Saffron Alley

Between four and five stars. I really enjoy spending time in this world. Varazda and Damiskos are one of my favorite fictional couples ever, because they're so considerate and loving with each other at all times. I love that the author has created a culture in which it isn't totally unremarkable to be queer and/or trans, but it's also possible for everyone to live openly. These don't feel like characters with modern values transplanted into a historical fantasy world. Ariston is an interesting character and I thought his voice was especially good. His speech really sounds like an enthusiastic young man, and he's sometimes a bit of an irritant to others, but always well-intentioned. The author does not outright tell us much about him, but his character comes shining through in his dialogue. I also liked Yazata a lot. He really pulled at my heartstrings, and I spent much of the book wanting to hug him and tell him he didn't need to be afraid. I'm really not sure if my one problem with this book is because of my own preferences or if it's a real shortcoming. I feel the mystery/intrigue plot has some pacing problems. It was part of the story from the beginning, but we never (or barely) meet some of the relevant characters until the last few chapters. I think (Shorab) needed more fleshing out, especially. The intrigue and romance plots of [b:Sword Dance 51856712 Sword Dance (Sword Dance, #1) A.J. Demas https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1564091594l/51856712.SX50_SY75.jpg 71873589] worked really well together, so I was expecting something similar. I feel that the intrigue here could've been woven into the rest of the story more effectively.There is a lot of domestic fluff in this book, as well as a domestic conflict, and I loved all of that so much. I would read ten books about the everyday life of all of the characters in Saffron Alley. So I'm very pleased that we actually spent so much time in this home. It was a great read for me in that way.I'm looking forward to reading the third book, but I know both Sword Dance and Saffron Alley will be frequent rereads for me.

Lovely, warm sequel to [b:Sword Dance 51856712 Sword Dance (Sword Dance, #1) A.J. Demas https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1564091594l/51856712.SX50_SY75.jpg 71873589] that finds the unlikely couple of ex-soldier Damiskos and non-binary eunuch spy Varazda trying to figure out exactly what they have together after the excitement that brought them together. This is a much quieter book than Sword Dance; there's some intrigue and a murder, but it feels almost incidental to the arc of the two MCs getting to know each other while navigating the frustrating meddling from Varazda's well-intentioned found family. In this trash fire of 2021 (slightly better than 2020 but still....) it's a joy to read about two decent people who talk to each other to get past their misunderstandings and who have infinite patience with each other. I wanted to slap Varazada's family at times after the nth interruption, but I knew it would work out in the end. Demas' world building in this AU Greece/Rome/Middle East continues to be fascinating, and I love the fact that she doesn't rely on info-dumps, but makes the reader work a bit to understand the nuances of the cultures. Bonus points for sex scenes that are critical to the development of the relationship and our understanding of the MCs, and the appearance of a one of my favorite characters from [b:One Night in Boukos 40109489 One Night in Boukos A.J. Demas https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1526154397l/40109489.SY75.jpg 62183906]. Saffron Alley doesn't stand alone, but you really should read its predecessor anyway, along with everything A.J. Demas has written (which isn't nearly enough frankly). I look forward to the final book in the trilogy and hopefully even more about this wonderful couple.