Kings Rising by C.S. Pacat – a Review

Kings Rising
Captive Price Trilogy – Book #3
by C.S. Pacat
Release Date: February 2, 2015

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Description:
Damianos of Akielos has returned.

His identity now revealed, Damen must face his master Prince Laurent as Damianos of Akielos, the man Laurent has sworn to kill.

On the brink of a momentous battle, the future of both their countries hangs in the balance. In the south, Kastor’s forces are massing. In the north, the Regent’s armies are mobilising for war. Damen’s only hope of reclaiming his throne is to fight together with Laurent against their usurpers.

Forced into an uneasy alliance the two princes journey deep into Akielos, where they face their most dangerous opposition yet. But even if the fragile trust they have built survives the revelation of Damen’s identity – can it stand against the Regent’s final, deadly play for the throne?

Review:

Kings Rising by C.S. Pacat is the 3^rd book in her Captive Prince trilogy. When I started this trilogy, I did not know what to expect, though the description sounded very good. I was also one of the lucky ones who did not have to wait a few years for the final book, as I read all three together. At the start of the first book, The Captive Prince, I worried as it was dark, and what our hero, Damen had to go through was mortifying. Damen having been forced into slavery, betrayed by his family to another country, and answering to his master, Prince Laurent. However, once I was a third way through, there was no turning back. I loved Damen and Laurent, who was the villain of the early part, but that slowly changed.   I loved The Captive Prince, and the second book, Prince’s Gambit, and loved Damen and Laurent. I was totally hooked and couldn’t wait to read the final book, Kings Rising.

In Kings Rising, Damen is now revealed to be Damianos, of Akielos, who had killed Laurent’s brother years before.   Damen was working closely with Laurent to win a war developing that will make Laurent the rightful King of Vere, and bring Damen back to Akielos to fight for his rightful throne. Now that Laurent knows who he is, will the friendship and love they have developed turn them into enemies?

I do not want to give spoilers, and so much happens in this book that had some surprises, reveals, which had us holding our breaths throughout.   Kings Rising was such an exciting, exhilarating story that I could not put the book down, as I had to know how this would end. Would both Damen and Laurent survive? Would they allow their growing love continue? Would they ever be Kings?

C.S. Pacat wrote a wonderful, tense, exciting, mindboggling story with a romance that blew us away. I do not read much M/M romances, but this one with all the bad and beautiful was so well done. Damen and Laurent were so different, but so right. The last half of the book was so exciting, intense, filled with danger, suspense, and right to the end we feared for the lives of those we loved. Bravo to Pacat for giving us such an awesome and perfect finish to this fabulous trilogy.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher