Reviews with content warning for Violence - Sword Dance

There was some fun character surprises, some amount of political intrigue, and a plot that while fairly simple -- they knew what was going on for the most part and how to resolve it, but things kept getting in the way -- definitely sufficed. And this book introduced me to Varazda, who is possibly one of my now-favorite characters ever.

I went in with lots of reservations (a nonbinary character as a

eunuch

felt a bit alarming at first) but bought it on a whim and read it all in a single day. I didn't like the protagonist at all for the first part of the book, mainly because he needed some character development at the start, and he was a biased narrator when it came to many things. Once he started shaking things up and making his morals/values clearer and figuring out how to verbalize it all, oh, I loved him. The little sparks of dry humor he reveals now and again really are delightful, and his relationship and tension with the love interest was just excellent. None of this impacts my review, honestly, as some of the characters did need to grow by virtue of their position in society and having never truly run into hateful people like the villains of the novel before...or having had to never think of it.

I did, however, want more! I wanted a longer drawn-out relationship between the pairing, more slow burn than

"I wanted to kiss you all along, actually!" sort of things

. It was very juicy all the same, and the antics they get into (the tropes!! the tropes!!!!!) are very much right up my alley. My criticism is definitely on a personal, opinion-based level to that end.

I will add that the way that the nonbinary character is handled with his past was definitely soothing to me, but still may spark some nervous feelings in others who have different experiences from my own. I will say I found the sequel very liberating for him...but this is a review on the first one. :)

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