Steven Laine is a fiction writer with WSET III, FWS, IWS, SWS, CWS, and Champagne Academy credentials. He writes his fiction around some aspect of wine. His previous novel, Root Cause, covered what could happen if a new type of louse was attacking vineyard vines, like phylloxera did in the 1800s. Steven brings his knowledge of wine and food into his novels, and drops his knowledge without pointing it out, giving you a touch of wine education in the process. He also covers past events related to the wine industry, such as forest fires and how the smoke affects wine grapes, giving his novels, what is termed “Historical Fiction”.
In his current novel, Dragonvine, Steven writes about a young man, Carmine Cooper, that has been helping out in the family winery in Napa Valley, with the view of him taking over the winery and being the winemaker. This is the main thread through the novel, and connected to this there is a story of the history of a Chinese emperor and his search for an exilir of life, a drug cartel in San Francisco and their plans to expand their wealth, an American Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (ATF) agent chasing illegal wine, and a Master of Wine and the wine-world shattering information he will release to the wine world.
How do all these threads weave together in this novel? You will need to read to find out. The novel moves at a brisk pace and brings you between the past and present slowly stitching together the fabric of this novel. I enjoyed reading this novel and helps take your mind away for a while about the craziness in this world.
If you have some interest in wine and a bit about world history, you would enjoy this novel. Of course, you can buy this book as a gift to one of your wine-loving family or friends, instead of fretting over which bottle of wine to buy them.
Where Can I Buy This Book?
This book is available online for purchase through Amazon.ca and Amazon.com.
Thank you to BOOK PUBLICITY SERVICES for providing me a copy of this book to review.
