Reviews with content warning for Gaslighting - Captive Prince

Reviews tagging 'Gaslighting'

Captive Prince by C.S. Pacat

9 reviews

readingbymollie's review against another edition

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2.0

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frantic_vampire's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional mysterious 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? It's complicated

5.0

Well, I think I found a new bookish obsession! This was so good and I just couldn’t put it down. But it was also really, really fucked up. And yet, I loved every minute of it.

I loved that Damen is our pov character. He’s not shy with his opinions and he’s willing to risk his neck for the injustices he sees happening around him. And I love him for that, even when it leads to worse things for himself. I also love that he’s so against Laurent right now, it’s really building a true enemies-to-lovers romance.

Captive Prince is getting a solid five stars. I can’t wait to get my hands on the rest of the books!

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brdiaz1123's review

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adventurous dark sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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dazaireads's review against another edition

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dark sad tense medium-paced

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

4.0

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diana_raquel's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional tense medium-paced

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

3.75

[The following review contains descriptions of content warnings that can be triggering and spoilers. Those descriptions are hidden as spoilers.]

“A golden prince was easy to love if you did not have to watch him picking wings off flies.”

Around 2018-2019, I was looking for fantasy series that would have LGBTQIA+ characters and ended up finding this trilogy. I remember that, at the time, I started reading and was immediately hooked. Captive Prince was the book that made me love Pacat but also explore less-known authors. So, when I finally got my hands on physical copies of this trilogy, I decided to read it again. And although I knew what was going to happen, I found that I still loved this trilogy as a whole.

However, over the years, I also read a lot of negative reviews about this trilogy, especially about this book. And although I understand part of the backlash, there was this particular recurring argument that never made much sense to me, and lead me to think that the person using that argument only read the first book without giving the benefit of the doubt and continue reading. Which is totally fair - I also have abandoned series that I didn't like. What I didn't understand was that even when other people would defend the book and the trilogy as a whole, the first person would accuse the other of being a horrible person for not thinking that the trilogy was worthless trash with no value. So allow me to defend this book and this trilogy.

Make no mistake, this book is what people would call "problematic". It's a really hard reading, full of themes that can be triggering, such as slavery, rape, sexual harassment, pedophilia, physical and emotional violence, torture, etc. It's really bad. I completely understand why people may dislike/hate the book and why it can be triggering. I'm in no way dismissing that. What I don't understand is why some people say that the book romanticizes these elements, because the book never romanticizes these elements.

Look, you are entitled to your opinion, and I will respect it, however, in my opinion, just because a book contains darker and horrible elements, doesn't mean that the book is problematic. Just because this book contains horrible elements that doesn't mean that it romanticizes those elements. Yes, slavery and rape are accepted parts of the culture of Vere, however, the book never gives the impression that this is in any way acceptable. Yes, Laurent also takes part in this, however, we later discover that this is a way to revenge his brother's death (it doesn't excuse his actions but it does provide some needed context). And don't even get me started on Damen. Yes, he is a victim. And, no, nothing that happens to him in this book is in any way excusable. However, he isn't a damsel in distress with Stockholm syndrome (side note: Stockholm syndrome isn't considered a mental disorder, so can we stop it using it?). He never accepts what's happening to him and he resists every step of the way.

I think that when using this argument people forget that the slave culture is also a part of Akielos culture (Damen's country) (although there are differences, it's still a slave culture). And this is important. Although Laurent is against any type or form of slavery, Damen isn't because he sees the culture of Akielos as a more acceptable form of slavery. However, after being subjected to slavery, Damen starts to see that his own culture isn't acceptable. That's why this book is so hard to read. The main character has to experience slavery and the violence that comes with it to understand that no form of slavery is acceptable. At its core, this is a story about dismantling power structures and understanding why those power structures have to be dismantled.

Another argument used to prove the "romanticization" of this book is that, from the first chapter, is clear that Laurent and Damen are endgame. And yes, they are. However, it should be mentioned that they are mortal enemies, from enemy countries (yes, it's very Shakespeare, I know), and their relationship is one of hate, at first. However, the romanticization of their relationship only starts when they start to trust each other. With time, Damen is no longer Laurent's slave, he is a friend, and that's when feelings start to appear.

So, as a first book, this is quite a difficult book, due to its subject matter (that's why I decided to give it a 3 stars rating). However, it's a well-structured book, with well-developed characters and an intriguing plot. The pacing is perfect and the narrative flows in a very natural way. I guess that the only thing that I ask is this: if you are willing to read this book (and have read the content warnings list- seriously, do it), please, give this book the benefit of the doubt to this book and read the second one. I promise that its worth it.

Content Warnings

nolimalumsedheroa's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny tense

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
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

4.25

Who doesn't like a slowburn enemies to lovers?

Side note: I'm currently lacking in sleep, so this review might be a hot mess

I'm not really a fan of some of the sexual interactions, but I really loved the characters. This book was great, because it got me out of one of my biggest reading slumps yet.

DEFINITELY NOT FOR EVERYONE
In contrast to the overall smuty/eroticay vibe, the book almost doesn't feature sexual content, HOWEVER when it does, it might be a little triggering to people.

Here are my personal TWs/tags: Master/slave kink, CNC, Rape, Pedophilia?(I'm not entirely sure if this is the correct tag here. On the one hand, one of the people involved in the relationship is a minor, however they're very much consenting to everything and if the story said they were 20 instead of 13, it wouldn't really change a thing since they don't act infantile at all... I guess a main question is if they're able to consent), also I found allusions to familial SA; Voyeurism could be also argued, Public play

As I said, I loved the characters. Himbo and 🐍 are so complimentary of each other when you truly observe them, it's fascinating.

If you're in the mood for a smuty and horny book low on sex displays which would make a Christian woman clutch her pearls and start crossing, I feel like this book fits the bill.

Also, it did better than FSoG with explaining the contract relationships, so there's that.

There were some... choices made here, which made me quote one of the most iconic lines Jenkins (from The Librarians) has ever said:
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Overall, I liked the book 4.25/5

Now off to the next one since the insomnia isn't going away 🙂

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afi_whatafireads's review

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dark mysterious 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? Yes

3.5

Personal Ratings: 3.65/5🌟

I went in expecting more romance but I got more politics instead 😌
I mean, not that I hated it. I would think the politics in here are actually quite well written and the I can see that the romance would be the SLOWEST. BURN. EVER.

𝙏𝙧𝙞𝙜𝙜𝙚𝙧 𝙒𝙖𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨: 𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙩𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣, 𝙈𝙖𝙡𝙚-𝙋𝙧𝙤𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙩𝙪𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣, 𝙋𝙚𝙙𝙤𝙥𝙝𝙞𝙡𝙞𝙖, 𝙍𝙖𝙥𝙚, 𝙂𝙤𝙧𝙚, 𝘿𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙝, 𝘽𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨, 𝙀𝙣𝙨𝙡𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩, 𝙆𝙞𝙙𝙣𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙀𝙭𝙩𝙧𝙚𝙢𝙚 𝙂𝙖𝙨𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙎𝙚𝙭𝙪𝙖𝙡 𝘼𝙨𝙨𝙖𝙪𝙡𝙩

Short Summarys
Damen is the rightful heir to Akielos and when his stepbrother pulled a coup d'etat on his family, not only he was stripped of power, but he was sent as a slave to the neighbouring country, in which, the current prince harbors a deep, deep, hatred , especially for him. Sold as a slave, Damen had to keep his identity in order to survive and to at least gain his strength to save his country, whilst having to work with his now-master that loathes him to his very core.

Personal Thougts
I would say this makes a VERY slowburn romance, with LITERAL, enemies-lovers. The way Damen and Prince Laurent LOATHED each other, its to a point that you felt sorry for Damen sometimes on how he was treated.

Writing-wise, this is my first book from Pacat and I have to say, its not bad. Its straightforward, with a hint of lyrical writing but its not too-overly done. Its pitched as a romance fantasy, and I can say, for the first book, there's not much romance (which I don't mind) because I enjoyed the court politics.

The Politics in this book was well-written. For something that is pitched as romance fantasy, the politics in this book is something that I enjoyed. Everyone here is scheming something and I like that Damen did not lose himself even he had been beaten down. As much as Laurent is cold and cruel in this book, I also like his character. He exudes a persona that just bows down to people but has his own plans up his sleeves, which I can't wait to find out in the second book.

Pacing-Wise I think one of my problems with the book was the pacing. I was okay with the idea but it got a bit tedious and repetitive when Damen was CONSTANTLY tortured. I mean, I get it, you hate the guy, but I felt that Damen's torture scene got boring at some point. There was also parts that I felt was a bit unnecessary and the plot can progress faster.

Overall
I went in not knowing much about the book but I am surprised to say that the book kinda grew on me and I'm anticipating how it will turn out in the second book. Please come in with precautions as this book consists very gory scenes, but its one that I'd say I'm actually looking forward to? I'm curious on Laurent's and Damen's relationship so , yes, I'll continue with the second book to see how it goes.

Content Warnings

magicshop's review against another edition

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challenging dark tense medium-paced

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

2.5

'Is there anyone at this court who isn't my enemy?'

'Not if I can help it,' Laurent said.

this book got me out of a months-long reading slump and was actually quite enjoyable for the most part, despite all my notes of mild-to-extreme disgust peppered throughout and my actual score. buckle up, it's a long story.

p.s.: if you read this review, regardless of anything else, make sure to pay attention to the many, many warnings listed below it.

you should read this series if...

you're looking for a well-written queer enemies-to-lovers story full of satisfying cliches that are deliciously coupled with the author's clever originality, the literary cherry on top
you like political intrigue and worlds that feel alive and lived in without getting overly convoluted
you're willing to get through a rough first half of the first book; more details in the actual review below

the good

solid writing style "despite" having fanfiction-adjacent (original fiction published serially online) origins. in my experience i think fanfiction has had some of the best writing i've seen in my life, so i've never quite found this argument very fair, but there you have it.
lots of words for me to learn! i consider this a positive cause i like learning new language bits and it wasn't so excessive that i needed to pick up a dictionary every 5 words or anything. it was a perfect amount. apparently the author used the story as a kind of thesaurus exercise, which explains a lot. this aspect was mostly lost in the 2nd and 3rd books as she became more focused on other aspects of the writing process instead.
political intrigue up the wazoo.
this book had me guessing 3 different possible scenarios within 2 pages as resolution for a plot point.
this just so happens to be one of my favorite things for any media to do so i was charmed instantly
interesting and mutually unique characters, who become infinitely more interesting and well-developed as the series goes on

the bad

no real plot until uhhh. halfway through? it's pretty much just exposition coupled with varying flavors of sexual assault. 😬
the pov main character has a bizarre and partly sexual fascination with fair skin, while being dark-skinned himself and oh did i mention he's also a slave. enough said lol.
this would not have necessarily been a negative had it been explored adequately by the story, but that was not the case. this fascination does, however, dwindle to practically nothing for the remainder of the series.
the pov main character (again, curiously so since he's supposed to be the least offputting character — i actually think he has some of the most ingrained controversial shit to unpack) has a bizarre and vaguely pedophilic fascination with another character's "beautiful" 14-year-old face, among other, more concerning adjectives
and my biggest fear: that the previous two points are actually a trait of the author and not of the characters involved. this is admittedly unlikely since, like i mentioned before, pacat thankfully reduced the presence of most of the upsetting elements from this book as she wrote the rest of them. i assume she realized their precariousness and how much her story's success depended on hooking the reader without potentially triggering them every other passage. as far as i know, in many ways captive prince started as an experiment and wasn't meant to be much more than a story exploring multiple sexual concepts, but quickly became more than initially imagined. pacat therefore adapted, and very well at that.
like previously mentioned: excessive rape/sexual assault/coercion scenes, if there can even be such a thing as a "necessary" or story-sanctioned rape scene. this is the most controversial and most famously debated point within this book. my personal take is that some scenes are excusably useful to the setting and the story and others, the majority, seem to be there simply to attempt to titillate the reader, if they're inclined to react in such a way to that kind of content. these i quite disliked and wish they hadn't been there. the book shows a lot of promise in ways entirely unrelated to these acts, almost as if there's a divide within it. see my next point.

the complicated

the slow heel-turn (i promise these words can go together lol) from
sexual slavery fantasy sprinkled with political elements book to full-on political intrigue book was. something. i read the second half of this thing within a day; i couldn't keep my eyes off the twists and turns it took.
this would go (and sorta did go) in the good section, but fits better here because i do absolutely wish the first half had been... easier to digest and enjoy, to put it mildly.
damen's entire deal.
he's incredibly hypocritical when it comes to vere's culture, being that his own country not only also keeps slaves but actively grooms them to be submissive and docile. he does not see this as a point of contention whatsoever from what we see in this book, and in fact acts as if akielos is the morally superior society.
this goes in the complicated section (instead of the bad one) because much of it is further explored in-depth in the subsequent books.

i think this book's controversial status is well-earned, and i didn't indiscriminately enjoy the entire ride. nor did i completely hate it. i think having grey-colored opinions about things, especially pieces of media (especially especially pieces of media that are only one part of a as-of-yet unknown whole), is a natural and healthy course of action. this is the case here. i enjoyed, then didn't enjoy, then enjoyed myself again, several times, throughout this story, and i don't regret reading it for a second since it introduced me to one of the best-written love stories i've ever seen in media.

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dem0's review against another edition

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horrível pior livro que já li na minha vida. única coisa pior q esse livro sou eu q chorei lendo.

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