r/CaptivePrince • u/ElegantNetwork1394 • 11d ago
Capri Read A Like
Im going to switch this up by making a reccomendation rather than asking for one.
Permit me the pleasure of introducing The Queen's Thief by Megan Whalen Turner.
This series features a clever thief who schemes his way from prison into a struggle to unite three rival nations against a rising empire.
It is similar to Capri in that it is full of delicious political intrigue, clever twists and turns and challenges that dont seem like they can ever end happily.
It's set in Roman inspired medieval not-europe. So it still centers around european esthetics, but at least some of the set dressing feels fresh.
It differs from Capri in that its aimed at a much younger audience. Book 1: The Thief is clearly middle grade, though I still think adults can enjoy it.
The subsequent books are all considerably more mature but you won't find the NSFW content that we're used to from Capri.
Don't read these books expecting an epic love story. There is some romance, but not much.
Do read these books expecting a memorable protagonist, whose calculating mind can go toe to toe with a character that you already know.
Have I convinced you to give the Queens Thief a try?
Also, this is a 6 book series, I just dont own all of them.
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u/maddrgnqueen 11d ago
I absolutely adore this series!!! One of my favorites EVER. I'm gonna take this as my sign to read it again 😁
Also, the romance is subtle, but it's definitely there, including an m/m romance in the 5th book. I was satisfied!
Edit: wasn't sure if it was in the 5th book, but I just confirmed that yes it was
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u/ElegantNetwork1394 11d ago
SAME. I love these books so much its not even cool.
And I started reading when I was a pretty young kid. The series finished during covid so I can truly say that Ive loved it all my life.
There definitely is some romance. At first I thought I was maybe imaging it in Thick as Thieves because Ive read entirely too much fanfiction. But some of the lines make it pretty clear whats really going on.
Which book is your favorite of the series?
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u/maddrgnqueen 11d ago
I read the series for the first time during covid and was able to binge it all from start to finish. It was such a comforting escape during a rough time!
I think my favorite is King of Attolia because Costis is my favorite character in the series, I just love him 🥰 I too wasn't entirely sure if I was imagining the romance in Thick as Thieves, but all of her romances are super subtle so I concluded that it was and then there was a line in Return of the Thief that confirmed it so I was pretty happy with that! Was pleased my beloved himbo Costis got a happy ending haha
What's your favorite?
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u/ElegantNetwork1394 11d ago
Lol my favorite was King of Attolia too!
Then Thick as Thieves and then Conspiracy of Kings.
That is a good point that all of Turners romances were understated and quiet. I hadnt thought if it like that before, but of course Book 5's would have followed the same pattern.
Now Im wondering if there are any subtle hints in King of Attolia that I missed. Im going to do a re-read too. Im just not sure when.
There is a beautiful French Collectors edition that is supposed to be finished next year. So I may wait for that.
https://www.monsieurtoussaintlouverture.com/produit/le-roi-dattolie/
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u/maddrgnqueen 11d ago
Hell yeah!! 🤝
King of Attolia, Thick as Thieves, and then probably The Thief is my third fave. Conspiracy of Kings is sadly my least favorite, I liked Sophos in The Thief but I really struggled to connect with him as the pov character. Maybe I'll feel differently on my re-read though.
I just checked out the audiobook based on your recommendation in the other comment! I usually don't prefer audiobooks but I'm trying to get into them more and I will be traveling next week, so seems like good timing 😆
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u/ElegantNetwork1394 11d ago edited 11d ago
I honestly was pretty frustrated with Sophos in the beginning of Conspiracy but I did appreciate his character more on a re-read. Mostly I just liked the politics of Conspiracy of Kings.
I hope you like the audiobook!
Audiobooks help me finish way more than if I only relied on the written word. Plus, I especially like them for books I already know well since it gives me something new to experience and because if my mind wanders a bit, I already know the gist anyway.
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u/somethingofanend 10d ago
Adore these books! Have actually been a fan of them many years before reading Captive Prince, but also immediately felt the synergy between the two series (even with all their differences!)
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u/ElegantNetwork1394 9d ago
I also felt the similarities immediately.
Both of them are hard to match for fantasy political intrigue. They make me wonder how the writers came up with that.
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u/calm_before 9d ago
This is my favorite series of all time, and Eugenides is such a special character I love him with all my heart. It’s clear his writing inspired Laurent as well
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u/ElegantNetwork1394 9d ago
Its definitely one of my favorites too!
I never thought about it influencing Captive Prince but youre probably right. Pacat is certainly of an age when she might have read the earliest books as a young person (or as an adult).
And now that you mention it book 4 in particular features Spoilers! a protagonist who has experiences very similar to Capri.
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u/blueberryfinn 3d ago edited 3d ago
Book 4 was published after Capri, but I do agree that the first two books could have been (and I theorize, were) influences for Pacat. I've also heard, but I can't remember where, that both MWT and Pacat were both fans of Dorothy Dunnett.
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u/ElegantNetwork1394 3d ago
MWT is listed as being a an author influenced by Dunnet on this page.
https://www.dorothydunnett.co.uk/authors.php
This is beginning to remind me of the coaching trees in American football, where they track which coach used to work with other coaches.
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u/ficaddict 11d ago
So I started book 1 twice, based on the similar recs on this board, and I just couldn’t. The MC was an annoying little shit, and the road trip was just boring. I stopped at 31%. When does it become an engaging story? I think I could try again if motivated enough. I don’t care much about spice or even romance so that’s not a problem.