BOOK - CAPTIVE PRINCE

BOOK - CAPTIVE PRINCE

Don’t judge books by their covers

A lot of people don’t like the blurb/summary of the first book especially because it sounds really smutty and everything as opposed to being recognised as the political, romance, fantasy emotional roller-coaster that it, but that got me thinking that, isn’t that the point? To throw us off (maybe to expect less than what it is)

And that got me thinking that, isn’t that how some of the key characters in this series are written?

I personally feel like that could be something in itself about judging a book by it’s cover (or...blurb...but you know what I mean) and that brings me to how well Pacat does character development (or rather changing the readers mind about how they thought they felt about characters) in this series.

Warning: Spoilers

One example of this, that I’m sure will instantly come to mind to those that have read the trilogy, is in Laurent, since I’m sure plenty of us all remember when we first started reading the series and instantly thought “I want this little bitch punched in the face”.

That’s because Pacat writes Laurent to be taken at face value at first before we start getting to know him and the real reason he does things. At first we judged him by his cover.

Pacat does the same thing in The Regent.

When I read through the first book, and I’m hoping others will agree with me, it was only in the latter half of chapter 8 that I finally realised what a piece of shite The Regent really was, and who’s side I should really have been on because, cleverly, Pacat doesn’t make him seem like a threat at all which is a massive deal seeing what sort of person he is.

I’ve figured this is all down to The Regent being as good at manipulating people and situations as he is to make us, even at a stretch, almost understand what he’s talking about, and so can Damen (even if instinct is still telling him there’s something wrong).

Because The Regent is subtle about things. He’s not the screaming lunatic antagonist that’s a clear threat the minute he walks on screen, He’s subtle and manipulative and good at it so you only take him at face value

and judged the book by it’s cover

at first like he wants you to and it would get you every time until we learn, as Damen does, to look at the bigger picture. . Side-ish Note: Say I’m reading too much into this but it’s just occurred to me that the more Damen understands about what The Regent is trying the achieve, or just understands things in general, the more the settings around him are described (if you compare Book 1 Chapter One especially the latter half, to Book 3 Chapter 18, the descriptions go from brief to lengthy and detailed. Almost like Damen is quite literally noticing what’s around him more both physically and metaphorically and I think that’s freaking awesome.)

Anywho, that’s just a small theory but, with the sheer amount of subtle stuff C.S.Pacat puts into their work, it wouldn’t surprise me at all.

.

Edit: The things I’ve said about your first thoughts of the Regent and Laurent and the fact Pacat successfully completely changes that, is actually better described and explained by milkylata on ao3 (particularly section 3 - perceived evil) , plus it’s actually very interesting to read so I would fully recommend it

@tifaria (and anyone else who might be interested)

It’s from Season 2 of Taskmaster: New Zealand possibly episode 2 or episode 7.

“We asked them to bring the most impressive stolen item.”

TV SHOW - VERSAILLES (S2 EP5)

Anyone Else?

BOOK - LOCKWOOD & CO

I was re-reading some of my favourite parts of TSS today and guess what I found that’s never mentioned again but hints at what we discover later in the series...

I wouldn’t put it past Shroud that, just for a few seconds, Lockwood thought Lucy was Jessica

TV SHOW - SUPERNATURAL (S10? EP21)

When you’re so far gone and you forget whether a character died on this show

BOOK - LOCKWOOD & CO

So I was re-reading The Screaming Staircase again and I came across the part in chapter 9 where only Lucy comes back after setting the Hope’s house on fire and Lockwood is taken off to the hospital and George was scared crapless.

After reading The Empty Grave however which reveals why Lockwood is so reckless, I couldn’t help thinking that maybe the reason he’s always dressed to the flipping tens (big coat, dress shirt, probable waistcoat, doesn’t wear jeans (think BBC’s Sherlock if you want visuals)), is because what he wears is the one thing he’d be able to control about what his ghost would come back like.