“That’s right, I’m still captured,’ said Damen.
‘Your eyes say, “For now,”’ Laurent said. ‘Your eyes have always said, “For now.”
― C.S. Pacat, Prince’s GambitAnd so they talked. Laurent’s vocabulary hit its limits when it came to military terms and maneuvers, but Damen filled in the gaps. It was of course no surprise to find that Laurant had a well-stocked armory of elegant phrases and bitchy remarks, but could not talk in detail about anything sensible. ― C.S. Pacat, Prince’s Gambit
Prince’s Gambit picks up immediately after The Captive Prince. Laurent brings Damen along on his march to the Veretion border. Damen will be an advisor of sorts, but Laurent is explicit in that Damen is still a slave. Damen, grateful to be out of the palace and away from the Regent’s direct focus, now sets his sights on doing what is required to keep Laurent alive. The odds are stacked against them from the start. As part of his mandatory border patrol, Laurent is forced to wrangle a group of men loyal to the Regent, as well as a smattering of mercenaries. He also has to deal with Govart, the Regent’s thug, as his chosen captain.
As soon as they reach their first fort, Laurent pulls Damen into his chambers and has him work all night, alongside him, as they review the Veretian/Akielos borderlands. Laurent is still sharp-tongued, but he is smart. Damen wants to trust that Laurent needs him alive, at least until the prince’s enemies are under control.
This book sucked me in and hung on. The pacing of this book is excellent. The author teases you just enough to keep going, and then, when you are waiting for a payoff, you get it plus a magnificent reveal. I am truly inspired by how this story surprised me time and time again. Despite being brilliant, lethally so, we get to see a more vulnerable Laurent. He is cruel, but he does not do anything that does not lead to a desired outcome. When he does become emotional, he needs Damen to push back and keep him from destroying himself and his troupe’s chances of success.
On a related note, I love everything about the Vaskian women. I feel like they are a cross between vikings and Themyscirans. Once this is all over, Laurent had better grant plenty of land, horses, and virile men to these women as they save him and his forces time and again. At one point, the women are so impressed by Damen that they grant him the honor of joining them at the “coupling fire.” Sure, why not? Damen, slightly out of character is like “well, if you insist.”
I was going to wait until I could get the final book from the library, but I need to know now how everything plays out with the Regent, Laurent and to see if Damen’s past will reset the board.
Thanks again to Pooja for this book as part of this year’s CBR gift exchange!