A Captive of Passion and Circumstance (Volume 1)

Captive Prince

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Amanda set for herself a very high bar that I have no doubt she will smash. For me, she is an author to watch and I cannot wait to read more of her work. However, as I said before; please start with book 1. Both books are very well written and pretty much a joy! I hope you love them as much as I did! Nov 12, Genelle Themann rated it really liked it. In the second book of this series, another angel meets his match in a healer who was half demon and half human.

Having his wing feathers ripped out, the angel, Zadkiel, is sold to the Halcyon Guild and is treated by Peony, to try and save his life since dead angels had no value. Feelings are starting to develop. All hell breaks loose when Peony is sold to the Mortus demons who were looking for her almost identical sister Dru who was wanted for killing Mortus demons. Can both demon sisters actual In the second book of this series, another angel meets his match in a healer who was half demon and half human.

Can both demon sisters actually fall for angels? This was a very good continuation of the series as the author was able to blend in similar aspects but in much different circumstances. The sisters' ancestry is finally reveled which explains their abilities. I received a free copy of this book, but It is my choice to leave this review. I am ready to attack the next in this series to find out what happens to our Angels and Demons Nov 15, Stephanie rated it it was amazing Shelves: This is a fantastic series and if you haven't read book 1, you must must must!

This could probably be read as a stand alone but why would you when book 1 was amazing too and provides much needed backstory? Peony is a cambion and doctor raised in the human realm. Z is an Angel whom was kidnapped, beaten, poisoned and stripped of his feathers by demons. The two have insta-chemistry but both ignore it for different reasons.

When Peony is sold to the mortis demons and Z finds out, it is a race to ge This is a fantastic series and if you haven't read book 1, you must must must! When Peony is sold to the mortis demons and Z finds out, it is a race to get her back ASAP before anything bad happens to her. This is a terrific series and I absolutely cannot wait to read the next one!!! Dru, Azrael and the gang are all up in this books business too! And Dru makes me laugh and laugh.

I was gifted an ARC in return of an honest review. Nov 12, Kaye rated it it was amazing. Talk about taking the rough road. This is one action packed, hard hitting, nailbiting, pulse racing, heart pounding, page turning thriller that is as riveting as it is captivating. With so many twists and turns, unexpected circumstances and unpredictable surprises around every corner this bad boy makes for one enjoyable experience.

The characters and scenes are written with such realism it really pulls this little jewel together beautifully. Amanda describes each character with such depth and individuality it's easy to relate to and bond with them. All the graphic detail gives us a magnificent overview it makes it so easy to picture each scenario as they play off one another in perfect balance. Amanda did a remarkable job bringing this read to life flawlessly.

Fantastic job Amanda, thanks for sharing this little guy with us. Nov 17, Michel rated it it was amazing. Nov 20, Ani rated it it was amazing. Book one left me in angst for Peony. What would the Mortus do to her, I hated the king and the Mortus way of life and it would ruin her.

Benevolent Passion

The angst in this book was intense. Z has to decide what he wants from his future and Peony is too selfless to say what she truly wants. The story was a great read and the flow just made it so easy to get wrapped up in the lives of these characters. I just Book one left me in angst for Peony. I just want more! The world Amanda Pillar has created is fantastic and I cannot wait to visit it again! Nov 12, Kel Carpenter rated it really liked it. So much happens in this book.

So many twists and turns that build on what Deadly Passion started and set up beautifully for Winged Passion. Peony has a different kind of strength I found a nice change, and she grows as a character do to circumstances. Her feelings for Z were sweet and he was the right mix of dominant but not controlling. Breene, and Larissa Ione will love this series. Nov 24, Joann rated it it was amazing. No spoilers of any kind included. This book was freaking amazing! Amanda Pillar is one mad story weaving genius, the characters and realities are freaking awesome! I definitely look forward to the next book in this series because I have to know what else happens to these angels and demons.

Nov 13, Nicole Henderson rated it it was amazing. Peony and Z both have a tough path to follow and the journey is only just beginning. Nov 23, Sydney rated it it was amazing. Just couldn't slow down on reading this book. Loved how it went back a gave Peony and Z's history before and after they met.

Great story line with it meeting up with the pervious book and then going forward. Z learns not everything it nor what it seems and Peony learns that being a good person still means sometimes you have to fit your way there. Lots of action and their are lots of reveals in this one, you learn alot. Dec 09, Tera Comer rated it really liked it Shelves: As like the first book this one pulled me and and did not want to let me go.

There is plenty of action and suspense revolving around Peony and Z to keep you pulled in till the last page. I can not wait to read the next book! I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book. Peony is a healer but she is now a slave to demons , Z is sick but he needs to find the Heavens Heart , these two are drawn together , her healing and his heart now they have to work together to keep him healthy and figure out I love how this story is told and all the little twists and turns , I am so excited and can not wait for book 3.

Nov 14, Fallon Soye rated it it was amazing. Seriously people the second book following Peony and Z is just as good as the first. But this book was definitely worth the read! You will not be disappointed and I definitely did not see it coming. Nov 12, Ashley Martinez ilovebooksandstuffblog rated it really liked it. I absolutely loved it! This can be read as a stand-alone but its best to be read in order to get the whole story.

The characters were enjoyable to read. They were the perfect balance for each other. Dec 05, Danielle Carpenter rated it really liked it. I don't usually read angels books, because of my views on angels and demons. This story is actually about love and purity of heart. It also suggests that there is procreation among angels and demons. The consequences of such actions are also explained.

God even has prophecies for such actions. This story is actually quite humorous and I liked Peony and Dru, because of their uniqueness. Nov 11, Juanita E. Arp rated it it was amazing.

The chemistry between the characters is wonderful. I can't wait for more from this author. Nov 12, Michelle rated it really liked it. I received this book for free and voluntarily reviewed.

This story was interesting and enjoyable. The storyline was intriguing and unexpected in places, which was good. The characters were entertaining and engaging and their interactions were funny. A series I would continue. Nov 19, Nathalie rated it really liked it. I bought this straight after finishing Deadly Passion, and it did not disappoint! Some interesting and unexpected twists and turns, and I can't wait for the next one!

Nov 27, Jackie rated it it was amazing. What an amazing story. A totally different type for me. Glad I got the chance to read it. Big boys don't fucking cry? Like, I'm actually in tears writing this. This world fucking sucks. View all 47 comments. Apr 12, Whitney Atkinson rated it liked it Shelves: I think if you read this, you need to know several things in advance just to make sure that you don't automatically hate it: All of these things combined made the first half of the book almost unbearable, but there was one nugget of light that got me through it, and is continuing to push me to want to read the sequel: The subplots and tiny character mannerisms in this book are absolutely fascinating, and it's like Stiefvater characters that you subtly grow to love, even the side characters you hardly see.

This book is very political and that part of it lost me I'm not a huge fan of books like this, so it's just a personal preference , and additionally, I wish it was longer in order to explain the history of the kingdoms and give the reader some kind of context about the conflict s occurring in the world.

Otherwise, I couldn't put this down, even when it was hard to read. I can understand why people love it, I can understand why people hate it. I'm going to go order to sequels from Amazon. View all 10 comments. View all 11 comments. View all 4 comments. I have seen a plethora of glowing reviews from friends that have loved this series. However, my curiosity finally got the best of me and I downloaded the first audiobook in the series. The rest is history! I blew through all three audiobooks in a couple of days, listening to them back to back until I had devoured the entire series.

This 'Captive Prince' has been on my radar for a long time now. This series was fantastic! Since I finished all three books in the series before sitting down to write my reviews, I'll do my best not to give any big spoilers. The specifics of where one book ended and the next began are a little hazy for me. However, they were all worthwhile and highly entertaining books. Volume One', introduces us to Damen and Laurent. The two are princes from rival kingdoms, only Damen's true identity is a secret to everyone in Laurent's court.

If his true identity were known, he would surely be executed. Damen is surrounded by enemies, betrayed by his half-brother and sold into slavery. Although the two are enemies, Damen and Laurent have many things in common. Both princes have fallen prey to family members who want to seize their crowns.

Damen had his rule usurped by his illegitimate half-brother, Kastor, while Laurent is at the mercy of his uncle, who rules in his stead until Laurent is old enough to claim his crown. That being said, it is hard to envision Laurent in the role of a victim. From the first introduction, his manipulative, and often cruel, nature is apparent. His treatment of Damen is deplorable as he strives to assert his power over his new, wild and unbroken pleasure slave.

See a Problem?

Laurent is clearly a character that enjoys head games. On the other hand, Damen is a character that has instant appeal. He is put in an unspeakable situation and betrayed by the brother that he looked up to. My heart went out to Damen. I wanted to see him prevail. Upon Damen's arrival in the Vere, he is thrown into a life of debauchery. The Verethian court is filled with hedonistic and taboo sexual activities.

The members of the courts indulge in every depraved act you can imagine. Nothing is off-limits, with the exception of enjoying pleasure slaves of the opposite gender in an effort to prevent the conception of illegitimate children that would sully the Verethian bloodlines. Rape and pedophilia are a way of life. Accordingly, this will not be a book for many readers. It is full of dark, controversial and offensive content.

You will be appalled. In fact, that is a large part of the appeal of this story. There aren't too many graphic sex acts depicted, but the constant lingering threat of rape gives this book a very ominous feeling. I spent the entire time on the edge of my seat, waiting for the assault that I knew was inevitable. The anticipation, and resulting anxiety, was immense. For most of this book, Laurent portrays a spoiled, bratty and cruel prince. He treats Damen harshly and is extremely abusive. However, there are brief glimpses of another side of him. I have no doubt that there is far more to Laurent than meets the eye.

This book definitely had my rapt attention. It wasn't like most of the books that I read, but I was completely hooked. Without missing a beat, I dived right into the second book to continue Damen and Laurent's story. Check out more of my reviews at www. View all 32 comments. As it seems you either hate it or you love it. There is no in-between. I think most of that is due to the fact that it deals with subjects we feel very uncomfortable with.

Pacat confronts us with a lot of heavy topics. Just to make that perfectly clear! There is rape, slavery, sexual abuse, torture, violence and even the mention of paedophilia. Just to name a few of them and there are scenes that no doubt will revolt you immensely. Pacat is not okay with the things that happen to the slaves in the book!

You are permanently disgusted by us, aren't you? I guess that quote says it all! I still want you to keep in mind that things like that are nothing new though. Throughout the long history of mankind those subjects have always been a part of our lives. There were plenty of wars and people have always been tortured, raped, abused and enslaved! Who am I kidding? Things like that still happen all around the world. So yeah, I think what I want to say is that C.

We should neither forget that nor ignore it. I can only speak for myself but in my case it definitely worked. Betrayed by his own brother and shipped into the lands of his enemies Prince Damianos of Akielos ends up in the foreign land of Vere. Powerless and enslaved he has no other choice than to obey though, his hope to find a way to escape the only thing that helps him to endure.

As long as no one knows about his true identity he has a chance at survival…. Will Damen be able to escape the corrupt court of Vere or will someone blow his cover before he even gets a decent chance to flee? And in fact it is! But damn did I enjoy this reread! I feel soo damn sorry for what happens to him in this book! Even enslaved and in the hands of the enemy he still tries everything possible in order to help his people and to remain true to himself.

I love that about him! But life in Akielos went on without Damianos. These slaves had no one else to help them. And what did it mean, to be a prince, if he did not strive to protect those weaker than himself? Anywhere else, you simply killed your enemy with a sword. Or poisoned him, if you had the honourless instincts of an assassin. Here, it was layer upon layer of constructed double-dealing, dark, polished and unpleasant. He accepted sympathy gracefully. He put his position rationally. He stopped the flow of talk when it became dangerously critical of his uncle. He said nothing that could be taken as an open slight on the Regency.

Yet no one who talked to him could have any doubt that his uncle was behaving at best misguidedly and at worst treasonously. Well, at least for me it was. I know one of my fellow buddy readers hated him fiercely! And yes, I admit it: When the time comes. You might prefer that. He tucked it carefully into a fold of his riding clothes. I hate and despise the Regent for choosing him as his pet and the thought of them together makes me feel sick to my stomach.

He has experienced things many adults have not, and his mind is no longer that of a child. Though even a child may learn how to manipulate an adult. Is he all right? No uncle acts with a heavier heart. They hide behind their sophisticated demeanour and their complicated clothes but in fact they are the true barbarians of the story, none more so than the Regent himself!!!

I despise and hate that man so much and I truly hope he burns in the nine circles of hell. Come to think of it, his actions might easily cause him to end up in all of them. I hate it when we are at odds, yet you force me to chastise you. You seem determined to wreck everything in your path.

Blessed with gifts, you squander them. Given opportunities, you waste them. XD I think what made this even more fun was the fact that it was a buddy read with my two lovely girls! View all 26 comments. Nov 07, Heather K dentist in my spare time rated it it was amazing Shelves: This is not a drill! I just have to give S. Pacat a huge round of applause. It is going to be hard to write a review of just Volume 1 because I read them back to back like a rabid fan-girl so I'll just review them together.

Benevolent Passion (Heaven's Heart Book 2) by Amanda Pillar

It was like my eyes were glued to my phone today. I wouldn't and couldn't stop reading. I won't rehash the plot because the overview doesn't sound terribly interesting or new. It is the masterful, smart writing that sets this book apart. The writing is so crisp and fan-freaking-tastic that it gives each word the power that it is due. Details sing in all the right ways. The way the author portrayed Laurent in the beginning made me think I could never sympathize with him. It is through truly skilled writing that little facts play out just as they should over time and reveal Laurent's character in new lights.

We learn hard truths along with Damen and I felt my point of view morphing as his did. I was entwined with Damen and felt deeply connected to his story and his emotional and physical journey. The book is a study in deception and human emotion. It grips you until the very end. Book 1 set the stage for book 2, which just brings everything to a head. There are no missteps. It is like a ballet dance of words, and I don't think I'm being too complementary or over-exaggerating.

Book 3 will be my most anticipated release of next year if that is when it will come out! View all 30 comments. More like a 3. I'm gonna marathon the trilogy! View all 3 comments. Pacat, you've probably been living under a rock. Not my typical choice of reading material, but HYPE. Well, that would be Bad.

Did all of that cross your eyes? What isn't simple is everything that came after the initial introductions, and how I feel about it. Obviously, as a prince, Damen isn't too keen on becoming a sex slave. And even though there technically wasn't much sex on page , the hedonistic attitude of the nobility permeated the atmosphere, and the threat was constant, like background noise. I do mean threat. But in that weird, willful suspension of disbelief way that's exciting even as you're consciously uncomfortable. Enter Nicaise, the thirteen-year-old "pet" of a dirty old man in Laurent's court.

So there are two things you need to know before picking up this book: I'm not sure what kept me going. Could've been the remnants of curiosity. Show me a book that does endorse the sexual violation of children, and I'll show you a jail cell. And much to my chagrin, I found myself fascinated by Laurent. He's a prince with the foul mouth of a tavern brawler.

Hatred burns in his eyes, but he almost always maintains a perfect calmness that is infuriating. He's a brilliant manipulator who superficially appears to be no more than an indulged royal brat. Beyond my newfound obsession with Laurent, I was reading not only to try to understand my prince, but in anticipation of other despicable characters' downfalls.

A secondary issue was the thinly veiled attempt to elevate the book above the stereotypes of its genre. I have an extensive vocabulary. I majored in English, but even if I hadn't, you can't read as much as I do and not pick up an impressive number of words along the way. What is unusual is having to use said lookup feature every few pages. It took awhile to catch on, so I missed the early ones, but after I grew wise to the tactic, I began highlighting: I could go on. After I acclimated to the overuse of words rarely if ever found. A man didn't frown.

His " smooth brow corrugated. I was further convinced when the word lookup yielded no results. Word lookup isn't infallible, so I googled it. And discovered that it was a real word, but had been misused. Unless Pacat intended to say the ornaments in the room were, " in a state of lively or angry excitement. In this case, it felt disingenuous.

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Like the author had hangups about the type of book she was writing--SMUT. Pacat is a deeply flawed book, despite its low page count. If you can handle rape and sexual exploitation as abhorrent cultural practices, then you, too, should willingly fling yourself into this deep, dark hole. If you don't, you'll probably find yourself as entangled as I am, but you've been forewarned, so you'll have only yourself to blame.

If book 2 isn't the significant improvement I'm promised. ALSO, the second Nicaise was revealed to be Regent's pet, it made sense both why Regent didn't just kill Laurent as well, and why Laurent has such violent reactions to the strong taking advantage of the weak. View all 64 comments. Mar 14, V. Don't read my review if the word "rape" makes you unconfortable, because I use it a lot, because this book has a lot of that. I don't recommend this if you feel uncomfortable reading about: Pedophilia view spoiler [ Nicasius is only 13 and he's used as a sex slave.

The worst is that he is supposed to be willing to be forever a sex slave because the king, his master, gets tired of children when they grow up and Nicasious is eagerly searching for a new master. He gets drugged by Laurent "his love interest" so that he'll get weakened and lose the contest and Laurent can watch when Damianos gets raped In this book the court takes rape as a sport. Later Damiano's forced to receive oral sex from another slave to the enjoyment of Laurent. I repeat, Laurent is the "love interest". Sorry but in what sick world a sex-slave enjoys being a slave?

How is that romantic or sexy? This is vividly described and Damianos spends some time recovering from his injuries. How is that romantic? So dubious consent, sexual violence, and rape are okay when the characters are male? That's not feminist at all, that's not fair. If the main character had been Princess Damiana everyone and their dog would be screaming murder. How is that fair? Unsafe reads This is supposedly a slow-burn-romance between two males, but there's a lot of cheating and disloyalty.

Laurent's not even slightly jealous! He laughs with joy when Damianos returns to their tent worn-out from having sex with a lot of women in just one night. Damianos is attracted to Laurent but he is more attracted to women than to males. So we the readers don't get a little bit of cute jealousy and the couple doesn't kiss until way into the second book. Cait's review Lainey's review This book makes me angry.

Contrary to what this book portrays, Homosexual Men have healthy, committed relationships. This is not the best book to portray diverse couples, because, as it is, a lot of people think wrongly that homosexuality and bisexuality are against nature and that Bisexuals and Homosexual aren't capable of loving, committed relationships. This book only re-inforces the idea of sexually "degenerated" characters. In real life gay people aren't like this. I gave two stars to the sequel because the graphic rapes aren't present.

It's cleverly written and it's addictive, but it's still a harsh read because poor Nicaise. It's not fair what happened to him. There are reviewers here in GR who praise this book to no end, and yet get all angry and write rants about romances like Twilight, Hopeless, FSOG, Beautiful disaster and other romance books of the romance genre. At time it feels like some of those reviewers are trying to make the people who enjoy, for example, FSOG bad with themselves because "they are supporting a book that portrays an abusive relationship".

Yet they go and praise this very abusive book. This isn't about me having a problem with the people who like this book. You enjoy this book? We all know that In real life rape is wrong. The people who love this book to death aren't supporters of rape, this is just a book. But just like the the captive prince fanbase knows the difference between reality and books, the FSOG fanbase knows better than go and get themselves in abusive relationships because of a book.

My problem is when the double standard comes: So anyone who enjoys FSOG or any other bad-reviewed romance, but never says it aloud for fear of how their opinion will make them look in a site like GR where people trash "abusive relationship" books, should say it aloud. If you like me feel unconfortable reading certain topics, ignore most of the 5 star reviews, very few of them mention the problematic issues of this book and most lack trigger warnings.

Read some 3 stars reviews and some triggers warnings before deciding if this book is for you or not. View all 65 comments. This might get -a tad- salty. The characters were boring and one-dimensional as shit. The plot was profoundly lacking. Or more like, there was NONE. What the fuck is a story without a well rounded, well constructed plot anyway?

Or fantasying about fucking and raping. I did not sign up for this shit. A lot of the explicit scenes were so incredibly unnecessary. I understand the need to inform us the basics and inner machinations of the court politics to set the scene for how they treat their sex slaves and whatnot but all the rest was just like, okay, I get it: Now how about you give me a plot or story to work with other than THAT! No other word for it. What the hell was it about anyway? And lastly, apologies for the overuse of the F word.

What I did like: View all 31 comments. Aug 03, Monique rated it it was amazing. I was totally engrossed from start to finish These 2 books are FREE, yes, can you believe it, such a great story is free to read. The only down side is that there is no news on book 3 yet, however I have noticed that she will be publishing b Compelling Reading The only down side is that there is no news on book 3 yet, however I have noticed that she will be publishing books 1 and 2 shortly in ebook and paperback, with added scenes, so 3 should not be too far behind and I would gladly pay good money for it.

We see this wonderful story unfold from Damen's perspective and it is full of political struggles, atrocious acts of violence and sex these scenes are not graphic in nature , decadent entertainment, battles, intrigues and mysteries, but it all revolves around Power and the mind games and tactics of the players and pawns. You are constantly riveted to the action and unsure of the direction to which it will next take you. It is unpredictable and not a minute is wasted in this book. Our two main characters Crown Prince Damianos of Akielos and Crown Prince Laurent of Rabat are pitched right in the middle of the unfolding events and action, they overcome their hatred of each other to tolerate one another and eventually to become friends and confidants.

The sexual tension between these two leaves you constantly on the edge, to the point of frustration Ohhhh and the characters, easily recognised with their personalities and individual voices, my favourite being Laurant, so cool and aloof, with graceful beauty and an air of contempt, arrogant and nefarious in his actions, with each nuance and idiosyncrasy so clear in my minds eye This is a fabulous read, I loved it and I happily recommend it to all of my friends, well For more reviews, please visit Sinfully Sexy Book Reviews View all 82 comments.

Feb 15, Dd rated it it was amazing Shelves: Readers,what do I say about this book?? All delivered in one perfect package.

This is fiction at its finest!!! This is what they mean when they say that a book has the ability to transport you to worlds beyond!! And was I ever??? This one gripped me in it's powerful clutches,and did not let go. This is what I look for in a book. This book entranced,enchanted and devoured me. And I loved every minute of it!! Rightful heir to his father's throne. But then is caught in the plotting of his half brother.

His kingdom,his freedom and his very identity. He is then gifted to the Crown Prince of Rabat as a pleasure slave. Once an enemy nation,now a tremulous treaty exists between them. And then it all starts. The true tests of bravery,courage and honour. And what captured me the most??

The beauty,which shone even brighter in the face of all the brutality!! And what I did not like Seriously,I loved everything about it!! It captured my heart!! I wish I could have told you more,but frankly,I won't be able to do it justice. But still,I will ask all of you to give this a chance. I absolutely loved it. You may not fall in love with it like me,but then again,you may!

You'll never know unless you try. That's all for now,Readers. View all 71 comments. I am a survivor myself, and I'm fully aware that this book bothered a lot of people. I would never question another reader's rating of this book, though, and I'm just going to ask you guys to extend the same courtesy.

It involves a lot of rape, sexual violence and slavery, abuse, pedophilia, and various other incredibly uncomfortable topics. I can fully understand why someone would NOT enjoy this book, but I loved it. A golden prince was easy to love if you did not have to watch him picking wings off flies. I had no idea that it would be able to pack so much character- and world-building into such a short little story, or that it would be so political! Betrayal stories are some of my absolute favorites, so this was solid for me in that aspect, too. He makes some really poor choices at times, but he's genuinely got a heart of gold.

He comes from a country where "slaves" are treated less like property and more like what we would consider sugar babies in our society, so watching adjust to the terrible ways the Veretians view their slaves and "pets" is a tough journey. I loved how true to himself he stayed, regardless of how miserable his circumstances were. This place sickened him. Here, it was layer upon layer of constructed double-dealing, dark, polished, and unpleasant.

Of course, Damen is the only genuinely likable main character in this story, and all other prominent figures are raging douchebags, but there are a few lovable side characters like sweet little Erasmus , or minor characters that are terrible but pitiable looking at you, Nicaise. Honestly, the complexity and terrible nature of most of the characters reminded me of GRRM's writing, where almost everyone is just totally despicable.

All in all, please know what you're going into before picking this book up, and if you're triggered by rape descriptions and abuse scenarios in books, please, do not pick this up unless you know you're in the right head space for it. View all 12 comments.

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