I was sent this book as an advanced copy for reviewing purposes, but all opinions are my own.
DNF around 45%, no rating
I started out really liking I was sent this book as an advanced copy for reviewing purposes, but all opinions are my own.
DNF around 45%, no rating
I started out really liking this, for a few chapters. Then the book became more about the MCs interacting (and overreacting) with their friends than about the main couple, and I got bored out of my mind. I said overreacting because while some freaking out about having Feelings is normal and expected in romance novels, it got old very quickly and the format was the same: MC interacts with their friend/cousin and they talk and talk and talk (--> telling instead of showing). And if they're not talking about their potential feelings they're talking about a situation/misunderstanding that we, the readers, already know is a much more minor thing than the MC is making it out to be, because it got resolved in the previous chapter (just from the other's POV). So yeah, super weird pacing and story structure that didn't work for me at all.
I also got very uncomfortable when one pretty long chapter was from the POV of one of the MC's cousin. I don't mind random POVs from different characters, in fact I think they can be awesome and add a lot to the book. But this was just her looking at the MCs and stating how *hot* they were together (keep in mind one of them is her cousin!!). Besides the obvious, again, telling-instead-of-showing issues I had with this, one thing we're NOT going to do in M/M romances is give a woman a POV just to have her thirst on them. Moreover, when the POV switched to one of the MCs again, they got into a cab where the female cab driver made creepy comments about them and basically gave them her blessing to *do stuff* in the back of the cab. Just imagine if this was the reverse (two queer girls and a guy telling them he'll be happy to hear them have sex in the back while he's driving), wouldn't it be a Huge Nope??
So yeah, not for me and I won't be reading the rest of the series....more
I was sent this book as an advanced copy by the author for reviewing purposes, but all opinions are my own.
This was a fun f/f romance about formerI was sent this book as an advanced copy by the author for reviewing purposes, but all opinions are my own.
This was a fun f/f romance about former critique partners turned lovers turned enemies turned lovers again (basically one of my favorite romantic tropes ever).
Natalie and El meet again at a book convention in London, three years after their falling out that never got a closure, and they have the chance to fix the past between one panel and another.
It was a fun dip into the author/publishing world (I know we bookworms are always curious about that) and I really liked both main characters. They're definitely flawed and that's what made them interesting, but most importantly they both acknowledged what was and what wasn't working in their relationship and in themselves and tried to work through it. This is a novella so it all had to be done pretty quickly, but the pace worked for me.
You can get the free prequel A Frozen Night if you sign up for the author's newsletter. I'd recommend maybe reading it after the novella instead of before, but it doesn't really matter.
If you like f/f romance and a setting that's intriguing to us bookworms (or if you're an author yourself) I definitely recommend picking this book up!
I was sent this book as an advanced copy for reviewing purposes, but all opinions are my own.
3.5 stars
The conclusion to this series felt very diffI was sent this book as an advanced copy for reviewing purposes, but all opinions are my own.
3.5 stars
The conclusion to this series felt very different from the first three books and I can say I’m fairly satisfied with how everything turned out.
The thing I loved the most was the new Age of Magic and seeing how technology and magic and different creatures interacted in this new alternate reality that was created by the destruction of the Society of Wishes. Also the new world politics were interesting even though maybe it’s a little unrealistic that the whole world was divided in so few political areas but for simplicity purposes it was fine.
Contrary to the first three books, this was a lot about plotting and planning and I can’t help but feel like it could’ve been a little shorter. Not that it’s not short already, but it did drag a little for me in some parts, and I can’t help but feel like a lot of the book was “let’s do this thing to show off this world we created” when the Thing didn’t end up having much relevance at the end after all.
The rest made up for it though and I loved the whole part in the Elves’ kingdom, it was basically like reading a high fantasy novel instead of an urban fantasy and I loved the descriptions of the surroundings.
As for the actual conclusion I found it a little bit messy and although there was a lot of tension I never really felt like the stakes were too high. I never felt actually scared for any of the characters and I thought so much time in the novel was spent planning that I already knew exactly what would happen because not enough was left up to my imagination in those last moments, if that makes sense. Everything more or less turned out how everyone expected it to go.
Despite this, I’m still satisfied and finally I saw some other side plot lines have the page time they deserved. I’m particularly talking about a side M/M couple which I found was pretty obvious from book one but still it’s nice to see it actually on page. The main romance between Jo and Snow never actually made my heart beat so I wasn’t thrilled about it here either but it was okay. If you’re easily into soulmates/reincarnation romances you’ll probably enjoy the romance a lot.
The epilogue set the basis for a future spin-off series as was to be expected. I think if I had the next books on my hands right now I wouldn’t exactly skip meals to read them but I’d keep them for later when I’m in the mood for this genre again, which I’m sort of not right now.
I still enjoyed the overall experience of reading this Wish Quartet series and I would recommend it for fans of urban fantasy and/or Elise Kova, even though I still think she can and has done better than this....more
I was sent this book as an advanced copy by A Novel Take for reviewing purposes, but all opinions are my own.
This book is about Patrick, a gay boyI was sent this book as an advanced copy by A Novel Take for reviewing purposes, but all opinions are my own.
This book is about Patrick, a gay boy from conservative Fresno, who moves to start college in the city of his dreams, San Francisco, where he hopes to leave all the bullying behind him. His apartment search lands him a room in a shared flat with other slightly older students, among which is Josh, a Jewish pansexual boy who was born and raised in San Francisco.
Right away what I loved from the first few chapters was Patrick’s reaction to how open and chill everyone was about Josh’s sexuality and about Patrick’s too. The contrast between their mentalities and the mentality of the people Patrick grew up with was both astounding and relatable, and while we’re talking about relatableness, let me tell you that the first half of the novel spoke to my soul because so many of Patrick’s experiences and feelings are something I went through in my own move. Also his feelings about leaving his mom and his family and being completely on his own were On Point and I might have cried in the first 10%.
Like with most romances, this is narrated by both Patrick and Josh and I enjoyed both POVs in different ways, and I think both characters were very well written and well researched. I can’t speak for Josh’s Jewish representation but I think it was well woven into his character and a big part of who he is.
I have something to say about the pansexual rep and it’s that I feel like some people might not love it, but I personally did. What Josh does until meeting Patrick (sleeping with a lot of people and never being in a long relationship or a relationship at all) is not because of his sexuality at all and that's made very clear in the book. Edit: something I originally forgot to write about is the fact that Josh is shown at the beginning (before the romance with Patrick) in scenes where he's flirting and kissing girls too. It wouldn't be remarkable if it wasn't for the fact that a lot of m/m romances where one of the characters is MGA tend to avoid showing the character acting on his attraction on women or even thinking about women at all. That's a whole discussion for another time, but I'm so glad that this was actually shown here. The pan rep gets a big 5/5 from me.
I loved the supporting cast too. Josh and Patrick’s friends were great to read about with their virtues and flaws, and Patrick’s family (well, part of it at least) was also lovely to read about. Patrick’s coming out to his mom was also one of the best I’ve read and I might have cried again.
Something this book differs from most romances is the pacing. (skip this paragraph if you don’t want to know anything about the romance) The MCs get together pretty soon (around 50% of the book) and the rest of the book is an exploration of the first few months of their relationship. I would also say that the first half of the book is more about Patrick’s character study, while in the second half we already feel like we know Patrick and the focus shifts to Josh, we find out why he does what he does and find out more about his family etc. It’s something I haven’t really seen in romances where usually the we-can’t-be-together-conflict lasts until the third fourth of the book, but I have to say it worked really well for me and I wish more romances sort of followed this path.
Another thing I loved about the book was the setting. San Francisco is one of the few big cities I’ve visited and I have to say, as a two-day tourist I didn’t exactly get the best impression from it. It’s…messy and the people tend to be kind of rude (sorry) (or maybe I was just unlucky). But this book feels like a love letter to this city and you can’t help but falling in love with it a little bit yourself too.
I briefly considered removing half a star from my rating because there were a few plot lines that I think didn’t necessarily need to be there and made me nervous about their outcome. This took a little bit of my enjoyment away, but ultimately I did think that all these things were handled well.
This is one of the most solid romances I’ve had the pleasure to read and I definitely recommend it.
Rep: Jewish pansexual MC; gay MC
TWs: alcohol and weed consumption, homophobia (challenged), bullying, past suicidal thoughts, transphobia (challenged), death of a loved one (not family)...more
I was sent this book as an advanced copy for reviewing purposes, but all opinions are my own.
Pisces Hooks Taurus is a book you can’t help falling I was sent this book as an advanced copy for reviewing purposes, but all opinions are my own.
Pisces Hooks Taurus is a book you can’t help falling in love with.
The story is about Zane who’s from New Zealand and is due to leave the US in a month unless he marries an US citizen, which he fully intends to do. Except he’s convinced he will marry for love and that will be it. When he’s kicked out of his shared flat he manages to secure himself a place to stay until the end of the month thanks to his brother, and his roommate is Beckett, a professor who’s basically Zane’s opposite.
Zane and Beckett’s relationship starts as hilariously cute and it keeps making you laugh and going aww throughout the book. I mean, I’ve read a lot of Anyta Sunday’s books by now and they never fail to make me laugh so this is really no surprise. I just can’t get over the feeling of careless joy while reading this. It made me feel like Zane, naïve and sweet and caring, and as someone who is much more similar to Beckett, that meant so much to me because I was able to enjoy things in an easy way, without overthinking and second-guessing everything.
I also liked that Zane is just…an average person. He’s not the (conventionally) smartest, he dropped out of high school, he’s very naïve but is willing to learn and put himself out there, and I love that Beckett helps making him feel like he can achieve what he wants despite what society tells him.
Zane is a comic artist and I really liked this aspect because it gave the book a subplot about art and creativity that was interesting to see. He initially works for a writer (as in he only illustrates what the artist tells him to, and anything he adds to the comic by himself is kind of frowned upon by the writer, who basically leaves him no artistic freedom) and later toys with the idea of creating his own comic. I loved that he didn’t magically come up with an amazing outline for his own comic but Beckett, who teaches creative writing, helped him see all the things he could improve and gently showed him towards the right direction without taking his creativity away.
As for Beckett’s character development, I loved it so much. He’s divorced and has given up illusions about love and marriage, so that was interesting to see because it was yet another aspect in which he and Zane were polar opposites.
As for the relationship itself, I loved how low on conflict it was. Yes, there is some conflict because of external causes but mostly it’s driven by Zane not recognizing his own feelings and stuff. I mean, this book is hilarious but also slow burn as fuck.
Other things worth mentioning is that there’s a little bit of an age gap (Zane is 23, Beckett is 30) and that Zane is demisexual (although the word isn’t actually used in canon, which I wish it was, but I suppose he isn’t aware of it – however, the author said she wrote him as demi and I definitely read him that way and ownvoices reviewers did too).
The book is the fourth in the Signs of Love series but it can definitely be read as a standalone. However I do recommend reading the rest of the series either before or after you read this one. There were some adorable cameos from the previous books (Jamie and Theo!!!) as well as from the Love Letters series (seriously go read that series too!), which was super surprising and filled me with so much joy.
Preorder and read this book, you won’t regret it....more
I was sent this book as an advanced copy by the publisher via NetGalley for reviewing purposes, but all opinions are my own.
This was exactly the kI was sent this book as an advanced copy by the publisher via NetGalley for reviewing purposes, but all opinions are my own.
This was exactly the kind of book I was in the mood for! A healthy and sexy M/M romance that's never too smutty and never fetishized, with important ownvoices mental illness representation.
Reid and Joaquim come from different backgrounds. Most of the novel focuses on them learning to know each other and especially learning how to be together. Reid has cyclothymia and while Joaquim learns to be with him and be respectful of him when he’s cycling and needs space, Reid also needs to learn to let go of some of the behavior and negative expectations he’s still carrying from a past unhealthy relationship.
I think this is an important book because of the mental illness representation and how openly it’s talked about. It’s also definitely not a “love fixes mental illness” novel, far from it in fact, and I wish more novels were this honest when it comes to building healthy relationships not in spite of but alongside a mental illness.
TW (taken from the publisher’s website): • Discussion of mental illness, therapy and recovery • A portrayal of a cyclothymic character who experiences rapid mood cycles and anxiety • Non-graphic discussion of past self-harm and off-page relapse • Non-graphic reference of a past suicide attempt...more
I was sent this book as an advanced copy for reviewing purposes, but all opinions are my own.
After reading Syncopation I was really looking forwarI was sent this book as an advanced copy for reviewing purposes, but all opinions are my own.
After reading Syncopation I was really looking forward to reading more about Twisted Wishes and obviously about Dom and Mish (who I really hope will get her own book too!). This is Dom's book.
Dominic (Dom) is the guitarist of the band that gives the name to the series, and best friend with the singer, Ray, who was one of the two MCs in book one. They were best friends in high school too, and since Dom has always been a nerdy and anxious kid who feared he wouldn’t be taken seriously on stage presenting the way he always did, he created a persona for himself, called Domino Grinder, who is this badass make-up-wearing guitar god who’s flippant and most definitely not a nerdy twink. So far he’s managed to keep his persona separate from his personal life, and that’s why he’s able to pick up men for quick hook-ups with no consequence for his more famous self. Nobody would ever think they’ve been in bed with the famous Domino Grinder from Twisted Wishes.
Things get complicated when he meets Adrian, a slightly older (I think he’s 36, whereas Dom is 27 if I’m not mistaken) computer programmer, who doesn’t want a casual hook-up and who appeals to Dom’s nerdier and kinkier side.
While book one focused a lot on band dynamics, this one was almost exclusively about Dom and Adrian’s relationship, and Dom’s feelings about having to let Adrian in on his most well-kept and dangerous secret. The band was very much present throughout the book though, and I love how Ray, Zav and Mish were always there for Dom.
Adrian also had his own POV and he was such an interesting character. He also had his own support system in his best friend/colleague/personal trainer Jackson, who’s a queer black man and in kind of the same place as Adrian in regards to what he currently wants from a relationship. I honestly hope he gets his own book?? Maybe in a spin-off series or something? Anyway, Adrian’s storyline (outside of his relationship with Dom) focused on his life at work and I was kind of afraid it was going to feel cumbersome on top of everything else but it didn’t. It served to show Adrian outside of his relationship, which I found good because it helped ground him as a real person with flaws and everything, something that I feel would have lacked if the book only showed him in his relationship with Dom, if that makes sense.
In any case, I simply adored their relationship. Everything made me so extremely happy, from all the food mentions (omg I was hungry) to the nerdy talks and their little dates outside just walking and showing each other the places that meant a lot to them. This is where I’m going to get shy (mom if you’re reading this please look away) but I surprisingly enjoyed the d/s dynamics too. Okay, it’s surprising because even though I enjoyed some of it in Syncopation, I eventually grew tired of it and I didn’t really like it in the sex scenes . Here however the dynamics was a little different, kind of softer, there was no pain play at all and I don’t know, I was able to enjoy it even without liking it myself. I also loved how important consent always was (something that was also always there in Syncopation) and that’s really great to see even if it should go without saying.
Something else I thought was done better than in Syncopation was the use of the dual POVs. I had a couple of instances in book one in which I thought things got repetitive and I didn’t see the point (pun, sorry) of having one POV placed the way it was etc. In this book there was no such problem and the POVs were well balanced and never repetitive.
I also really appreciated Dom’s arc, his realization that he needs to find new ways to cope with his mental illness, and the representation of someone who’s trying to balance different interests that don’t necessarily match the way they present themselves. I don’t really want to spoil anything but the way everything worked out in the end was so good and I might have teared up a little bit because I’m That soft bitch.
Rep: gay/pan M/M
Content and Trigger Wranings: sexual content, age gap, anxiety, panic attack (on page), d/s dynamics (no pain play), parental death mention, bullying mention....more
I was sent this book as an advance copy by the publisher and the author for reviewing purposes, but all opinions are my own.
nemesis noun / nem.
I was sent this book as an advance copy by the publisher and the author for reviewing purposes, but all opinions are my own.
nemesis noun / nem.e.sis _______ Definition of NEMESIS : Perseus throwing verbal grenades at Callaghan to get a rise out of him. : Callaghan throwing verbal grenades at Perseus to get a rise out of him. : A supposed enemy : A frenemy _______ plural NEMESES : two guys flirting
OUT TODAY (September 1st!)
There are two things that have always impressed me about Anyta Sunday's novels, ever since I read rock.
One is the incredible ability to use the most domestic situations to develop a romance, to the point where a review saying "there is no plot" becomes a praise instead of a negative point. Because yes, there is an end goal that one or both characters want/need to achieve, but everything is always so simple and real that it feels like you're watching a reality show. Also, she always manages to switch things up in the sense that the MC and the love interest are put in a domestic situation but never through the same plot devices (which I believe is not easy at all to achieve).
The second thing I'm always looking forward to in her novels is the underlying theme, be it rocks, colors or the horoscope. It makes each novel (or each series) so unique, and even though I don't really care about the horoscope at all it didn't bother me (it's not really heavy, especially in this second book, as it's not the MCs who are super into it).
And then of course, the romance itself. You've heard of enemies to lovers, you've heard of friends to lovers; let me present to you a new favorite of mine: nemeses who try so hard to pretend they're enemies while in fact they're the definition of friends (until they become lovers).
I love how lighthearted these novels are and how the MCs find themselves in a super positive and welcoming environment while still being in our world. I know novels that deal with hatred and homophobia are still important but sometimes you just have to escape the real world while still reading something that isn't a completely made up fantasy, and the novels in this series do just that.
Anyway, speaking of this, another thing that was great I think was how sexuality was handled, applying clear labels to both characters (one is gay, the other one is demipansexual -I love how it's handled so specifically!) and that there was no big drama over one or the other's sexuality, that nobody acted surprised and the conversation about it was literally just one page of dialogue and that's it.
You'd think that going into a contemporary MM romance I'd have low expectations and thus my rating was more loose than it would be with a more "complicated" novel but nah my friends I really don't lower my expectations for anything tbh, like a book has to be good no matter what in my opinion. I might judge books differently depending on what is expected from the genre (like I'm not going to judge a contemporary novel by its worldbuilding y'feel me?) but I think I'm pretty picky especially when it comes to romances.
I also love how family always plays a big role, and I know I'm making yet another point that is true for all Anyta Sunday's novels (at least the ones I've read so far) but it's true. Too many romances focus solely on the two MCs to the point where they are kind of isolated, in a vacuum, but the addition of family and friends makes the romance even better and healthier.
So in case it wasn't clear I definitely recommend not only this book but the series as a whole (this just came out and I'm not sure if a sequel was already announced but I really hope there will be one!), especially when you want something short and with little to no angst (we all have days, weeks or months where we can't handle anything heavy even in our fiction, so definitely put this on your rainy-day TBR)....more
I was sent a review copy by the publisher via Netgalley, but all opinions are my own.
(book #1 in my pride month challenge)
Loving this book took a I was sent a review copy by the publisher via Netgalley, but all opinions are my own.
(book #1 in my pride month challenge)
Loving this book took a huge weight off my chest. I'm so happy I loved it, because after being slightly disappointed in True Colors, I was really scared that Anyta Sunday was a one-hit wonder for me (yes, I'm talking about rock).
While I think rock was still better in a lot of ways (the writing, the conflict, plus it fed my love for geology sorrynotsorry), this one was pretty damn close (and I even might have preferred some things more than in rock).
Granted I couldn't give two shits about the horoscope or zodiac signs or all that (and that's the reason why I didn't start this book sooner), this "leading theme" (which is something apparently all Anyta Sunday's books have -at least the ones I read so far) wasn't too huge and I ended up not even hating it (mostly because it was actually the protagonist's mom who was kinda obsessed with such things and not the protagonist himself).
ANYWAY THAT'S NOT WHAT I WANNA TALK ABOUT because this book is awesome and amazing and all good adjectives so please read it.
The relationship is fucking great, I shipped them from their very first interaction and it WASN'T because I knew they were going to be the main ship so I just kinda went with it: I really shipped them REAL HARD. And the way they moved from kinda hating each other (but not really) to being friendly and then best friends (view spoiler)[and then FWB and then f i n a l l y loversssss (hide spoiler)] was one of the best relationship development I've read in a contemporary in a while.
The thing is, there was a huge potential for this book to be totally cliché and make me roll my eyes (especially at the way the MC is oblivious to the nature of his feelings), but it was written so well that everything made a lot of sense and I never had the feeling that his being in denial of his feelings was a way to just drag the plot.
I loved every single character and the plot was always very domestic (I mean almost nothing happens except for relationship dynamics) but never boring. Also there was some awesome representation besides the one you would normally except in a MM romance: Leone, the MC's sister, is blind (and awesome btw, she's such a great and funny character); a side character is demisexual; also the MC never gets too caught up in labels when it comes to himself. The only thing he says in the matter is "I'm not gay", which is true since he's previously only had relationships with girls. I know some people want to see clear words like "bisexual" or "pan" in a book, but for me to be honest I really like it when things are seen as more fluid and not set in stone. That's the kind of representation I recognize myself into so I'm always really happy when I see it. I also liked that there was no major freak out at the discovery to be attracted to a man, and to top it off perfectly, the MC even acknowledges that he has that kind of privilege since his family is extremely accepting. I don't know, it was a nice touch that the author didn't really need to include but I'm happy she did because it's important.
There's so many more things that I could talk about but I'm just going to close this review by saying
Rereading because I miss it but I'm also scared because what if I don't love it as much as the first time around?? Actually DNF'ing this the second tiRereading because I miss it but I'm also scared because what if I don't love it as much as the first time around?? Actually DNF'ing this the second time around because I'm in a slump and I wasn't enjoying my reread and I'd rather remember my first impression of this book than be completely disappointed by it :') ___ I was so happy after reading this book. I felt like it was not quite like anything I've read before, if you consider the language that was used. It was raw and there was a lot of cursing (something I found out I really enjoy in a book!), I don't just mean in the dialogues but also in the narration itself. The main characters were really well written and the romance and character development felt very realistic. I will go even farther and say this was probably one of the best love stories I've ever read. I would definitely recommend it to a 18+ audience, and I will be rereading this myself whenever my next reading slump occurs....more
4th read: yes you read right I'm back on my bullshit, this time with the one and only Lorenzo because we're trash and can only feel human emotions whil4th read: yes you read right I'm back on my bullshit, this time with the one and only Lorenzo because we're trash and can only feel human emotions while reading series.
I'm gonna launch myself into the sun
____
"It was one kingdom, once."
1st read: end of June 2016 2nd read: September 12-14th 2016 3rd read: December 30th-31th 2016 with Pragyakinda but not really, but I'm still counting it ♥ and Amelie (also really KINDA but whatever, we make our own rules) ♥
Comment after the 3rd read: Maybe now I can stop reading this series once every three months?? Who knows. But this time it was so nice to finally have a lot of people that I could talk about my feelings to ♥
Review after the 2nd read: I'm writing this review one week after my second time reading the trilogy. As I've probably said in my other reviews, Captive Prince is a story that has entered my heart and will never leave it. I keep thinking back to it and I wish I could know more, talk to these characters myself, enter the story and be a part of it. I am a reader that focuses a lot on characters. The story is almost secondary to me. I see a complex, intriguing character and I'm sold. I love Laurent and Damen and if I was someone who can write fanfic I'd write fanfic about them all day.
This final book follows Laurent and Damen in their alliance to take back their thrones from the Regent and Kastor. Laurent and Damen, finally as Damianos of Akielos, must also face each other as free men and with no more secrets between them.
If it hurt, it was fitting; it was simply kingship.
In Prince's Gambit we started to see how Laurent was setting a base for his leadership among his soldiers. In this book we see the same process for Damen, who is a very different kind of king than Laurent. He has to take everyone's shit for having bedded Laurent, whom Akielon people still see as an enemy. His people don't trust him, but with Laurent's help (I honestly don't think he would have managed it alone) he eventually earns their trust. I couldn't get enough of seeing these two kings (in facts if not officially) working together, side by side, as lovers and as rulers. I love that in this fictional world the only reason why people were against their union is because of who Damianos is to Vere and what Laurent is to Akielos, and not because of them being two men. That's so great to see and I will never stop wishing that our world will some day be like that (well, without the taboo of straight relationships, I guess).
"I think if I gave you my heart, you would treat it tenderly."
The romance between these two, you guys. I can't get enough of it. I just want them to be happy and have babies and rule together and OMG please. I don't have words for them. *feels the physical need to scroll through Damen/Laurent fanart*
Random things I loved: -Laurent's PoV: we get one full chapter from his PoV and a few pages more of it towards the end. It was so interesting to see how his mind worked from the other side, and I now wish for the whole series to be rewritten from Laurent's PoV, so if C.S. Pacat could make it happen I'd be forever grateful. -We got a few more funny moments that just crack me up every time (Laurent yelling for help from the Akielon patrol! Drunk Laurent! Lamen!) -Jokaste is basically the other side of Laurent's coin and even though we didn't get to see that much of her she's such an interesting character.
Now the ending is something that I've changed my mind about the second time I read this. The first time my opinion went something like this: "Aww man, that was so abrupt! I just want to know what happens to them and to their kingdom(s)! Now i'm so unsatisfied!" Between that and my reread I've gone and watched every possible video available on YouTube where C.S. Pacat talks about the story and she replied a couple of times to my tweets (she's super sweet) and I think it's fair to say I've come to know her a bit (I swear I'm not a stalker). She always says that if something is not in the books she likes the readers to come up with their own answers. That goes for the smallest things (for example I asked her on twitter something very specific about the Akielon language) and I think it's even more so for the bigger things, like the ending of Kings Rising. I've come to accept this and I am somewhat content. Now novellas are coming out and I hope they will at least give us some hints about the direction that the world is taking after the final moments of Kings Rising. I hope this will give us more of a closure and we can continue daydreaming about Damen and Laurent and...no? Just me? Okay then. *looks around awkwardly*
I'm already looking forward to my next reread, so yeah. I think we can say I'm a bit obsessed....more
"To get what you want, you have to know exactly how much you're willing to give up."
Comment after the 3rd read: But really wtf can you say when som
"To get what you want, you have to know exactly how much you're willing to give up."
Comment after the 3rd read: But really wtf can you say when something is perfect
Songs for the whole trilogy: -Flaws, Bastille: because honestly this song fits almost every MM ship, like ??? How???? ---will update as I find more--- Songs for chapter 19+19,5: -No Light, No Light, Florence and The Machine: because C.S. Pacat wrote ch.19 to it; -All I Ask, Adele: because iT'S FUCKING PERFECT FOR IT; -Daylight, Maroon 5: the lyrics are perfect, the music doesn't fit but whatever.
1st read: end of June 2016 2nd read: September 11-12th 2016 3rd read: December 24th-25th 2016 with Pragyakinda ♥
Review after the 2nd read:
This book is by far my favorite in the trilogy. It's at the same time difficult and oh, so easy, to take one of your favorite series out there and then pick your favorite book. It's difficult because you know there would be no second book without the first one and it would just die (or maybe you would die) without the final one. But it's so easy if you follow your gut instinct.
Prince's Gambit is a masterpiece that isn't affected by the second-book-syndrome, on the contrary. It's the expansion of both the political intrigues and of the romantic aspects of this series and it's so, so good. Especially the romance. Oh, the romance. The tension. I already know there's no words that can do it justice. Don't worry, there is no romanticized slavery, and I know that might seem hard to believe given the premise of a Prince being enslaved to another, but C. S. Pacat is a genius and she pulled it off. (view spoiler)[Damen and Laurent are still on a formal level in the same positions they were in book one, one slave and one Prince, but they become equals in their time away from the luxury of Arles, and it's only in this light that they eventually can come together and can face each other as men.
"You want to take me, as a man takes a boy." "As a man takes a man," said Damen.
I can say no words and a billion words about chapter 19. It is not just a sex scene to feed readers' hunger and it's not just a way to release the tension of their relationship and their feelings so far (in fact, the tension never stops even at the end of it, because we know Damen has to go away). You understand everything in that scene. You come to understand the main characters on a deep emotional level, their differences, why they work perfectly together. I also suggest you go on YouTube and hear the author's audio commentary about chapter 19 because it is everything you need in your life. (hide spoiler)]
So in this book we get to see a lot more of Laurent's personality and we see a glimpse of what a nation could be under his leadership:
Damen was aware that what he was witnessing was nascent kingship, the first flexings of command of a prince born to rule, though Laurent's brand of leadership-equal parts consummate and disturbing-was nothing like his own
We also have a couple of really fun and action-packed moments. The inn and balcony scenes are just priceless and I could just read them over and over and find myself smiling ear-to-ear and laughing and- oh, this book.
Damen felt Laurent shaking against him, and realised that, silently, helplessly, he was laughing.
These two are so fucking cute.
Moreover, we're introduced to a great set of secondary characters. They don't make the story, but they complete it nicely and you'll find some new favorites in there.
If you didn't like Captive Prince I would still suggest you give this a try. The writing style is greatly improved, and even trying to keep an objective eye (if you start to love these characters as much as I do, it's really hard to stay rational about this story), I could not find any issue with this book.
"You see a panther opening its jaws, you don't get your dick out."
Comment after 3rd read: I keep finding more and more layers in Laurent, Damen, Nicaise, Erasmus, the plot... I'm in love.
1st read: end of Jun4,5 stars
Comment after 3rd read: I keep finding more and more layers in Laurent, Damen, Nicaise, Erasmus, the plot... I'm in love.
1st read: end of June 2016 2nd read: September 9-10th 2016 3rd read: December 22nd-24th 2016 with Pragya ♥
Review after the 2nd read:
As usual the books I love are the hardest to review.
I read this series originally two months ago and it hasn't left my head and my heart ever since. I knew from the moment I put it down that I would have to reread it soon (it's that kind of book), and so I did.
Reading it after knowing everything that happens and that is revealed later in the series makes it so much more enjoyable (but also more heartbreaking). I will admit this is my least favorite of the series, but it sets the base for the next books.
Something about the writing style of this first book doesn't convince me completely, I'm not sure exactly what it is. I think it gets better with the second and third book (or maybe you just get used it). One thing I can say is that C.S. Pacat really leaves it to the reader's imagination to fill in some things, especially when it comes to dialogues. What I mean by that is that every sentence is "said": the author never uses other verbs or very rarely accompanies the verb "said" with other words that set the mood and the tone of the sentence. I don't know if that is a stylistic choice to allow every reader to interpret every dialogue the way they prefer. I find that can be a little bit difficult if you're used to authors that do the exact opposite and guide you through every single sentence said by each character. After half the book you get used to it and your mind really starts adding the mood/tone to the characters' voices. That also becomes easier the more you get to know the characters themselves.
Some things are admittedly hard to read, so if you usually don't like it when books explore dark places, you should stay away from this series. If you can stomach violence and other things and can understand when things are only displayed but not condoned then you should absolutely read this series!...more
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