Reviews tagging 'Torture'

Kings Rising by C.S. Pacat

12 reviews

kyliereads341's review against another edition

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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. 
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sumtime99's review against another edition

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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

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mirandyli's review against another edition

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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. 
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luanaiscurrentlyreading's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional slow-paced

1.0

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zeppelinnyx's review against another edition

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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 
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caelysium's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional tense medium-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

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diana_raquel's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful 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

4.75

 “I think if I gave you my heart, you would treat it tenderly.”

It's no secret that I love this series. Each book got better and better, and I loved this final volume. The characters are amazing and the plot is a genuinely well-developed political plot with a mix of adventure. The plot twists happen at the right moment and caught the reader by surprise. I cannot stop gushing about this series and I recommend it to any person whose looking for a fantasy book with LGBTQIA+ characters. The only negative thing that I have to say is that it's a pity that, aside from a book of short stories, there aren't more books in this universe. 

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bugcollector's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional hopeful reflective relaxing sad slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25


the ending was a bit disappointing bc it all ended in court and suddenly everyone believed their side '_' 
anyways let the gays end slavery xoxo
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ticktock's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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magicshop's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional hopeful tense fast-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

4.0

 Damen said, 'I made him a promise.'
'And when he learns who you are?' said Jord. 'When he learns that he is facing Damianos on the field?'
'Then he and I meet each other for the first time,' said Damen. 'That was also a promise.'

well, here we are. after rereading this trilogy immediately after finishing it in just a few days for the first time, it's time for a last review. this one might end up a little short, because to be honest i feel like i've said my piece about the series at this point, but i do have a few important points i want to highlight.
 
the good
 
  • everything that was good about the previous volumes is still present here, so refer to my reviews of book 1 and 2 for more details.
  • the push-and-pull of the main relationship somehow stays fresh despite how long it spends in that limbo of not-quite-being. pacat is simply put very, very good at crafting believable tension between characters.
  • so much delightful fanservice, again. i can see how for some people this would be in the bad or at least complicated section, but to me, having that many scenes clearly written to fulfill a specific desire in a long-starving queer reader can be nothing but positive. things are getting better for lgbtqia+ people, but there is still a lack — in media, especially. pacat does a wonderful job of helping fill that void.

the bad
 
  • the ending is a bit too neatly wrapped up, in my honest opinion. on one hand,
    i'm happy damen and laurent get to be together and that the kingdoms end up united in peace
    , but there were a couple of deus ex machinas pulled out from the aether in order for that to happen, and it all could've been done much more expertly and with far more preamble and build-up.

the complicated
 
  • many of the most oppressed, most tragic characters, ultimately have a hand in bringing about 
    the prosperous, peaceful ending
    . i was very glad about this, but it does also bring the question of whether they had to suffer their own respective sad endings at all. sacrifices must be made in every story, and i'm satisfied about the way things did happen, but i just — wonder. how would their world have been 
    with nicaise still in it?
    and i'll always wonder. i guess it's time to find some fic, huh!

like i said, this review is a bit shorter than my usual, but i think it's very hard to put my exact thoughts and feelings about this book into words for the time being, still. maybe on another reread i'll come back and edit this. but for now, this is goodbye. thank you, pacat, for treating my heart tenderly through this wonderful journey. :)
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