All I can say is that if the pairing seen here was straight, and Laurent was abusing a captive 'princess', the uproar from critics would be astounding.
I was hoping that because the author herself is LGBT, it might treat the characters with some more depth and respect, usually not seen in other gay fiction written by straight people, but it's equally bad. I couldn't believe that this treatment would eventually result in a romance between the two characters, but low and behold, it some how does and it's just as bad as you can imagine. There are scenes where Damen (the POC protagonist) is repeatedly whipped, or put in chains or is graphically raped by other characters, all at the behest of Laurent, his love interest. The way it tries to dress up constant abuse and racism inflicted on the main character as a stepping stone for the eventual romance by the end of the novel, is nothing short of disgusting. I have read each book in the series, and while I can confirm that it does get a little better by the second and third book, at least in regards to the writing and political plot, the problems with the themes and overall treatment of the characters of the novel are still horrendously apparent. I'm more angry at the person who recommended it to me as a positive LGBT fiction novel. What this is, is a rape/slave fantasy that is nothing short of an embarrassment to even call a 'positive' representation of gay men in fiction. After reading it, I felt very sickened and upset. I bought this series a while ago on the recommendation that it was a very popular LGBT novel, and I knew very little else before reading it.
I wish more stories would be published about these amazing characters…pretty please? I devoured this series from start to finish in little over a week. The world building is superb, but it were the characters who really stole my heart, especially Laurent. It's subtle, it's a slow burn and it is WAY less smutty than I had expected, but boy, my heart soared because of this story. If there's one thing that I adore in a story, then it's an impossible romance. Forced into an unlikely alliance, can Damen and Laurent find a way to save themselves, their thrones, and their countries? But the court and its politics are treacherous and before Damen realises what is happening, he finds himself in the middle of a dangerous power struggle. His new master, Prince Laurent, is known as a cold and manipulative man who embodies the Veretian decadence despised by Damen.
Damen, heir to the throne of Akielos, loses everything that he holds dear when his half-brother seizes power and banishes him to Vere as a slave. While I consider Captive Prince to be historical fiction (because there's nothing supernatural or magical that takes place), the story is set in a fictional world that calls to mind Ancient Greece and Italy.
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