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A review by catgv
L'esclave by C.S. Pacat
4.0
It was a rather pleasant read!
The writing is gorgeous and really makes you think about all those different characters and their own thoughts, even emotions. It makes you wonder and take guesses. Lovely! The story itself is a must-read for M/M readers, seriously!
(Trigger warning here! Just for the next paragraph.)
Now, I know this series by C. S. Pacat has upset many people because of the rape scenes, but let's be honest here: it was quite obvious there would be rape in these books from the summary! If you know a bit of slavery in History, then you're aware they got raped most of the time by their masters. Also, most gay stories (and I read a lot of them) include sex scenes... There was no way a prince (who's used to controlling everyone), stripped of his identity, would be consensual while being a slave. No. Way.
(Trigger warning over!)
Let's get back to the book! The world-building is quite impressive, with all the peoples' clothing, customs, and diverse cultures. I really enjoyed seeing it all come alive before my eyes. It was done very well. Plus, the hate/friendship (is it love? I doubt it...) relationship between Damen and Laurent is an entertaining one! I mean, they keep on trying to get at each other's throat but they help out the other, too. It's freaking amusing. Plus, all that banter and sneaky and witty remarks... What's not to love? I'm a sucker for love/hate relationships and this book wins me big time.
Now, why am I taking a star away? Well, Damen, the main character, isn't very bright... In fact, he looks quite dumb to me. Laurent and all the other characters all appear intelligent while the one we're following just never understands anything of everything. It's disappointing and annoying. However, towards the end he seems to understand everything all of a sudden. It's as though it was hard to see, but truthfully, it was there all the time... Pretty easy to grasp. But then again, maybe it's only me for I have this habit of always figuring out plot twists and endings way ahead of time. Putting that aside, Damen is still an idiot. But a likeable, kind, and mostly chivalrous one. Even though I preferred Laurent... That mischievous lad is fantastic.
The plot itself is a nice change (two princes, come on!). Although the topic of slavery is hard and sometimes cruelly depicted, the overall writing is light. The story got a bit slow towards the middle but it really took up speed right after.
But the best thing about this book (besides that it's about two enemy princes)? The characters! The author has written them all so well! They're all distinct, with their own motivations, attitudes, and personalities. I just want to dive back into their world with them.
I can't wait to get my hands on the second book and devour it!
The writing is gorgeous and really makes you think about all those different characters and their own thoughts, even emotions. It makes you wonder and take guesses. Lovely! The story itself is a must-read for M/M readers, seriously!
(Trigger warning here! Just for the next paragraph.)
Now, I know this series by C. S. Pacat has upset many people because of the rape scenes, but let's be honest here: it was quite obvious there would be rape in these books from the summary! If you know a bit of slavery in History, then you're aware they got raped most of the time by their masters. Also, most gay stories (and I read a lot of them) include sex scenes... There was no way a prince (who's used to controlling everyone), stripped of his identity, would be consensual while being a slave. No. Way.
(Trigger warning over!)
Let's get back to the book! The world-building is quite impressive, with all the peoples' clothing, customs, and diverse cultures. I really enjoyed seeing it all come alive before my eyes. It was done very well. Plus, the hate/friendship (is it love? I doubt it...) relationship between Damen and Laurent is an entertaining one! I mean, they keep on trying to get at each other's throat but they help out the other, too. It's freaking amusing. Plus, all that banter and sneaky and witty remarks... What's not to love? I'm a sucker for love/hate relationships and this book wins me big time.
Now, why am I taking a star away? Well, Damen, the main character, isn't very bright... In fact, he looks quite dumb to me. Laurent and all the other characters all appear intelligent while the one we're following just never understands anything of everything. It's disappointing and annoying. However, towards the end he seems to understand everything all of a sudden. It's as though it was hard to see, but truthfully, it was there all the time... Pretty easy to grasp. But then again, maybe it's only me for I have this habit of always figuring out plot twists and endings way ahead of time. Putting that aside, Damen is still an idiot. But a likeable, kind, and mostly chivalrous one. Even though I preferred Laurent... That mischievous lad is fantastic.
The plot itself is a nice change (two princes, come on!). Although the topic of slavery is hard and sometimes cruelly depicted, the overall writing is light. The story got a bit slow towards the middle but it really took up speed right after.
But the best thing about this book (besides that it's about two enemy princes)? The characters! The author has written them all so well! They're all distinct, with their own motivations, attitudes, and personalities. I just want to dive back into their world with them.
I can't wait to get my hands on the second book and devour it!