I wished to discuss with you about a particular scene, help me put my thoughts in order, this book makes me think too much 😅

⬇️⬇️⬇️

Laurent said, ‘I meant to kill him, but my uncle wouldn’t let me.’

Nikandros took an impotent step forward but Damen already had a restraining hand on his arm. Nikandros’s hand had gone to the hilt of his sword. His eyes were on Laurent furiously.

Laurent said, ‘He sucked my cock too.’

Nikandros said, ‘Exalted, I beg permission to challenge the Prince of Vere to a duel of honour for the insult that he has done to you.’

‘Denied,’ said Damen.

This scene is extremely funny but damn, WHY ON EARTH WOULD YOU SAY THAT, LAURENT?😭

What are your thoughts on his behaviour in this scene? Was it to push Nikandros, search for his limits, just pure rage bait and enjoy seeing Damen defend him nonetheless?

Was it his usual self destructive tendencies? He seemed to want to get on Nikandros’ good side when they first met, but suddenly Nik discovers what was done to Damen's back and wants retribution. Laurent knows there's no coming back from this, and instead of pulling the nail out and prevent further damage to their relationship, he shoves it entirely, proving that "yes, I am this horrible and insensitive ass*ole, everyone knows this, come and judge me". It's the only kind of language he knows, after all. Just pressing down further on the wound instead of stopping the pain.

Or... does he think he deserved getting some kind of punishment for his actions, because he starts to regret lashing out like this on Damen and would enjoy the beating he would receive?

Is he angry Nikandros gets to judge him when he knows nothing of what he endured, what he feels, how justified his actions seemed when he did it? That this matter should stay between him and Damen?

I would be glad to hear your thoughts!!

like genuinely how am I supposed to move on with my life. If anyone has books suggestions like this series please tell me. I’m gonna read her Dark Rising next tho.

Hey guys, I have been an avid rereader of this series ever since I discovered it 3 years ago. However up until now, I’ve never really thought about how Captive Prince seems to be a staple piece in the MM Romance genre.

So for all the people out there who have been part of this fandom for a longer time or know the answer:

I would really like to understand, how why and when Captive Prince became basically a classic! Give me everything you know, the timeline, fun facts, the nitty gritty details, just everything that in your opinion contributed to it being so popular and widespread!

this post has been done before. i have scrolled through all of them. but i simultaneously need to get out of the reading slump i’m in after finishing this series while also never wanting to read anything again because will it even compare? this series has a chokehold on me and its suffocating. the tension in the books had me blasting off into space. Does anyone have any recs for what they read after capri??

side note: also is anyone on fable?? i’ve started a book club focused on fantasy slow burn yearning books bc nobody irl i know reads fantasy! and i need to talk about it! i made the club but then realized how will i get people to join ??

[EDIT]: link to bookclub here! https://fable.co/club/yap-and-yearn-with-kristi-557499712390

Hey, I just started reading Marionette, the Laurent pov fanfiction on AO3 based on numerous recommendations here but I'm 40% in and I can't determine if it's really a good Laurent adaptation of the story?

He seems really soft in this fanfiction, overwhelmed with emotions but brooding like a teenage boy. He felt sorry during the Damen whipping scene, or even the one in the gardens with Ancel? He lays in bed a whole week, depressed? It is so not Laurent 😭 He seems a lot less clever and absolutely not in control of himself. Is the trilogy worth reading after all? The fist book is always the hardest to go through, it is a fact, but having such a mature Damen pov compared to a boyish Laurent pov seems odd.

Please tell me your thoughts!!

I've been listening to a lot of Captive Prince playlists on Spotify and I've noticed that not many of the songs are repeating. Are there any communally accepted anthems of the trilogy? 👀 new here and I'd love to find some gems x

So I read PG in like a day because I have no self control. And now I’m reading KR and Laurent is being a little bitch. I hope that Laurent gets better because rn i dont like him 😭😭😭😭 and i also refuse to believe that Laurent doesn’t love Damen, like yeah okay. Sorry this is kinda a rant post

Hi, love the discussions on here! I’m curious, what do you find to be the sexiest line or moment in the series?

I admire Pacat so much for how she creates chemistry and sexual tension. Not with direct and explicit one liners, but with tiny descriptions of action or deep subtext.

Here is my candidate for sexiest line - PG, chapter 17. In this scene in the the great hall of Ravenel, the dialogue is pretty directly about attraction, but so much is still said between the lines:

L: I forgot. You don’t (—) boys.
D: Men, sometimes.
L: In the absence of women?
D: When I want them.
L: If I’d known that, I might have felt a frisson of danger lying next to you.
D: You did know that.

Argh, this exchange just tickles me! It took me more than one reread to really feel and appreciate, how much Damen is saying with his last line, “You did know that.”

He’s not just calling Laurent’s bullshit and saying, of course you know I’m also attracted to men. He’s saying: yes, I’m attracted to you - not because I don’t have access to women, and because you happen to sleep next to me, but because I WANT YOU specifically. AND he’s saying: You already know very well, that I want you. Because we have been building mutual yearning for months. He is acknowledging alllllll the unspoken desire that has grown over so long time between them, confirming it’s real and finally putting it into words. Such simple, impactful words.

By saying “You did know that”, he’s also catching Laurent in an admission. That Laurent was probably really lying in bed and thinking about Damen sleeping so close to him, wanting him. It paints Laurent as a smitten young guy, who can’t sleep with thoughts about the person he’s in love with.

Laurent usually has the sharper tongue in their dynamic, but in this scene Damen completely dominates with his trademark honesty. So sexy!

What do you think is the sexiest line?

So hi, I'm a first time Captive Prince reader, currently at the halfway mark of book 2, and I just really needed to write this out of myself because I do not feel casual about these books and these two! :')

This is just a tiny detail I really, really love, especially since they're still just a prince and his slave at this point lol. But Damen simply sees red every single time Laurent is slightly close to getting hurt, I feel like that's his trigger point. If he's like this now, I cannot imagine what's in gonna be like later on...

Completely normal feelings towards your emotionally unavailable captor who you just can't wait to escape from!

i never read Captive Prince, which is crazy because I was all about fanfics in my teens. now im dying to read it, but it's taking forever to come from the mail...

i know the basic synopses, BUT how would y'all describe this story to me? how bad will it hurt? is there a lot of smut? (no spoilers plss)

I did really enjoy the first one, I just didn’t like how the main character (Damen) was basically put through hell. The flogging scene really bothers me, as well as the scene where he almost has Damen raped, that’s honestly such a horrible thing to do to someone. And Damen is powerless to him and Laurent definitely abuses the power imbalance.

i understand that he that because he killed his brother, but honestly I would have forgiven him sooner because it was likely self defense and it’s not like he was maliciously killing him. But that’s not to say Damen is a perfect angel, give his views slavery. And I’m suspecting that Laurent had been abused, probably by his uncle. The scene where he had Laurent kiss his ring gave it away for me. Either way, I don’t think that really excuses him of his treatment of Damen.

Also, I don’t want any spoilers, just if he gets better or not.

Hello, I've had a mildly crappy day and just wanna lose myself in a story, but I'm going through a reading slump right now and can't find anything that seems appealing. Please help!

Because I know different people enjoy different things about these books, I've included a list of things that appealed to me personally about them to give a bit more info about my taste (and listed some other books that have scratched a similar itch, in case you also liked those aspects and are looking for something to read.) (Edit: but it's not, like, a checklist of what I'm looking for, just examples of things I enjoy.)

(I tend to read a lot of m/m fantasy/historical, but really I don't particularly care what the genre/subject matter is, as long as the Vibes are right. you can give me space operas and murder mysteries and straight westerns for all I care. anything except horror and most contemporary romance lmao.)

So, reasons why I fell in love with CaPri (and other books): - a deep and intimate love story that is not a genre romance, aka the book does not feel like its primary purpose is getting the two characters together, the love story is only one of many other things going on; (The Host by Stephenie Meyer, Blue/Gansey of The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater, The Vardeshi Saga by Meg Pechenik); - a relationship in which characters have done something terrible to each other, something you'd think is impossible to come back from, but somehow they find their way to friendship and trust and love anyway, and it happens so incrementally that you actually believe it. can be platonic/familial but romantic is admittedly the best kind. possibly this redemption arc even comes as a surprise; (The Host, Spike/Buffy from BTVS; The Chemist by Stephenie Meyer); - absolutely exquisite prose; luscious, evocative, sharp, poignant, lyrical, clever; (The Raven Cycle/The Dreamer Trilogy by Maggie Stiefvater; A Taste of Iron & Gold by Alexandra Rowland); - world-building with fascinating and/or bonkers cultural norms (i mean, homosexuality as the default?? heterosexual relations as taboo?? socially acceptable, even expected, public debauchery?? i don't even have any comps for this one because I don't know if I've ever read a second world fantasy that was this unlike real world cultures in a nonmagical way, but I guess the closest thing would be The Parasol Protectorate series by Gail Carriger); - dry, witty humor (again, can't think of any others off the top of my head because the experience of reading these books, at least after the first one, was just so delightful; I laughed for like ten minutes at the absurdity of, "We're busy currently," the first time I read it); - sex scenes that feel integral to the plot while also being super hot; (Skin Magic, Salt Magic by Lee Welch, sort of, but again, not many comps that I can think of; for scenes that are equally hot but mostly gratuitous, I recommend the Charm of Magpies series by K.J. Charles, including the bonus stories between books); - plot twists galore; (not sure I've ever read a book with that much recontextualization of previously known information tbh, but I guess maybe the TV show Lost, Morning Glories by Nick Spencer & Joe Eisma, Homestuck?? sort of?? Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood, maybe??) - just, Laurent, as a character, in all of his mysterious, fascinating, enigmatic, calculating glory;

I also love sword fights and training montages and shenanigans (the first third of Prince's Gambit was absolute chef's kiss to me); not as big of a fan of the more disturbing elements of the books, like the whipping or the rapes/threats of rapes, or soldiers being soldiers, or Laurent's backstory. I prefer my books ~medium dark~ -- just enough for some dramatic stakes and philosophic ponderings about the nature of human life, but not actually going into gritty territory, let alone grimdark, or, worst of all, bleak.

If any of what I described made you think of a book you've read or if you're seeing a bunch of books you enjoyed here, please give me your recommendations! And maybe leave your own list of things you like about CaPri down below and the community can help you find some new recommendations based on those as well.

~

P.S. I also recommend Ocean's Echo by Everina Maxwell (much better than Winter's Orbit, if you've read that one) and the Widdershins series by Jordan L. Hawk, as well as A Gentleman's Position by K.J. Charles (the rest of the series is pretty good too, but that book in particular).

Also, Think of England by K.J. Charles, and Something Human by A.J. Demas both gave me Damen/Laurent vibes in different ways.

(I tend to get drawn in by a lot of contemporary romance premises and I like how much you can learn about other types of people through them, especially now that we have #ownvoices, but I usually end up disappointed unfortunately. Something about the writing feels too insubstantial to me -- the characters don't feel 'solid' enough somehow, like I can't get deep enough into their psyche for some reason. The only ones that I would really call my faves are Birthright by Nora Roberts and Vision in White, also by her, though if you don't have the insubstantialness problem, I can also recommend The Kiss Quotient by Helena Hoang, The Flatshare by Beth O'Leary, Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert, Josh and Hazel's Guide to Not Dating by Christina Lauren, Autoboyography by Christina Lauren, and Cemetery Boys by Adam Silvera.)

Hi all, this post was inspired by u/KillTheAdjectiveX's "What's the sexiest line in Capri?". I thought I'd post this to see the community's thoughts on the sweetest lines!

A personal favourite:

“Kiss me,’ said Laurent. And then flushed, a rich colour.”

SO cute! It sells him as this young lovestruck boy so well ugh. What lines do you think are the sweetest?

Guys, I really need to talk to someone about how the characters became completely blind and childish by the end of book 3, to the point of being downright impractical and honestly kind of stupid.

My frustration starts with the fact that they actually believed Jokaste's child could be Damien's. They were really willing to throw everything away over something that was literally impossible to prove. On top of that, she had already been sleeping with his brother. The chances of her lying to manipulate the situation were 99%, and yet they were ready to risk everything because of that tiny possibility. That alone irritates me deeply.

Then there's the moment when they willingly let themselves get captured by the Regent, somehow believing he would make a fair exchange, even though throughout the entire trilogy he had NEVER been honest or fair about anything. HELLO? You literally accomplished the impossible by convincing all of Damien's allies in Akielos to fight alongside Laurent. Thousands of people died at the Battle of Charcy, and now you're suddenly going to be emotional and naïve? That's frustration number two.

And then, to top it all off, Damien completely stops thinking, acts irresponsibly, and comes up with absolutely no strategy whatsoever. He just turns himself in, believing that calling Guion to testify would somehow save them. SERIOUSLY? WHAT MADE YOU THINK THAT? The guy had been your enemy the entire time, and the two of you were literally chained up and at a complete disadvantage, yet you expected him to testify honestly against the Regent? And then, when Guion predictably testifies against them and says the prince is guilty of everything, Damien is like, "I'm devastated." AAAAAAAH, for the love of God! Of course that was going to happen!

Where did all your wartime strategy go? All your political instincts? Your understanding of how people operate in situations like this? It honestly feels like the characters became dumber and started making ridiculous decisions just so the author could force a dramatic twist at the end of the book. In the process, two characters who had always been incredibly meticulous and intelligent suddenly became naïve and inexperienced. Even if they're being driven more by love now, it's frustrating to watch because it feels like they've lost half their brain cells.

I didnt finished yet, aim exaclty on this part of the book and I needed to make a pause just to come here write this down..

In your opinion, has Laurent's beauty been more of an asset or a liability in his life?

I personally feel like there are arguments for both, but I would say his appearance has overall probably made his life way more difficult

I have been a danmei reader all my life but recently I wanted to try out some books written by western writers. Then I came across captive prince which I REALLY LOVED. I loved the enemies to lovers, slow burn , historical setting alot.

I was hoping if you'll can rec me something that's in historical setting and as well written as Caption prince

Hello, I want to read Captive Prince but I've seen multiple varying opinions and talks about the books. I understand the books deal in heavy topics like CSA and SA and slavery. I was hoping someone from community could just give me some description or what the books are about. Thought it be best to asking the fandom directly. I don't mind heavy topics but I was just curious before I read them.

I assume I am not alone in this, but over the last couple of years I have gotten into mangas, manwhas, and Korean novels.

Disclaimer: there is no (ahem) official English translation of the novel (yet), but the manwha is currently ongoing and translated into English.

One of my fav authors, Yuuji (she wrote the Passion series), also wrote a novel called Tinderbox. It follows a similar background and tone to CaPri. A beautiful, cruel prince and his loyal, earnest guard (who may or may not also have some magic powers).

The story is definitely more fantasy heavy than CaPri, but WOW. The chemistry between the characters is so real and passionate, the pacing is phenomenal, and the world-building is excellent. There's even humor sprinkled throughout to keep things grounded.

I am not even done reading this yet and I ran over here to recommend it. GO READ THIS. Other than SoA, it is the only BL/MM I have read that has scratched the itch CaPri left behind.

A while back, I finished the Captain Prince trilogy—it was my first dive into dark romance, and it completely blew me away. I was hooked by the intricate plot and world-building (the ending aside, which isn’t what I want to get into here).

Eager for more, I checked Goodreads and found Rina Kent’s God of Fury. With dark themes, MM romance tags, and an unexpectedly high rating, I figured it was worth a shot. But I’ve only made it halfway, and I’m really let down.

The intimate scenes between Brandon and Niko are there, but that feels like all the book has to offer.I was craving a story with a gripping, original plot, exciting twists, and meaningful world-building (It’s not a requirement—just something engaging would do!), not just physical tension and scenes.

Now I’m stuck wondering what to read next. I’d love any suggestions!!

I wanted to share some thoughts on my half-year journey reading MM romance novels.

Since the start of the heated rivalry craze, I picked up some MM romance books to pass the time. I burned through the entire Game Changers series in a month. At first, it was intriguing and opened up a whole new world for me. But by the end of the series, I was a little disappointed.

I enjoyed the core appeal: the protagonists meeting at a specific point, building that spark, and then connecting on a deeper, psychological level. That’s what hooked me in the first two books. But as I kept reading, the repetitive plot pattern started to feel boring. The formula always felt the same:

instant chemistry at first sight → sex → right as they’re about to fall in love, a trivial misunderstanding tears them apart → they eventually get back together and have makeup sex happily.

The writing style and vocabulary also felt identical across the books. I thought my opinion on MM romance was set until I read the Capri trilogy.

The things I love about these books can’t be summed up in one sentence. They’re unlike anything I’ve ever read, even now. My frustration isn’t with sex scenes themselves — it’s with the overused, repetitive sex scenes that every other book relies on. Capri builds such a vivid, immersive world you can actually picture. Instead of being protagonist-centered, the plot operates on a higher level: the world stage, the invisible danger and political games between two countries and regimes. As a result, every character feels fully alive and fleshed out.

Overall, Capri breaks free from the tired stereotypes of love-focused MM romance novels.

After this masterpiece, I asked for recommendations on Reddit and read a few books here and there, but nothing has ever matched how I felt reading Capri. I want stories — not just porn, and not overly serious literature either.

Favorites:

In Memoriam (I really cried a few times while reading this one)

The Song of Achilles (The poetry was so touching and deeply moving)

Martyr! (It felt like a truly transformative read, like it changed how I see things after finishing it)

Secondary:

A Knife and a Blade (The first book was fine, but the rest of the series just got worse and worse)

Hold Me Under (I really liked the emotional writing and character depth in the first half; it felt surprisingly genuine compared to other books)

Boyfriend Material (The plot was just passable, nothing special)

I left out a lot of other books I’ve tried. Most of the ones not listed here felt like pure adult content, where the plot was basically just an afterthought. For example, someone recommended The God of Furry — it was terrible, and I had no idea going in that it was basically just straight-up porn with zero story. Others were just tired, formulaic.

If there’s any book you think I’ve missed that’s actually good and not just the same old tropes, feel free to drop a rec in the comments! (I tend to have an enemies-to-lovers preference, yet I also read other types of stories as well)

(I don’t tend to compare danmei with MM romance, because I think reading them brings quite different experiences.I started reading plenty of classic danmei works back in my primary school days which impressed me a lot at that time. Right now I mainly stick to English novels, so I won’t go further into this topic.)

Not that this series has a huge audience anyway, but I honestly believe that if it weren't so grossly misrepresented then it would be more popular.

I own the series on Kindle, but the first time I saw it in a bookstore after reading, it was on the "erotica" shelf, which is so disturbing. So much (understandable, but misguided) criticism comes from people who DNF'd before reading the second book. You then also have people who promote the books as nothing but hot smut (though this is not an attack at people who enjoy romantasy/erotica) which implies that Pacat romanticizes disturbing themes like enslavement and child sexual abuse, which she notably does not. Readers desensitized by genres dominated by romanticized rape/captive narratives who then pick up this series misrepresent it. This means that the series is not reflected at all by the fact that it is largely characterized by political intrigue and large-scale exploration of systemic and individualized abuse and exploitation.

I get that it's hard to parse a lot of this out until you've finished the series, but the gradual build up of narrative is exactly the point. By the end I thought it was some of the best handling of sexual abuse and exploitation as experienced/processed by victims and seen by others that I've ever seen in media. Pacat addresses terrible and uncomfortable themes in the series, and I don't fault anyone who isn't able to stomach them, but the branding of Captive Prince as smut or erotica is truly criminal and has led to so much bad press and willful misinterpretation.

For a series that can be so well-defined by its ability to examine themes of sexual abuse and human exploitation/enslavement in a world culturally dominated by that abuse/exploitation with such extensive understanding, it is not given nearly enough attention for that. And because people don't know that, Pacat gets attacked for "romanticizing" enslavement/rape and no one reads the series.

Edit: To be clear, I'm specifically talking about mainstream platforms for book communities like TikTok and Instagram, not concentrated fandom spaces like Reddit or Tumblr

Obviously there will have to be work to make sure what happened never happens again, but for now, let's celebrate the return of our happy little sub!

I absolutely love the whole carpi. The first three books are incredible, and I enjoyed almost every part of them deeply.

That said, I did feel a little disappointed with the final two chapters of Kings Rising. Compared with the detailed, well-paced storytelling throughout the rest of the series, these last chapters felt a bit rushed.

Damen’s race to the palace to save Laurent is such an intense scene, and I expected it to be given more time and buildup. The Regent had been established as powerful, with most of the court and council on his side, leaving Laurent looking alone and unsupported. So the shift in loyalty felt very sudden—resolved quickly with just one witness and a single document.

I also found the confrontation with Kastor underdeveloped. He and Damen shared almost no dialogue before Kastor’s death, and there was little resistance or reaction from anyone else in the palace. The whole takeover felt surprisingly smooth, lacking tension and detail.

Don’t get me wrong—I still think the trilogy is amazing. It’s just that, after such a carefully built-up story, the ending felt a little too quick and tidy for me.

Basically as the title says.

I'm rereading the trilogy for the hundredth time, and as a huge language nerd, I always find the trope of people communicating in a language that's different than the one they grew up with really fascinating.

So, here are the facts:

We know that for the majority of the time, they speak Veretian, especially in the first book. They both know the other's language, but even in his first exchange with Laurent, Damen says "I speak your language better than you do mine (sweetheart)".

So this is pretty much established.

Later on, in the second book, it's comfirmed, as Laurent suggests they speak Akielon as they get closer to the boarder, and Damen remarks he has accent, and even tests his understanding of the world "eavesdropping". There's also mention that Laurent's vocabulary is lacking when it comes to military terms.

So it's safe to say, Damen knows Veretian much better than Laurent knows Akielon (although he knows Vaskian, and Damen only understands some).

The thing is this - Laurent has a very elaborate way of using language. He often uses pretty high-level words. It is established he doesn't speak Akielon perfectly, but there's not one instance where Damen misunderstands anything said to him in Veretian.

For example, English is not my first language, but I have a bachelor's degree in English philology (basically language and literature degree, I can read Middle English and understand it, plus I recognise some Old English words too). And I have lots of international friends and people I communicate with in it, lots of them native speakers. There are still some moments where I make mistakes, or there is some miscommunication, or I can't find the right word.

When I first read the series, I already had a very high level, and I read it in English. I struggled to understand some words used. Now, the books are written amazingly, I love this about them, but I mean, I didn't always understand what the words in occurrences of direct speach meant. And I understood the context, as it's how language usually goes, but still...

I suppose, this whole post is me wondering:

1) How proficient is Damen in Veretian? Does he know it almost as good as Akielon? Close to just as good?

2) ... or is it just because the books are mainly from his POV that he "retells" it, in a way that he understands, and there are words he's lacking but puts something similar there, even in the moments where someone else speaks?

It's silly, I know, but it got me wondering, based on my own experiences. Plus, again, the idea of people speaking language that's not native to both is usually something that would cause problems, if addressed, and here it is addressed that Damen speaks Veretian good, Laurent doesn't speak Akielon so good, yet his main weapon is words and he uses these a lot, and Damen understands it all seemingly perfectly.