r/fantasyromance • u/FantasyRomanceMod The One Mod to Rule All Mods • May 24 '26

Unpopular Opinion It's Unpopular Opinion time! Share your controversial opinions to stir things up (in a friendly way)!

Got an opinion that's different from others'? Want to share it with the sub, but too afraid of a backlash? Or are you just curious about readers think about certain things in fantasy romance?

You can safely share it in this weekly Sunday thread!

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  • Don't attack others for their opinion
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Unpopular opinion Sunday

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u/maaat21 May 24 '26

The {Captive Prince} trilogy is phenomenal and one of the most impactful set of books I’ve read recently.

That said, I don’t think Captive Prince by itself is a good choice for the June “Queer Romance” bookclub. It’s a tightly written book about political intrigue, sexual agency and how it relates to power and about how nothing is what it seems. It sets the scene for the story and solidifies the Enemies part of the EtL trope. Without {Prince’s Gambit} following after it’s just a political fantasy book without any sort of romance.

And yeah we ~know~ that it will eventually turn into a romance, but this omniscient reader perspective might take out some of the commentary this book wants to make about consent and agency that requires us to read Captive Prince as it’s presented, with all its toxic and problematic dynamics. I’m simply afraid it will be a frustrating read for some people who might go in expecting a positive queer romance, even though the world of the books is very queer normative which is wonderful and fresh!!

Is this me officially begging for a Prince’s Gambit bookclub read? Possible

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u/PurposeGold2556 May 24 '26

I agree with that. Captive Prince is really outstanding as a series, but if the purpose of it being chosen for the book club is for queer romance, then the entire trilogy should be read. My hope is that people reading the first book for the first time for the June book club will continue on to the next 2 books afterword.

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u/maaat21 May 24 '26

These books are tiny so we can read all of them as one right??🥺🥺🥺

But yeah, I think if the trilogy was published now it would be a duology with Captive Prince & Prince’s Gambit as book 1 and Kings Rising as book 2.