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Well.

I can't get behind a relationship where one character is a racist, sexual, verbal, and physical abuser. Then go as far as market their relationship as "slow burn." LOL yeah. Don't insult my intelligence.

With that being said, however. I can't say this is the worst book I ever read. I've mentioned this once in my review for 50 Shades of Grey that while it's not the best book ever written, EL James at least knows how to keep her audience reading and I found this true for Captive Prince. I mean, I finished it in less than 24 hours and I was interested enough to keep reading and reading and reading until the end. So on that level... yeah.

On the other hand, this book does not have a plot. All it is is moving our main character, Damen, into increasingly and escalatingly horrible situations. I guess I should say trigger warning for rape? A lot of rape. And while of course I don't agree with that at all, I did feel like it accurately represented a time period of slavery that we all kind of just want to pretend didn't happen but did, I just wished it wasn't so romanticized. I mean all the orgy parties in this book I've seen on shows like Spartacus, Game of Thrones, pretty much any historical drama series on networks like HBO, Starz, etc. I also preferred if this book was a historical fiction book because this "fantasy setting" was extremely weak with literally no worldbuilding. I could have substituted any place mentioned in this book with a city like "Rome" or "Athens" and the story still would have made complete sense. That's not how fantasy should work.

So with all these orgy parties and rape, it wasn't exactly that, that had bothered me, it was Laurent and Damen's relationship that bothered me. If you want all these things in your story, (and done well) hey, do it. I like books that push the envelope, exploring things that have happened in our real-world. I don't think subject matter in books should be restricted because they make people uncomfortable or they are taboo. As long as it is done well, with purpose, and advances the story.

But this relationship between Laurent and Damen made me sick.

I literally have no idea why people ship these two. And don't tell me Laurent makes this huge 180 in the series and gets better. Fuck. That. The entire book Laurent goes about finding ways to HUMILIATE and CUT DOWN Damen. But these two should get together?

ARE

YOU

FUCKING

SERIOUS.

I say that as a statement and not a question because it should be a no brainer. I'm also saying this because goddamn, it needs to be said but if Damen was a FEMALE, everyone would be up in arms about this book. There would be no praise. But, just became Damen is a MALE we aren't supposed to defend him? I'm sorry but that is some fucked up backwards logic in our society as a whole. If you're going to complain and bitch about a female going through something like this you sure as shit need to do the same thing if a male is too

I hate to compare this book to 50 Shade of Grey because it's not my favorite book either, but that book gets so much shit for the relationship.

BEAR WITH ME BECAUSE I NEED TO PUT THESE TWO BOOKS IN PERSPECTIVE.

- A female entering a CONSENSUAL relationship of (I guess) taboo sex. Christian is crucified for reasons x, y and z.
- Damen is sold as a SLAVE to Laurent, is subjected to attempted rape, whipped into almost unconsciousness, continual racial slurs, public humiliation, and public orgasm. Laurent is praised for reasons x, y, and z.

Yeah, ok. I see it now. And I think it all comes down to gender. But whatever.

Erasmus was the saving grace of this book and I shipped him with Damen and in my head, they ended up together.

Guess I should also mention that I will be continuing the series because I need to see how this shit relationship plays out.

A love story between an abuser and his abused.

I can't make this shit up if I tried.