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rosh's review
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
bar_sometimes_reads's review
4.0
Probably the sweetest, kindest, and most charming book I've read this year.
brightly's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
sjules1112's review
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
amandaskye's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
whatcassiedid's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Absolutely lovely end to a series that I would read 10 more books of.
ellelainey's review
3.0
Reviewed for Divine Magazine
~
Strong Wine (Sword Dance, 02) by A.J. Demas
★★★☆☆
274 Pages
POV: 3rd person, dual character POV
Content Warning: murder, non-binary slurs, disabled slurs, mild violence and murder
As Book 3 – the final book – in the Sword Dance series, Strong Wine picks up a month after the previous story with a new dilemma, and a new murder, to work through. While I really enjoyed the journey Damiskos and Varazda took together, in their relationship, the other aspects of the book left me feeling a little let down. It wasn't the grand finale I'd been hoping for.
This is the first book in the series which is a dual POV. I can't say it's because of the plot, as I could have seen a few opportunities for dual POV in the previous books, but it definitely served its purpose here. Damiskos and Varazda spend almost an entire week apart, within the first few chapters, and then must work separately throughout the rest of the novel, to resolve the problem. Having a dual POV definitely worked well here, giving us insight into both their lives without having one character recap it in the other's POV.
I deeply love the relationship between Damiskos and Varazda, and the way they rotate around each other, coming together but appreciating and accepting each other's space. They've only known each other for a few months, by this point, and there are still things they need to learn about each other, history they don't know, and old relationships to be revealed.
I really love the way that these little insights are given significance to the characters, but woven seamlessly into the story. It doesn't always feel like something is a big deal, or that it's a huge problem, until you see the POV thought processes and how it personally affects either Damiskos or Varazda.
While I loved their relationship, and how it progresses through each book, I found it was actually the best part of the book, this time around. While I'd enjoyed the mystery and cloak-and-dagger of Varazda's work in previous books, I feel the crime was much weaker than the relationship, in this book, and it left me feeling a bit flatter than usual.
There were definite issues, for me. Such as, inconsistencies of Varazda's tolerance of sexual situations. In one aspect, we're being told he tried something but didn't want it and they fought. It's mentioned in passing, unimportant, but both characters think it a problem they have to mention multiple times. Then there's Varazda giving Damiskos head without hesitation, with no mention that this was a serious issue for him, and a firm No, in Book 2. There's no mention of them having tried, of Varazda working through the issues he had with it, or even acknowledging his previous problems.
I didn't like Damiskos' family. In fact, I pretty much disliked every single member, including Timiskos, who I wasn't supposed to dislike (I think?) In the same way Book 2 explored Varazda's family, this book does the same for Damiskos' family. Only, while Varazda's were against Damiskos for valid reasons, Damiskos' family simple came across as generally horrible people. I couldn't understand, even to the end, why he would feel a duty or responsibility to help them. Or why he would even consider giving up Varazda, and everything they had, just to please them. It made no sense, and didn't feel true to Damiskos' character.
In a similar way, I felt the criminal aspect of this story was as off-hand secondary as it had been in Book 2. It wasn't the main plot, for sure. It never felt like the main plot, either. For me, in every book, the main plot has always been the relationship between Damiskos and Varazda. And that's one of the reasons I enjoy the series, so much.
However, I feel here, in particular, that the crime wasn't as well explored as I'd been hoping. There were no clues a general reader, like me, could have pointed to, to be able to solve the crime. Only at the very end, a last minute piece of evidence that was never mentioned, even in passing, in this book or even in Book 1, came to light to blow the case wide open. For me, as a real crime buff, I find that almost unforgiveable. If the reader can't help solve the crime, with the same clues available, or with ANY clues available, then it just doesn't feel complete or well thought out.
This book has little relation to Book 2 – other than timeline, obviously – but refers heavily to the events of Book 1. There's a neat little ribbon tied around the ending of everyone from Book 1's story, and a neat ribbon on the end of this one, too, which I wasn't expecting. Multiple characters from Book 1 reappear here, and it felt like it relied too heavily on that book and their characters, when I would have really liked maybe a casual, coincidental meeting – as would be natural, in the world written – but the crime to have focused elsewhere. It felt too much like the story was trying to neatly wrap-up the events of Book 1, which had previously been left wide open. However, not all crimes are tidily resolved, and not all bad guys are caught or face punishment, and I believed that ending more than the one presented here.
Unlike the previous books in the series, I didn't really see the importance of the title. I know what it refers to, and it's oddly a little spoiler-y, but it also doesn't have such a solid hold on the story or characters as the previous titles. I don't see the title and remember some pivotal moment, or scene, or character trait, like I do with the others.
OVERALL
I came straight into Strong Wine after a re-read of Books 1 and 2. In fact, it was my second time reading both books, and I thoroughly enjoyed them for their slice-of-life romance and strangers-to-lovers storyline. Both books lagged at little, at the beginning, as did Book 3, but I fell hard for the main characters and their lives, and I didn't mind so much.
Maybe it's because I have such fond memories of both, and re-read them both before starting, that Strong Wine didn't hold up to the standard I was anticipating. Again, I enjoyed the relationship plotline and Varazda's skill as a spy, but Damiskos felt untethered and unnatural, compared to the strong, military man I've become used to. With the addition of my dislike of his family, who took up far too many pages in the book for my liking, and the almost farcical humorous moments that weren't my cup of tea, and I ended the series feeling that Book 3 was, perhaps, the weakest of the trilogy.
Will I re-read the series again? Undoubtedly. Will I re-read Book 3? Probably not. While I like a happy ending, and HEA's are always my favourite, the heat bow this one was wrapped up in felt a bit too contrived and sudden for my liking. I think, for these characters, the more open-ended final pages of the previous two books would have suited them, and me, better.
~
Favourite Quotes
“Damiskos felt as if a fog had lifted from his mind. It was like the clarity of the battlefield in the still moments before the troops clashed. His mission was to protect Varazda from his parents and from Korinna and Simonides; nothing mattered more than that.”
~
Strong Wine (Sword Dance, 02) by A.J. Demas
★★★☆☆
274 Pages
POV: 3rd person, dual character POV
Content Warning: murder, non-binary slurs, disabled slurs, mild violence and murder
As Book 3 – the final book – in the Sword Dance series, Strong Wine picks up a month after the previous story with a new dilemma, and a new murder, to work through. While I really enjoyed the journey Damiskos and Varazda took together, in their relationship, the other aspects of the book left me feeling a little let down. It wasn't the grand finale I'd been hoping for.
This is the first book in the series which is a dual POV. I can't say it's because of the plot, as I could have seen a few opportunities for dual POV in the previous books, but it definitely served its purpose here. Damiskos and Varazda spend almost an entire week apart, within the first few chapters, and then must work separately throughout the rest of the novel, to resolve the problem. Having a dual POV definitely worked well here, giving us insight into both their lives without having one character recap it in the other's POV.
I deeply love the relationship between Damiskos and Varazda, and the way they rotate around each other, coming together but appreciating and accepting each other's space. They've only known each other for a few months, by this point, and there are still things they need to learn about each other, history they don't know, and old relationships to be revealed.
I really love the way that these little insights are given significance to the characters, but woven seamlessly into the story. It doesn't always feel like something is a big deal, or that it's a huge problem, until you see the POV thought processes and how it personally affects either Damiskos or Varazda.
While I loved their relationship, and how it progresses through each book, I found it was actually the best part of the book, this time around. While I'd enjoyed the mystery and cloak-and-dagger of Varazda's work in previous books, I feel the crime was much weaker than the relationship, in this book, and it left me feeling a bit flatter than usual.
There were definite issues, for me. Such as, inconsistencies of Varazda's tolerance of sexual situations. In one aspect, we're being told he tried something but didn't want it and they fought. It's mentioned in passing, unimportant, but both characters think it a problem they have to mention multiple times. Then there's Varazda giving Damiskos head without hesitation, with no mention that this was a serious issue for him, and a firm No, in Book 2. There's no mention of them having tried, of Varazda working through the issues he had with it, or even acknowledging his previous problems.
I didn't like Damiskos' family. In fact, I pretty much disliked every single member, including Timiskos, who I wasn't supposed to dislike (I think?) In the same way Book 2 explored Varazda's family, this book does the same for Damiskos' family. Only, while Varazda's were against Damiskos for valid reasons, Damiskos' family simple came across as generally horrible people. I couldn't understand, even to the end, why he would feel a duty or responsibility to help them. Or why he would even consider giving up Varazda, and everything they had, just to please them. It made no sense, and didn't feel true to Damiskos' character.
In a similar way, I felt the criminal aspect of this story was as off-hand secondary as it had been in Book 2. It wasn't the main plot, for sure. It never felt like the main plot, either. For me, in every book, the main plot has always been the relationship between Damiskos and Varazda. And that's one of the reasons I enjoy the series, so much.
However, I feel here, in particular, that the crime wasn't as well explored as I'd been hoping. There were no clues a general reader, like me, could have pointed to, to be able to solve the crime. Only at the very end, a last minute piece of evidence that was never mentioned, even in passing, in this book or even in Book 1, came to light to blow the case wide open. For me, as a real crime buff, I find that almost unforgiveable. If the reader can't help solve the crime, with the same clues available, or with ANY clues available, then it just doesn't feel complete or well thought out.
This book has little relation to Book 2 – other than timeline, obviously – but refers heavily to the events of Book 1. There's a neat little ribbon tied around the ending of everyone from Book 1's story, and a neat ribbon on the end of this one, too, which I wasn't expecting. Multiple characters from Book 1 reappear here, and it felt like it relied too heavily on that book and their characters, when I would have really liked maybe a casual, coincidental meeting – as would be natural, in the world written – but the crime to have focused elsewhere. It felt too much like the story was trying to neatly wrap-up the events of Book 1, which had previously been left wide open. However, not all crimes are tidily resolved, and not all bad guys are caught or face punishment, and I believed that ending more than the one presented here.
Unlike the previous books in the series, I didn't really see the importance of the title. I know what it refers to, and it's oddly a little spoiler-y, but it also doesn't have such a solid hold on the story or characters as the previous titles. I don't see the title and remember some pivotal moment, or scene, or character trait, like I do with the others.
OVERALL
I came straight into Strong Wine after a re-read of Books 1 and 2. In fact, it was my second time reading both books, and I thoroughly enjoyed them for their slice-of-life romance and strangers-to-lovers storyline. Both books lagged at little, at the beginning, as did Book 3, but I fell hard for the main characters and their lives, and I didn't mind so much.
Maybe it's because I have such fond memories of both, and re-read them both before starting, that Strong Wine didn't hold up to the standard I was anticipating. Again, I enjoyed the relationship plotline and Varazda's skill as a spy, but Damiskos felt untethered and unnatural, compared to the strong, military man I've become used to. With the addition of my dislike of his family, who took up far too many pages in the book for my liking, and the almost farcical humorous moments that weren't my cup of tea, and I ended the series feeling that Book 3 was, perhaps, the weakest of the trilogy.
Will I re-read the series again? Undoubtedly. Will I re-read Book 3? Probably not. While I like a happy ending, and HEA's are always my favourite, the heat bow this one was wrapped up in felt a bit too contrived and sudden for my liking. I think, for these characters, the more open-ended final pages of the previous two books would have suited them, and me, better.
~
Favourite Quotes
“Damiskos felt as if a fog had lifted from his mind. It was like the clarity of the battlefield in the still moments before the troops clashed. His mission was to protect Varazda from his parents and from Korinna and Simonides; nothing mattered more than that.”
seolhe's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
sashahc's review
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Just finished reading AJ Demas’ “Strong Wine” and it was so fun and sweet and just a great all around read. It’s an ancient Greece analog mystery romance cozy. Wonderful world building, characters you want to know, and Queer AF. Perfect end to the trilogy. I will miss Dami and Varazda.