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Quick answer: If you loved Captive Prince, try Prince's Gambit, Kings Rising, The Song of Achilles, Red, White & Royal Blue, The Traitor Baru Cormorant and The Goblin Emperor. Each one offers political intrigue, enemies to lovers and a dark, slow-burn romance between rivals. All are for adult readers.
C.S. Pacat's Captive Prince trilogy follows Damen, a warrior prince of Akielos who is betrayed by his brother and sent as a slave to Laurent, the cold, clever prince of the enemy nation Vere. Damen must hide his identity while Laurent plays dangerous court games. As they are forced to work together against Laurent's uncle, a slow, tense romance develops. Readers love its politics, its banter and its payoff. These books share its intrigue and its rivals-to-lovers heat. It includes slavery and sexual violence, so check content notes.
Table of Contents
Quick Picks at a Glance
| Book | Author | Heat level | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Prince's Gambit | C.S. Pacat | Medium | readers who want book two |
| Kings Rising | C.S. Pacat | High | readers who want the finale |
| The Song of Achilles | Madeline Miller | Low | readers who like warrior love stories |
| Red, White & Royal Blue | Casey McQuiston | Medium | readers who want a lighter royal romance |
| The Traitor Baru Cormorant | Seth Dickinson | Low | readers who like political games |
| The Goblin Emperor | Katherine Addison | None | readers who like court politics |
| The Lies of Locke Lamora | Scott Lynch | Low | readers who like clever schemers |
| A Memory Called Empire | Arkady Martine | Low | readers who like diplomats in dangerous courts |
| A Taste of Gold and Iron | Alexandra Rowland | Medium | readers who like bodyguard romance |
| Winter's Orbit | Everina Maxwell | Medium | readers who like arranged marriages |
| Carry On | Rainbow Rowell | Low | readers who like rivals to lovers |
| The Cruel Prince | Holly Black | Low | readers who like scheming princes |
| Fence | C.S. Pacat | Low | readers who want more Pacat |
| Dark Rise | C.S. Pacat | Low | readers who want Pacat fantasy |
| The Spear Cuts Through Water | Simon Jimenez | Low | readers who like fierce bonds |
1. Prince's Gambit by C.S. Pacat
Damen and Laurent ride to the border together.
Best for: readers who want book two.
2. Kings Rising by C.S. Pacat
The war and the romance come to a head.
Best for: readers who want the finale.
3. The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller
Patroclus tells his love for Achilles.
Best for: readers who like warrior love stories.
4. Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
The president's son falls for a prince.
Best for: readers who want a lighter royal romance.
5. The Traitor Baru Cormorant by Seth Dickinson
A brilliant woman infiltrates an empire.
Best for: readers who like political games.
6. The Goblin Emperor by Katherine Addison
A half-goblin prince unexpectedly becomes emperor.
Best for: readers who like court politics.
7. The Lies of Locke Lamora by Scott Lynch
Thieves run cons in a fantasy city.
Best for: readers who like clever schemers.
8. A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine
An ambassador investigates her predecessor's death.
Best for: readers who like diplomats in dangerous courts.
9. A Taste of Gold and Iron by Alexandra Rowland
A prince and his bodyguard investigate a plot.
Best for: readers who like bodyguard romance.
10. Winter's Orbit by Everina Maxwell
Two men enter a political marriage.
Best for: readers who like arranged marriages.
11. Carry On by Rainbow Rowell
A chosen one and his vampire rival fall in love.
Best for: readers who like rivals to lovers.
12. The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
A mortal girl schemes at a faerie court.
Best for: readers who like scheming princes.
13. Fence by C.S. Pacat
Rival fencers at a prep school.
Best for: readers who want more Pacat.
14. Dark Rise by C.S. Pacat
A boy discovers his link to an ancient war.
Best for: readers who want Pacat fantasy.
15. The Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon Jimenez
Two men escort a goddess across an empire.
Best for: readers who like fierce bonds.
How We Chose These Books
Every pick is a real, widely available book that shares something specific with Captive Prince: its tone, its themes, its pace or the kind of characters it puts at the center. We mixed well-known favorites with a few less obvious titles, and we noted who each book suits best so you can match it to the reader. Where a book belongs to a series, we list the first volume so you can start at the beginning.
If you are not sure where to begin, start with the first three picks in the table: they are the closest match to Captive Prince. The rest of the list moves further out, so it works well once you know which part of the original you liked most. If a pick is part of a longer series, read the first book before you commit, and check the age or content notes in the table before passing a book to a younger reader.
How to Choose
Finish the trilogy with Prince's Gambit and Kings Rising. For more court intrigue, The Goblin Emperor and The Traitor Baru Cormorant are excellent. If you loved the rivals, A Taste of Gold and Iron and Winter's Orbit are lighter and sweeter. For epic love between warriors, The Song of Achilles is beautiful.
Related: Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston: Summary and Key Takeaways · The Cruel Prince by Holly Black: Summary and Key Takeaways
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Captive Prince about?
A betrayed prince is sent as a slave to his enemy's prince, and the two must work together.
How many books are there?
Three: Captive Prince, Prince's Gambit and Kings Rising.
Is Captive Prince spicy?
Yes. It has explicit scenes, mainly in the later books.
Does it have content warnings?
Yes. It includes slavery, abuse and sexual violence.
Who is Laurent?
The cold, clever prince of Vere.
Is Captive Prince a slow burn?
Yes. The romance builds slowly across the trilogy.
Who is C.S. Pacat?
An Australian author who also writes Fence and Dark Rise.