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Captive of the Prince #1
Lay Me Down
In a single night, Remus Rizzo loses his Uncle Lupo, the position of Crown Prince of Rowland, and his freedom. Betrayed by his twin, he finds himself in the den of his bitterest enemy: the Crown Prince Sébastien Cadieux of Soleil.
To survive the lethal, icy Prince, Remus will have to step carefully. Thanks to the Rizzo’s actions, Sébastien lost everyone except for his Uncle Corentin, and the wrath under his pretty exterior has spent years boiling. Remus is his last chance for retribution.
To survive the court and a bigger enemy that wants them both dead, Remus will have to ally with Sébastien and find a middle ground. It doesn’t matter if Sébastien grows so angry at times that his eyes flash red or that some have sensed an odd energy about him. Neither can survive without the other.
To survive the lethal, icy Prince, Remus will have to step carefully. Thanks to the Rizzo’s actions, Sébastien lost everyone except for his Uncle Corentin, and the wrath under his pretty exterior has spent years boiling. Remus is his last chance for retribution.
To survive the court and a bigger enemy that wants them both dead, Remus will have to ally with Sébastien and find a middle ground. It doesn’t matter if Sébastien grows so angry at times that his eyes flash red or that some have sensed an odd energy about him. Neither can survive without the other.
203 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 28, 2024
72 people are currently reading
143 people want to read
About the author
Julie Mannino
56 books143 followersAuthor of the Alternate Earth Novels
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I primarily write MM and fantasy/paranormal romance. If you like a trope or certain type, I've either got it or I'm working on it😊
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Ace 🖤🤍💜
Autistic
Proud wog
Paragirl
I primarily write MM and fantasy/paranormal romance. If you like a trope or certain type, I've either got it or I'm working on it😊
Follow me on Bookbub
https://www.bookbub.com/authors/julie...
Newsletter
https://mailchi.mp/4099bb2054c1/alter...
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
November 22, 2024
I don't like to leave bad reviews..usually, if I don't like a book I just leave a star, but I can't in good conscious let this go. This is literally a rip off of Captive Prince, hell even the series name is similar "Captive of the Prince"?. The plot is the same, characters as well, just throw in some magic and fantasy. Literally predicted what was going to happen next, the regent being the bad guy who humiliates his nephew and said nephew being cold and abused as a child, ugh.
The author has potential in writing, I'll give them that but copying other people's work is just atrocious and shameful. Makes me wonder what else they've copied.
Is this a fancticton and I skipped the memo on?
The author has potential in writing, I'll give them that but copying other people's work is just atrocious and shameful. Makes me wonder what else they've copied.
Is this a fancticton and I skipped the memo on?
Read
June 14, 2024This is part of the Prince of Hell books which also includes the Midas Series, (Gilded Lies, Gilded Crown, and Gilded Prince). You do not need to read the Midas series at all to understand the Captive of the Prince series. This is a note for future reference for readers who want to read about more Princes of Hell as they're released.
Content Warnings:
Enemies to lovers-they won’t be making nice or banging by chapter twelve, okay? The hate is real.
Sébastien’s ungrateful, nasty self
Slavery of Sicilian-coded (Rowland) MC by French-coded (Soleil) MC
Mentions and depictions of Soleil’s enslavement of criminals
Mentions of past rape by and to characters who are no longer living. (Not shown on page)
Mentions of family member's death in the past (not overly graphic)
War, violence, and treason
Betrayal between family members
Attempted murder, also between MCs once
Murder
Graphic werewolf attack on a room of fairies
Abusive words and actions between MCs (never rape)
At times graphic sexual actions of courtiers and their slaves
Gaslighting, pushy, coercive actions by a demon
Humiliation of werewolves (think like dancing bears)
Trauma from past events
Mentions of seizures (fits)
Talk of past sexual abuse (never shown on page, and no graphic description)
Fun stuff
Slow, slow burn
Size difference
The big Prince has a spanking kink
Protector
Court intrigue
Plots
Snark
A secret that even Sebastien may or not be aware of
Remus fighting with himself to do the right thing despite Sébastien
Who can be trusted?
Thwarted assassination attempts.
Remus saving Sébastien’s ungrateful ass.
Content Warnings:
Enemies to lovers-they won’t be making nice or banging by chapter twelve, okay? The hate is real.
Sébastien’s ungrateful, nasty self
Slavery of Sicilian-coded (Rowland) MC by French-coded (Soleil) MC
Mentions and depictions of Soleil’s enslavement of criminals
Mentions of past rape by and to characters who are no longer living. (Not shown on page)
Mentions of family member's death in the past (not overly graphic)
War, violence, and treason
Betrayal between family members
Attempted murder, also between MCs once
Murder
Graphic werewolf attack on a room of fairies
Abusive words and actions between MCs (never rape)
At times graphic sexual actions of courtiers and their slaves
Gaslighting, pushy, coercive actions by a demon
Humiliation of werewolves (think like dancing bears)
Trauma from past events
Mentions of seizures (fits)
Talk of past sexual abuse (never shown on page, and no graphic description)
Fun stuff
Slow, slow burn
Size difference
The big Prince has a spanking kink
Protector
Court intrigue
Plots
Snark
A secret that even Sebastien may or not be aware of
Remus fighting with himself to do the right thing despite Sébastien
Who can be trusted?
Thwarted assassination attempts.
Remus saving Sébastien’s ungrateful ass.
August 1, 2024
Exceptionally well done slow burn dark fantasy. The “enemies to lovers” trope is not new but the way that Julie Mannino pulls it off is refreshing and exciting. The author spends the time to add in the subtle changes in language and tidbits of history to slowly transition bitter enemies to begrudging sexually tense allies. When you first meet Sébastien, I couldn’t imagine that he and Remus were meant to be the main love interest. Sébastien is certifiably psychotic. Kudos to the author for finding a way to make you care about him and start rooting for him and Remus.
The plot outside of the romance is a “who done it”/ game of thrones-esque political intrigue. People are out to kill the princes for various reasons. The reader and the characters are trying to determine who currently is trying to kill them and also trying to solve the mystery of the past. I am excited for the next book to come out to see how this all plays out!
The plot outside of the romance is a “who done it”/ game of thrones-esque political intrigue. People are out to kill the princes for various reasons. The reader and the characters are trying to determine who currently is trying to kill them and also trying to solve the mystery of the past. I am excited for the next book to come out to see how this all plays out!
August 3, 2024
Interesting!
Decidedly different from others that I’ve seen. I’m intrigued by the various storylines that are going on. I’m looking forward to reading more.
Decidedly different from others that I’ve seen. I’m intrigued by the various storylines that are going on. I’m looking forward to reading more.
Currently reading
August 16, 2024A fun read
Remus has lost everything, his family and his freedom, something he and Prince Sébastien have in common, who is now his master.
Remus's twin murdered their uncle and pinned the crime on Remus, sending him away to become a slave for the young prince.
But everything isn't always as it seems. Remus lost his freedom but he soon realizes in many ways so has the young prince who isn't at all what Remus originally thought.
Sébastien lost his whole family, his uncle is his only living relative, who acts as king until Sébastien turns 25, which is another 3 years away.
Remus watches closely, looking for any hope or chance of escape, but along the way learns there is a dark plot against the young prince, who is known as cold and ridged. Having been attacked by the Prince himself he finds it hard to care what happens to Sébastien but as more unfolds he soon realizes that everything isn't always so cut and dry and that the Prince may have more reasons to be so cold and malicious then simply the loss of his family.
This story at first was a little hard for me as I don't care for some sex entanglements, they just aren't for me, but I slowly came to enjoy this story and how the author wrote it. The suspense and action were there and it kept me flipping the pages and it wasn't in your face with the male on male interests as I was worried about.
So if you aren't into that in your books don't let this one be one you miss out because of that fact because it wasn't an issue in the end and the story itself was one I'm happy I gave the chance to finish.
Remus has lost everything, his family and his freedom, something he and Prince Sébastien have in common, who is now his master.
Remus's twin murdered their uncle and pinned the crime on Remus, sending him away to become a slave for the young prince.
But everything isn't always as it seems. Remus lost his freedom but he soon realizes in many ways so has the young prince who isn't at all what Remus originally thought.
Sébastien lost his whole family, his uncle is his only living relative, who acts as king until Sébastien turns 25, which is another 3 years away.
Remus watches closely, looking for any hope or chance of escape, but along the way learns there is a dark plot against the young prince, who is known as cold and ridged. Having been attacked by the Prince himself he finds it hard to care what happens to Sébastien but as more unfolds he soon realizes that everything isn't always so cut and dry and that the Prince may have more reasons to be so cold and malicious then simply the loss of his family.
This story at first was a little hard for me as I don't care for some sex entanglements, they just aren't for me, but I slowly came to enjoy this story and how the author wrote it. The suspense and action were there and it kept me flipping the pages and it wasn't in your face with the male on male interests as I was worried about.
So if you aren't into that in your books don't let this one be one you miss out because of that fact because it wasn't an issue in the end and the story itself was one I'm happy I gave the chance to finish.
March 2, 2025
Prince Remus of Rowland is betrayed by his twin brother Quintus and is sent to Soleil to be a slave for Prince Sebastian as a kind of peace offering after a recent bitter and bloody war that was fought between their two lands. As well as coming to terms with the betrayal of his twin brother and dealing with the new position as a slave, Remus quickly learns that he has to watch his back. Sebastian has a great deal of animosity for Rowland for what transpired in the war despite Remus not being directly responsible for what occurred. He will do anything possibly to degrade and humiliate him. However there is someone in the castle plotting to kill Prince Sebastian and makes a couple of attempts but Remus manages to save him on both occasions. Due to Remus saving his life, by the end the coldness that Sebastian feels for Remus hasn’t improved but there seems to be some grudging respect. This is a great little fantasy series with a lot of suspense mainly with the who is going to die aspect of the story. Despite the animosity between the two main characters is a little bit of underlying spicy tension between the two as well and makes you wonder if they will act on it. I enjoyed reading this and look forward to more.
September 1, 2024
Freaking love it😍
I see some reviews here that is similar to the other trilogy Cqptive prince..hmmm,no it isn’t.
Ok,same idea that one mc turns out to be the other’s mc personal slave but here ends the similarity.
Total different story,this one is fantasy,etc
Totally recommend,don’t let yourself be influenced by negative reviews.
5⭐️
I see some reviews here that is similar to the other trilogy Cqptive prince..hmmm,no it isn’t.
Ok,same idea that one mc turns out to be the other’s mc personal slave but here ends the similarity.
Total different story,this one is fantasy,etc
Totally recommend,don’t let yourself be influenced by negative reviews.
5⭐️
August 20, 2024
love this type of story!
I like the world being built but there was a lot missing and the reveals were just kind of blatted out with no explanation. Like it’s pretty far in the book and it’s just mentioned that one of the characters has a tail. So now I’m wondering, do they all have tails? Some have wings but it’s not really talked about so for all we know, the MCs have wings, and possibly horns.
I’m looking forward to the next book and really hope for a level up in the writing, both in the world-building and dialog.
I like the world being built but there was a lot missing and the reveals were just kind of blatted out with no explanation. Like it’s pretty far in the book and it’s just mentioned that one of the characters has a tail. So now I’m wondering, do they all have tails? Some have wings but it’s not really talked about so for all we know, the MCs have wings, and possibly horns.
I’m looking forward to the next book and really hope for a level up in the writing, both in the world-building and dialog.
June 1, 2025
This is just a 'Captive Prince' rip-off but poorly written.
August 13, 2024
The air was thick with tension as Remus Rizzo stood face to face with his identical twin, the Crown Prince of Soleil, Sebastien Cadieux. Remus couldn't help but feel a pang of envy for what could have been - if only he had been born in Rowland instead of being separated at birth and raised in another kingdom.
But their shared bloodline didn't matter now. They were both faced with a common enemy, one that threatened everything they held dear. And despite their differences, they would have to work together to survive.
Sebastien's character was wrought with danger and unpredictability, a fact that both intimidated and intrigued Remus. As the story unfolded, there were countless challenges and obstacles that kept readers on the edge of their seats. It was a dark fantasy intertwined with elements of romance, politics, and the supernatural. Each chapter was filled with suspense, keeping readers completely immersed in the medieval world created by the author.
Both men had suffered great losses in their lives, adding depth and complexity to their characters. But amidst the turmoil and chaos, there was a unique and creative love story that blossomed between them.
As an avid reader of books about royalty, I found this novel to be especially intriguing. While dark fantasy is not usually my preferred genre, I couldn't deny the skillful writing and captivating plot that kept me hooked until the very end. Overall, it was an impressive and well-crafted piece of literature from an author whose works never fail to impress me.
But their shared bloodline didn't matter now. They were both faced with a common enemy, one that threatened everything they held dear. And despite their differences, they would have to work together to survive.
Sebastien's character was wrought with danger and unpredictability, a fact that both intimidated and intrigued Remus. As the story unfolded, there were countless challenges and obstacles that kept readers on the edge of their seats. It was a dark fantasy intertwined with elements of romance, politics, and the supernatural. Each chapter was filled with suspense, keeping readers completely immersed in the medieval world created by the author.
Both men had suffered great losses in their lives, adding depth and complexity to their characters. But amidst the turmoil and chaos, there was a unique and creative love story that blossomed between them.
As an avid reader of books about royalty, I found this novel to be especially intriguing. While dark fantasy is not usually my preferred genre, I couldn't deny the skillful writing and captivating plot that kept me hooked until the very end. Overall, it was an impressive and well-crafted piece of literature from an author whose works never fail to impress me.
October 24, 2024
Dark but compelling read!
Remus snatched from his bed, bound and unable to use his gift. Regicide meant he was now king, his twin brother the guilty party, but Remus was in no position to be a ruler of anywhere, his brother saw to that. Shipped off, branded a murderous traitor, given as a gift to be a slave of the enemy, his life now turned upside down.
An interesting and unique plot that certainly captivates the imagination. With a mixture of royalty, the supernatural and gay romantic fantasy, the struggle for power within this complex group of characters brings a wealth of emotion, deception and challenges to all involved. A well written story, where you find yourself wanting Remus to just end his slavery period and escape but then you start to warm more to Sebastian and hope things work out for them both. Really enjoyed and look forward to reading the rest of the series. Good job!
Remus snatched from his bed, bound and unable to use his gift. Regicide meant he was now king, his twin brother the guilty party, but Remus was in no position to be a ruler of anywhere, his brother saw to that. Shipped off, branded a murderous traitor, given as a gift to be a slave of the enemy, his life now turned upside down.
An interesting and unique plot that certainly captivates the imagination. With a mixture of royalty, the supernatural and gay romantic fantasy, the struggle for power within this complex group of characters brings a wealth of emotion, deception and challenges to all involved. A well written story, where you find yourself wanting Remus to just end his slavery period and escape but then you start to warm more to Sebastian and hope things work out for them both. Really enjoyed and look forward to reading the rest of the series. Good job!
August 11, 2024
Interesting blend of fantasy and LGBTQ+ romance set in a world filled with political intrigue and supernatural elements. The story follows Remus Rizzo, who loses everything in one night and finds himself at the mercy of his worst enemy, Crown Prince Sébastien Cadieux. As the plot unfolds, the two princes must navigate their mutual distrust and find a way to work together against a greater threat. The author's writing vividly captures the intense emotions and complex relationships between the characters. The slow-burning romance between Remus and Sébastien is particularly well-executed, offering a fresh take on the "enemies to lovers" trope. The detailed world-building and the intricacies of court politics add depth to the story, making it more than just a romance. Overall, this book is a particularly good choice for fans of romantic fantasy and LGBTQ+ fiction. Its rich character development and dark, compelling narrative will keep readers engaged and eager to know what comes next.
July 29, 2024
I liked this a lot. I can't wait for book 2 an 3. You can tell it was properly edited too [I've read some doozie indie books that I had to dnf this month that I wouldn't even bother rating].
Sebastian is my favorite so far. The characters don't do it and that was fine. Sex right away with enemy's to lovers gets kind of old at times and feels shoehorned in. Both character are not getting along, but I can see how they would with more time. Sebastians will warm up. I know he will. Poor guy needs all thelove
Sebastian is my favorite so far. The characters don't do it and that was fine. Sex right away with enemy's to lovers gets kind of old at times and feels shoehorned in. Both character are not getting along, but I can see how they would with more time. Sebastians will warm up. I know he will. Poor guy needs all thelove
October 7, 2024
Általában nem írok egy csillagos értékelést, mert nem tartom korrektnek a pillanatnyi hangulatomhoz nem illeszkedő könyv negatív értékelését, de ebben az esetben nem tétováztam sokat.
szinte minden mozzanatában átvette Pacat művét
Normally I don't write a one-star review because I don't think it will be fair with the writer.
But this story is a copy of the Captive Prince
szinte minden mozzanatában átvette Pacat művét
Normally I don't write a one-star review because I don't think it will be fair with the writer.
But this story is a copy of the Captive Prince
October 2, 2024
3.5. I really like the concept of the story. The world and characters are also great. I find that I do get a little lost when it comes to certain parts due to the writing. This may be an L on my part though, and I'm excited to read book 2!
March 22, 2025
If you want a budget poorly written version of Prince of the Dark or Captive Prince then this is it lol. Couldn't get into it. If it's going to be the same idea a tropes it should at least be well written dare I say compelling. Nope none. Don't waste your time.
July 31, 2024
Waiting on two
August 16, 2024
Captive Prince did it better. The supernatural/ magical elements aren't really fleshed out either.
September 9, 2024
This book is a complete rip off of captive prince by C.S.Pacat but I still enjoyed it.
September 18, 2024
I m not a fan of slow burn and this took a while to get started. I m waiting to like Sebastian, he is a dick at the moment
October 29, 2024
couldn’t get into it
Cracking opening and plenty of detailed world building but I couldn’t really get into the story. DNF for me at 39%
Cracking opening and plenty of detailed world building but I couldn’t really get into the story. DNF for me at 39%
January 17, 2026
This is a blatant rip off of The Captive Prince by CS Pacat, just with magic thrown in. It's one thing for the general plot to be similar but EVERYTHING was the same.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews