Reviews tagging 'Emotional abuse'

Captive Prince by C.S. Pacat

48 reviews

livelaughlesbian99's review against another edition

challenging dark tense

3.75

This book is messed up! 

And that’s kind what it’s supposed to be, so I’m not judging my rating on that. This takes place in a brutal world where slavery is normalized across many cultures. If that does not sound like a horror you can stomach do not read this book. I can understand why some say this romanticizes slavery, but I saw it more as trying to explore how cultures of the past treated sexual slavery (which is a horrific but prominent part of the human past… this content isn’t based off of nothing. Ancient Greeks and Romans had cultural practices similar to the practices in the book).

Personally I appreciate the focus on how those who were enslaved would have been impacted by societies like this. Between Damen and Erasmus’ perspective you learn a lot about how these systems are justified. I do not believe including morally wrong beliefs in characters means the text condones them. But I completely understand why people have issues with this book and it’s fine if you do. For me books with subject matter like this are also horror books, and like horror books, there can be catharsis in exploring the worst of humanity.

That being said, oh my GOD did I love this book’s political intrigue. It really is as good as people say. While this book is really preamble for the rest of the series, which is why I rated it the way I did, the ending was fantastic.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Xenophobia, Kidnapping, and Murder

Moderate: Death, Pedophilia, and War

lisareadingbooks_m's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional funny tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Drug use, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Kidnapping, and Injury/Injury detail

giulia_rossi's review against another edition

adventurous dark mysterious slow-paced

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Bullying, Death, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, and Sexual harassment

alana_f's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Writing this review after already finishing the second book (and about to start the third), I can confidently say this trilogy is really damn good. I understand some people cannot enjoy the book due to some issues with the sensitive content (which is fine!), but I didn't view the book as glorifying it in any way (contrary actually) so I really enjoyed it! There's so much character development throughout the whole trilogy, and I think the plot is excellently crafted. I also really enjoy the Greco-Roman inspired political elements, and think a lot of people ignore that some of the harder-to-read situations are based on a cruel, historical reality that the book speaks about with disgust and critical commentary. Overall, great books, but not for those that simply don't want to engage in that type of sensitive content.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Trafficking, Death of parent, War, and Classism

witheredflower's review against another edition

dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Death, Emotional abuse, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Torture, Violence, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail

mikeymara's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? N/A
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I am definitely reading the next books and buying them to own. This book is not for everyone as it does involve a lot of topics related to sex slavery and rape. It is also not the best for people who want a quick romance, this is more of a slow burn in some ways. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, and Kidnapping

Moderate: Animal death, Cursing, Death, Emotional abuse, Incest, Torture, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Bullying, Emotional abuse, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Classism

A lot of sex based content aswell as rape and abuse. One of the main characters is a 10-14 year old in a relationship with an adult man. At some point in the story the main character is punish via wipping, it is vaguely graphic. There is some minor death of an animal, it is minor and can be skipped over. The main plot involves a description of the main characters kidnapping and transportation to Vere.

nat_kiverse's review against another edition

dark sad tense fast-paced

1.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Body shaming, Bullying, Child abuse, Confinement, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Slavery, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Murder, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail

emmelinemontgomery's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

The cover of this book should be a bloody knife or something equally brutal and disarming because this cover is much too unassuming for the insane amount of violence that’s in this book. It’s comparable to the first third of Manacled except a few times honestly even more brutal than that? (How is that possible? IT JUST IS) 

The writing is third person limited from Damen’s perspective and Damen is just too honorable and guileless for this world. There are very subtle nods to Laurent not being all he appears to be and by the end of the book (against all odds) I did not hate him anymore? Damen is continually shocked by things and Laurent is like “really? You didn’t put this together?” That’s because Laurent has grown up in a manipulative court and always scheming to survive, which by the end of the book I have a better understanding of him and his motivations and while he’s not likable he’s interesting and redeemable. 

I get why somebody would dnf this book. I almost did? But I’m glad I kept reading because I genuinely have no idea what to expect and am v excited to start the next.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Slavery, Violence, and Murder

Moderate: Emotional abuse

mollyhrose's review against another edition

adventurous dark tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.25

I did not expect to like this book. It had very dark themes warned in all the reviews and that made me nervous but I saw a TikTok of someone doing a skit of a scene and decided to read it anyway. 

I am GRIPPED. I finished it in like 6 hours, and just could not put it down. The dark themes were still there and definitely stressful but the high stakes at every turn kept me reading at every chance!!! 

I expected to hate Laurent forever after his mistreatment of Damen. Specifically when he immediately puts him in the like rape pit (thankfully he fights his way free) and then has him whipped until he nearly DIES. But somehow the writing of his fuckin book has me giggling and kicking my feet whenever they share a significant look and what is that ABOUT.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Rape, Sexual violence, Slavery, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

nicolesbookspace's review against another edition

dark hopeful lighthearted mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Rape, Slavery, and Injury/Injury detail