Reviews - Prince's Gambit | The StoryGraph

5.35k reviews for:

Prince's Gambit

C.S. Pacat

4.29 AVERAGE

stas_crta's review against another edition

4.0

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

alice_ungureanu's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous challenging emotional mysterious tense fast-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: No

claymation's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful sad tense fast-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

lienwynvarras's review against another edition

2.0

My self-preservation instincts are clearly shot to shit because I read the second book too, despite being extremely conflicted about the first. Actually, to be honest, I started the second book only minutes after having put down the first, because I happened to have it handy. And I might have read it in one sitting. Just maybe.

So yes, the writing is still engaging enough to keep me hooked and this book was noticeably less horrifying than the first (hence two starts instead of one) but I still had an uneasy feeling deep in my gut as I read it. At this point, the plot is taking over and I've always been fond of intrigues and complex planning, so yay for that! This series delivers, definitely. There are battles fought on actual battlefields, but also with words and tricky schemes. Also, people do die, which raises the stakes quite a bit.

Despite all this, Pacat's world is still horrible. There are still so many things that make me disgusted and I really don't like the way trauma is dealt with. Also, the tension between Laurent and Damen is less believable than I would have liked. It's not the worst I've ever read, but it makes so little sense considering everything Laurent put Damen through in the first book. There should be more conflict.

Even so, I will read the third book. I do want to know how this ends, though I have a very bad feeling about Laurent and his uncle. I sincerely hope that I'm wrong but, knowing this series and Pacat's disturbing fascination for anything even slightly rapey and traumatising, I'm pretty sure I won't be that lucky.

Again, I am extremely conflicted and so angry because this book series could have been absolutely amazing, but so much effort was placed on the rape and abuse. I just can't support that.

helena6308's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

vitniss's review against another edition

5.0

F*ck, this book is soooo good. I can't.

talkflowers2me's review against another edition

5.0

Ugh this book is so good. I feel like my heart is being ripped out by this series. Laurent is maybe one of the best characters I’ve ever read. His depth of character is a masterpiece. The relationship between him and Damen is a masterclass in enemies to lovers. But to reduce it by just saying it’s this trope does it a disservice to how complex and layered it is. I haven’t felt all consumed by a series like this in a long time.