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Sword Dance #1
Sword Dance
Five years ago, Damiskos’s brilliant military career was cut short, leaving him with a permanent disability and scars that are not all physical. Adrift and still grieving, he tries to find meaning in an unsatisfying job.
Work takes him to the remote seaside villa of an old friend, where, among an odd assortment of guests, he meets the eunuch sword-dancer Varazda. Enigmatic and beautiful but distinctly prickly, Varazda is the antithesis of the straightforward and serious Damiskos. Yet as they keep getting in each other’s way at the villa, their mutual dislike is complicated by a spark of undeniable attraction.
Then the villa’s guests begin to reveal their true characters and motives—no one here is what they seem—and Damiskos finds himself at the centre of a bizarre web of espionage, theft, and assassination. Varazda may need Damiskos’s help, but not as much as Damiskos, finally awakening to a new sense of life and purpose, needs Varazda.
Sword Dance is the first book in the Sword Dance trilogy, an m/nb romance set in an imaginary ancient world, with murderous philosophy students, sex acts named after fruit, and love blossoming in the midst of mayhem.
Work takes him to the remote seaside villa of an old friend, where, among an odd assortment of guests, he meets the eunuch sword-dancer Varazda. Enigmatic and beautiful but distinctly prickly, Varazda is the antithesis of the straightforward and serious Damiskos. Yet as they keep getting in each other’s way at the villa, their mutual dislike is complicated by a spark of undeniable attraction.
Then the villa’s guests begin to reveal their true characters and motives—no one here is what they seem—and Damiskos finds himself at the centre of a bizarre web of espionage, theft, and assassination. Varazda may need Damiskos’s help, but not as much as Damiskos, finally awakening to a new sense of life and purpose, needs Varazda.
Sword Dance is the first book in the Sword Dance trilogy, an m/nb romance set in an imaginary ancient world, with murderous philosophy students, sex acts named after fruit, and love blossoming in the midst of mayhem.
305 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 31, 2019
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3,581 people want to read
About the author
A.J. Demas
7books410followersA.J. Demas writes about love and imaginary politics in a fictional ancient world. She lives in Toronto, Canada, with her husband and cute daughter.
A.J. also publishes fantasy and historical fiction with a metaphysical twist as Alice Degan.
A.J. also publishes fantasy and historical fiction with a metaphysical twist as Alice Degan.
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August 12, 2019Absolutely delightful romance set in AJ Demas' alt-Mediterranean Classical world, with a house party, a retired soldier, a hot eunuch sword dancer/spy, and a conspiracy afoot. The slow burn romance goes along with a twisty plot, lots of likeable characters, a very well-realised setting, and a hilarious mickey-take of Greek philosophers. There's depth to it, in the discussions of power, gender, sex, loss, and much more, but it's never weighted down by that and the writing bubbles with life. A pleasure from start to finish, and I am really looking forward to the continuation of the story.
August 3, 2019
This is a heck of a thoughtful, multilayered book about things like gender inequality, gender identity, sex, privilege and nationalism. In that sense it's a very modern book for all that it's set in a fictional ancient world.
It's also (for those of you I see shrinking back from this) a really fun book to read. Because - at the end of the day, I really care about all those rather lofty themes very, very much - but what I need from books that I love are characters that I fall in love with.
And I did. Really, this author slays me every time. What I will say, though, is that you need some staying power because she takes her own sweet time to get the characters where you want them to be (in real time, not in story time because from a less nuanced narrational voice I would scream INSTA-LOVE but here, really, gah, it's so sweet!). And really, guys, you can never rush through any of this author's books. She is really sneaky with giving out tidbits of information.
So loved it, though I liked "Something Human" by this author even better, but I'm looking forward to some of my friends' reactions.
And *coughhinthint* the next book in the series. Just saying.
Highly recommended!
It's also (for those of you I see shrinking back from this) a really fun book to read. Because - at the end of the day, I really care about all those rather lofty themes very, very much - but what I need from books that I love are characters that I fall in love with.
And I did. Really, this author slays me every time. What I will say, though, is that you need some staying power because she takes her own sweet time to get the characters where you want them to be (in real time, not in story time because from a less nuanced narrational voice I would scream INSTA-LOVE but here, really, gah, it's so sweet!). And really, guys, you can never rush through any of this author's books. She is really sneaky with giving out tidbits of information.
So loved it, though I liked "Something Human" by this author even better, but I'm looking forward to some of my friends' reactions.
And *coughhinthint* the next book in the series. Just saying.
Highly recommended!
August 21, 2023
If this Mediterranean-inspired alt-historical romance didn’t have a suspense plot, the two main characters would have gotten past the POV MC's amazing awkwardness and then for the rest of the book, simply gazed into each others� eyes with delight at having met... and I would have been here for that!! I loved them so much. But it was probably better that suspense plot was there, because (a) structure and (b) it was tense, realistic, and satisfying!
Both of the MCs are such soft sweethearts in personality - though they kick ass when needed - and I don’t often see such a pairing in romance. I hadn’t planned to read this but a friend talked me into it and I’m so glad ze did. I also enjoyed revisiting the MCs in both of the followup books.
Both of the MCs are such soft sweethearts in personality - though they kick ass when needed - and I don’t often see such a pairing in romance. I hadn’t planned to read this but a friend talked me into it and I’m so glad ze did. I also enjoyed revisiting the MCs in both of the followup books.
June 12, 2021
3.5 stars
I loved the worldbuilding like in all the other books by this author and there’s something about the writing that I find soothing and relaxing even when I’m stressed. Maybe it has more to do with the historical-fantasy setting and how decent and kind her MCs usually are than with the writing style, but still, it was exactly what I needed at the moment.
I really liked the novelty of having one of the MCs being an eunuch and on top of that.
I wasn’t happy with the
I also had some eye-rolling moments when it came to the plot and some of the secondary characters, but since this isn’t primarily a mystery or a suspenseful story and Aradne compensated for the idiotic secondary characters, it didn’t spoil my enjoyment.
All in all, I liked the characters and the story. The book ended with a promising set-up for the rest of the series and I’m curious to see what’ll happen next.
------------------------
Many thanks to my ever-so-patient friends for putting up with my snail pace on this BR. 😘
I loved the worldbuilding like in all the other books by this author and there’s something about the writing that I find soothing and relaxing even when I’m stressed. Maybe it has more to do with the historical-fantasy setting and how decent and kind her MCs usually are than with the writing style, but still, it was exactly what I needed at the moment.
I really liked the novelty of having one of the MCs being an eunuch and on top of that.
I wasn’t happy with the
I also had some eye-rolling moments when it came to the plot and some of the secondary characters, but since this isn’t primarily a mystery or a suspenseful story and Aradne compensated for the idiotic secondary characters, it didn’t spoil my enjoyment.
All in all, I liked the characters and the story. The book ended with a promising set-up for the rest of the series and I’m curious to see what’ll happen next.
------------------------
Many thanks to my ever-so-patient friends for putting up with my snail pace on this BR. 😘
June 11, 2021
**** 3.5 stars ****
I love the Greco-Roman alt-historical world the author has created for her stories. This one is set up like a country-house mystery, but turns into a tale of espionage and political intrigue. Somehow it felt lighter than her previous books, despite dealing with subjects like slavery and xenophobia. The romance was too insta for my tastes, but hopefully it'll get some additional depth in the sequel. Probably a 3-star read overall, but like I said, I love the setting, and that earned it a rounding up rather than down.
I love the Greco-Roman alt-historical world the author has created for her stories. This one is set up like a country-house mystery, but turns into a tale of espionage and political intrigue. Somehow it felt lighter than her previous books, despite dealing with subjects like slavery and xenophobia. The romance was too insta for my tastes, but hopefully it'll get some additional depth in the sequel. Probably a 3-star read overall, but like I said, I love the setting, and that earned it a rounding up rather than down.
January 26, 2020
(Here there be spoilers.) 2.5 stars rounded (barely) up. While I enjoyed some aspects of this, I also have a lot of notes. To begin with, between the faux-ancient-Greek setting, the soldierly protagonist named Damianos Damiskos, and the eunuch dancer love interest, it felt very much like someone had thrown Captive Prince and The Persian Boy in a blender, put it on high, then fluffed it all up with an improbable amount of whipped cream so it would never get as epic or emotional or impactful as the sources, and then baked it in a confusingly flavoured pastry of a country house mystery plot. (Yes, I have been binging a lot of Great British Bake Off lately, I don't know how you can tell.)
Anyway. I don't know if the influences were deliberate or complete coincidence, and I don't generally mind an influence as long as you can put your own spin on it. Which this did, sort of; it does feel like its own story and the characters are distinct enough that I got over the initial "this sounds very familiar" hump. The setting's quite lush and the descriptions well done and I enjoyed the world-building.
My main issue was with the plot, which seemed to start out as a house party murder mystery - an oldie but goodie of a trope in a different setting, quite nice, go with that. Except then the author very quickly moved away from that and tried to bring in treason and spying and war-mongering on a grander scale, supposedly affecting multiple countries, and that didn't work at all: the action never moves away from the isolated country villa, the conspirators/villains are thicker than really stodgy cake, and I didn't for a second believe that any of their extremely ineffectual scheming would come to anything, let along threaten national peace.
Suspension of disbelief was a problem with pretty much every aspect of the ensuing developments. There are some half-hearted action scenes, the heroes set up camp on a beach below the villa (which has been taken over by the almost comically incompetent villains), where they somehow build fortifications out of... sand and sticks. And successfully fight off several attacks by... throwing stones and shooting one of the two arrows they possess. (Yes. They possess literally two arrows.) And easily sneak back into the besieged villa to pick up some weapons and... extra clothes. And easily fool the villains with extremely simplistic "look over here while we sneak over there!" strategies. Everything was just really simple to the point of almost-silliness, the antagonists were basically interchangeable, and the story never developed any sense of real urgency or drama.
The same lack of real stakes unfortunately affects the central romance as well, although overall the relationship is actually my favourite part of the book. It, too, is fairly simple, but what doesn't work for the plot kind of does work for the romance - it's careful and very consent-focused, with a quiet sense of longing that was quite nice. Again, though, there is no sense of threat or failure, for all that these people are stuck in what's meant to be a pulse-pounding life-or-death situation. Everything rolls along very calmly and gently, the characters almost instantly understand everything about each other, communicate super-well, and the initial "mutual dislike" mentioned in the blurb lasts about two pages. I have no issue with two decent people falling in love without major drama, but since everything about this was designed to be major drama, I almost got a little bored, and I really shouldn't have been - not when there's all the fun cloak and daggers tropes like "we must work together though we do not trust each other" and "we must kiss now to deceive our enemies" etc. But everything always got resolved almost instantly.
Tying into this, the other major problem I had was with Damiskos apparently being a mind reader. One of my favourite things about having a single POV is that you're not always sure of the other character's thoughts and motivations - you may get an inkling or two of things the POV char doesn't realise, but overall you get to know the other character along with the POV char, and it can be fun and suspenseful and rewarding. There was NIL of that here, because Damiskos would unfailingly see some expression on Varazda's face and immediately conclude with apparently complete accuracy what he was thinking, in great detail. He literally frequently catches some tiny facial twitch or gesture and goes "he realised that Varazda was thinking that [insert lengthy thought process that no human person can possibly deduce from a near-stranger's face glitches]." I felt like the author really really wanted you to know what Varazda was thinking/feeling at every moment of every scene even though he doesn't have a POV, so she opted for spoon-feeding us his every thought via Damiskos' amazing inbuilt facial expressions interpretation software. It was extremely heavy-handed and destroyed every possibility of genuine uncertainty. And it extended to less direct aspects of their relationship too - I felt like I was forever being told exactly every nuance of every interaction. Random example:
(Damiskos has just told Varazda that he loves him. Varazda has responded that he doesn't really know how to reciprocate, because he's still working through ex-slave issues. Damiskos thinks that's fair enough. They are now walking back to their camp.)
Like... what?? You told him no more than an hour ago. You are now walking down a hill in the dark. How the hell can you tell he is treating you oh so subtly differently, with a touch of a kind of whatever, when you are walking down a hill in the dark? What could he possibly be doing that shows he is treating you differently than AN HOUR AGO at this point? Is he giving you subtly affectionate neck rubs as you are walking down a hill in the dark? This is the kind of realisation you can maybe have about someone you know really well, over a span of observably different behaviour exhibited over days or weeks, not about a dude you've known for a few days and told a potentially behaviour-altering thing AN HOUR AGO.
This spoon-feeding nonsense goes on and on and extends to Damiskos's motivations as well - at one point there's a bit of angsting over whether he actually loves V. or is just fetishising him, so there's a real quick clumsy set-up of a strawman who actually does fetishise him, just so it can be slowly and thoroughly explained to the reader why what D. feels is correct and what the strawman feels is incorrect. I'm pretty sure nobody was actually in doubt. It's a shame because if the author just trusted her readers a bit to interpret a character's behaviour themselves or hey, maybe enjoy the fact that their every thought and motivation is NOT instantly crystal-clear, the relationship development could actually have been subtle, instead of just declared so.
Even so, I did generally enjoy their scenes and the mutual care and respect extended. It wasn't fireworks but it was sweet and careful, and I liked the exploration of PTSD and slavery as portrayed in this world, as well as the acknowledgement of non-binary identity and the love scenes which, while low-key, were sensual and intimate. There were a couple of interesting side characters as well, though I wish more had been made of Damiskos' and Nione's friendship.
The pacing was a bit weird, given that this is the first in a trilogy - Damiskos falls in love super-fast and everything progresses way farther than I'd expect for a trilogy arc while actually not accomplishing much at all in terms of an overall plot. I think this would have worked much better if the plot had stuck with the house party murder mystery, focused on the whodunnit and fleshed out the villains better, and perhaps towards the end started revealing that there are larger-scale machinations with wider-reaching implications going on so you have some sense of suspense set up for the second book. As it is, by the end of this book, the inept villains are defeated and everything looks well set up for a happily ever after. I might read the next book because I did enjoy this reasonably well despite its flaws, but I'm certainly not hanging on the edge of my seat about it.
Underproved and overbaked!
Anyway. I don't know if the influences were deliberate or complete coincidence, and I don't generally mind an influence as long as you can put your own spin on it. Which this did, sort of; it does feel like its own story and the characters are distinct enough that I got over the initial "this sounds very familiar" hump. The setting's quite lush and the descriptions well done and I enjoyed the world-building.
My main issue was with the plot, which seemed to start out as a house party murder mystery - an oldie but goodie of a trope in a different setting, quite nice, go with that. Except then the author very quickly moved away from that and tried to bring in treason and spying and war-mongering on a grander scale, supposedly affecting multiple countries, and that didn't work at all: the action never moves away from the isolated country villa, the conspirators/villains are thicker than really stodgy cake, and I didn't for a second believe that any of their extremely ineffectual scheming would come to anything, let along threaten national peace.
Suspension of disbelief was a problem with pretty much every aspect of the ensuing developments. There are some half-hearted action scenes, the heroes set up camp on a beach below the villa (which has been taken over by the almost comically incompetent villains), where they somehow build fortifications out of... sand and sticks. And successfully fight off several attacks by... throwing stones and shooting one of the two arrows they possess. (Yes. They possess literally two arrows.) And easily sneak back into the besieged villa to pick up some weapons and... extra clothes. And easily fool the villains with extremely simplistic "look over here while we sneak over there!" strategies. Everything was just really simple to the point of almost-silliness, the antagonists were basically interchangeable, and the story never developed any sense of real urgency or drama.
The same lack of real stakes unfortunately affects the central romance as well, although overall the relationship is actually my favourite part of the book. It, too, is fairly simple, but what doesn't work for the plot kind of does work for the romance - it's careful and very consent-focused, with a quiet sense of longing that was quite nice. Again, though, there is no sense of threat or failure, for all that these people are stuck in what's meant to be a pulse-pounding life-or-death situation. Everything rolls along very calmly and gently, the characters almost instantly understand everything about each other, communicate super-well, and the initial "mutual dislike" mentioned in the blurb lasts about two pages. I have no issue with two decent people falling in love without major drama, but since everything about this was designed to be major drama, I almost got a little bored, and I really shouldn't have been - not when there's all the fun cloak and daggers tropes like "we must work together though we do not trust each other" and "we must kiss now to deceive our enemies" etc. But everything always got resolved almost instantly.
Tying into this, the other major problem I had was with Damiskos apparently being a mind reader. One of my favourite things about having a single POV is that you're not always sure of the other character's thoughts and motivations - you may get an inkling or two of things the POV char doesn't realise, but overall you get to know the other character along with the POV char, and it can be fun and suspenseful and rewarding. There was NIL of that here, because Damiskos would unfailingly see some expression on Varazda's face and immediately conclude with apparently complete accuracy what he was thinking, in great detail. He literally frequently catches some tiny facial twitch or gesture and goes "he realised that Varazda was thinking that [insert lengthy thought process that no human person can possibly deduce from a near-stranger's face glitches]." I felt like the author really really wanted you to know what Varazda was thinking/feeling at every moment of every scene even though he doesn't have a POV, so she opted for spoon-feeding us his every thought via Damiskos' amazing inbuilt facial expressions interpretation software. It was extremely heavy-handed and destroyed every possibility of genuine uncertainty. And it extended to less direct aspects of their relationship too - I felt like I was forever being told exactly every nuance of every interaction. Random example:
(Damiskos has just told Varazda that he loves him. Varazda has responded that he doesn't really know how to reciprocate, because he's still working through ex-slave issues. Damiskos thinks that's fair enough. They are now walking back to their camp.)
Varazda was treating him a little differently - with a touch of a kind of careful affection - but it was a subtle thing.
Like... what?? You told him no more than an hour ago. You are now walking down a hill in the dark. How the hell can you tell he is treating you oh so subtly differently, with a touch of a kind of whatever, when you are walking down a hill in the dark? What could he possibly be doing that shows he is treating you differently than AN HOUR AGO at this point? Is he giving you subtly affectionate neck rubs as you are walking down a hill in the dark? This is the kind of realisation you can maybe have about someone you know really well, over a span of observably different behaviour exhibited over days or weeks, not about a dude you've known for a few days and told a potentially behaviour-altering thing AN HOUR AGO.
This spoon-feeding nonsense goes on and on and extends to Damiskos's motivations as well - at one point there's a bit of angsting over whether he actually loves V. or is just fetishising him, so there's a real quick clumsy set-up of a strawman who actually does fetishise him, just so it can be slowly and thoroughly explained to the reader why what D. feels is correct and what the strawman feels is incorrect. I'm pretty sure nobody was actually in doubt. It's a shame because if the author just trusted her readers a bit to interpret a character's behaviour themselves or hey, maybe enjoy the fact that their every thought and motivation is NOT instantly crystal-clear, the relationship development could actually have been subtle, instead of just declared so.
Even so, I did generally enjoy their scenes and the mutual care and respect extended. It wasn't fireworks but it was sweet and careful, and I liked the exploration of PTSD and slavery as portrayed in this world, as well as the acknowledgement of non-binary identity and the love scenes which, while low-key, were sensual and intimate. There were a couple of interesting side characters as well, though I wish more had been made of Damiskos' and Nione's friendship.
The pacing was a bit weird, given that this is the first in a trilogy - Damiskos falls in love super-fast and everything progresses way farther than I'd expect for a trilogy arc while actually not accomplishing much at all in terms of an overall plot. I think this would have worked much better if the plot had stuck with the house party murder mystery, focused on the whodunnit and fleshed out the villains better, and perhaps towards the end started revealing that there are larger-scale machinations with wider-reaching implications going on so you have some sense of suspense set up for the second book. As it is, by the end of this book, the inept villains are defeated and everything looks well set up for a happily ever after. I might read the next book because I did enjoy this reasonably well despite its flaws, but I'm certainly not hanging on the edge of my seat about it.
Underproved and overbaked!
December 2, 2021
3.5 🌟
This is my first book by AJ Demas and I am delighted to discover a new author whose books are based in the alternate historical world. Because dear me hates the realities of my contemporary world so much that I am ready to read about an alt- Mediterranean civilisation filled with slavery and barbaric laws.😒😒
World-building
The author has built an imaginary world kinda like Roman-Greek civilization. There are different republics, acceptance of slave culture and homosexuality. But, what I liked most was the discussion around politics and nationalism.
Plot
The book has a suspense plot, a kind of a country house mystery plot. We have a bunch of weird houseguests and a group of vigilantes trying to bring back national purity.
Damascus is an ex-soldier with a permanent disability. Ex-soldier....you get the personality gist?? right!!! world-weary, straightforward, ever so helpful protector, and falls hard and fast for the other MC.
Varazda is a sword dancer, a bit of femme and a eunuch. As a former sex slave, he has suffered a lot and survived. Now, he doesn't care much for romance or men.
Things I loved about the book
1. Opposite- attract romance.
2. Femme MC(one of my fav), I love how confident they are with their sexuality.
3. super-sweet romance- I love
how careful Dami was with Varazda.
4. Politics- my ultimate love.😂😂😂
5. action-filled suspense
Things I found Confusing
1. So, many difficult names……😿�
2 . Some of the talks about politics became repetitive and confusing.
3. How the sexuality of Varazda is defined and how he sees himself is not clear-cut. And, I would love to know more in the next book. But, even if not, I adore his grumpiness.
Still, as I said before, I liked this alt-classic historical setting so I will continue with the series and would also love to read some more books by the author.
P.S- Although, there is a lot of contextual talk around slavery, this one is not Captive Prince.
This is my first book by AJ Demas and I am delighted to discover a new author whose books are based in the alternate historical world. Because dear me hates the realities of my contemporary world so much that I am ready to read about an alt- Mediterranean civilisation filled with slavery and barbaric laws.😒😒
World-building
The author has built an imaginary world kinda like Roman-Greek civilization. There are different republics, acceptance of slave culture and homosexuality. But, what I liked most was the discussion around politics and nationalism.
Plot
The book has a suspense plot, a kind of a country house mystery plot. We have a bunch of weird houseguests and a group of vigilantes trying to bring back national purity.
Damascus is an ex-soldier with a permanent disability. Ex-soldier....you get the personality gist?? right!!! world-weary, straightforward, ever so helpful protector, and falls hard and fast for the other MC.
Varazda is a sword dancer, a bit of femme and a eunuch. As a former sex slave, he has suffered a lot and survived. Now, he doesn't care much for romance or men.
Things I loved about the book
1. Opposite- attract romance.
2. Femme MC(one of my fav), I love how confident they are with their sexuality.
3. super-sweet romance- I love
how careful Dami was with Varazda.
4. Politics- my ultimate love.😂😂😂
5. action-filled suspense
Things I found Confusing
1. So, many difficult names……😿�
2 . Some of the talks about politics became repetitive and confusing.
3. How the sexuality of Varazda is defined and how he sees himself is not clear-cut. And, I would love to know more in the next book. But, even if not, I adore his grumpiness.
Still, as I said before, I liked this alt-classic historical setting so I will continue with the series and would also love to read some more books by the author.
P.S- Although, there is a lot of contextual talk around slavery, this one is not Captive Prince.
August 1, 2019
Lovely! Great characters, though philosophers do get a hilariously bad rap.
Looking forward to the next one.
Looking forward to the next one.
January 1, 2020
A slow-developing fantasy romance set in an alternate-history quasi-Greek/Roman era. The characters were very engaging, particularly Damiskos, an older, world-weary ex-soldier dealing with the loss of a promising career. He has personal strengths that don't only apply on the battlefield, but at first this new assignment doesn't look like it will require them. Then violence and mysteries begin to change the shape of what seemed like a pointless assignment.
As Damiskos tries to figure out what is going on, who is on what side, and even how many sides there are, he's also trying to put his attraction to the eunuch sword-dancer Varazda into perspective. It would be a clear mistake to discount Varazda, for all his gender-ambiguous presentation and apparent lightminded decorativeness. And though many of the guests treat their hostess Nione who owns the villa as a prize to be won, Damiskos knows she is more than that.
This is a fun, although slow-building, mystery of sorts that has a lot of relevant things to say about gender roles and equality and privilege and cults and followership, wrapped in the adventure and the back-story. There is a solid HFN ending, but it's listed as part of a series and I'm looking forward to the next one.
As Damiskos tries to figure out what is going on, who is on what side, and even how many sides there are, he's also trying to put his attraction to the eunuch sword-dancer Varazda into perspective. It would be a clear mistake to discount Varazda, for all his gender-ambiguous presentation and apparent lightminded decorativeness. And though many of the guests treat their hostess Nione who owns the villa as a prize to be won, Damiskos knows she is more than that.
This is a fun, although slow-building, mystery of sorts that has a lot of relevant things to say about gender roles and equality and privilege and cults and followership, wrapped in the adventure and the back-story. There is a solid HFN ending, but it's listed as part of a series and I'm looking forward to the next one.
Want to read
January 25, 20201/25/20 Currently on sale for 99c via Amazon:
July 9, 2023
3.5 - This was different and interesting but I never really fell in love with either of the characters or the plot.
June 13, 2021
3.5 stars
I've enjoyed this author's previous stories, mostly, though I've had issues with the pacing in them. They were slow and the world building was not well done. This is easily her best story yet, if predictable. It flowed well, and once things got going, it was very easy to get caught up in the action.
I liked Damiskos and Varazda. Damiskos was at loose ends and Varazda wasn't what he appears to be at first glance. There were these really obnoxious philosophy students that I wanted to smack constantly, but other than them I enjoyed getting to spend more time in this world. Demas has a way of writing about difficult topics without getting too heavy.
There were a couple of little things that had me raising my eyebrows a bit. Still, I just really didn't require that from this book and it didn't feel quite authentic, so it threw me out of the moment each time.
Still, I'm looking forward to the next one.
I've enjoyed this author's previous stories, mostly, though I've had issues with the pacing in them. They were slow and the world building was not well done. This is easily her best story yet, if predictable. It flowed well, and once things got going, it was very easy to get caught up in the action.
I liked Damiskos and Varazda. Damiskos was at loose ends and Varazda wasn't what he appears to be at first glance. There were these really obnoxious philosophy students that I wanted to smack constantly, but other than them I enjoyed getting to spend more time in this world. Demas has a way of writing about difficult topics without getting too heavy.
There were a couple of little things that had me raising my eyebrows a bit. Still, I just really didn't require that from this book and it didn't feel quite authentic, so it threw me out of the moment each time.
Still, I'm looking forward to the next one.
August 6, 2019
A review.
4.75 stars
I loved Sword Dance. It’s not a perfect novel, but the characters are endearing and so well constructed that I didn’t care about a few imperfections. Damiskos and Varazda are something of an odd couple and for the first half of the book, they tend to spar with one another more often than not. The romance comes later and works because of exactly who these characters are and the absolute acceptance they have for one another. Varazda was gelded as a slave and, as a result, he is considered inferior or unnatural by many. But Damiskos sees his beauty, his grace, and his intelligence and loves Varazda for himself. It’s a balanced and comfortable relationship and while it evolves quickly, it reads as believable. These two do have the tendency to constantly apologize to one another and over explain the intention behind their words, which is a bit annoying, but doesn’t cripple the relationship. The setting to Sword Dance is fictional, but it echoes Greco-Roman influences so it almost feels historical, which I rather enjoyed.
Read Sue’s review in its entirety .
4.75 stars
I loved Sword Dance. It’s not a perfect novel, but the characters are endearing and so well constructed that I didn’t care about a few imperfections. Damiskos and Varazda are something of an odd couple and for the first half of the book, they tend to spar with one another more often than not. The romance comes later and works because of exactly who these characters are and the absolute acceptance they have for one another. Varazda was gelded as a slave and, as a result, he is considered inferior or unnatural by many. But Damiskos sees his beauty, his grace, and his intelligence and loves Varazda for himself. It’s a balanced and comfortable relationship and while it evolves quickly, it reads as believable. These two do have the tendency to constantly apologize to one another and over explain the intention behind their words, which is a bit annoying, but doesn’t cripple the relationship. The setting to Sword Dance is fictional, but it echoes Greco-Roman influences so it almost feels historical, which I rather enjoyed.
Read Sue’s review in its entirety .
January 23, 2022
� 𝗮 𝘁𝗿𝗶𝘂𝗺𝗽𝗵𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝟰.𝟱 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘀 �
Sword Dance took me a whole ass minute to read. I bought it, read to about fifty-percent, and then promptly moved onto another book. Shame on me, I know.
This story was � everything. There was so much going on romance, philosophical, and plot-wise. This book was a whole ass meal, ngl.
Honestly, I want to say so much and yet � all I can say is Damiskos has my whole heart.
Sword Dance took me a whole ass minute to read. I bought it, read to about fifty-percent, and then promptly moved onto another book. Shame on me, I know.
This story was � everything. There was so much going on romance, philosophical, and plot-wise. This book was a whole ass meal, ngl.
Honestly, I want to say so much and yet � all I can say is Damiskos has my whole heart.
“I do admire the angry Varazda,� Damiskos said, feeling a little shy about it, “but I think � it’s mostly the happy one I’ve fallen in love with.�
August 9, 2019
4.5 stars
Brilliant. Lovely. There are dozens of well-deserved glowing reviews so I’m not repeat all that has been said. There were some very minor weak point but all in all it will be a truly memorable story. Highly recommended.
Brilliant. Lovely. There are dozens of well-deserved glowing reviews so I’m not repeat all that has been said. There were some very minor weak point but all in all it will be a truly memorable story. Highly recommended.
February 2, 2020
Beautifully written, and if you're a fan of Lois McMaster Bujold's Penric novellas or T. Kingfisher's fantasy novels, I'm pretty sure you'll love this, too!
February 1, 2025
3,5 �
This was not exactly what I expected but after a quite boring start, I ended liking it. The writing style was amazing and the world building was very interesting - like some Antique Greece AU and Zash was probably ancient Persia(?). The only problem was that the plot was very mundane. I sometimes like to read historical novels about "boring" everday life but reading about a bunch of imaginary mysognistic philosphers wannabes yapping about Ideal Republic... yeah, not so much. However, I really liked our two main charachters and I wish they would be in a different story. I haven't decided yet if I'll continue but maybe the plot is going to be more interesting in the next books. I'd certainly like to see the progress in Damiskos and Varazda's relationship.
This was not exactly what I expected but after a quite boring start, I ended liking it. The writing style was amazing and the world building was very interesting - like some Antique Greece AU and Zash was probably ancient Persia(?). The only problem was that the plot was very mundane. I sometimes like to read historical novels about "boring" everday life but reading about a bunch of imaginary mysognistic philosphers wannabes yapping about Ideal Republic... yeah, not so much. However, I really liked our two main charachters and I wish they would be in a different story. I haven't decided yet if I'll continue but maybe the plot is going to be more interesting in the next books. I'd certainly like to see the progress in Damiskos and Varazda's relationship.
September 22, 2021
I liked everything about this book, but especially the setting, the two main characters, and the slow pace of the romance. I also enjoyed the intrigue plot. It's a really immersive and satisfying read, and I'm eager to read more of this author's work.
Shelved as 'wishlist'
December 6, 2020Price drop to 99c in the U.S.! I love me a military fantasy with complex themes!
January 26, 2021
Another charming little read from the pen of Alice Degan. Loved the mickey-taking at the expense of the ancient Greek philosophers, and book 2 of what I understood to be a trilogy comes out next month. 4.25 stars.
April 19, 2023
4.5 stars Read for the "Unusual Historical" prompt in the
A.J. Demas� Sword Dance is the first book in a trilogy set in an imaginary/alternate ancient world that reads rather like Ancient Greece, so I thought it would be a good fit for this month’s “unusual historical� prompt. There’s mystery and a slow-burn romance, lots of wry humour and a superbly realised setting to enjoy, together with some very poignant observations about trauma and grief, and discussions about power and privilege, gender and sex � but none of it overwhelms the main storyline or reads like the author ‘soapboxing�.
Damiskos Temnon was one of Pheme’s most respected warriors, but his career was ended by injury five years earlier, leaving him with a permanent disability and scars that aren’t all visible ones. Now he works for the army in a very different capacity, in the Quartermasters Office, and when the book opens, is on his way to the remote seaside villa of an old friend with a view to negotiating a supply contract. (For fish sauce of all things!) It’s very clear this isn’t a job he particularly enjoys, but it’s a necessity if he’s to keep body and soul together and to continue to send money to his parents, who are incapable of living within their means.
When Damiskos arrives, he finds Nione has guests, a party of philosophers from Boukos, mostly students and former students of Nione’s kinsman, Eurydemos, together with a merchant by the name of Aristokles Phoskos and his Zashian slave � a eunuch, Damiskos guesses, given his richly decorated clothing, and delicate, painted features. Damiskos finds the discourse of the students and philosophers distinctly distasteful in its blatant bigotry � far from enlightened free-thinkers, this bunch reads like a group of white-supremacist homophobes in pursuance of their aim of restoring Pheme to greatness. Damiskos has no time for them or their ideas, and can’t help wondering just how many of their sneering remarks about “unnatural half-men� the slave is able to understand.
The next day, when Damiskos encounters the slave � who he has learned is called Pharastes, or Varazda in his own language � he finds himself reassessing the feelings of pity he’d had the previous evening. The man may be enticingly beautiful, but he’s prickly and defensive, responding to Damiskos� attempt at conversation with thinly disguised rudeness, and Damiskos finds himself disliking him.
Most of their encounters over the next few days follow a similar pattern � Varazda misinterprets everything Damiskos says and his frosty reaction puts Damiskos� back up because he’s just trying to help. Varazda seems determined to keep Damiskos at a distance � until Aristokles disappears in suspicious circumstances, and the two of them team up to try to find out what is going on. Varazda explains that Aristokles was sent to investigate Eurydemos and his students following some anti-Zashian riots that took place in Boukos a few weeks earlier, and to retrieve some sensitive documents that were stolen from the Zashian embassy. Damiskos is surprised to learn that Aristokles is a spy � he’d seemed far too inept (and it doesn’t take him long to work out who the spy really is!) - but as he puts together some of the things he’s heard over the past few days, he realises what’s going on. In their fanatical desire to Make Pheme Great Again (#sorrynotsorry!), the students want to bring about a war with Zash. With Aristokles gone, Varazda suggests Damiskos should put about the story that he now owns Varazda so he has an excuse to remain at the villa, and let it be believed they are lovers, so nobody will question their spending time together.
I enjoyed everything about this book; the characters, the setting and the romance � although there’s no HEA here, just a tentative HFN with the promise of more. Even though the events of the story take place in around a week, there’s the definite feel of a slow-burn, but I think because there’s so much else going on, the romance seems to take its time � and that worked pretty well for me.
The two leads are superbly characterised, opposites in just about every way who somehow find their perfect fit. Damiskos � who is the sole PoV character here - is kind and understanding with a natural air of authority, but he is grieving the loss of the military life he’d loved and been good at and is still coming to terms with the traumatic event that caused it. He’s world-weary and trying to work out where he fits in, but is determined to be a good and decent person, no matter that life has ground him down. Watching him become completely smitten with Varazda and not even realising it at first is really sweet, and I loved seeing him fall just that little bit more under his spell every time they’re together.
Varazda is perceptive, smart and mercurial, a former slave � now freed � and sword dancer with a three-year-old daughter back home in Boukos. He presents himself with both masculine and feminine qualities and features, and talks to Damiskos about how he feels about it, sometimes feeling like a man, sometimes like a woman and the balance he gets from it. He’s a eunuch, but the author makes it clear that being non-binary isn’t something Varazda has ‘become� because of what was done to him; he is what and who he is regardless of what is (or isn’t) between his legs. The sex scenes are handled in a sensitive manner � being a slave means Varazda was often used for sex, but being with Damiskos is his first experience of choosing a lover for himself. Their attraction is unexpected and outside both their experience, but they talk and there is no silly miscommunication; their uncertainties and hesitation are the result of who they are and what they’ve been through, and their backstories are skilfully woven into the story. The author does a great job of showing us Varazda through Damiskos� eyes, and I loved getting to see the depth of his affection and care for Varazda.
Sword Dance is an entertaining read with great characters, an interesting plot and a wonderfully realised setting. I enjoyed Damiskos and Varazda’s romance a great deal, and I’m definitely going to be picking up the next book in the series as soon as I can.
A.J. Demas� Sword Dance is the first book in a trilogy set in an imaginary/alternate ancient world that reads rather like Ancient Greece, so I thought it would be a good fit for this month’s “unusual historical� prompt. There’s mystery and a slow-burn romance, lots of wry humour and a superbly realised setting to enjoy, together with some very poignant observations about trauma and grief, and discussions about power and privilege, gender and sex � but none of it overwhelms the main storyline or reads like the author ‘soapboxing�.
Damiskos Temnon was one of Pheme’s most respected warriors, but his career was ended by injury five years earlier, leaving him with a permanent disability and scars that aren’t all visible ones. Now he works for the army in a very different capacity, in the Quartermasters Office, and when the book opens, is on his way to the remote seaside villa of an old friend with a view to negotiating a supply contract. (For fish sauce of all things!) It’s very clear this isn’t a job he particularly enjoys, but it’s a necessity if he’s to keep body and soul together and to continue to send money to his parents, who are incapable of living within their means.
When Damiskos arrives, he finds Nione has guests, a party of philosophers from Boukos, mostly students and former students of Nione’s kinsman, Eurydemos, together with a merchant by the name of Aristokles Phoskos and his Zashian slave � a eunuch, Damiskos guesses, given his richly decorated clothing, and delicate, painted features. Damiskos finds the discourse of the students and philosophers distinctly distasteful in its blatant bigotry � far from enlightened free-thinkers, this bunch reads like a group of white-supremacist homophobes in pursuance of their aim of restoring Pheme to greatness. Damiskos has no time for them or their ideas, and can’t help wondering just how many of their sneering remarks about “unnatural half-men� the slave is able to understand.
The next day, when Damiskos encounters the slave � who he has learned is called Pharastes, or Varazda in his own language � he finds himself reassessing the feelings of pity he’d had the previous evening. The man may be enticingly beautiful, but he’s prickly and defensive, responding to Damiskos� attempt at conversation with thinly disguised rudeness, and Damiskos finds himself disliking him.
Most of their encounters over the next few days follow a similar pattern � Varazda misinterprets everything Damiskos says and his frosty reaction puts Damiskos� back up because he’s just trying to help. Varazda seems determined to keep Damiskos at a distance � until Aristokles disappears in suspicious circumstances, and the two of them team up to try to find out what is going on. Varazda explains that Aristokles was sent to investigate Eurydemos and his students following some anti-Zashian riots that took place in Boukos a few weeks earlier, and to retrieve some sensitive documents that were stolen from the Zashian embassy. Damiskos is surprised to learn that Aristokles is a spy � he’d seemed far too inept (and it doesn’t take him long to work out who the spy really is!) - but as he puts together some of the things he’s heard over the past few days, he realises what’s going on. In their fanatical desire to Make Pheme Great Again (#sorrynotsorry!), the students want to bring about a war with Zash. With Aristokles gone, Varazda suggests Damiskos should put about the story that he now owns Varazda so he has an excuse to remain at the villa, and let it be believed they are lovers, so nobody will question their spending time together.
I enjoyed everything about this book; the characters, the setting and the romance � although there’s no HEA here, just a tentative HFN with the promise of more. Even though the events of the story take place in around a week, there’s the definite feel of a slow-burn, but I think because there’s so much else going on, the romance seems to take its time � and that worked pretty well for me.
The two leads are superbly characterised, opposites in just about every way who somehow find their perfect fit. Damiskos � who is the sole PoV character here - is kind and understanding with a natural air of authority, but he is grieving the loss of the military life he’d loved and been good at and is still coming to terms with the traumatic event that caused it. He’s world-weary and trying to work out where he fits in, but is determined to be a good and decent person, no matter that life has ground him down. Watching him become completely smitten with Varazda and not even realising it at first is really sweet, and I loved seeing him fall just that little bit more under his spell every time they’re together.
Varazda is perceptive, smart and mercurial, a former slave � now freed � and sword dancer with a three-year-old daughter back home in Boukos. He presents himself with both masculine and feminine qualities and features, and talks to Damiskos about how he feels about it, sometimes feeling like a man, sometimes like a woman and the balance he gets from it. He’s a eunuch, but the author makes it clear that being non-binary isn’t something Varazda has ‘become� because of what was done to him; he is what and who he is regardless of what is (or isn’t) between his legs. The sex scenes are handled in a sensitive manner � being a slave means Varazda was often used for sex, but being with Damiskos is his first experience of choosing a lover for himself. Their attraction is unexpected and outside both their experience, but they talk and there is no silly miscommunication; their uncertainties and hesitation are the result of who they are and what they’ve been through, and their backstories are skilfully woven into the story. The author does a great job of showing us Varazda through Damiskos� eyes, and I loved getting to see the depth of his affection and care for Varazda.
Sword Dance is an entertaining read with great characters, an interesting plot and a wonderfully realised setting. I enjoyed Damiskos and Varazda’s romance a great deal, and I’m definitely going to be picking up the next book in the series as soon as I can.
July 11, 2023
Very pleased to discover this new author.
ETA: the two books by Demas remind me of Gillian Bradshaw’s books.
ETA: the two books by Demas remind me of Gillian Bradshaw’s books.
June 8, 2021
I liked this one very much. I think this is the book I've enjoyed the most by this author. Not that I didn't enjoyed the others in this same universe but I suppose as I knew what to expect here about Varazda character , I could enjoy the story much more.
Not everything went smoothly though, sometimes the situation gets a bit ridiculous and difficult to believe, but overall, the story and the characters were interesting enough to make me read this in a couple of days.
Not everything went smoothly though, sometimes the situation gets a bit ridiculous and difficult to believe, but overall, the story and the characters were interesting enough to make me read this in a couple of days.
October 5, 2021
Phenomenal. Really entertaining intrigue/romance novel set in Demas's fictional world. The sweet romance is between an ex-military officer and an ex-slave who is written to be a non-binary character, which I loved. There's just a lot to like about this book; great writing, a compelling plot, likable secondary characters, and best of all - a sequel.
Want to read
December 6, 2020Price drop to $0.99 at Amazon US, 12/6/20
April 18, 2023
So many wonderful things about this trilogy (review of , & ).
For me (former classics student), there was a huge and unexpected pleasure in seeing ancient Greece brought to life. The texts I'd painfully translated felt (at the time) "difficult" and dry, but Demas uses them to conjure a vibrant world from small details, especially round food and the experience of living in a town. I lapped up the world-building with real appreciation.
Each story is self-contained, but linked by the over-arching relationship, so there's a sense of progression, rather than repetition (though the sensory world was so beguiling, I'd have taken repetition and said thank you). Demas writes lovely limpid prose: it's clear and straightforward, kept well away from pedestrianism by flickers of humour and a graceful fluency. Here's the opening paragraph of Book 1 ():-
Above all, though, they are kind to each other, and tolerant. I've just washed my hands after reading a "romance" in which "love" is expressed through insults & bullying. Maybe kindness and tolerance are not as dramatic as lust and abuse, but I am over here cheering on those under-rated qualities. Loudly.
The whole trilogy is total delight. Thoroughly recommended.
Gorgeous covers by Aud Koch & Lennan Adams.
For me (former classics student), there was a huge and unexpected pleasure in seeing ancient Greece brought to life. The texts I'd painfully translated felt (at the time) "difficult" and dry, but Demas uses them to conjure a vibrant world from small details, especially round food and the experience of living in a town. I lapped up the world-building with real appreciation.
Each story is self-contained, but linked by the over-arching relationship, so there's a sense of progression, rather than repetition (though the sensory world was so beguiling, I'd have taken repetition and said thank you). Demas writes lovely limpid prose: it's clear and straightforward, kept well away from pedestrianism by flickers of humour and a graceful fluency. Here's the opening paragraph of Book 1 ():-
The last leg of the journey down to the villa would indeed have been easier on a mule. The man at the inn that morning had said so. If he hadn’t followed that up with a frown and a little up-and-down flick of the eyes, and if he hadn’t said, “You might find it easier, sir,� with the emphasis in just the wrong place—just a little too sympathetic—Damiskos might have listened to him and left his horse behind.Demas' characters, Damiskos & Varazda, are well-rounded creations. They are both aware of their own strengths and because of that, their occasional nervousness about their developing relationship betrays how important it is to each.
Above all, though, they are kind to each other, and tolerant. I've just washed my hands after reading a "romance" in which "love" is expressed through insults & bullying. Maybe kindness and tolerance are not as dramatic as lust and abuse, but I am over here cheering on those under-rated qualities. Loudly.
The whole trilogy is total delight. Thoroughly recommended.
Gorgeous covers by Aud Koch & Lennan Adams.
March 1, 2021
I absolutely loved this romance between a male ex-soldier and non-binary/genderfluid sword dancer ex-slave eunuch!
This is the second book I read by this author and it is set in a vaguely similar world - alternate historical world reminiscent of Ancient Greece and Rome. I liked the world building before and I liked it here. It's a rich and vividly depicted world.
I liked suspense/murder mystery at a house party plot and was invested in it despite finding it all going a bit silly towards the end, still it''s very enjoyable and good enough background for the romance plot.
I found both MCs very interesting and likable. Damiskos and Varazda are opposites in many ways but both are decent human beings, who care about others and are open to exploring the attraction between them.
Damiskos is an ex-soldier, uncertain about his future, disabled. He struggles to find his direction in life but at the same time is comfortable in his desires and sexuality. Varazda is a non-binary sword dancer, an eunuch, a freed slave. Acting was part of his job (dancer and a spy) but women's style is also part of who he was - long hair and kohl and dresses and accesories. I found him to be a captivating character, both strong and loyal but also insecure, lacking experience in consensual sex, never before having had a lover/partner on his own free choosing.
Their relationship started under extreme circumstance and was to some extend adrenaline driven, though their moments of tender heart-to-hearts were my favourite. The awkwardly shared fears and doubts and dreams under the cover of the night melted my heart.
There is no HEA at the end of this book, just the promise to explore things between Dami and Varazda further.
This is the second book I read by this author and it is set in a vaguely similar world - alternate historical world reminiscent of Ancient Greece and Rome. I liked the world building before and I liked it here. It's a rich and vividly depicted world.
I liked suspense/murder mystery at a house party plot and was invested in it despite finding it all going a bit silly towards the end, still it''s very enjoyable and good enough background for the romance plot.
I found both MCs very interesting and likable. Damiskos and Varazda are opposites in many ways but both are decent human beings, who care about others and are open to exploring the attraction between them.
Damiskos is an ex-soldier, uncertain about his future, disabled. He struggles to find his direction in life but at the same time is comfortable in his desires and sexuality. Varazda is a non-binary sword dancer, an eunuch, a freed slave. Acting was part of his job (dancer and a spy) but women's style is also part of who he was - long hair and kohl and dresses and accesories. I found him to be a captivating character, both strong and loyal but also insecure, lacking experience in consensual sex, never before having had a lover/partner on his own free choosing.
Their relationship started under extreme circumstance and was to some extend adrenaline driven, though their moments of tender heart-to-hearts were my favourite. The awkwardly shared fears and doubts and dreams under the cover of the night melted my heart.
There is no HEA at the end of this book, just the promise to explore things between Dami and Varazda further.
January 25, 2023
I really enjoyed this! The characters, the romance, the story, all of it.
Damiskos was kind and understanding and serious and always trying to be a good person. But he was struggling with his own self-image and grief since becoming disabled and going through the traumatic experience he went through and having the course of his life altered. Varazda was one of those people who sparkled. Confident but coy. Perceptive and smart. Compassionate. As the description says, prickly sometimes, but only because of his own struggles and insecurities.
And what a lovely romance this was! Or still is. This was only the start of it. But what we’ve had so far has been beautiful, full of respect and admiration and vulnerability and trying to understand each other.
The fact that one character was castrated seemed to be handled with care. There were some words used that were maybe not ideal, but it’s fair that characters would use those words. And it wasn’t just tossed in, it was something that had a big effect on the character and his life.
And I loved the nonbinary rep! I could actually relate to a lot of Varazda’s feelings. I don’t think this world has words like “nonbinary,� but Varazda presented himself with both typically masculine and feminine features, styles, etc. And he talked about how he didn’t really feel like a man but was happy for others to see him that way, and how he also liked to feel more like a woman sometimes, that it gave him a balance. I also liked that he wasn’t nonbinary just because of what was done to his body. He felt like he would’ve had the same feelings about gender regardless.
Varazda’s past experience of rape / sexual assault, since he’d been a slave, was also handled with care, especially by Damiskos. Damiskos was always so understanding and patient in sexual situations, letting Varazda make the choices, offering ideas he thought they both might enjoy but making sure Varazda knew he could say no, etc. Damiskos just wanted to give Varazda the pleasure and enjoyment he didn’t even know sex could have. Whatever they were doing, Damiskos could still enjoy himself and the intimacy. And oh, what lovely sex scenes they were.
The plot was interesting. Espionage, intrigue, mystery, murder, and a bit of action. I would say it’s a slow-paced book, but not a slow-feeling one. It never dragged. I was firmly hooked.
There was disability rep, both physical and mental. Damiskos has a bad leg and a limp from a previous injury. Both main characters seem to have PTSD.
This is high fantasy, set in an imaginary world based on the Ancient Mediterranean, but there’s no magic or supernatural.
Overall, this was a lovely book with a bit of action and intrigue, but it was really the two main characters and the beauty of their forming relationship that drew me in, and I’m looking forward to reading more about them!
*Rating: 4 Stars // Read Date: 2023 // Format: Ebook via TTS*
Recommended For:
Anyone who likes fantasy worlds without magic, beautiful and gentle romance, a bit of action and intrigue, characters trying to heal from physical and emotional scars, and nonbinary characters.
Damiskos was kind and understanding and serious and always trying to be a good person. But he was struggling with his own self-image and grief since becoming disabled and going through the traumatic experience he went through and having the course of his life altered. Varazda was one of those people who sparkled. Confident but coy. Perceptive and smart. Compassionate. As the description says, prickly sometimes, but only because of his own struggles and insecurities.
And what a lovely romance this was! Or still is. This was only the start of it. But what we’ve had so far has been beautiful, full of respect and admiration and vulnerability and trying to understand each other.
The fact that one character was castrated seemed to be handled with care. There were some words used that were maybe not ideal, but it’s fair that characters would use those words. And it wasn’t just tossed in, it was something that had a big effect on the character and his life.
And I loved the nonbinary rep! I could actually relate to a lot of Varazda’s feelings. I don’t think this world has words like “nonbinary,� but Varazda presented himself with both typically masculine and feminine features, styles, etc. And he talked about how he didn’t really feel like a man but was happy for others to see him that way, and how he also liked to feel more like a woman sometimes, that it gave him a balance. I also liked that he wasn’t nonbinary just because of what was done to his body. He felt like he would’ve had the same feelings about gender regardless.
Varazda’s past experience of rape / sexual assault, since he’d been a slave, was also handled with care, especially by Damiskos. Damiskos was always so understanding and patient in sexual situations, letting Varazda make the choices, offering ideas he thought they both might enjoy but making sure Varazda knew he could say no, etc. Damiskos just wanted to give Varazda the pleasure and enjoyment he didn’t even know sex could have. Whatever they were doing, Damiskos could still enjoy himself and the intimacy. And oh, what lovely sex scenes they were.
The plot was interesting. Espionage, intrigue, mystery, murder, and a bit of action. I would say it’s a slow-paced book, but not a slow-feeling one. It never dragged. I was firmly hooked.
There was disability rep, both physical and mental. Damiskos has a bad leg and a limp from a previous injury. Both main characters seem to have PTSD.
This is high fantasy, set in an imaginary world based on the Ancient Mediterranean, but there’s no magic or supernatural.
Overall, this was a lovely book with a bit of action and intrigue, but it was really the two main characters and the beauty of their forming relationship that drew me in, and I’m looking forward to reading more about them!
*Rating: 4 Stars // Read Date: 2023 // Format: Ebook via TTS*
Recommended For:
Anyone who likes fantasy worlds without magic, beautiful and gentle romance, a bit of action and intrigue, characters trying to heal from physical and emotional scars, and nonbinary characters.
April 22, 2023
I don’t know why I didn’t read this sooner! Demas’s alt-Mediterranean world is so well-rendered, and she’s excellent at finding little details that make the characters feel real and complex right away, even characters whose POV you don’t have.
I liked that this was all from Damiskos’s POV, because the way he keeps underestimating Varazda is a key part of the story and making the reader figure out Varazda as Damiskos does added a lot to the experience. I loved how Damiskos’s good intentions led him to repeatedly underestimate Varazda (such as his early assumption that Varazda must not have chosen his own attire), and enjoyed watching him slowly realize the truth. That plus some of his missteps with the other guests helped elevate Damiskos beyond the stoic soldier trope and gave him complexity other authors would have left out.
The mystery plot was fun and I liked the way the various side characters fit into the story. However, I felt the mystery overshadowed the romance a bit, and the relationship between Damiskos and Varazda didn’t develop as much as I would have liked (though I understand this is book 1 in a trilogy so some of that had to be saved for the other books). The speed of their relationship didn’t really feel believable to me, even with the excuse of being in a high-pressure situation that heightens feelings, and I think some of the emotional moments would have felt more powerful if the characters had spent longer getting to those points.
I don’t think I’ll go on to book two for now because it looks like it’s mystery-focused again, and the romantic relationship is what I’m really interested in. But I think this works well as a standalone for anyone who’s interested in the premise but not sure they want to commit to a trilogy.
I liked that this was all from Damiskos’s POV, because the way he keeps underestimating Varazda is a key part of the story and making the reader figure out Varazda as Damiskos does added a lot to the experience. I loved how Damiskos’s good intentions led him to repeatedly underestimate Varazda (such as his early assumption that Varazda must not have chosen his own attire), and enjoyed watching him slowly realize the truth. That plus some of his missteps with the other guests helped elevate Damiskos beyond the stoic soldier trope and gave him complexity other authors would have left out.
The mystery plot was fun and I liked the way the various side characters fit into the story. However, I felt the mystery overshadowed the romance a bit, and the relationship between Damiskos and Varazda didn’t develop as much as I would have liked (though I understand this is book 1 in a trilogy so some of that had to be saved for the other books). The speed of their relationship didn’t really feel believable to me, even with the excuse of being in a high-pressure situation that heightens feelings, and I think some of the emotional moments would have felt more powerful if the characters had spent longer getting to those points.
I don’t think I’ll go on to book two for now because it looks like it’s mystery-focused again, and the romantic relationship is what I’m really interested in. But I think this works well as a standalone for anyone who’s interested in the premise but not sure they want to commit to a trilogy.
September 7, 2022
Interesting world. Names sound Greek, the architecture sounds a little more Roman. And the far away land of Zash reminds me a bit of Persia, maybe the hanging gardens of Babylon made an indirect appearance?
Damiskos, the main character, is a likeable fellow. Former soldier, not a terribly exciting job, gets sent to the countryside to make a deal about buying fish sauce for the troops. Fishy things start to happen, not just sauce-related.
“Terza’s head, what a lot of ghastly people Nione seemed to have gathered around herself. Did he really have to stay out the week?�
Apparently he did. If Agatha Christie had ever written Fantasy, this is probably what it would have looked like. The requisite body might or might not have turned up. Damiskos gets support from unexpected quarters and has to pretend to be romantically inclined to towards the sword-dancing eunuch. Things do not go as planned. Do they ever?
Thrown in were some rather odd philosophers, some violence, a little not too graphic sex and various shenanigans. I liked the underhanded humour. Oh yes, and there were some serious topics woven into the narrative, about gender identity, equal rights, racism, power over and perception of others—nicely done.
This is not quick, the pace is rather sedate. Damiskos and the story take their time. It is well plotted though.
The world has potential for some more sweeping stories and there are two more books in this series. Recommended, if you are looking for a relaxed mystery with some action, light humour and a little m/m romance.
Damiskos, the main character, is a likeable fellow. Former soldier, not a terribly exciting job, gets sent to the countryside to make a deal about buying fish sauce for the troops. Fishy things start to happen, not just sauce-related.
“Terza’s head, what a lot of ghastly people Nione seemed to have gathered around herself. Did he really have to stay out the week?�
Apparently he did. If Agatha Christie had ever written Fantasy, this is probably what it would have looked like. The requisite body might or might not have turned up. Damiskos gets support from unexpected quarters and has to pretend to be romantically inclined to towards the sword-dancing eunuch. Things do not go as planned. Do they ever?
Thrown in were some rather odd philosophers, some violence, a little not too graphic sex and various shenanigans. I liked the underhanded humour. Oh yes, and there were some serious topics woven into the narrative, about gender identity, equal rights, racism, power over and perception of others—nicely done.
This is not quick, the pace is rather sedate. Damiskos and the story take their time. It is well plotted though.
The world has potential for some more sweeping stories and there are two more books in this series. Recommended, if you are looking for a relaxed mystery with some action, light humour and a little m/m romance.
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