Kings Rising

Starred review from January 4, 2016
Pacat’s glorious erotic Captive Prince trilogy concludes with this tour de force, a tale of politics, betrayal, and passion set in a troubled pair of fantasy realms. Damianos, Prince of Akielos, is romantically and politically allied to Laurent, Prince of Vere, but the connection is an uneasy one. Damen’s brother had Damen kidnapped and usurped the throne; Damen was sold into slavery and purchased by Laurent. Now that the tides have turned, Damen’s alliance with Laurent is shocking to his countrymen, who worry about his former owner’s continuing influence over him. Laurent’s malicious uncle serves as his regent and intends to keep all the power for himself, and the two of them clash on and off the battlefield. Laurent and Damen need each other politically as they try to meld their armies to take back both Vere and Akielos, but the demands of war and politics complicate their personal relationship. Pacat delivers a rip-roaring epic full of double and triple crosses, beleaguered romance, intimate erotic interplay, and a surprising amount of leavening humor, ending the series with grace and panache. Captive Prince and Prince’s Gambit raised high hopes and expectations; this volume surpasses them. Agent: Emily Sylvan Kim, Prospect Agency.