C.S. Pacat

With their countries on the brink of war, Damen and his new master, Prince Laurent, must exchange the intrigues of the palace for the sweeping might of the battlefield as they travel to the border to avert a lethal plot. Forced to hide his identity, Damen finds himself increasingly drawn to the dangerous, charismatic Laurent. But as the fledgling trust between the two men deepens, the truth of secrets from both their pasts is poised to deal them the crowning death blow...

Book Two of the Captive Prince Trilogy

Prince's Gambit

The extraordinary second novel in the acclaimed trilogy by international sensation C. S. Pacat. With their countries on the brink of war, Damen and his master Prince Laurent exchange the intrigues of the palace for the sweeping might of the battlefield as they travel to the border to avert a lethal plot. Leading a band of loyal men against desperate odds, Damen must fight together with Laurent to overcome machinations, ambushes and betrayals. With the future of both their nations at stake, a single misstep could be fatal. Despite himself, Damen is increasingly drawn to the dangerous, charismatic Laurent. But even as the fledgling trust between the two men deepens, their enemies are poised to deal them a devastating blow . . .

Captive Prince

Prince's Gambit: Captive Prince Book 2

Mary Carmona

Before Damen could tell him to rise, he heard it again, echoed in another voice, and then another. It was passing over the gathered men in the courtyard, his name in tones of shock and of awe. The steward beside Nikandros was kneeling. And then four of the men in the front ranks. And then more, dozens of men, rank after rank of soldiers.

And as Damen looked out, the army was dropping to its knees, until the courtyard was a sea of bowed heads, and silence replaced the murmur of voices, the words spoken over and over again.

‘He lives. The King’s son lives. Damianos.’

He saw the man see all of that first, and then he saw the man see him.

‘The last time we spoke, the apricots were in season,’ said Damen, in Akielon. ‘We walked in the night garden, and you took my arm and gave me counsel, and I did not listen.’

And Nikandros of Delpha stared back at him, and in a shocked voice, speaking the words half to himself, said, ‘It’s not possible.’

‘I want,’ said Laurent, ‘I want it to be simple.’

The words rose up from within him, a low, soft command, full of surety. Laurent closed his eyes again, as if in decision. Then he acted.

It was not what Laurent had expected. He felt the slight shock of Laurent’s surprise, and the way Laurent held himself, as though confused as to why Damen wished to do this, but he felt the moment when surprise turned to something else. Damen allowed himself the minor delight of nuzzling. Laurent’s pulse reached a little crescendo under his lips.

This time when he drew back, neither of them broke fully from the other. He lifted his other hand to brush Laurent’s cheek, slid fingers into his hair—shifting gold under his marvelling fingers. Then he took Laurent’s head gently in his hands and delivered the kiss he’d longed to deliver, long, slow and deep. Laurent’s mouth opened under his. He couldn’t stop the slow, spreading flush of heat he felt at the touch of Laurent’s tongue, the feel of his own, sliding into Laurent’s mouth.

Dark-eyed, Laurent was holding himself in place as though pushing himself past a barrier, the tension in Laurent’s body still telegraphing flight, and Damen felt the shock with his whole body when Laurent’s gaze dropped to his mouth.

His own eyes fell closed as he realised that Laurent was going to do this, and he held himself very still. Laurent kissed with a slight parting of his lips, as though he was unconscious of what he was asking for, and Damen kissed him back carefully, dizzy with the idea that the kiss would deepen.

It was not possible, in that moment, to do anything but experience Laurent’s hand against his skin. His breath shuddered out of him, Laurent’s touch hot across his navel and sliding lower. He was half aware of the silk bedding, rumpled and disturbed around him, Laurent’s knees and other hand like pins in the silk, holding him down. His jacket was discarded, his shirt half off him. The laces between his legs parted, obedient to Laurent’s fingers, and then he was all undone.

It was Laurent’s face he looked at. He saw as if for the first time the look in Laurent’s eyes, his slightly altered breathing. He was aware of the taut line of Laurent’s back; of the conscious way he held his body. He recalled the line of Laurent’s back in the tower, bent over the table. He heard the tone in Laurent’s voice.

‘Your Highness,’ said Damen, and the words twisted, wrong in his mouth. He needed to say, Don’t do this. But he couldn’t think past Laurent, improbably close. He felt each shifting inch that divided their bodies with a fluttering, illicit sensation at Laurent’s proximity. He closed his eyes against it, felt his body’s painful yearning. ‘I don’t think you want me. I think you just want me to feel this.’

Damen’s palm slid over Laurent’s warm nape; slowly, very slowly, making his height an offering, not a threat, Damen leaned in and kissed Laurent on the mouth.

The kiss was barely a suggestion of itself, with no yielding of the rigidity in Laurent, but the first kiss became a second, after a fraction of parting in which Damen felt the flicker of Laurent’s shallow breathing against his own lips.

It felt, in all the lies between them, as if this was the only true thing. It didn’t matter that he was leaving tomorrow. He felt remade with the desire to give Laurent this: to give him all he would allow, and to ask for nothing, this careful threshold something to be savoured because it was all Laurent would let himself have.

He had dunked his head and let it run over his chest and shoulders, then he had scrubbed down and waded out and pushed the water from his hair.

Beside him, Lazar was saying, ‘It’s a day’s ride to Acquitart, and Jord says it’s our last stop before Ravenel. Do you know if—’

Laurent was well made and capable, and Damen was a man, as other men. Half the soldiers in this camp wanted Laurent under them. The body’s reaction could be discounted, as it had been, determinedly, at the inn. Any man would have been roused by Laurent playing pet in his lap. Even knowing what was under the earring.

He’d forgotten Lazar was there. After a long moment, he took his eyes off Laurent and looked back at Lazar, who was gazing at him with a rather dry but understanding smile quirking the side of his mouth.

‘All right, you’re not fucking him,’ said Lazar.

Damen couldn’t help his amused breath of reaction to that, or the long, scrolling look from Laurent’s head to his toes and back again, which was probably a little insulting. But really.

Laurent flushed. The colour hit his cheeks hard, and a muscle tightened in his jaw as whatever he felt was forcibly repressed. It was not like any reaction that Damen had ever seen from him before, and he couldn’t resist pushing it a little further.

Prince's gambit

cee 

It felt, in all the lies between them, as if this was the only true thing. It didn't matter that he was leaving tomorrow. He felt remade with the desire to give Laurent this: to give him all he would allow, and to ask for nothing, this careful threshold something to be savoured because it was all Laurent would let himself have.

To get what you want, you have to know exactly how much you are willing to give up.

Never had he wanted something this badly, and held it in his hands knowing that tomorrow it would be gone, traded for the high cliffs of Ios, and the uncertain future across the border, the chance to stand before his brother, to ask him for all the answers that no longer seemed important. A kingdom, or this.

Max Riley

🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️

DAMENLAURENT!!!!! this book had so many moments that killed me!!!!!

rachele

Julia Moran 

AAAAAAAAAAA I CANNNNN'T 
This book had me dying the whole time but OMG those last 3 chapters... I can't.

Katie Guo

frankly i think the book works if the two main characters didn't become lovers but i get that the selling point of this book is that its m/m but like... idk do people write about male friendship? anyways 

the ending of this book is crazy i have goosebumps

anita

"Laurent was complicated and contradictory, and Damen could look nowhere else.
  


this quote still has me screaming, almost 6 years after i first read it :")
(but also: the whole war and laurent's strategies and wit- i'm on my knees.)

Giulietta

Aishling

** spoiler alert **
           I honestly don’t know what to rate this. I enjoyed the story but still think all the sexual abuse and unconsensual acts just leave too much of an awful impression for me to truly say it’s good. I will say that this book has no explicit scenes of rape or sexual abuse, which is better than the first at least. I think this series could’ve been so much more if it weren’t for the authors need to add these shock horror moments. In the grand scheme of the story it seems so unnecessary since it’s all about politics now and nothing to do with sex slavery. 

Honestly it just seems to me like the author has some sort of rape/reluctance fetish they wanted to write out rather than having a story they wanted to tell. Even when the main characters eventually had sex it was clear that one of them was acting reluctant even if he was saying it was okay. To me that’s just a big no no. If a person is that tense that you can physically see it then it’s not okay. I kept hoping they’d just stop and talk about why he was so tense rather then just pushing through. 

If you removed the explicit sexual abuse and rape themes from this story, I would honestly rate it 4 stars. But with it included I want to give it 1 star. Overall I guess that’s a 2.5.

Jamieson

I'm sorry I just don't .......... get the hype. It was okay but honestly BORING. Too much walking around doing random things and not nearly as much of the court politics which was the main thing I liked about book one. I also just, don't understand this ship. I just couldn't get into them - a scene would happen and I'd be like ... I think I'm supposed to be shipping this? buuuut 

And my feelings on the worldbuilding are complex and hard to explain without doing a full review I can't be bothered writing right now. I also am not a huge fan of the writing - so many times I wasn't exactly sure what was happening based on how vague some of the descriptions were at times. 

That said, I enjoy the characters and the added depth that was added, especially to Laurent. There were some good twists and battles that happened I enjoyed, which pushed the action forward a lot. Some of the reveals were really well set up and then pulled off which was great. The political/military scheming and the tactical maneuvering was fun too because I love those parts of military fantasies. Much like the first book, this ended on a cliffhanger than had me intrigued for book three. 

A few years ago I think I might have liked this more but I honestly just think there are so many political/military fantasies that are written SO much better than this one oop. Sorrryyyy I know all my friends love this book

Callisone Dozier

Pacat gave us an amazing sequel. Damen stayed a strong lead character, and Laurent's character arc is fantastic.

It's not as explicit as the first book. The second one focuses on political and family drama, war strategy, blood and swords, all that stuff. The theme is not something that I like, reading it in a quick session because it's boring for me. Personal preference! Maybe you like it better than I do.

Inez

The second novel in the critically acclaimed Captive Prince trilogy from global phenomenon C. S. Pacat. With their countries on the brink of war, Damen and his new master, Prince Laurent, must exchange the intrigues of the palace for the sweeping might of the battlefield as they travel to the border to avert a lethal plot. Forced to hide his identity, Damen finds himself increasingly drawn to the dangerous, charismatic Laurent. But as the fledgling trust between the two men deepens, the truth of secrets from both their pasts is poised to deal them a final devastating blow...

jess

I enjoyed Prince's Gambit so, so much better than Captive Prince, for a number of reasons. This book reads like fanfiction, and by that I mean it reminds me of some of the best slow burn fic I've ever read. This book is a lot more character-focused than its predecessor, with the world of Akielos and Vere already established. There isn't much more to worldbuilding, but it's a slow, careful, in-depth exploration of Damen, Laurent, and how they interact with each other, and that's one of the things I love most about fanfiction that I don't see a lot in mainstream published fiction. 

The interactions between Damen and Laurent were so good in this book, fraught with tension. You could see Damen slowly falling in love with Laurent, and Laurent becoming closer to Damen, and neither of them really realizing it. It's slow burn. It's a very slow burn, but I loved it so much. Damen definitely developed so much. At the end of Captive Prince I felt like he didn't have much of a personality, but this book strengthened Damen's character so much. Not to mention Laurent. I, too, fell in love with Laurent, who is cunning and intelligent and angry yet has no idea how to deal with emotions which is, as I've stated, JUST MY TYPE. And the banter. I love some snark in my books, and Laurent is a mastermind. 

Another thing I enjoyed was the detailed war scenes, which were really well-written. There was a lot more plot in this book than in the last book and it kept me on my toes just as much as the romance did, even though the romance is the focal point. 

I'm on book three now. Stay tuned for me screaming.

lauren carla

Tatiana Alvarez 

Okay, now we are getting into some intense plot and I'm honestly here for it. The characters are all starting to come together and little moments that have taken place are slowly starting to make sense. I enjoyed this book more than book one!

We get to see a new side of Laurent in this book and I was happy we did. He is more than the spoiled prince you are lead to believe he is in book one. Although he is still cold, he uses that as his armor. Laurent is highly intelligent, skilled fighter, and knows how to out play people. I still do not think I can forgive him entirely for whipping Damon, but now I feel like I know why he made that decision a little more in this book. Still, it was extremely unnecessary. 

We also get to learn more about Damon's half brother Kastor in this book, as well as the Regent. Both of these foes are going to prove to be rather difficult for Laurent and Damon. I feel as long as both princes can work together, they can overpower their would be usurpers. But when the princes are fighting, they are at their weakest.

I'm so excited to see where book 3 takes us! I'm hoping for an epic conclusion.

Chiara Vitale Zelaia

You guys don’t really expect me to be able to write a rational review of the best book ever at my fourth reread, right?
Oh, you do? Well then…let’s try.

With Prince’s Gambit one dives even deeper into the politics of this world. Not only do we get a stronger feeling of the animosity that exists between Akielos and Vere, but we also get to see the inner workings of the politics of Vere. As with everything in that country, nothing works along a linear line. Deception, intrigue, betrayal always lurk around the corner and we get a heavy dose of that! Loyalties are tested and hearts are broken in this one, sweet dragons.

But what shines most of all in this book, as with its predecessor, are the characters. C.S. Pacat has an amazing writing style. It so effortlessly guides you into the minds of her characters and reveals, little by little, as if you were truly getting to know a person in real life, the masks they hide behind, the inner workings of their minds and hearts, the true people that lie beneath the surface. Prince’s Gambit is above all a book about character development, especially when it comes to Laurent’s character and his relationship with Damen. This is the book where the romance truly blooms in this series, when these two young men learn to work together, trust one other, bypass their differences. And it is done slowly, masterfully, with stolen glances, private moments, thrilling adventures. It cannot be that one reads Prince’s Gambit without screaming, squealing and begging the bookish gods for release. It simply cannot be.

And yes, I did turn fangirl there at the end. I’m sorry, but I can’t help it. This book is perfect. Damen must be protected. Laurent is the best character ever written. My children deserve the world. 

So why are you still reading my review? Go read this series.
-
-
Perfection in written form! I gave five stars to the first book, but the second installment was so much better that I just... I'm speechless! THESE BOOKS ARE TAKING OVER MY SANITY.

Update 2018: I'M STILL DYING OVER HERE #BestBookEver

Becky

If I thought the first book was good this second was fantastic. The story truly developed and fleshed and our MCs came to an uncomfortable truce as their aims united, although they weren't aware to what degree.

If i liked the political intrigue of the first it only grew in this as we went beyond court politics to those seen in an army and on the battlefield. It was fantastic to see the develoent and see how far reaching the influence of court stretched and how political plays occurred even when the players werent there to pull the strings.

I really enjoyed seeing Laurent develop from the sneaky scheming prince he is to understand why so many are loyal to him and for him to garner the loyalty of Damen. I really loved that and seeing Damen be worn down rather than forced into anything was good. For me to support any kind of romance he had to be carefully done and careful it is. It could have gone a couple of ways and seeing our two MCs earn one another respect as men rather than as lovers was fantastic. I think it's the only way I could have understood any further developments.

The cliffhanger of an ending killed me so I'm glad I'm binge reading this on a Sunday. Responsibilities? What responsibilities?

Sahi K

Updated review 06/25/2018

What do you write about a book threw all that you thought you knew about the characters out the window, put you through an emotional wringer and ends on a cliffhanger that makes you want to pick the next book right that minute. And that’s exactly what I did. To say that I love this book would be an understatement.

The plot picks up right after the ending of Captive Prince. Damen and Laurent start off their journey towards the border knowing full well what they are going to find at the end. They have to navigate a haughty captain, incompetent soldiers, tricky terrain and mercenaries hell bent on killing them – and in the midst of all this also deal with their changing relationship.

We get to know Damon much better in this book now that he has a semblance of freedom. He is honest, loyal, straightforward, a strong warrior and a brilliant military strategist. He is a very honorable man and strives hard to keep his promise to Laurent about protecting him. He is a natural commander and succeeds in turning a ragtag bunch of scrappers into a loyal guard capable of defending their Prince. As he encounters various attempts on their life and destruction of entire villages, he realizes he has been a warmonger and responsible for so many deaths previously and slowly, a lot of his attitudes and prejudices towards the people of Vere change. He comes to respect the soldiers and view them as friends rather than his enemy. He also gradually gets to know Laurent better, figuring him out behind the walls that he has built up and discerns his true feelings for Laurent.


  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.


Laurent is a total revelation in this book. I really did think he had no redeeming qualities but through Damen, we see that he is so much more than the ice cold facade that he puts up for others. He is sly and slippery, his mind works on a whole other plane, he is a great political strategist and master manipulator. But he is also that little boy who loved reading books, worshipped his older brother and lost all his family in one day; a boy who had no one who loved him except his cunning uncle with ulterior motives – all of this made him grow up very fast, repress all his emotions and present this stoic image of a person always in control. But through his cautious friendship with Damen, he becomes aware of how much he wronged Damen,he begins showing these little vulnerabilities and starts growing into the kind of leader no one believes he is capable of being.


  Never had he wanted something this badly, and held it in his hands knowing that tomorrow it would be gone.


The way their relationship grows from reluctant allies to cagey friends to gentle lovers is a delight to read about. They are just awesome together and I couldn’t get enough. They tease each other, poke and prod and argue but also respect each other at the end of the day. Their friendly banter, their struggle to hide their attraction but unable to do so was so heartwarming. There are many amazing moments that they share, full of sexual tension which are unforgettable. Every time Damen wished that they had been in a different time where he could have courted Laurent made me feel so sad. And when Laurent said that he considered Damen to be as good a man as his brother, I was awed by his honesty and his character development.

(view spoiler)[
And then there is chapter 19… and my paperback also had an additional chapter 19 1/2 at the end… which just overwhelmed me with all kinds of emotions. Damen and Laurent know that they have just one night together, so when they make love, it’s beautiful, sweet and gentle, but also sad and bittersweet. They bare their souls to each other, see each other completely with all the flaws and insecurities, cherish the love they have. There is so much tenderness expressed in every thought, gesture and word, it just made my heart ache.
 (hide spoiler)]


  It felt, in all the lies between them, as if this was the only true thing. It didn’t matter that he was leaving tomorrow. He felt remade with the desire to give Laurent this; to give him all he would allow, and to ask for nothing, this careful threshold something to be savored because it was all Laurent would let himself have.


I read a lot of NA novels and have encountered many sex scenes before, but I have to commend the author here because she took a barbarian warrior and a scheming ice cold prince and showed us that they can fall in love and be so generous and caring towards each other. This book definitely has one of the best lovemaking scenes I have ever read.

The writing in this book overall gets so much better. Without all the triggering content from book one, the plot becomes more about the journey and uncovering the Regent’s subterfuge. There is a lot of action, moves and countermoves, betrayal and heartbreak and despair. Through this thriller of a ride, the author gives us great character development, forcing us to acknowledge how much they have changed and make us fall in love with them. And then came that ending…. it was so unexpected but also so much like Laurent and the amount of far reaching consequences it can have, just made me pick up King’s Rising in the next second.

All I can say at the end is if you read the first book, forget everything you felt about it and dive right into this one and I promise you will not be disappointed.

06/23/2018
Now that’s a slow burn romance alright!!! I loved the book so much and there’s nothing else I can say for now...
RTC

Toni Turner

This is my favorite one out of the series so far. Also I need to be able to read the third one like...right now, but there are two people in front of me that have it on hold.
The relationship got better and better as the story went one and when they were able to be friends with each other I couldn't stop smiling. But shit is about to go down in the next one. I'm ready though.

Katie Montemayor 

Sophie Elaina 

I’m not going to lie, the first book was good but had a lot of problems so I was hesitant to continue with the series. I was hoping the second book would be better but I didn’t have the slightest idea what I was in for. I am totally shook by how brilliant this was! All I can comprehend right now is that this was so fantastic and I am so glad that I decided to read this book! The author took a step up in a thousand different ways. The writing was better, the character development was off the charts and so many problems the first book had were resolved in ways I couldn’t have imagined. Also, a significant relationship between a certain too characters that I was close to hating in the first book quickly became one of my favourite slow burn romances ever. The author of this series has managed to take a revolutionary turn and create something legendary. I loved it!

(Warning: Graphic sex scenes, sexual and emotional abuse, slavery.)

Jayarna La Bozzetta

I like slow burn but this is taking a bit too long for me. I wanted a few more moments to sweeten a climactic point. I also hate battle scenes so I mean I'm probably just not the audience for this one. Honestly though this is food for a drarry hoe, I fully believe this started as fanfic because it fits so well

Prince's Gambit Book Two of the Captive Prince Trilogy

Reviews

Highlights