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Bowing to Love: The Noble and the Gladiator
From popular Boys' Love author Saki Aida comes a romance novel between a beautiful aristocrat and the gladiator he falls for!Lucianus is a noble who believes that love is nothing more than a waste of time and energy. That is, until the day he's saved by the handsome and powerful gladiator, Dominatus. Suddenly, wasting time doesn't seem like such a bad idea--with the right company. Unable to confess the overwhelming feelings he has for his savior, Lucianus pays for a night of pleasure with Dominatus, triggering a series of sexy trysts between them. Lucianus craves the other man yet fears that, if their relationship is discovered, the vast gulf between their social standings could cause trouble.
But when Dominatus is pitted against a gladiator favored by the emperor, he leaps into battle without hesitation, knowing the fight could cost him his life. Will Dominatus emerge victorious, or will love be lost to the sands of the arena before Lucianus can bare his heart?
But when Dominatus is pitted against a gladiator favored by the emperor, he leaps into battle without hesitation, knowing the fight could cost him his life. Will Dominatus emerge victorious, or will love be lost to the sands of the arena before Lucianus can bare his heart?
246 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 30, 2025
About the author
Saki Aida
25 books56 followersSaki Aida（英田 サキ）is Boys Love (BL) author of Japan.
Birthday: January 3, Zodiac signs: Capricorn, Blood type: AB. Born in Osaka, Japan.
Saki Aida was one of the disciples of Azusa Nakajima (Another pen name of Kaoru Kurimoto ) Kaoru Kurimoto is very famous author of "The Guin Saga series", and at the same time she is known as a Boys Love author in Japan. In addition, she contributed as a founder of the genre of the Boys Love novel.
There is a possibility that pirated editions are included in this page. Because, there are pirated editions and illegal download sites of Japanese books in overseas. This has very serious problem in Japan. If you like this author, stop reading by illegal means for the author's copyright.
Birthday: January 3, Zodiac signs: Capricorn, Blood type: AB. Born in Osaka, Japan.
Saki Aida was one of the disciples of Azusa Nakajima (Another pen name of Kaoru Kurimoto ) Kaoru Kurimoto is very famous author of "The Guin Saga series", and at the same time she is known as a Boys Love author in Japan. In addition, she contributed as a founder of the genre of the Boys Love novel.
There is a possibility that pirated editions are included in this page. Because, there are pirated editions and illegal download sites of Japanese books in overseas. This has very serious problem in Japan. If you like this author, stop reading by illegal means for the author's copyright.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
October 10, 2025
The plot here is so thin that you could use it as saran wrap.
March 28, 2026
3.4/5 🌟?
Honestly, I'm trying to wrap my head around this book. Lol.
So many parts were rushed that I wish weren't rushed.
It had so many missed opportunities, like the boy that was saved in the first chapter. Wtf happened to him?
The dialogue when the couple were having sex, was so cringe and corny omg...! I can't stop laughing!
One thing I do appreciate, though, is despite Lucianus being such a stubborn and insufferable character, not to mention a weakling, I can relate to him to where he spirals in fits of jealousy and insecurity, for I have felt that when I was younger. His insecurities and ignorance to love made him angry at himself and become petty of the other's actions, taking them personally and just snowballing in his feelings of loneliness.
He became afraid to speak up and simply put on this happy face, pretending that he's okay, but he's not. Instead, he felt like his heart was being squeezed to death the more and more he masked his true feelings and thoughts. This was so relatable because even now, I feel like I hurt myself more whenever I do mask, and those habits are so hard to break. (obviously I've grown and am nowhere near as bad as I was, I've learned to not care about what other think of my mask less self.)
So when Lucianus was going through those small fits of rage, pride, stubbornness, it was was because of his fears, and that reminded me so much of myself. It was sad when he gathered the courage to communicate himself and apologize for his wrongdoings, only to be wrongfully hurt and his apology thrown back in his face!
In the end, I liked how it was fixed with communication and he was able to see his errors. But also Dominatus was too and was able to apologize for being negligent and outright a fool!
Also, can we talk about how quickly these two fell in love?? Uhhhh? Like. I get men fall in love faster than women, but bro... You met him twice. Lol
Lucianus had so much potential to bring to the table with his knowledge. It's a shame that the author focused so much on the sex life between the two instead of building Lucianus more as a character.
She made him weak, a spoiled man, and a damsel. It's sad.
"I feel bad. It wasn't supposed to be like this. I was naive, and I feel pathetic for taking so long to realize my misunderstandings."
Only after they embarked on this journey did Lucianus realize how frail and foolish he was. A child may know that fire is hot, but they won't understand just how dangerous and hot it truly is until they burn themselves, Lucianus was experiencing something similar as he analyzed himself.
So true!
Read: March 28, 2026
Honestly, I'm trying to wrap my head around this book. Lol.
So many parts were rushed that I wish weren't rushed.
It had so many missed opportunities, like the boy that was saved in the first chapter. Wtf happened to him?
The dialogue when the couple were having sex, was so cringe and corny omg...! I can't stop laughing!
One thing I do appreciate, though, is despite Lucianus being such a stubborn and insufferable character, not to mention a weakling, I can relate to him to where he spirals in fits of jealousy and insecurity, for I have felt that when I was younger. His insecurities and ignorance to love made him angry at himself and become petty of the other's actions, taking them personally and just snowballing in his feelings of loneliness.
He became afraid to speak up and simply put on this happy face, pretending that he's okay, but he's not. Instead, he felt like his heart was being squeezed to death the more and more he masked his true feelings and thoughts. This was so relatable because even now, I feel like I hurt myself more whenever I do mask, and those habits are so hard to break. (obviously I've grown and am nowhere near as bad as I was, I've learned to not care about what other think of my mask less self.)
So when Lucianus was going through those small fits of rage, pride, stubbornness, it was was because of his fears, and that reminded me so much of myself. It was sad when he gathered the courage to communicate himself and apologize for his wrongdoings, only to be wrongfully hurt and his apology thrown back in his face!
In the end, I liked how it was fixed with communication and he was able to see his errors. But also Dominatus was too and was able to apologize for being negligent and outright a fool!
Also, can we talk about how quickly these two fell in love?? Uhhhh? Like. I get men fall in love faster than women, but bro... You met him twice. Lol
Lucianus had so much potential to bring to the table with his knowledge. It's a shame that the author focused so much on the sex life between the two instead of building Lucianus more as a character.
She made him weak, a spoiled man, and a damsel. It's sad.
"I feel bad. It wasn't supposed to be like this. I was naive, and I feel pathetic for taking so long to realize my misunderstandings."
Only after they embarked on this journey did Lucianus realize how frail and foolish he was. A child may know that fire is hot, but they won't understand just how dangerous and hot it truly is until they burn themselves, Lucianus was experiencing something similar as he analyzed himself.
So true!
Read: March 28, 2026
January 4, 2026
Quite bad in just about every way a book can be bad..... flat characters, rapid and convenient sequences of events, a romance that was always predictable, and certainly most noticeably some really dreadful prose. I don't know how exactly the blame should be distributed but surely both author and translator bear some responsibility here. Some choice quotes I copied down:
And certainly my favourite:
I mean obviously my first thought as I read went something like Wow, what an incredibly tasteless set of words, and then right at the end I was taken out at the knees by "explicable sense of repulsion and rage". Someone has heard the word "inexplicable" and went well how do I convey the opposite of that..... and landed on Explicable. I do fear that I am going to be talking about my explicable senses from here on out guys #myexplicablesenses
Anyway all that said I could not give this the one star it deserves because I was, regrettably, kind of compelled by the adventures of ""Lucianus"" and ""Dominatus"", not through any merit of their own of course but who look like that and who are prancing around fake Rome having loads of gratifying if dubiously written sex. Well we all have our weak spots don't we
The gladiator used his brawny body to gracefully and splendidly swing his sword around.
The release was euphoric as Lucianus’s body quivered with delight. Dominatus gazed down at the scene and let out a groan as he exploded within the noble. Lucianus felt warm fluids of affection spray inside of his body.
His gaze was kind as a fierce twinkle glimmered within. Lucianus felt like he was having sex with a prideful beast, filled with love.
And certainly my favourite:
Lucianus was aware that there was a recent uptick in the trend of secretly using children as sex toys, but he couldn’t understand this nasty hobby. The mere thought of toying with innocent children to fulfill the ugly desires of adults gave Lucianus an explicable sense of repulsion and rage.
I mean obviously my first thought as I read went something like Wow, what an incredibly tasteless set of words, and then right at the end I was taken out at the knees by "explicable sense of repulsion and rage". Someone has heard the word "inexplicable" and went well how do I convey the opposite of that..... and landed on Explicable. I do fear that I am going to be talking about my explicable senses from here on out guys #myexplicablesenses
Anyway all that said I could not give this the one star it deserves because I was, regrettably, kind of compelled by the adventures of ""Lucianus"" and ""Dominatus"", not through any merit of their own of course but who look like that and who are prancing around fake Rome having loads of gratifying if dubiously written sex. Well we all have our weak spots don't we
November 1, 2025
I preordered the Captive Prince-alike BL light novel because I was super intrigued LOL. It was very entertaining and I finished it in two days. However, the book is 70% smut and I honestly wished it was longer so that all the relationship development and plot points could be better fleshed out. There were so many interesting events that were totally glossed over or recounted in a single page... I would've loved to read them as actual full length chapters.
And when I say this is a Captive Prince-alike I am not joking. I love that CS Pacat was inspired by BL and now her books have inspired a BL lol. I won't go in depth on their similarities to avoid spoilers, but this novel is like a popcorn reimagining of capri except with 200% more smut, an explicitly Roman setting, no dark subject matter, and the characters only vaguely hate each other through misunderstandings before immediately falling into bed. It is honestly nothing to write home about except for how steamy it is, and I legitimately only picked it up because I love the capri vibes. That said, Saki Aida is a very well-known BL novelist so I want to check out her other works. Maybe her longer-running series are better!
And when I say this is a Captive Prince-alike I am not joking. I love that CS Pacat was inspired by BL and now her books have inspired a BL lol. I won't go in depth on their similarities to avoid spoilers, but this novel is like a popcorn reimagining of capri except with 200% more smut, an explicitly Roman setting, no dark subject matter, and the characters only vaguely hate each other through misunderstandings before immediately falling into bed. It is honestly nothing to write home about except for how steamy it is, and I legitimately only picked it up because I love the capri vibes. That said, Saki Aida is a very well-known BL novelist so I want to check out her other works. Maybe her longer-running series are better!
February 25, 2026
3/5 ⭐
um, i'm not sure how to review this book. the style is very simple, not very refined (and sometimes with a slightly strange translation) and very... direct. being a BL, there are many sex scenes (but not that many!) and the plot is... a little too rushed, i never felt much tension even though there were situations that required it; it reminded me a lot of the young adult novels i appreciated as a teenager, perhaps because in both this novel and the YA ones everything ends well in the end, even if the protagonists are two totally unresolved people (and sometimes even unbearable, as in this case haha). i really appreciated the drawings, very very beautiful, and the premise was also cute (i miss you, Captive Prince 🙂↕️) but... the result was a little less. i'm not completely rejecting it because it entertained me and it's a VERY light read, but it's definitely not one of the books I'd recommend if someone asked me for an opinion, i expected more but alas, that's how it went :)
um, i'm not sure how to review this book. the style is very simple, not very refined (and sometimes with a slightly strange translation) and very... direct. being a BL, there are many sex scenes (but not that many!) and the plot is... a little too rushed, i never felt much tension even though there were situations that required it; it reminded me a lot of the young adult novels i appreciated as a teenager, perhaps because in both this novel and the YA ones everything ends well in the end, even if the protagonists are two totally unresolved people (and sometimes even unbearable, as in this case haha). i really appreciated the drawings, very very beautiful, and the premise was also cute (i miss you, Captive Prince 🙂↕️) but... the result was a little less. i'm not completely rejecting it because it entertained me and it's a VERY light read, but it's definitely not one of the books I'd recommend if someone asked me for an opinion, i expected more but alas, that's how it went :)
November 29, 2025
The story was nice and simple. Enjoyable dynamic between a bratty noble and a calm but slightly overwhelmed gladiator.
Everything happens rather fast, which didn't have to be. You don't need to dismantle the whole empire within 233 pages.
The illustrations are wonderful with great character designs for the main characters.
But-
I find myself mourning the times when mangaka and authors put real research into their historical settings. Think of Black Butler or even many old-school Shōnen Ai works, where creators genuinely tried to understand the period they were writing about.
So when I picked up this novel, I’ll admit I was hoping for that same attention to historical detail. Instead, I was immediately deflated when the story introduced a fake empire with fake neighboring states, sidestepping any real engagement with the era it was supposedly inspired by. I don’t mind fictional worlds, but sometimes I really do miss the care and curiosity that once shaped historical fiction and manga alike.
Everything happens rather fast, which didn't have to be. You don't need to dismantle the whole empire within 233 pages.
The illustrations are wonderful with great character designs for the main characters.
But-
I find myself mourning the times when mangaka and authors put real research into their historical settings. Think of Black Butler or even many old-school Shōnen Ai works, where creators genuinely tried to understand the period they were writing about.
So when I picked up this novel, I’ll admit I was hoping for that same attention to historical detail. Instead, I was immediately deflated when the story introduced a fake empire with fake neighboring states, sidestepping any real engagement with the era it was supposedly inspired by. I don’t mind fictional worlds, but sometimes I really do miss the care and curiosity that once shaped historical fiction and manga alike.
Read
February 2, 2026I was seriously considering dropping this one because it's too "brainless" for me but I still tried to finish it since it's short. Not sure how I'll rate it though. The first half bored me to death but the second half is a bit better. I was interested with Lucianus's "childish worries" that I wanted Dominatus to be obliterated for how coldly he was acting, haha! The misunderstanding was fun. I think it only took me nearly an hour and half to finish this one. Not really a waste of time but yeah.
January 4, 2026
Disappointing as I think the plot itself is a fun idea and the action well paced. However, the MC is completely insufferable and his reactions to the world and to people do not seem to be based on any type of logic. The romance itself was good for the first 40 pages then it just fell out the window. Like how can you go from ‘well he’s quite fit’ to ‘I’m deeply in love with this man’ in the space of a scene. The dialogue as well is very stilted and does not reflect any semblance of a normal conversation even if said conversation is spoken using very formal English.
April 12, 2026
Was it stupid? Yes!
Was the story shallow? Yes!
Was the world building non-existent/incoherent? Yes!
Was the MC a whiny Damsel in Distress (even though he hated it being compared to a woman)? Yes!
Was there a lot of unused potential? Yes!
Was there a need for 200+ pages more? Yes?
Was I entertained? Also Yes!
All in all it was a silly read. Compared to what I usually read I should give this 1 star. But I was entertained and got what I had expected. The spice was mostly nice and I enjoyed the illustrations. I don't think this book wasted my life, but it wasn't also improved either. A shallow one-day read for turning your brain off :D
Was the story shallow? Yes!
Was the world building non-existent/incoherent? Yes!
Was the MC a whiny Damsel in Distress (even though he hated it being compared to a woman)? Yes!
Was there a lot of unused potential? Yes!
Was there a need for 200+ pages more? Yes?
Was I entertained? Also Yes!
All in all it was a silly read. Compared to what I usually read I should give this 1 star. But I was entertained and got what I had expected. The spice was mostly nice and I enjoyed the illustrations. I don't think this book wasted my life, but it wasn't also improved either. A shallow one-day read for turning your brain off :D
February 12, 2026
The only good thing about this mess is the cover.
February 20, 2026
3.75. It felt a little rushed in the romance, which was explained by them meeting several times that weren't detailed to the audience, but it still felt a little quick. The plot was decent and easy to follow. I enjoyed it overall.
December 5, 2025
I wasn't exactly expecting literature, but the plot was still disappointingly thin. Mainly from Lucianus, who hardly did anything the entire book other than weep and lust after Dominatus.
Dominatus had an interesting backstory - more work was definitely put into fleshing him out. He's been a gladiator for some time, and a free man for several years, choosing to remain in the arena rather than retiring. This leaves him free to wander around the city and rescue handsome nobles like Lucianus from ruffians. (Which happens enough times that it starts to get sort of tiring. I'm not big on damsels in distress tropes.)
He's attracted to Lucianus at first sight, for two main reasons: Lucianus is startlingly beautiful, and also a noble in more than just name. Unbeknownst to Lucianus, Dominatus had seen him buying a young boy from a slaver to rescue him from a brothel, and had been impressed enough by his actions to follow him and rescue him from the brothel owner's thugs.
This is...kind of the only proactive thing Lucianus does in the entire novel. And we literally never see this boy again, even though he was supposed to become a slave in Lucianus's household. "I don't like slavery," Lucianus thinks to himself, but has no plans to use his birthright to become a senator and attempt to change anything. He just reads books all day (fair) and lives off his father's wealth and treats his household's slaves reasonably well.
And then he meets Dominatus, gets a bit obsessed with him, and decides after about two days and a single conversation that he's in love with him.
Misunderstandings are as thick as mud here, with Lucianus breaking his heart because he feels he can only buy Dominatus's body without ever receiving his love. Then even when they flee the city together, swearing devotion to each other, they easily fall into mutual despair as they assume the other person is no longer interested in them.
Which is a bit fair, because they still hardly know each other. And Lucianus is absolutely in no way fit to be going into exile with his burly gladiator boyfriend.
Dominatus had a lot of concrete motivations: as the former prince of a fallen nation, he remained a gladiator so he could eventually face the emperor's favorite, a soldier-turned-gladiator who had killed his entire family. This led to him being labeled as a traitor, and he followed the expected route of seeking refuge with Lucianus's uncle, a famed general who marched back to the capitol and overthrew the corrupt emperor and his bought-off senate.
All interesting stuff...but these significant plot threads were drowning in mediocre smut and Lucianus's dead weight. For both the pivotal gladiator battle and the rebellion, Lucianus just stays at home and lies in bed or reads books until he finds out Dominatus succeeded. I get why; he wouldn't have been especially effective on the battlefield. But even if you're not skilled with a sword, you can still be a strategist or a politician.
Then when the emperor is overthrown and Lucianus's uncle is setting up a new senate and a democracy, what do Lucianus and Dominatus do? Dominatus turns down an offer to become a centurion in order to........be Lucianus's house husband, I guess? There's literally no discussion beyond that of what he would do with his life, although he'd certainly be wildly bored if all he did was tend to a pampered noble. And dos Lucianus step up to become a part of the new democracy, putting forth ideas about abolishing slavery or anything else he's read in his multitude of books? Nope! We just close out on them swearing again that they love each other.
This could've been a really interested story if it'd simply leaned more into the plot that was there, mostly ignored but intriguing enough to be fleshed out. And if the relationship development had been grounded in much more than physical attraction. I can't fault Lucianus's uncle for assuming their attraction would burn out before too long.
Dominatus had an interesting backstory - more work was definitely put into fleshing him out. He's been a gladiator for some time, and a free man for several years, choosing to remain in the arena rather than retiring. This leaves him free to wander around the city and rescue handsome nobles like Lucianus from ruffians. (Which happens enough times that it starts to get sort of tiring. I'm not big on damsels in distress tropes.)
He's attracted to Lucianus at first sight, for two main reasons: Lucianus is startlingly beautiful, and also a noble in more than just name. Unbeknownst to Lucianus, Dominatus had seen him buying a young boy from a slaver to rescue him from a brothel, and had been impressed enough by his actions to follow him and rescue him from the brothel owner's thugs.
This is...kind of the only proactive thing Lucianus does in the entire novel. And we literally never see this boy again, even though he was supposed to become a slave in Lucianus's household. "I don't like slavery," Lucianus thinks to himself, but has no plans to use his birthright to become a senator and attempt to change anything. He just reads books all day (fair) and lives off his father's wealth and treats his household's slaves reasonably well.
And then he meets Dominatus, gets a bit obsessed with him, and decides after about two days and a single conversation that he's in love with him.
Misunderstandings are as thick as mud here, with Lucianus breaking his heart because he feels he can only buy Dominatus's body without ever receiving his love. Then even when they flee the city together, swearing devotion to each other, they easily fall into mutual despair as they assume the other person is no longer interested in them.
Which is a bit fair, because they still hardly know each other. And Lucianus is absolutely in no way fit to be going into exile with his burly gladiator boyfriend.
Dominatus had a lot of concrete motivations: as the former prince of a fallen nation, he remained a gladiator so he could eventually face the emperor's favorite, a soldier-turned-gladiator who had killed his entire family. This led to him being labeled as a traitor, and he followed the expected route of seeking refuge with Lucianus's uncle, a famed general who marched back to the capitol and overthrew the corrupt emperor and his bought-off senate.
All interesting stuff...but these significant plot threads were drowning in mediocre smut and Lucianus's dead weight. For both the pivotal gladiator battle and the rebellion, Lucianus just stays at home and lies in bed or reads books until he finds out Dominatus succeeded. I get why; he wouldn't have been especially effective on the battlefield. But even if you're not skilled with a sword, you can still be a strategist or a politician.
Then when the emperor is overthrown and Lucianus's uncle is setting up a new senate and a democracy, what do Lucianus and Dominatus do? Dominatus turns down an offer to become a centurion in order to........be Lucianus's house husband, I guess? There's literally no discussion beyond that of what he would do with his life, although he'd certainly be wildly bored if all he did was tend to a pampered noble. And dos Lucianus step up to become a part of the new democracy, putting forth ideas about abolishing slavery or anything else he's read in his multitude of books? Nope! We just close out on them swearing again that they love each other.
This could've been a really interested story if it'd simply leaned more into the plot that was there, mostly ignored but intriguing enough to be fleshed out. And if the relationship development had been grounded in much more than physical attraction. I can't fault Lucianus's uncle for assuming their attraction would burn out before too long.
March 2, 2026
1.5; a laborious read. I wanted to finish it as soon as possible, and by the second half it felt impossible to get through.
I started reading this because the characters on the cover reminded me way too much of Captive Prince. Imagine my shock when I realized they weren’t just physically similar. they were basically wannabe Laurent and Damen. Here are some excerpts where you can see they’re practically a direct copy of those characters.
Lucianus is a carbon copy of Laurent.
“He must take after his mother,” another said. “Before she married, she was a beautiful temple priestess working at Parefas. That brilliant golden hair is undoubtedly from his mother.”
“He’s the nephew of General Naulo, isn’t he?” said a third. “He doesn’t resemble the general one bit.”
Almost word-for-word descriptions of what Laurent looks like and where he gets his beauty from.
“He was only good-looking because his mother was a famed beauty, and though he was handsome, he disliked his feminine face. It made him look sensitive. In his teens, he had often been praised for being a beautiful boy, and Lucianus had found it to be quite troublesome.”
Praised for his beauty since he's a teenager, just like Laurent.
“Lucianus deeply disliked socializing and was unable to make any close friends. Needless to say, he had no lover either. He was grateful that he was allowed to be constantly engrossed in his favorite studies.”
“The new young lord of House Carusso is an eccentric shut-in of a man who has interest only in his studies.”
Introverted and with a preference for being a scholar too.
His moral code is also anti-slavery like Laurent’s, except here it feels like a last-minute thought and honestly pretty anachronistic given that the story is set in the Roman Empire.
“A very small fraction of philosophers protested that slaves required human rights too, and Lucianus was in favor of this idea. Unfortunately, this was a minority opinion in the current era.”
Lucianus also has a Nicaise he eventually saves in two lines, and then we never hear about the child again so I don’t see the point of adding him if you’re not going to develop that idea (unless this was conceived as fanfiction and never properly edited, because otherwise I don’t understand why you’d copy so many details and characters from something you so obviously took inspiration from).
“He’s ten, good sir,” the merchant replied cheerfully. “Unfortunately, he’s the only child I’ve got today. But he’s quite handsome, isn’t he?” He placed an arm around the boy’s shoulder and added, “Please take him with you back to Bertiaka Palace. I’ve no doubt that he’ll become popular in no time.”
“I want someone younger. Recently, I’ve been getting quite a few clients who’ve taken a liking to children.”
is crazy. That scene doesn’t even fit the tone of the story.
He also has a golden cuff like Laurent’s, except with a different origin story. Copying even those tiny aesthetic details and not even bothering to properly develop their personalities is insane to me.
“The metal bracelet was a keepsake of Lucianus’s mother. She received it from her husband when the two married, and she had worn it at all times. Before she passed away from an illness, she called for ten-year-old Lucianus and entrusted him with her accessory. Ever since, this bracelet has been a treasured item to Lucianus, a lasting memory of his mother. Even if his arm was sliced off, he wasn’t willing to let go of this bracelet.”
We’re told Lucianus is rigid, sharp-tongued, and can be cruel, but we’re never actually shown that intelligence in the dialogue.
“His inquisitive mind that he usually used for his studies was now pointed at himself.”
“You’re as rigid as ever,” Dominatus remarked, stepping into the bath beside Lucianus.
Lucianus asked for clarification, but Dominatus said nothing more and continued to smile faintly. A brief silence settled between them.
“Do you not like rigid men?” Lucianus asked.
Let me put this simply: they have constant communication issues and fight over absurd things. It was exhausting to keep reading. The romance feels like it came out of nowhere, and they barely seem to understand each other on a human level.
Here comes our Damen wannabe, which made me even more annoyed because he’s similar to Damen (muscles, best fighter, practically invincible) but without anything that makes him lovable or easy to grow attached to.
“Lucianus was mesmerized by the man’s bulging muscles, but on closer inspection, he had a handsome face as well. He had short, brown hair and tanned skin, accentuating his rugged, manly features.”
All these characters are pretty much empty shells and imitations of something better. If anything, it served as a good exercise in reflection and analysis of what makes the characters in Captive Prince so distinctive and complex, and why they work so well within a fitting story.
Dominatus is practically the antithesis of Damen, which is strange because he’s clearly meant to be a copy. He shows no interest in his partners’ sexual pleasure, no regard for consent, and doesn’t even seem capable of understanding Lucianus. Even if this weren’t such a blatant copy of a better story, I still wouldn’t have enjoyed it as its own work because the pacing is awful. In the romance, they barely seem to even like each other, and crucial plot points are resolved almost as soon as they’re narrated. Their relationship is exhausting.
Other plot points clearly copied from Captive Prince:
“Lucianus hadn’t believed the rumors that Dominatus was formerly a prince — a person with a decent education would be valuable as a slave.”
“For three days and nights, Dominatus suffered from a high fever due to the poison and his wounds. Lucianus was glued to his beloved’s side.”
“Despite being gravely injured and on the verge of death, Dominatus had returned to Lucianus’s side.”
“The next morning, before dawn broke, Lucianus was dressed in women’s clothes.”
Those were some of my notes. I genuinely wish the author had taken the best elements of Lamen and used them to create something unique in its own way, but it’s a mess. At the very least, if you’re going to copy the structure from somewhere else, at least develop it properly.
I liked art!
I started reading this because the characters on the cover reminded me way too much of Captive Prince. Imagine my shock when I realized they weren’t just physically similar. they were basically wannabe Laurent and Damen. Here are some excerpts where you can see they’re practically a direct copy of those characters.
Lucianus is a carbon copy of Laurent.
“He must take after his mother,” another said. “Before she married, she was a beautiful temple priestess working at Parefas. That brilliant golden hair is undoubtedly from his mother.”
“He’s the nephew of General Naulo, isn’t he?” said a third. “He doesn’t resemble the general one bit.”
Almost word-for-word descriptions of what Laurent looks like and where he gets his beauty from.
“He was only good-looking because his mother was a famed beauty, and though he was handsome, he disliked his feminine face. It made him look sensitive. In his teens, he had often been praised for being a beautiful boy, and Lucianus had found it to be quite troublesome.”
Praised for his beauty since he's a teenager, just like Laurent.
“Lucianus deeply disliked socializing and was unable to make any close friends. Needless to say, he had no lover either. He was grateful that he was allowed to be constantly engrossed in his favorite studies.”
“The new young lord of House Carusso is an eccentric shut-in of a man who has interest only in his studies.”
Introverted and with a preference for being a scholar too.
His moral code is also anti-slavery like Laurent’s, except here it feels like a last-minute thought and honestly pretty anachronistic given that the story is set in the Roman Empire.
“A very small fraction of philosophers protested that slaves required human rights too, and Lucianus was in favor of this idea. Unfortunately, this was a minority opinion in the current era.”
Lucianus also has a Nicaise he eventually saves in two lines, and then we never hear about the child again so I don’t see the point of adding him if you’re not going to develop that idea (unless this was conceived as fanfiction and never properly edited, because otherwise I don’t understand why you’d copy so many details and characters from something you so obviously took inspiration from).
“He’s ten, good sir,” the merchant replied cheerfully. “Unfortunately, he’s the only child I’ve got today. But he’s quite handsome, isn’t he?” He placed an arm around the boy’s shoulder and added, “Please take him with you back to Bertiaka Palace. I’ve no doubt that he’ll become popular in no time.”
“I want someone younger. Recently, I’ve been getting quite a few clients who’ve taken a liking to children.”
is crazy. That scene doesn’t even fit the tone of the story.
He also has a golden cuff like Laurent’s, except with a different origin story. Copying even those tiny aesthetic details and not even bothering to properly develop their personalities is insane to me.
“The metal bracelet was a keepsake of Lucianus’s mother. She received it from her husband when the two married, and she had worn it at all times. Before she passed away from an illness, she called for ten-year-old Lucianus and entrusted him with her accessory. Ever since, this bracelet has been a treasured item to Lucianus, a lasting memory of his mother. Even if his arm was sliced off, he wasn’t willing to let go of this bracelet.”
We’re told Lucianus is rigid, sharp-tongued, and can be cruel, but we’re never actually shown that intelligence in the dialogue.
“His inquisitive mind that he usually used for his studies was now pointed at himself.”
“You’re as rigid as ever,” Dominatus remarked, stepping into the bath beside Lucianus.
Lucianus asked for clarification, but Dominatus said nothing more and continued to smile faintly. A brief silence settled between them.
“Do you not like rigid men?” Lucianus asked.
Let me put this simply: they have constant communication issues and fight over absurd things. It was exhausting to keep reading. The romance feels like it came out of nowhere, and they barely seem to understand each other on a human level.
Here comes our Damen wannabe, which made me even more annoyed because he’s similar to Damen (muscles, best fighter, practically invincible) but without anything that makes him lovable or easy to grow attached to.
“Lucianus was mesmerized by the man’s bulging muscles, but on closer inspection, he had a handsome face as well. He had short, brown hair and tanned skin, accentuating his rugged, manly features.”
All these characters are pretty much empty shells and imitations of something better. If anything, it served as a good exercise in reflection and analysis of what makes the characters in Captive Prince so distinctive and complex, and why they work so well within a fitting story.
Dominatus is practically the antithesis of Damen, which is strange because he’s clearly meant to be a copy. He shows no interest in his partners’ sexual pleasure, no regard for consent, and doesn’t even seem capable of understanding Lucianus. Even if this weren’t such a blatant copy of a better story, I still wouldn’t have enjoyed it as its own work because the pacing is awful. In the romance, they barely seem to even like each other, and crucial plot points are resolved almost as soon as they’re narrated. Their relationship is exhausting.
Other plot points clearly copied from Captive Prince:
“Lucianus hadn’t believed the rumors that Dominatus was formerly a prince — a person with a decent education would be valuable as a slave.”
“For three days and nights, Dominatus suffered from a high fever due to the poison and his wounds. Lucianus was glued to his beloved’s side.”
“Despite being gravely injured and on the verge of death, Dominatus had returned to Lucianus’s side.”
“The next morning, before dawn broke, Lucianus was dressed in women’s clothes.”
Those were some of my notes. I genuinely wish the author had taken the best elements of Lamen and used them to create something unique in its own way, but it’s a mess. At the very least, if you’re going to copy the structure from somewhere else, at least develop it properly.
I liked art!
January 10, 2026
I feel bamboozled. I feel cheated. I am insulted even. That's how bad it was. First off, the writing feels amateurish. Was it edited? It all felt rushed and flat. The development of the characters and plot was so unsatisfying. The dynamic felt like those hetero regency novels I read when I was a teenager. I was utterly disappointed that the mc was so woefully naive and inexperienced. They read like a sheltered teenager. The ML was giving emotionally stunted, too 🥴 I kept waiting for it to get better. The ending was so boring, too!!! Why??? There was potential with the premise... but nope. A big old flop. 🥲😔
cw drugging the mc, mentions of sexual abuse of child, slavery, violence, death, attempted sa
cw drugging the mc, mentions of sexual abuse of child, slavery, violence, death, attempted sa
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 12, 2026
Is it the best story? No. But I do love the writing style. And despite its pacing, the plot was set up, so the story progressed without feeling forced.
What I really enjoyed was the angst. I emphasize with Lucianus, he is a late bloomer who overthinks and keeps his emotions in while still learning about his vulnerability. When he realizes his mistakes early he puts effort to change, which Dominatus recognizs and admires. So the dopamine hits hard when I read them resolving their emotions, along with Lucianus feeling safe to break down or whine. The resolution is quick and convenient, but that's part of the charm. It lets us focus on the character's dynamic and rewards us with easy solutions.
What I really enjoyed was the angst. I emphasize with Lucianus, he is a late bloomer who overthinks and keeps his emotions in while still learning about his vulnerability. When he realizes his mistakes early he puts effort to change, which Dominatus recognizs and admires. So the dopamine hits hard when I read them resolving their emotions, along with Lucianus feeling safe to break down or whine. The resolution is quick and convenient, but that's part of the charm. It lets us focus on the character's dynamic and rewards us with easy solutions.
July 10, 2026
Not the best, but I enjoyed it nonetheless. I think there were parts I wished had been explored/elaborated on further, but then again, this is only around 200 pages, so I wasn't expecting it to be particularly in-depth. Still, I'd be lying if I said I didn't wish it were longer.
The premise is good, the art is pleasing, and the characters' personalities are all likeable. Lucianus' anxiety was portrayed really well, at least in my opinion, and the angst, jealousy, and complexity of the relationship were what I loved most about this story.
Saki Aida, rest in peace. I had no idea you were already gone until I finished reading this story. Your work will be remembered by me.
The premise is good, the art is pleasing, and the characters' personalities are all likeable. Lucianus' anxiety was portrayed really well, at least in my opinion, and the angst, jealousy, and complexity of the relationship were what I loved most about this story.
Saki Aida, rest in peace. I had no idea you were already gone until I finished reading this story. Your work will be remembered by me.
December 8, 2025
It was an interesting discovery.
I didn't know what to expect of this book and honestly? I enjoyed my reading. In the first part there's a lot of smut (which is normal since they're in a transactional relationship, those morons that cannot communicate) and the second part is really fast paced.
Overall it was a good reading for me, the phrasing was sometimes awkward (like comparing your partner opening your legs to feeling like a baby whose diaper was changed) but I finished this book with a smile on my face, so I'll keep it!
I didn't know what to expect of this book and honestly? I enjoyed my reading. In the first part there's a lot of smut (which is normal since they're in a transactional relationship, those morons that cannot communicate) and the second part is really fast paced.
Overall it was a good reading for me, the phrasing was sometimes awkward (like comparing your partner opening your legs to feeling like a baby whose diaper was changed) but I finished this book with a smile on my face, so I'll keep it!
April 12, 2026
A surprisingly good story. It's not genius and it's definitely a bit cheesy, but I'm surprised at how good it was. There was misunderestandings, yes, but it works in the context of the tale and it was nevere too much. I suppose it helps that the book is two short stories about the same couple, so nothing could drag on for too long. I was very positively surprised.
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January 25, 2026I'll be honest, I started this because of cover and Captive Prince similarity but I was duped LOL. It doesn't have a plot, characters are flat and one dimensional and frankly, very annoying. I had to force myself to finish it (because I can't leave a book unread).
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November 18, 2025Spoiler-Included Reviews:
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November 25, 2025
I feel like it was overall a bit boring for me, but when it started to get interesting it stepped back like it was scared to do interesting things with its characters :/
March 1, 2026
Bicker - Smut - Misunderstanding - Bicker - Smut - Misunderstanding….
Repetitive.
Repetitive.
March 7, 2026
Perfectly mediocre
March 16, 2026
Cuantas más referencias a Captive Prince y a la cultura romana, mejor. (Pero no es una maravilla, solo es consumo placentero).
March 19, 2026
not gonna lie, i was reading it because of the cover art
May 3, 2026
Not the most complex story nor the most well written, but for what it is? I enjoyed it.
June 5, 2026
Saki Aida I love and respect you but that was pretty bad. I hope they reprint S in your honor
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April 1, 2026huh…
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