The Summer Palace and Other Stories: A Captive Prince Short Story Collection Paperback – October 20, 2018

Aw, I'm so glad I bought these short stories! They're for the people who don't want to leave the world of Akielos and Vere just yet. Here is the order I read them in, and it turns out, it really read well this way:The Summer PalaceOf course I read this one first; it was the whole reason I bought the book! At the end of Kings Rising, I wished there was an epilogue, and I assumed this was it. Now that I've read it, I'm going to say this is the first part of the epilogue. Damen and Laurent are vacationing in the summer palace, and the short story, emphasis on short, is about Damen arriving and reuniting with Laurent. It is another swoon-worthy, passionate love scene, which I can't get enough of! Those two are so adorable! During the scene, something that happened in the first book is addressed and then tenderly and lovingly healed.Green but for a SeasonI read this one next, because I wanted to read more about Jord and Aimeric's relationship. This is the shortest story with only 22 pages. It wasn't so much about their relationship as it was Jord's perspective during the beginning of their journey south to the border. He thinks back on Laurent reforming the Prince's Guard when he was fifteen and what it means to him to be his captain. It gave us more information about the Prince's Guard and life before Captive Prince. It also showed how Jord and Aimeric got to be in a relationship, though it stopped there, so no love scenes. I did like it, because it just gave us more context for the series, even though I did wish for a little more Aimeric, because... poor Aimeric.The PetThis was the longest story, with actual chapters. I loved it! It starts out with Ancel working in a brothel in a small village and shows how he rose to be the pet of the richest merchant in that village to the richest man that does business with him to a wealthy man that eventually takes him to the capital and the court. Ancel is a force! You kinda get a sense about him from Captive Prince, because even if he's not that prominent in the series, he's still memorable. His personality is crazy, fearless, a force to be reckoned with. I loved him. It did show the scene in Captive Prince with him, Damen, and Laurent, (we all know what scene I'm talking about...), and it was so crazy to read it from his perspective. His story really drives home the point that everybody has their own story and their own reasons for doing things. By the end of the story, I was so invested in him and happy with how it turned out! Ancel has his own love story!The Adventures of CharlsI highly recommend reading this one last, because I feel like it is the second part of the epilogue. It takes place about a year after the end of Kings Rising, and Charls is doing trying to do business in Akielos with the new joined court expanding and mixing their cultures. Laurent and 'Lamen' show up and start traveling with Charls again, and it is just the hilarious and marvelous experience that they always have when they're on a secret mission. It's adorable, and it's so gratifying to read about their relationship a year later when things have settled down, and yet they're still the same, crazy people in disguises. Plus, the story ends with Laurent's Ascension to the throne!I'm so glad that I bought this collection of novellas. I think they all enhanced the story so much. It gave us more depth into the series and the characters, and if you're not ready to leave the original series behind, this kind of gives you the everyday, behind the scenes look into the story. It made me smile and swoon, and I just love this series so much!

This was so good! All these stories added so much depth to the Captive Prince series. I loved getting to see Damen and Laurent through other characters perspectives. The absolute chaos they cause is unreal! I also loved getting to see them have their happy ending. But I think my favorite story in this collection was Pet. Getting to see just a smidge of Ancel and Berenger together was fantastic. I would absolutely love to see more stories about them. Anyway, this was such a great story collection and it’s getting four and a half stars!

I'm not normally one for anthologies or short stories but honestly I can't stay away when it involves the Captive Prince world.Green but for a SeasonI thought this off-the-page behind-the-scenes short was cute but nothing truly noteworthy.The Summer PalaceThe CROWNING GLORY of this short collective. I will give all the stars. I will re-read. Laurent and Damien are my OTP and nobody can convince me that they aren't meant for each other.The Adventures of Charls, the Veretian Cloth MerchantSecond only to The Summer Palace I loved having another misadventure of Charls and Charls! And the reveal at the end. I'm still snickering.PetHonestly I didn't think I'd like this one as much as I did. Ancel really made so much more sense after reading it...and honestly, I respect it and his relationship with Berenger. Especially the confession part of it. I'm not sure wholesome is the correct word but I'm using it anyway.

These four stories were a wonderful capstone to the series. Well worth reading after finishing the three Captive Prince books.

I don’t think anything will ever top these books.It took me a while to get into book one because of the subject matter. I had to take a break, but I regret not moving on to book two right away.Romace picks up in book two. Thee writing and the plotting are just superb. The characters are stunning and so memorable.The short stories were seriously funny and hearwarming.I'm impatiently waiting for author's upcoming series.I recommend these book for those who want to read quality MM romance, who likes fantasy, and who can keep and open mind.

I didn't because I bought the books in order instead of all at once. But just a warning. Such a good read though! If you loved the series you'll absolutely love this book of tales. Be forewarned this book is very thin. Don't order it with the assumption that you're going to be looking at the length of one of the other books. It's not happening. That aside, very satisfying!

As far as short stories go,these were fine. They could have had more in them. The last one had potential, but it just ended and I wish there was more.

What wonderful things can be said about these stories that haven't already been said about Pacat's Captive Prince series? These are just multiple examples of how Pacat's writing, and her incredible grasp of her own characters and their depths, extends far beyond just Damen and Laurent's story (though there is one deliciously indulgent short story of just them). My only complaint is that she actually has written one additional short story about the character of Erasmus that she put at the end of the Prince's Gambit that somehow didn't make it into this collection! Bummer, as it's one of my favorites.