly slow to start in terms of plot development, the third was a wild ride from start to finish. The ending was exactly what I needed. Read it all in one sitting!

I mean where to begin? Whoever picks up this trilogy will not be able to put it down! Lucky for you all three books are out now. These books will take you on a roller coaster of plot twists and emotions you did not foresee. Highly recommend it!