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4.04 AVERAGE
4.04 AVERAGE
Enjoyable country house murder mystery romp in alternate world ancient times. Cute romance.
This (and the others in this series) is one of my favourite comfort re-reads, and every time I read it, I appreciate Aradne more...
...You bet your arse it is, Dami.
Aradne cast him a look which suggested that getting trapped inside fish-sauce factories without his clothes was about the level of competence she would have expected of him
...You bet your arse it is, Dami.
This book was okay. I enjoyed the setting, characters and romance but the plot involving the students just went on too long. It could have been resolved alot quicker and because of this I got bored towards the end.
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
This is another book I was suckered into via instantaneous eMaterials, but you'll catch me dead before I start logging reads here as such. I say suckered, but a read like this will always do more for my health than I may have intended, and with a brand spanking new cancer diagnosis under my belt, anything and everything I do from now on could be characterized as a 'health' decision in one way or another. In any case, this is one of my queer reads I've dove headlong into this year, and the reason why this did better than the vast majority of them is, at its heart, this is a good story that takes queerness seriously, from the heady infatuations to the social ideologies that consider such anathema. One could call it more 'mature', in a sense, and not just for the 'slow burn' romance pace, for while there may be murder mysteries and sexy dances galore, both main characters reckon with a world that has already hurt each of them deeply, but not without honing their talents or enhancing their survival skills in the process. It's how queer people have and continue to be hurt and have and continue to survive to this day, and to read a story that grappled with a society that certainly wouldn't throw around terms such as 'homophobia,' 'fascism,' or 'military industrial complex' and yet reckons with those real world phenomenon in an Ancient Greek alternate history was harshly affirming. It didn't hurt that Demas has a keen sensitivity when it comes to writing sedate yet deep running sex scenes involving atypical bodies, making for a tale that could certainly take you to the brink of despair but always bring you back through the joy of queer ardor. In the days and months and years to come, I'm going to need a great deal of the balance in the face of the grand scale of national policy and the minutiae of my body's symptoms, and while I haven't committed to the rest of this series yet, I may reach for it, less of a suckering and more of a saving grace.
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
The philosophy students have run amuck in a seaside villa! The adventures were fun, and the central relationships were caring, open and sweet. Yeah, it was a very quick connection between them, but they also saw and understood each other in ways most people wouldn’t.
This book's cover struck me first - funnily enough I realised in the author's notes it was drawn by one of my favourite artists, so no wonder. What a marvellous coincidence that brought me to this gem!
The premise itself sounds intriguing and like it might be full of terrible tropes. I was apprehensive, but the first chapters just enchanted and sucked me in, and so I took the plunge: and how grateful I am for that!
I adore the characters in this book - the sparks flying between them, the way Varazda is portrayed. I feared it bordering on fetishisation at first, but the narrative distanced itself and grappled with that time and time again. I enjoyed the themes, the world, and especially Varazda - of course.
I also have to say, I've never read explicit scenes in romance before that had so much character development and were so lovely and - for lack of better word - special. I found myself thinking about them days after reading them for the sheer loveliness of the character moments in them, and that is special indeed.
This book was a huge surprise, and I'm glad I took the leap! This year all I want is stories full of love and warmth and hope and healing, and oh. Sword Dance sure was it. I am excited for the next installment and to see how these two develop!
The premise itself sounds intriguing and like it might be full of terrible tropes. I was apprehensive, but the first chapters just enchanted and sucked me in, and so I took the plunge: and how grateful I am for that!
I adore the characters in this book - the sparks flying between them, the way Varazda is portrayed. I feared it bordering on fetishisation at first, but the narrative distanced itself and grappled with that time and time again. I enjoyed the themes, the world, and especially Varazda - of course.
I also have to say, I've never read explicit scenes in romance before that had so much character development and were so lovely and - for lack of better word - special. I found myself thinking about them days after reading them for the sheer loveliness of the character moments in them, and that is special indeed.
This book was a huge surprise, and I'm glad I took the leap! This year all I want is stories full of love and warmth and hope and healing, and oh. Sword Dance sure was it. I am excited for the next installment and to see how these two develop!