Scan barcode
elementchaos's review against another edition
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
3.0
mtk_reads's review against another edition
5.0
I'm on a tear and I don't care! This whole series is absolutely what I needed right now - light and easy while still being very heartfelt.
cosmogyral's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
giraffeinavalanche's review against another edition
4.0
This book was like being on a vacation. There where so many exotic things and their was a special party in the town that was amazingly well written. I loved how I was brought from place to place and met a lot of eccentric people on the way.
My favorite character is Pheres, he is so endearing and I get why Bedar likes him the moment he lays eyes on him. The characters in this book are just so rich and they are all different with their own traits and thoughts.
In the beginning it went a little slow, but the more pages I turned, the more intrigued I became. Also the story-line with the ambassador was very original in my opinion. This story was a real surprise to me and I am so happy I could get an advanced copy of this book.
My favorite character is Pheres, he is so endearing and I get why Bedar likes him the moment he lays eyes on him. The characters in this book are just so rich and they are all different with their own traits and thoughts.
In the beginning it went a little slow, but the more pages I turned, the more intrigued I became. Also the story-line with the ambassador was very original in my opinion. This story was a real surprise to me and I am so happy I could get an advanced copy of this book.
floriograph's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.25
ultrashawn's review
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
kaje_harper's review against another edition
4.0
This was a charming alternate-historical fantasy, made engaging by the two main characters. Marzana, captain of the embassy guard, and Bedar, the ambassador’s long-suffering secretary, leave their ambassador to his revelry on a Festival night, and head out on their own. Each of them has their own adventure (Marzana is straight, Bedar is gay) and the next morning they're worried to realize the ambassador never made it back home. They each set out to try to track down their wandering (and unpopular) boss, neither of them very concerned at first. And each meets someone who makes their pulse beat faster, and distracts them from their search.
The story progresses slowly, and there's a surprising lack of urgency in their search at first (explained by their disdain for the ambassador and their discovery that he spent the early part of the evening engaging in pleasures frowned on back home.) The world-building is well done, and both men are enjoyable and distinct points of view.
The tone is light and warm, despite the omnipresence of slavery in the story line (Bedar is a slave), and the potential for murder and political unrest. Both M/M and M/F couples get a happy ending (one more tentative than the other) in ways I found satisfying.
The story progresses slowly, and there's a surprising lack of urgency in their search at first (explained by their disdain for the ambassador and their discovery that he spent the early part of the evening engaging in pleasures frowned on back home.) The world-building is well done, and both men are enjoyable and distinct points of view.
The tone is light and warm, despite the omnipresence of slavery in the story line (Bedar is a slave), and the potential for murder and political unrest. Both M/M and M/F couples get a happy ending (one more tentative than the other) in ways I found satisfying.
gracepf9's review against another edition
4.0
This was a fun read for its setting more than anything. I really enjoy when historical fantasy goes urban, and this book was interesting because the Greek/classics inspiration is generally underused in fantasy. So cool to see people being very human and ordinary in a time period that is usually portrayed as dramatic af.
Demas also really brought the peculiarities of greek gods and the shenanigans of party festivals to Psobios and Boukos. I liked the shocked prudishness of our protagonists as foreign visitors and reluctant participants in the festival. Their reactions disguised the book’s exposition well, which was significant in a work as focused on culture and setting as this one.
For the story events themselves, I was a little surprised that the mystery was more of a framing devise than a high stakes plot, but I wasn’t mad about it. It was a cool way to set a clock on the story, but also to push our characters into the festivities of Psobion.
The romances, which ended up being the meat of the story, were good but not SUPER meaty. It makes sense that we wouldn’t see too much development over the course of a single night, but I was a little sad to have missed the course of their relationships prior to the epilogue time jump.
One Night in Boukos had nothing particularly deep to say but it was a positive vibe all around. I liked it a lot.
4/5
Demas also really brought the peculiarities of greek gods and the shenanigans of party festivals to Psobios and Boukos. I liked the shocked prudishness of our protagonists as foreign visitors and reluctant participants in the festival. Their reactions disguised the book’s exposition well, which was significant in a work as focused on culture and setting as this one.
For the story events themselves, I was a little surprised that the mystery was more of a framing devise than a high stakes plot, but I wasn’t mad about it. It was a cool way to set a clock on the story, but also to push our characters into the festivities of Psobion.
The romances, which ended up being the meat of the story, were good but not SUPER meaty. It makes sense that we wouldn’t see too much development over the course of a single night, but I was a little sad to have missed the course of their relationships prior to the epilogue time jump.
One Night in Boukos had nothing particularly deep to say but it was a positive vibe all around. I liked it a lot.
4/5