1) Capri is very controversial. On one hand, it is a genuinely engaging political thriller with great characters and romance, but its also about a darker-skinned man (from fantasy Greece) being sold as a slave to a lighter-skinned character (from fantasy France). The author is Australian and was making a political statement about how Mediterranean Australians are treated vs. how Anglo-Saxon Australians, which did not translate to American audiences at all.
2) Thereās also the issue of rape in the first novel, but it is never romanticized. The romance between the slave and the master doesnāt begin until the second book, after they are forced onto even ground on the battlefield. As for whether or not you should read it? If the race thing bugs you too much, by all means skip it. If youāre interested, read the first novel. Itās by far the worst of the trilogy, so if you like it at all, youāll love the next two.
First of all, thank you very much nonnie. iām still sceptical about it at the moment, especially about the rape thing because itās my āNOPEā ever, I really think it shouldnāt be a trope in any love story. I think I can borrow it to someone so Iāll have a look but she was kinda disappointed with the book, especially the style, so Iāll guess weāll see. Thank you again for enlighting me, it was really bothering me, but I guess the only way to know and make a statment is to have a look by myself :)