Kings Rising
Viking $22.99 pb, 352 pp, 9780143799610
Kings Rising by C.S. Pacat
Kings Rising is the final in C.S. Pacat's Captive Prince trilogy. Set in an invented world that evokes medieval France and Ancient Greece, it follows Damianos, the Prince of Akielos, and Laurent, Prince of Vere. When Damianos's half-brother overthrows their father in a palace coup, he imprisons Damianos and sends him to Vere as a pleasure slave for Laurent. The first two books follow Damianos, renamed Damen to disguise his identity, and his life as a palace slave in Vere. Damen not only carries the secret of being an Akielion prince; he is also the prince-killer, having killed Laurent's older brother in battle. By birth and circumstance they are born enemies, yet political intrigues and necessity gradually unite them. By the third book, the pair have created an uneasy truce and must work together to win their thrones.
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