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A review by mary_soon_lee
Sword Dance by A.J. Demas
3.0
This novel takes place in an imaginary setting reminiscent of the ancient Mediterranean world, and mixes elements of romance, conspiracy, and espionage. It's a quick read, with many nice turns of phrase, and a mostly sympathetic main character, but I found the slavery component jarring. Not because slavery is inconsistent with the world being portrayed (it's perfectly in keeping), but because it is inconsistent with an otherwise escapist reading experience, and this seemed to be a book intended primarily to be enjoyable, rather than sobering. Spoilers ahead.
About my reviews: I try to review every book I read, including those that I don't end up enjoying. The reviews are not scholarly, but just indicate my reaction as a reader, reading being my addiction. I am miserly with 5-star reviews; 4 stars means I liked a book very much; 3 stars means I liked it; 2 stars means I didn't like it (though often the 2-star books are very popular with other readers and/or are by authors whose other work I've loved).
Spoiler
It helped a bit that Damiskos, the main character, didn't approve of slavery, and I was grateful for that, even though it felt rather anachronistic. Yet Damiskos nonetheless ended up pretending to have bought a slave for sex, and I found the line between playacting the role and enacting the role uncomfortable.About my reviews: I try to review every book I read, including those that I don't end up enjoying. The reviews are not scholarly, but just indicate my reaction as a reader, reading being my addiction. I am miserly with 5-star reviews; 4 stars means I liked a book very much; 3 stars means I liked it; 2 stars means I didn't like it (though often the 2-star books are very popular with other readers and/or are by authors whose other work I've loved).