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4.29 AVERAGE
4.29 AVERAGE
i will say that i have grown to love these characters. i'm a little irked by how few female characters there are and how they are all handled within the narrative. i understand that this is historical fiction yaoi and its a male dominated society, but im growing tired of men talking to each other. laurent is good enough for now. sigh
I came into this with some hesitance because of bad reviews on here and let me tell you: they are wrong. The first book did have some nasty shit in it especially around the sexual slavery but in this one they are not in court, the only “slave” is Damen who does not do practically anything against his will and frankly, I completely disagree with the “thinly vailed erotica” criticisms too - yes, sex is often mentioned and discussed and occurs but there is only one scene which is an actual descriptive sex scene and it honestly is MUCH more about the characters and the things they reveal through their approach to intimacy than it is about anything else. If anything there were way more battle descriptions that sexual ones.
All that being said, the book in and of itself is a fun read. Great character work, i got a little tired of the constant eventfullness at one point, not gonna lie, but the character arcs kept me going! Personally I don’t care for fights, battles and war so by the third siege I was more than a little bored but I just skimmed those parts and got to Laurent explaining his latest impossibly elaborate scheme (which i DO care for, deeply). Every exchange between the main characters was super interesting and well written, just clear enough to keep you hooked but convoluted enough to make you really think about whats being said! Also a great bonus that Laurent’s constantly dropping hints for his Obvious Trauma which Damen resolutely does not get (or even notice at all, most times) so it makes the reader feel really omniscient without affecting the characters themselves!
I was also pleasantly surprised by the level of development given to the supporting cast like Jord, Aimeric, Torveld and even Kastor who is literally never on the page. I wouldn’t necessarily agree with the life changing best book ever reviews but it certainly is good and engaging and I, too, would die for Prince Laurent of Vere actually.
p.s. if you are european lord help you trying to get over the insane Akielos Is Greece hints, particularly commander fucking Makedon
All that being said, the book in and of itself is a fun read. Great character work, i got a little tired of the constant eventfullness at one point, not gonna lie, but the character arcs kept me going! Personally I don’t care for fights, battles and war so by the third siege I was more than a little bored but I just skimmed those parts and got to Laurent explaining his latest impossibly elaborate scheme (which i DO care for, deeply). Every exchange between the main characters was super interesting and well written, just clear enough to keep you hooked but convoluted enough to make you really think about whats being said! Also a great bonus that Laurent’s constantly dropping hints for his Obvious Trauma which Damen resolutely does not get (or even notice at all, most times) so it makes the reader feel really omniscient without affecting the characters themselves!
I was also pleasantly surprised by the level of development given to the supporting cast like Jord, Aimeric, Torveld and even Kastor who is literally never on the page. I wouldn’t necessarily agree with the life changing best book ever reviews but it certainly is good and engaging and I, too, would die for Prince Laurent of Vere actually.
p.s. if you are european lord help you trying to get over the insane Akielos Is Greece hints, particularly commander fucking Makedon
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
As with Captive Prince, the world-building continues to be astounding and the character depth is amazing. Everything felt so fleshed-out and real, with a huge amount of detail in a fairly short book.
Where Captive Prince felt like the story was being set-up, Prince's Gambit provided us with the story itself. I was roped in from the beginning and loved every moment of my journey through this book.
The writing was detailed but easy to follow and reading it was a joy in itself. We are treated to more plotting and cunning, antagonists you truly hate, and I truly didn't know where we'd end up - I was on the edge of my proverbial seat.
I love Damen. I love Laurent. Their relationship is complex and confusing, they have so many secrets between them that it feels like there's a wedge but Damen is PINING. The man is down bad. Honestly, their relationship is just swoon-worthy (even though it probably shouldn't be!). The way it evolves so organically is delightful.
I'm sad that I've flown through Books 1 & 2 already, I'm not ready to leave this world after the final book.
Where Captive Prince felt like the story was being set-up, Prince's Gambit provided us with the story itself. I was roped in from the beginning and loved every moment of my journey through this book.
The writing was detailed but easy to follow and reading it was a joy in itself. We are treated to more plotting and cunning, antagonists you truly hate, and I truly didn't know where we'd end up - I was on the edge of my proverbial seat.
I love Damen. I love Laurent. Their relationship is complex and confusing, they have so many secrets between them that it feels like there's a wedge but Damen is PINING. The man is down bad. Honestly, their relationship is just swoon-worthy (even though it probably shouldn't be!). The way it evolves so organically is delightful.
I'm sad that I've flown through Books 1 & 2 already, I'm not ready to leave this world after the final book.
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Came in expecting a romance-heavy sequel, instead, I got politics, war, and Laurent’s golden, pale, luscious hair mentioned more times than I can count. :)
The first half was a bit rough for me, but the latter half totally redeemed itself. Beautifully written, and I’m officially hooked for the third book! I just wish it leaned more on the complexity of the characters, especially Laurent, instead of reducing him to a pretty, angry guy with blonde hair.
The first half was a bit rough for me, but the latter half totally redeemed itself. Beautifully written, and I’m officially hooked for the third book! I just wish it leaned more on the complexity of the characters, especially Laurent, instead of reducing him to a pretty, angry guy with blonde hair.
This was game of 4D chess of a fight for the throne and an enemies to lovers conflict. I couldn’t put the book down, couldn’t guess the next twist. And yet everything was so beautifully and realistically written. This is the best book I’ve read in a long while.
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
So much better than the first book!! The slow-burn was amazing in this one, while in the first book nothing much happens.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, War
Moderate: Child death, Pedophilia