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* Captive Prince C S Pacat- ... that's it? That's the book that I've seen endless discourse about for ages? Okay, I can see those themes in original fic causing a lot of fuss and bother back in the day. I expected to find it more iddy? I was pretty bored by it and would have DNF'd by the midway point if not sooner if it wasn't a book club book. It's also very much the start of a trilogy. It's just the start of the plot. The MCs aren't together and don't have chemistry outside of the POV character liking blonds.
I might like it if I read the whole thing, but honestly I've read so many 'good starts' to things that weren't followed through on in genre projects that it's even odds if I will try. So many people are so into this, I assume it gets better and actually pays off the storyline. Also, the writing seemed to improve by the end, with certain things very clearly implied but not said. It was a contrast to the start and how clunky that felt.
I feel like I'd have to do a lot of archeology to find out what originally caused/ramped up the wank, but I'd be unsurprised if a lot of it was just driven by there being very few original m/m novels outside of depressing lit fic that people were just weird about it. I was pretty obsessed with what few slashy books I had back then.
I kinda want to criticize the book and it's wonky world building more, but it might solidify as the story goes on. The book is basically a prologue so I am not going to judge it too much.
Wolf at Bay by Charlie Adhara- The book starts building up the characters of both MCs right out the gate. I liked the first book a lot, but also I was pretty sure that the reccs for Wolf at the Door had more to do with it being the start to a strong series than as a stand-alone book. This book jumps right into shoring up some of the weak points of the first book.
The way the author establishes so much about the characters is to have them go to Cooper's home town and... there they discover a murder! It's a bit much for a second book to go so Murder She Wrote, but I don't mind it. The grasp of characters and complicated family relationships is amazing.
One thing I really like about the books is that the mystery, and also Oliver's backstory, are delivered really clearly. It's all a step more complicated than most authors would tackle, but it's handled so well it doesn't feel complicated or confusing.
* The Deep by Rivers Solomon and others
It's a novella based on a clipping. song, that is based on earlier music and that's based on... there is a whole history and evolving mythology around The Deep and this is one link in it. The evolution is interesting, as are the concepts. I've since listened to some of the music and might get into this more.
However, while I like this as an idea and as a thought experiment, as a story this iteration falls very flat for me. The main character is meant to be childish because they haven't had much time to even be themselves, but still the relationships felt... obligatory? No sense of caring just 'because you are my daughter' or 'because you fed me'.
Actually, if I think about it too much, the idea that someone who had spent a decade basically being other people has like zero empathy doesn't track for me. Empathy fatigue, yes, that beyond belief would make sense, but the author went with the idea that they were emotionally frozen in time at 14.
I listened to the audiobook and enjoyed the afterword by Daveed Diggs talking about the project more than I did the book. I feel bad being this harsh about a story dealing with the generational trauma of slavery. There is a lot that's interesting about it. The plot is basically 'one who walks away from Omelas, but then walks back and they try to work things out...' Ideas like 'we can't save the world, but we can save the memory of it' and 'history being too heavy' are interesting. This is great book club fodder and I am reading it for a book club.
I might like it if I read the whole thing, but honestly I've read so many 'good starts' to things that weren't followed through on in genre projects that it's even odds if I will try. So many people are so into this, I assume it gets better and actually pays off the storyline. Also, the writing seemed to improve by the end, with certain things very clearly implied but not said. It was a contrast to the start and how clunky that felt.
I feel like I'd have to do a lot of archeology to find out what originally caused/ramped up the wank, but I'd be unsurprised if a lot of it was just driven by there being very few original m/m novels outside of depressing lit fic that people were just weird about it. I was pretty obsessed with what few slashy books I had back then.
I kinda want to criticize the book and it's wonky world building more, but it might solidify as the story goes on. The book is basically a prologue so I am not going to judge it too much.
Wolf at Bay by Charlie Adhara- The book starts building up the characters of both MCs right out the gate. I liked the first book a lot, but also I was pretty sure that the reccs for Wolf at the Door had more to do with it being the start to a strong series than as a stand-alone book. This book jumps right into shoring up some of the weak points of the first book.
The way the author establishes so much about the characters is to have them go to Cooper's home town and... there they discover a murder! It's a bit much for a second book to go so Murder She Wrote, but I don't mind it. The grasp of characters and complicated family relationships is amazing.
One thing I really like about the books is that the mystery, and also Oliver's backstory, are delivered really clearly. It's all a step more complicated than most authors would tackle, but it's handled so well it doesn't feel complicated or confusing.
* The Deep by Rivers Solomon and others
It's a novella based on a clipping. song, that is based on earlier music and that's based on... there is a whole history and evolving mythology around The Deep and this is one link in it. The evolution is interesting, as are the concepts. I've since listened to some of the music and might get into this more.
However, while I like this as an idea and as a thought experiment, as a story this iteration falls very flat for me. The main character is meant to be childish because they haven't had much time to even be themselves, but still the relationships felt... obligatory? No sense of caring just 'because you are my daughter' or 'because you fed me'.
Actually, if I think about it too much, the idea that someone who had spent a decade basically being other people has like zero empathy doesn't track for me. Empathy fatigue, yes, that beyond belief would make sense, but the author went with the idea that they were emotionally frozen in time at 14.
I listened to the audiobook and enjoyed the afterword by Daveed Diggs talking about the project more than I did the book. I feel bad being this harsh about a story dealing with the generational trauma of slavery. There is a lot that's interesting about it. The plot is basically 'one who walks away from Omelas, but then walks back and they try to work things out...' Ideas like 'we can't save the world, but we can save the memory of it' and 'history being too heavy' are interesting. This is great book club fodder and I am reading it for a book club.
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Date: 2026-06-16 10:32 am (UTC)From:You are right that there was not nearly as much explicit mm fantasy out there back then.
We were all amazed and happy when the author got the book contract.
Of course it is very tropey and that was a feature, not a bug.
The relationship does progress and the plot does pay off the story line. I felt the resolution/climax of book 3 was a little rushed but the book goes where it should go, I think. I wasn't disappointed.
If that helps.