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foxclouds's review
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, and War
onthesamepage's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
‘How’s your shoulder?’ Damen said.
‘My shoulder and I,’ said Laurent, ‘are waiting to be shown a real fight.’
This gave me everything I wanted, although did Pacat need to end it there instead of giving us maybe 50 more pages at the end, for some quality time with Damen and Laurent?
There's a lot of tension, angst, and pining, but also a lot of reveals that made me feel so validated at all the hints I thought I'd been seeing in the first two books. I really appreciate Pacat's subtle hand here. The dynamic between Laurent and Damen continues to be amazing. There were scenes that had me gnawing on my fist—Damen is such a romantic, and Laurent is an absolute badass, and anyone who underestimates him deserves what they get. But I also love that we get to see a softer side to Laurent. He remains such a fascinating character.
I think I'll end up re-reading this series regularly. If you've been hesitant to pick it up, I highly recommend it! I regret waiting as long as I did. Pacat has quickly become a favourite author.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture
Minor: Incest and Pedophilia
ninarotcajg's review
dark
3.75
Bon. J’ai fini la saga en deux jours.
Voilà.
Ok, donc je partais avec beaucoup d’aprioris, je suis contre la slave x master trope.
Le truc, c’est que ce n’était jamais vraiment ca, puisque nous savions que les deux étaient rois, et que meme si Damen avait été amené comme esclave, il ne s’est jamais considéré comme tel. Ce qui fait toute la difference dans le statut.
Le tome 1 était glauque, car vraiment concentré sur les viols et la torture. J’ai tout de suite compris que Laurent avait été violé par son oncle. Dès le premier tome.
En revanche, je n’avais pas vu venir qu’il savait dès le départ que Damen était Damianos, le roi. Ce qui change tout, encore une fois.
Bon, enfin, on aurait pu particulièrement oublier les scènes de viol banalisées, notamment celles dans l’arène. Ce monde est dégoûtant. Le concept même des ‘pets’ est horrifiant, et jamais reconsidérés, même si celui des esclaves l’est.
On a quand même représenté par Damen le petit kink d’appartenir (littéralement ducoup) à Laurent, qui m’a dégoûtée tant il était banalisé. Par exemple lors du viol par Ancel, lorsqu’il pratique une fellation à Damen avec Laurent qui contrôle le tout, et Damen qui en garde un souvenir presque doux car il crushait sur son maître.
Bref… le tome 1 c’était vraiment compliqué. Après, cela s’efface puisque les deux arrivent au même pied. Quand bien meme Damen reste l’esclave théoriquement de Laurent, il ne l’est plus vraiment.
Bon, et puis Laurent avait toutes les raisons de le détester.
Ce debut de tome, lorsqu’il prétend que toute leur relation n’était qu’un coup monté de sa part… C’était de quoi me briser le cœur (et celui de Damen)
Les complots politiques étaient interessants, je n’ai pas compris avant que ca soit explicitement dit que Jokaste avait été l’amoureuse de Damen très sincèrement.
Bref c’était bien glauque, inceste, pédophilie, torture, esclavagisme, gore, trahison…
Mais heureusement l’autrice n’a pas romantisé ça au mauvais moment, par exemple (on va devoir se contenter de ca lol), Laurent ne profite jamais sexuellement de Damen, et refuse tant qu’il est son esclave de participer dans des experiences sensuelles/sexuelles.
Bref, ils ont fini par me charmer, et je suis choquée de dire ca. Dans le tome 1 après cette phrase :
« Every nerve and sinew strained, the pain spreading out from his back and consuming all his body, then invading his mind, which was left with no barriers or partitions that could hold against it. He forgot where he was, and who was watching him. He was unable to think, or feel anything other than his own pain. »
J’ai noté : “Pour future moi : comment tu peux les shipper ?
Genre sincèrement, on part de ca, de Laurent qui a un escalier qu’il considère comme un animal a dresser, il va jusqua regarder la torture, apprécier ce moment, voir un homme se briser. Comment ?”
Il savait que c’était l’homme qui avait tué son frère, et le seul qui le voulait vivant et qui lui avait ordonné de ne pas le toucher, était son oncle incestueux qui l’avait violé.
Donc bon… Ca explique non ? (Ca n’excuse pas)
Bref, ce tome-ci était quand meme moins passionnant, le best était le 2.
15,5/20
Voilà.
Ok, donc je partais avec beaucoup d’aprioris, je suis contre la slave x master trope.
Le truc, c’est que ce n’était jamais vraiment ca, puisque nous savions que les deux étaient rois, et que meme si Damen avait été amené comme esclave, il ne s’est jamais considéré comme tel. Ce qui fait toute la difference dans le statut.
Le tome 1 était glauque, car vraiment concentré sur les viols et la torture. J’ai tout de suite compris que Laurent avait été violé par son oncle. Dès le premier tome.
En revanche, je n’avais pas vu venir qu’il savait dès le départ que Damen était Damianos, le roi. Ce qui change tout, encore une fois.
Bon, enfin, on aurait pu particulièrement oublier les scènes de viol banalisées, notamment celles dans l’arène. Ce monde est dégoûtant. Le concept même des ‘pets’ est horrifiant, et jamais reconsidérés, même si celui des esclaves l’est.
On a quand même représenté par Damen le petit kink d’appartenir (littéralement ducoup) à Laurent, qui m’a dégoûtée tant il était banalisé. Par exemple lors du viol par Ancel, lorsqu’il pratique une fellation à Damen avec Laurent qui contrôle le tout, et Damen qui en garde un souvenir presque doux car il crushait sur son maître.
Bref… le tome 1 c’était vraiment compliqué. Après, cela s’efface puisque les deux arrivent au même pied. Quand bien meme Damen reste l’esclave théoriquement de Laurent, il ne l’est plus vraiment.
Bon, et puis Laurent avait toutes les raisons de le détester.
Ce debut de tome, lorsqu’il prétend que toute leur relation n’était qu’un coup monté de sa part… C’était de quoi me briser le cœur (et celui de Damen)
Les complots politiques étaient interessants, je n’ai pas compris avant que ca soit explicitement dit que Jokaste avait été l’amoureuse de Damen très sincèrement.
Bref c’était bien glauque, inceste, pédophilie, torture, esclavagisme, gore, trahison…
Mais heureusement l’autrice n’a pas romantisé ça au mauvais moment, par exemple (on va devoir se contenter de ca lol), Laurent ne profite jamais sexuellement de Damen, et refuse tant qu’il est son esclave de participer dans des experiences sensuelles/sexuelles.
Bref, ils ont fini par me charmer, et je suis choquée de dire ca. Dans le tome 1 après cette phrase :
« Every nerve and sinew strained, the pain spreading out from his back and consuming all his body, then invading his mind, which was left with no barriers or partitions that could hold against it. He forgot where he was, and who was watching him. He was unable to think, or feel anything other than his own pain. »
J’ai noté : “Pour future moi : comment tu peux les shipper ?
Genre sincèrement, on part de ca, de Laurent qui a un escalier qu’il considère comme un animal a dresser, il va jusqua regarder la torture, apprécier ce moment, voir un homme se briser. Comment ?”
Il savait que c’était l’homme qui avait tué son frère, et le seul qui le voulait vivant et qui lui avait ordonné de ne pas le toucher, était son oncle incestueux qui l’avait violé.
Donc bon… Ca explique non ? (Ca n’excuse pas)
Bref, ce tome-ci était quand meme moins passionnant, le best était le 2.
15,5/20
Content Warnings
Graphic: Torture
lauwbinx's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual content, and Violence
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, Slavery, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Incest, Rape, Torture, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Alcohol
nuala8's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Incest, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, War, and Injury/Injury detail
kyliereads341's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Check content warnings on this series, be kind to yourself, but if you're all clear there read this series. Pacat invented love. A queer story without a traumatic ending shouldn't be this rare, but Pacat knows exactly what they're doing and took me through the full spectrum of emotions through this series. It's challenging, it's emotional, it's heart wrenchingly beautiful while still soft despite the tense setting. I will absolutely be rereading this one.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Sexual content, Slavery, Blood, and War
Moderate: Child abuse, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, and Torture
Minor: Pedophilia, Rape, and Pregnancy
sumtime99's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body horror, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Murder, and War
mirandyli's review
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
This series was ok. Before you read it take note of all the content warnings. Content warning: everything. I like the world building but the relationships are super toxic.
Damen and Laurent's relationship is especially yikes. They both lie to each other constantly for their own gain. Because Damen killed Laurent's brother a few years ago, Laurent orders Damen to be whipped 50 times in the first book and is miffed that he didn't die from it. Yet SOMEHOW... they still fall in love after that??? Because Damen is obsessed with pale skin and blonde hair (excuse me while I go vomit).
The series basically ends with Laurent killing Damen's brother and saying, "We've killed each other's brothers so we're even now. I no longer hate you and we can rule peacefully. Kiss kiss." Excuse me sirs, go to therapy.
And now that Damen has been a slave, he's now going to advocate for the end of slavery, despite being in support of it before? That's just a whole bag of yikes.
There were also a bunch of predictable moments (like that Laurent knew Damen's identity the whole time, Laurent was raped by his uncle and Jokaste would claim that her baby was Damen's).
Still a fast-paced decent read and I was able to finish the series in a week. I haven't read a fantasy book in a while and this series was a pretty good start to getting back into the fantasy genre.
The series basically ends with Laurent killing Damen's brother and saying, "We've killed each other's brothers so we're even now. I no longer hate you and we can rule peacefully. Kiss kiss." Excuse me sirs, go to therapy.
And now that Damen has been a slave, he's now going to advocate for the end of slavery, despite being in support of it before? That's just a whole bag of yikes.
There were also a bunch of predictable moments (like that Laurent knew Damen's identity the whole time, Laurent was raped by his uncle and Jokaste would claim that her baby was Damen's).
Still a fast-paced decent read and I was able to finish the series in a week. I haven't read a fantasy book in a while and this series was a pretty good start to getting back into the fantasy genre.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child death, Death, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexual assault, Slavery, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Murder, and War
luanaiscurrentlyreading's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
slow-paced
1.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Torture, and Violence
zeppelinnyx's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
5.00
This is the perfect resolution to a nearly perfect trilogy. I will never have words to express how deeply I love these characters and their story. This is, as it has been since I first read the series years ago, the most enthralling and tender romance I’ve ever encountered. I compare all other enemies-to-lovers relationships to this one, but sort of all other relationships in general. Because this series, and especially this installment, is the peak of romance.
I really only have two critiques for this series. The first is a bit technical, I suppose. The books don’t feel like they’re a trilogy. Instead, they feel like one book split by three different covers. Perhaps there’s a reason for this, but it does make the ending of the first two books feel a bit sudden and inconclusive. Obviously, this same problem does not occur in the finale. The second problem with the series is the Erasmus problem, but…I won’t get into that. I only wonder if Pacat wishes the character was resolved differently now.
Quality of Writing: 10/10
Pacing: 10/10
Plot Development: 10/10
Characters: 10/10
Enjoyability: 10/10
Ease of Reading: 10/10
Ending: 10/10
This is the perfect resolution to a nearly perfect trilogy. I will never have words to express how deeply I love these characters and their story. This is, as it has been since I first read the series years ago, the most enthralling and tender romance I’ve ever encountered. I compare all other enemies-to-lovers relationships to this one, but sort of all other relationships in general. Because this series, and especially this installment, is the peak of romance.
I really only have two critiques for this series. The first is a bit technical, I suppose. The books don’t feel like they’re a trilogy. Instead, they feel like one book split by three different covers. Perhaps there’s a reason for this, but it does make the ending of the first two books feel a bit sudden and inconclusive. Obviously, this same problem does not occur in the finale. The second problem with the series is the Erasmus problem, but…I won’t get into that. I only wonder if Pacat wishes the character was resolved differently now.
Quality of Writing: 10/10
Pacing: 10/10
Plot Development: 10/10
Characters: 10/10
Enjoyability: 10/10
Ease of Reading: 10/10
Ending: 10/10
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Slavery, and War
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Death, Incest, Pedophilia, Torture, Blood, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Animal death, Infertility, Miscarriage, Suicide, Pregnancy, and Alcohol