I should have waited until the third book came out...
Oh man, I'm addicted. ( )

Exiled prince Damen has every reason to hate underdog prince Laurent—except maybe he doesn't know Laurent at all. What better way for them to get to know one another than to embark on a sexually tense buddy-cop adventure across Vere, full of surreptitious glances and uncomfortable sleeping arrangements?

After the trauma-fest that is Captive Prince, this novel is an absolute romp. Prince's Gambit matches the first book's tense pacing, gritty action, and general atmosphere of skulduggery, but this is no longer a story of toxic power dynamics. Instead, the novel follows Damen and Laurent as they learn to relate to one another as leaders, and as equals.

We finally leave Vere's capital, and wacky hijinks ensue against the backdrop of the country's rugged borderlands. Pacat has created a serviceable little grimdark fantasy world, with plenty of intrigue, credible descriptions of military life, and fun thumbnail sketches of the intersecting border cultures. Vere doesn't seem to have much in the way of an economy, or weather, but for light fiction it's not bad.

Prince's Gambit also gives us the romance we were waiting for(?), although not the romance I expected. For better or worse, Pacat absolutely sells us on the chemistry between Damen and Laurent. They are well-drawn, charismatic characters, and their courtship is such an unusual one. For all the talk of forbidden love and the physicality on the page, this is not a Brontëesque celebration of unbridled passion, or of love as aggression. Instead these characters are brought together by respect and trust and tenderness (and enthusiastic consent!! It's so great!!)

Now, I have some issues with the treatment of Damen. The poor guy spends the first book experiencing all sorts of awfulness under Laurent's watch, but as soon as you hand him a sword, he feels empowered again. I'm glad we don't revel in his trauma, but I definitely felt like that his empathy for Laurent comes at the expense of his own right to have negative feelings about his experience. It bothered me that during the otherwise wonderful, emotionally raw sex scene near the end, there's no reference to the scars on Damen's back—or any hint of discomfort about Laurent's participation in his one experience of sexual assault. Damen is maddening because he never tries to square up the various aspects of Laurent's character; he's too much of a softie to even be bothered about whether his love interest is chaotic neutral or chaotic evil.

For all that—I loved this book. My cup of LAURENT FEELS continues to runneth over. Looking forward to being emotionally gutted by the finale. ( )

I didn't imagine that I would thoroughly enjoy this one. ( )

I want more. Highly recommended series. ( )

Rewiev at the ending of the series. ( )