A review by violetlunablossom
Prince's Gambit by C.S. Pacat

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

4.75

Good God was this book spectacular, I couldn't put it down! From the high political stakes to the shocking plot twists, Prince's Gambit had me engaged with the story and its characters from beginning to end. I definitely enjoyed this more than Captive Prince and it seems that I'm not alone in this sentiment. Pacat was able to take the political intrigue and scheming and crank it up to an eleven—you can clearly see that this is where her strengths lie in and she executes everything so brilliantly. I'm so used to predicting plot twists but I was caught off guard multiple times. 

Also the slow burn? Brilliant, incredible, amazing, show stopping. When I say I like an enemies to lovers slow burn, I'm talking about Damen and Laurent. The sexual tension was so thick and I love how we can see the previous master-slave dynamics of the previous book melt into something akin to friends. Key word: akin, because Damen and Laurent aren't exactly friends by the end, and I just love that Pacat isn't rushing it. She's letting the secrets and guilt build up until it comes to a bubbling boil.
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