Review - The Prince's Consort by Antonia Aquilante

Amory has never been able to please his father. When his older brother catches Amory kissing his best friend Tristan, things can only get worse, but Amory is surprised when his father informs him he will be coming with him to the palace the next day. Surprise turns to shock when Amory’s father makes a startling proposal to the prince. Crown Prince Philip is almost as shocked as Amory at his father’s despicable suggestion. Still, he feels strongly attracted to the young man, and wants to protect him from his father’s avarice. Philip offers Amory a room in the palace and the two quickly become friends, and then lovers. As Crown Prince, Philip has responsibilities, and some of those Amory can’t help with, or can he?

This is yet another story set in a medieval fantasy world where magic and sorcery are real, so of course there’s a handsome prince and a bit of a fairy tale sweetness. The pair of men are thrown together so quickly, with an obvious mutual attraction, it was hard to see, at first, how the story would play out. However, Philip and Amory take the time to become friends, and when things get serious, Amory’s presence triggers more drama and a bit of a mystery.

Amory comes across as a sweet young man from the very start. He’s just beginning to explore his sexuality with his best friend, but he has no doubt about his inclinations. Like many of the underdog-heroes in these stories, Amory’s gentle nature covers a steely determination to do the right thing as well as to make the man he loves happy. As the plot unfolds, Amory turns out to be full of surprises.

Philip is not quite the kind of partner you usually have in these stories. He’s like a more mature version of Amory. Like his young lover, Philip also has a few secrets that get revealed as the two get to know each other. The two men have much more complementary personalities that you usually see in these fantasies, where the protagonists are normally polar opposites. It makes you think the two might have a better chance of getting a happily-ever-after.

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“The Prince's Consort” is available from Amazon (commissionable link).