Reviews tagging 'Racism'

Captive Prince by C.S. Pacat

13 reviews

hedonsgaybookshelf's review

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Racial slurs, Violence, Racism, Sexual violence, and Xenophobia

natnat_7's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual violence, Injury/Injury detail, Torture, Violence, Sexual assault, Confinement, and Racism

Moderate: Drug abuse, Sexual harassment, War, Slavery, Drug use, Pedophilia, Adult/minor relationship, and Murder

Minor: Pregnancy

nicetomitchya's review

dark mysterious sad tense slow-paced

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

0.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Colonisation, Slavery, Torture, Blood, Abandonment, Racism, Bullying, Kidnapping, Pedophilia, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Cursing and Drug abuse

meepmeepmia's review

challenging dark mysterious slow-paced

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

3.25

I have read this series a few times, I always think this is the lowest of the three. Just as how it is written you don't really get a full picture till you have read everything, so while this may be gritty and certain character may be down right un readable for those who like a good pay off keep going!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Blood, Sexual violence, Slavery, and Violence

Moderate: Pedophilia, Rape, and Racism

Minor: Death, Cursing, Sexual assault, Incest, Torture, Drug use, and Death of parent

paholizz's review

challenging dark medium-paced

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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Classism, Blood, Physical abuse, Confinement, Drug use, Rape, Sexual content, Adult/minor relationship, Colonisation, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Slavery, Sexual violence, and Torture

Moderate: Death of parent, Racism, and Trafficking

Minor: Animal death and Incest

paziicrm's review against another edition

challenging dark tense medium-paced

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

4.25

Captive Prince, as a novel, gets a 4☆ for me. As a re-read after 7 years, it was such a fun reading experience! The worldbuilding, though emotionally challenging and shocking, was so well done from the get to. And seeing the progression of Damen and Lauren't dynamics from enemies to temporally reluctant allies is so 🤌🏼 GOOD! 

This edition contains an extra short story, Erasmus's training AND IT WAS SO SO GOOD. First time reading it and I'm floored to see how much I enjoyed it. The ending was surprising, heartbreaking and devastating for so many reasons. I hope Erasmus and Kallias find each other again... 4.5☆

This specific edition I give 4.25 because the short story at the end elevates the rating (such a nice bonus!)

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, and Violence

Moderate: Confinement and Drug use

Minor: Animal death, Classism, Death of parent, Alcohol, and Animal cruelty

dragonbloom's review

medium-paced

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

0.75

This is a controversial book. After years of hearing from other people what I should think of the book, I decided to form my own opinion. 

I hated it. 

Fundamentally, I feel it is too horny to be an adventure story, but not horny enough to be erotica. My issues with the plot only compound it. 

Laurent, our love interest, is gifted Damen as a sex slave. The court he is surrounded with is hedonistic and sexual, with courtiers regularly having sex in public. 

Despite this, there is only one actual sex scene,

when Laurent has another sex slave force oral on a tied up Damen.

If you are looking for some dark erotica, perhaps find it elsewhere, this is lacking in sex. 

Despite ordering Damen’s abuse at the hands of his servants,

Laurent never personally lays hands on him.

I can only assume, as

we are supposed to find him more forgivable than if he had personally beaten and raped Damen. I do not. Rape fetish fiction is not my thing, but I understand people like it. However, it would be nice if we didn’t pretend the abuser is not an abuser, as he abuses by proxy.

I found the story predictable. On several occasions, the chapter would end with Laurent dramatically informing the ever oblivious Damen something I had guessed chapters ago, much to Damen’s shock. In these moments, he comes off, not unfamiliar with the venomous court of a foreign land, but stupid. 

The regent’s, who’s name escapes me, “pet”,

a 13 year old boy, plotline, feels a lazy effort to make Laurent look better in comparison to his uncle. “Oh, sure, he’s a violent abuser, but look! He’s not a child molester!” I have not read further, but I suspect Laurent was molested by him also. Just a guess.

Regardless, the pedophilia is not romanticised, but is not handled with the sensitivity such a… Well, sensitive, topic demands. 

The only thing I can give the book credit for is consistent characterisation, and good use of showing instead of telling. 

If you like slow burn, abusive noncon fanfiction, this is probably the book for you. For me? God, no. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Torture, Sexual harassment, Racism, Pedophilia, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual assault, Rape, Sexual content, Physical abuse, Trafficking, and Sexual violence

Moderate: Death, Injury/Injury detail, Alcohol, War, Death of parent, Violence, Toxic relationship, Grief, and Blood

Minor: Animal death, Animal cruelty, and Suicide

Much of the book is spent musing on the beauty of, specifically pale, skin.

madzcp's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced

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

5.0

This series is my all time favorite. I reread them almost every year. The subject matter can be challenging to read, and is presented in a controversial way. However, it is MEANT to be that way. People who give these books bad reviews, but have not read all three, should not be condemning them for the trigger warning type content. It is addressed in the future books. There is purpose to the content. It is meant to make you uncomfortable.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child death, Emotional abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Child abuse, Violence, Slavery, Torture, Sexual content, Rape, Racism, Physical abuse, Pedophilia, Murder, and Confinement

Moderate: Incest, Adult/minor relationship, Animal death, Blood, War, Torture, Pregnancy, Grief, Drug use, Death of parent, Death, and Child death

lavender_lores's review

challenging dark medium-paced

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

2.0

this book is literally so problematic, it's got way too many sexual abuse/harassment/violence scenes for anyone to read it while sane, not to mention the almost fetishization of gay people in the effort of making a queernorm world and the underlying colorism/racism with the way pale people with blond hair is throughout glorified as a damn plot point. i read this after dark rise, which i loved so much, but after reading this i'm not sure if i can support the author anymore. there was too much going wrong here to be covered up by "it's not glorification, we need to discuss dark topics." this is not the right kind of dark..... anyways look at the damn content warnings before reading. i will stay optimistic about the author for now but i sure am wary over this book

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Physical abuse, Racism, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, War, and Xenophobia

eggersens's review

adventurous challenging emotional funny hopeful lighthearted mysterious relaxing sad 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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Torture, War, Death, Slavery, and Violence

Moderate: Death of parent, Xenophobia, Trafficking, Sexual violence, Injury/Injury detail, Incest, Grief, and Child abuse

Minor: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Toxic relationship, and Racism