Review - Kings Rising by C. S. Pacat

Damen and Laurent are ready to risk everything, including their lives and their newfound relationship, to get their kingdom’s back. Perhaps the biggest risk of all is Damen’s true identity, which was on the verge of being revealed at the end of the previous book, Prince’s Gambit.

After the previous installment ended, it seemed like all the plot lines were coming together and I thought I had a good idea of how this last book might play out. Of course, I was proved wrong within the first few pages of this book. The story continues its twists and turns right up until the very end. Even in the last pages it’s not clear if our heroes will get a happily ever after ending, or even live [and I’m not telling.

This series has been an amazing and surprising read from beginning to end. It’s not just the plot that twists and turns on every page. That wouldn’t have gotten very far if the characters didn’t hold our attention and get us interested in what they would do next. Laurent’s transformation from a cold, calculating ice-princess to a sympathetic under-dog that you’ll cheer for is quite an accomplishment. I think it works because it’s not that Laurent himself changes character, but our understanding of him evolves to give us a good idea of how he got to where he is, and what motivates him.

This entire series has not been what I expected, and that’s a good thing. The plot and characters are much more developed than anything you’ll likely find in the slave fantasy genre. In a way, I’m sorry to see it end, but the length is about right. If it had gone on any longer it would have lost what kept it so interesting.

“Kings Rising” is available from Amazon.