I’ll keep Transformation in mind. Thank you for the recommendation!

I don’t think I’ve read Carol Berg, though I’ve seen her name around.

The Megan Whalen Turner book that reminds me most of Captive Prince is actually A Conspiracy of Kings, but maybe that’s because I’m literal-indeed; it features an enslaved heir to a throne. The other book I kept thinking of as I read Captive Prince (besides Dunnett’s six Lymond Chronicles) is Carol Berg’s Transformation. It, too, involves a relationship between a prince and a slave, though in this case the relationship is bromance rather than romance. Both men have romantic (and heterosexual) interests elsewhere. They are both fabulous characters, though.

I’ve head that Dunnett is fantastic from so many people. I will give her another try sometime.

I should probably reread Inversions, as maybe I’d think differently if I did. Nevertheless, it did come to mind.

I just ignored Dunnett’s references the first read through, but that may not be a useful strategy for you. She can be heavy-going at times, but I found the Lymond series hugely rewarding. Some fantastic writing.

Fingersmith was beautifully writtten, with true to life characters and impressive detail. It evoked the Victorian era well too. And Sarah Waters has an amazing voice. Still, I didn’t care for it. I often have a hard time with con artist characters in romances. It takes careful writing to make me like them.

Arguably, Laurent in Captive Prince and Gen in the Attolia books are both con artists, and I love them to bits. I wonder if that is because their cons are political in nature, and relate to matters of life and death, war and peace? I know I have an easier time forgiving actions that cross moral lines if they are in service of a greater good, and that was not the case in Fingersmith.

But I think it’s also that I find Laurent and Gen more appealing as characters for other reasons, and that’s why their cons thrill me instead of putting me off.

Swordpoint I started it once and didn’t get far, but I want to try it again.

The Thief (that is the name of the first Attolia book): I consider it a Middle Grade book. I didn’t love it, but the second half was better than the first. It’s really in the second and third books in that series, which are written for older teens and have many adult fans, that Gen started thrilling me rather like Laurent does.

I see several similarities to Captive Prince in The Queen of Attolia and The King of Attolia, and those are the books I’d recommend to fans of CP. The Thief is optional reading IMO, and can be skipped if a reader is not into Middle Grade.

Inversions: I haven’t read this one, so I can’t comment. Maybe I’ll try it, though.

The Lymond Chronicles: I have only read book 1, The Game of Kings, but i can see the similarity (though actually Lymond reminds me of Gen in the Attolia books even more than he reminds me of Laurent). Both Lymond and Laurent are thought to be villains, both are brilliant, and neither are what they appear. I’ll give the Lymond books another try, but Dunnett’s obscure references made The Game of Kings a slog for me.