Oh my...goodness. This book, this series, ugh, it was so magical and amazing, and breathtaking. Everything I needed! Such sweetness as well, I'm happy the way it ended, I suspected far worse. Now I am just sad it is all over. I read this book in a few hours...I couldn't put it down no matter how hard I tried.

LOVED IT! ( )

Some ambivalence here, but I'm giving it a 4 anyway.

I quite enjoyed the romantic arc in this final volume. In my review of the first book I observed that fictional romance is driven by conflict, but in Kings Rising the romantic narrative changes direction, is no longer energized by conflict but by healing, trust, resolution. The result is tender and sexy and psychologically raw, and it only works because Pacat has created such compelling, well-drawn characters. Damen is still a bit of a doormat, but he's a kind and muscular doormat and I am pretty much okay with that.

But oh man, the plot! Obviously I showed up for kissing and not political machinations, but I do wish that the author had made some different choices here. The book is well-paced and has many fun and exciting moments, as well as a satisfying ending. However, it relies on a LOT of hand-waving, concealed information, and strategically terrible decisions.

I could shrug off some wibbly-wobbly plotting, but I think there's an underlying problem: the trilogy's villains are not nearly as strong as its heroes, and they end up behaving like caricatures. Scenes where they could deliver a real emotional punch feel overblown and mustache-twirly instead. For all the darkness in this trilogy, the narrative seems to avoid looking directly at human evil. Perhaps this was a strategic decision on the author's part, but it felt like something was missing.

Overall, I loved the heck out of this trilogy. 4/5, would fangirl again. ( )

A wonderful conclusion to a wonderful trilogy. I love the new characters introduced, the various plots that Laurent and Damen faced and overcame. It's tense and thrilling and fun and satisfying. Sorry it took so long for me to finish it, but happy I did. ( )

Solo puedo decir que amé este libro ( )

First of all, I consider this a story in an Alternative Historical Europa -whose main virtue is the natural integration of the gay/lesbian relations in everyday life- than a "other world" fantasy.

While Akielos reminded me of the Greco-Roman period, Vere immersed me somewhere in Frankland in a period maybe around the end of Early Middle Ages; I think that I detected some other elements that seem to come from other cultures, but they are not significant. So, from the beginning there are cultural disparities hard to believe them considering that Akielos and Vere aren't remote one in respect of the other rather they're adjacent!

There are other disparities related to the technological evolution, and the wording associated to that.. In this series gunpowder -invented in China during 9th century- is unknown; Therefore we can place the action firmly before that century. If so, by way of example, the use of the word "book" is an anachronism, since book with this modern spelling was first used in 1375.

I cannot cease to hear those and other dissonances because the differentiation with regard to real history doesn't go far beyond political geography. In addition to the anachronisms, is notorious the absence of those distinctive accents like idioms, rituals, small everyday routines, etc. which give atmosphere and validate a credible fantasy background.

Conclusion, I find Captive Prince's "world" -a very generous use of this word- inconsistent.

The best is the political intrigue and Laurent in books 1&2.

On the whole the two first books were nice-hence my ratings, 2.5 & 3 stars- although I caught myself continuously out of focus due the inconsistencies aforesaid. If I'm giving 2 stars to [b:Kings Rising|17158532|Kings Rising (Captive Prince, #3)|C.S. Pacat|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1454160767s/17158532.jpg|23581990] is only for the writing and a few amusing moments. The rest, a stream of blunders; the resolution is so farfetched that it comes to be annoying. This review canvasses perfectly that blunders.
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