Reviews tagging 'Toxic relationship'

Captive Prince by C.S. Pacat

38 reviews

johnnytest's review against another edition

dark fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.0

gross tbh, feels like torture porn most of the time and rape the rest

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Slavery, War, Kidnapping, Sexual violence, Pedophilia, Toxic relationship, and Physical abuse

Moderate: Xenophobia and Trafficking

eleanorrae's review against another edition

Read all the trigger and content warnings. Then remember that was all before chapter three. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Toxic relationship, Violence, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Confinement, Drug abuse, Forced institutionalization, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, and War

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship and Blood

mspilesofpaper's review against another edition

dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

Pinterest sold me the book as enemies-to-lovers with a gay/bi couple. I was aware that Damen would be a slave but everyone praised it as beautiful romance.

It isn’t. It is a glorification of sexual violence. Endless abuse (mental and physical) as well as rape. Also: paedology since the boy was a sex slave since he was 10/11. The fact that the sex slaves in two kingdoms give up their free will (WHICH IS WHAT MAKES US HUMAN!) for a life in luxury is sickening. The more demure and submissive they are, the higher their worth. Like wtf? W t f. 

I don’t understand how a publisher allowed this book to be printed because the editor should have told the author a strict „no“. There’s no plot, no world-building, no character development. It’s just written glorification of sexual violence and I feel utterly sick.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Drug abuse, Toxic relationship, Slavery, Adult/minor relationship, Torture, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Child abuse, Physical abuse, and Rape

5aru's review against another edition

challenging dark sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Physical abuse, Violence, Sexual assault, Murder, Kidnapping, Death, Slavery, Rape, and Sexual content

Moderate: Pedophilia, Toxic relationship, and Child abuse

20sidedbi's review against another edition

dark tense slow-paced

• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

0.25

This book is sexual violence posing as plot.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Toxic relationship, Torture, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Homophobia, Emotional abuse, Blood, Pedophilia, Trafficking, Forced institutionalization, Physical abuse, Confinement, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Incest, Slavery, Violence, Sexual violence, and Murder

ailsaod's review against another edition

challenging dark fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

 Haha I read this in a single sitting! I have been curious about this book for a while as I was drawn to the secret identity aspect and the controversy about whether this series is problematic. All the reviews I've seen here are either saying this book is disgusting or romantic but I personally found it very t e n s e. The setting is extremely messed up (going into it I had no idea just how messed up it was going to be and I cannot stress enough that it gets a bit grim in places) but all the depravity allows for especially convoluted court dynamics and when you realise certain characters' motivations all I could think was OH NO! I'm almost left wondering if Pacat wrote this purely so they could write the courtly intrigue.

The interactions between Damen and Laurent are interesting as while I can tell from a mile off that they are going to eventually have a romance from what kind of story this is there was barely any hints at that in the whole book and instead the focus is on how much they hate each other and Laurent being horrible in the strangest of ways. Everyone in this story is to some degree awful - even Damen, who is much more sympathetic than everyone else because we see exactly what he is thinking has moments that when you have the whole context are not great. I really liked how Pacat turned everything on it's head in the third act and I look forward to reading book 2!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape and Slavery

Moderate: Physical abuse, Adult/minor relationship, Toxic relationship, Confinement, and Pedophilia

Minor: Drug use and Incest

alb_pa's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

1.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Pedophilia, Slavery, Physical abuse, Emotional abuse, Drug abuse, Violence, Classism, Torture, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child abuse, Toxic relationship, and War

1quillb's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

1.75

1.8/5

I don’t know why there are so many good reviews of this book, but I feel like I did when I read CMBYN. Have we all read the same book?? The amount of rape and nonconsensuality in this book is alarming, and it kinda terrified me. Some of the concepts were interesting, but the writing style was extremely confusing and the main premise of this book is not good. I wouldn’t recommend someone read this without knowing what they’re getting into first, and especially don’t read this if rape/lack of consent/etc is triggering.

Triggar warnings include rape, attempted rape, dubious/lack of consent, slavery, grooming

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Slavery

kommatator's review against another edition

dark emotional tense fast-paced

• Strong character development? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Rape, Slavery, War, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Blood, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, Child abuse, Death of parent, Hate crime, Kidnapping, Murder, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, and Violence

jmross10's review against another edition

challenging dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? N/A
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

This book (and this series) get a bad wrap a lot of the time. The main reason for that is people don't read the synopsis or they do read it and completely disregard what it says. Then they act shocked when they find out there is sexual slavery at the center of the story. It is an understandably surprising premise but if you give the book a chance you will see there's more to it than what the surface suggests. A big part of the main character's journey is being forced to re-evaluate his view of the world now that he is seeing it from the other side.

There is a slow burn romance that develops over the duration of the series but don't go into this book expecting to see much of it. There are the tiniest hits of what could be. There is no actual suggestion as to what it is.

For that matter, don't go into this book expecting to know what's going to happen next either. While the world is interesting and the characters are messy, the most captivating part is easily the chaotic political maneuvering in Vere. Everyone seems to be twenty steps ahead of the reader. Some of them - Laurent - are thirty. 

Captive Prince is not necessarily an easy read but there are real emotional stakes, consequences for character's actions, and an unraveling of political plots that makes it well worth the effort. Pacat is an excellent writer and worth giving a try!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Body horror, Bullying, Sexual content, Slavery, and Toxic relationship

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Classism, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Alcohol, Child abuse, Pedophilia, Sexual violence, and Fire/Fire injury