"Kings Rising" (Captive Prince #3) by C.S. Pacat

Kings Rising by C.S. Pacat
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

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I only very recently read 'Captive Prince', meaning I have not had to wait anywhere near as long as some people to read 'Kings RIsing'. But still, every day this book was not on the shelves felt so long because I just had to know how Damen and Laurent's story ended. Also, mad respect to those of you who have been with this series since it first came out - that kind of wait would have killed my inner fangirl!

How do I describe this book? Is completely and totally perfect in every way allowed? I loved the first two books in this series, but 'Kings Rising' was somehow even better. Pacat wrote the most beautiful ending - it answered all my questions and resolved all the problems, but it never felt too easy or unrealistic. It left me happy with where Damen and Laurent were without knowing every minute detail about their future, or the futures of Vere and Akielos. I continued to love both Damen and Laurent throughout this novel (even though, at times, you will just want to shake them until they accept the truth).

What Pacat does exceptionally well (you know, besides creating painful/beautiful sexual tension) is world building. I have never questioned whether Vere and Akielos exist, because they feel completely real. Even the other neighbouring kingdoms are described enough to make them feel real, without overdoing it with unnecessary detail.

Someone (I can't remember who, sorry!) once described this series as "genre defying", and I think that is the perfect description. It has romance, action, fantasy, political and military aspects, but none of those terms fully encompasses the beauty of this series. And for the other Aussies amongst us who, like me, do not read anywhere near enough Australian fiction, C.S. Pacat is one of us! Yay!

Overall, this was a breathtakingly beautiful and poignant ending to a wonderfully painful and amazing series. If I could recommend just one series to you this year, let it be this one!

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