Review - A Suitable Captive by R. Cooper

Fen is one of many children of a powerful Earl. The rather delicately built young man isn’t made for fighting, but he is quite pretty, so his father sends Fen off to form an alliance with another Earl who is quite enamored with him. He understands the importance of alliances in a time when all Earls are under attack by a group led by a man called “The Wild Dog” by the Earls. Fen just isn’t too crazy about the Earl in question, so he slips away from his escort and tries to make his way to a friendly holding. He doesn’t make it very far before Fen is caught by The Wild Dog himself. His people call him Lan, and he’s not at all like the madman the Earls make him out to be.

This story is set in the same medieval fantasy world as A Suitable Consort and A Suitable Bodyguard. However, there’s essentially no overlap between the stories, and (minor spoiler), we find out at the end that this story takes place many years before the events of the other two books. It’s a sort of prequel or origin story. You don’t have to have read the other books before this one.

If you have read the other books, then Fen is a very recognizable main character. The entire story is told from his point of view. The young man was raised in a household dominated by a ruthless father and has learned to keep his head down and listen. Fen knows a lot about how the feudal system of the Earls works, but he hasn’t had much direct experience of life. His attraction to Lan seems entirely understandable. So does his worry that his inexperience makes him unattractive.

Fen’s love interest, Lan, is another hero cast from the same mold as the other books. He’s definitely the strong silent type, but with a good heart that attracts people to his cause without making a conscious effort to do it. Lan is the opposite of Fen, yet the two compliment each other very well. This is another slow burn romance that takes a while to heat up.

Although the stories in this fantasy world follow a relatively predictable plot line, the writing and rich set of characters make them enjoyable. The two main characters in this book are surrounded by a large set friends and family. Each of them has a big enough role to make them realistic and believable.

“A Suitable Captive” is available from Smashwords or Amazon (commissionable link).