At last.....another Dark-Hunter book that I could really sink my teeth into (pun intended;-)). I had greatly enjoyed the first book of the series, Fantasy Lover, but the stories in between that book and Dance with the Devil had left me feeling underwhelmed and less than satisfied. As I suspected it might, Dance with the Devil gave me a meatier tale with two well-developed characters that I could totally root for and who were very relatable, as well as getting back to some stronger relationship building. Even though the story took place within a matter of days, much like the previous books, the connection between Zarek and Astrid was more palpable and consequently more believable to me, because they actually spent large swaths of time virtually alone together, during which they were able to communicate on a fairly deep level. Their communication wasn't always of a direct nature, since Zarek was bound by the Dark-Hunter code which forbade him from telling anyone about who or what he was. Still, I thought that the author used a very creative solution for getting around that by having Astrid join Zarek in his dreams, where she was able to see the things he dreamed about (nightmares really), and they could talk about some things that he wouldn't be able to discuss when he was awake. It also provided the opportunity for Astrid to give Zarek some much-needed love and kindness in a “safe” environment, as well as a couple more steamy love scenes than would have been possible otherwise. I also liked how, in the dreams, Astrid gifted Zarek with a few small childhood pleasures that he had been harshly denied in his human life. I just think that the hero and heroine being together and interacting in more than just a sexual way for a large part of the book really helped to solidify their burgeoning love for one another.

Zarek definitely earned a place at the top of my most tortured heroes list. I've seen other readers liken him to Zsadist from J. R. Ward's Black Dagger Brotherhood series, and after reading this book, I would have to agree that it is an apt comparison. Zarek's torment was somewhat different from Zsadist's, but no less inhumane and cruel. What was truly heartbreaking to me about it was when I discovered through a bit of research that some Roman slaves really were treated that badly. Sherrilyn Kenyon certainly did her homework on that one. Even in the last book, Night Embrace, I could tell that there was a lot of depth lurking beneath the surface of Zarek's gruff exterior and harsh words, and he certainly didn't disappoint me in this story. Inside, he has a sensitive, compassionate heart and especially around Astrid, he is extremely tender and gentle. He was strong enough to live through 2000 years of loneliness, torture and betrayal, but no matter how brutally he was treated, his tormentors were never quite able to kill that part of him that longed to love and be loved. He just buried it very deeply inside, where I'm not sure even he realized it still existed, making it a challenge for Astrid to find and unlock it. The only thing about Zarek which I would have liked to know that wasn't told, is exactly how he became a Dark-Hunter and what his act of vengeance was. Typically, it seems that the Dark-Hunters were warriors in their human life, but Zarek was a lowly slave. This left me wondering why Artemis decided to grant him immortality, but this part of his backstory was never explored. Otherwise, Zarek was a wonderful character who has become one of my favorite heroes.

I knew after reading about Zarek in Night Embrace that he would need a strong, patient heroine to help him overcome his past, and in my opinion, Ms. Kenyon wrote the perfect mate for him. Astrid is very intuitive and understanding of Zarek, instinctively knowing that he isn't the bad person everyone thinks him to be. I loved that she never took his barbs and sarcasm personally, but realized it was just part of the armor he used to protect that most fragile piece of himself, his heart. This was wonderful, because it meant that there were no silly misunderstandings between them. She also exhibited some bravery in staying by Zarek's side to keep him from being killed by the gods, even though by doing so, she was endangering her own life. Additionally, she showed determination by not giving up on finding out the truth about what happened to Zarek's village, which nearly everyone thought he was responsible for decimating 900 years ago. Overall, she was just a warm, kind, gentle and loving heroine who was exactly the kind of woman Zarek needed in his life.

Dance with the Devil had a fairly broad secondary character palette. Acheron and Artemis returned from previous books, and readers get to know Ash even better. Ash played a strong role in this book, and the depth that was added to his character made him all the more lovable, but still an enigma that leaves me wondering exactly who and what he is. Acheron's little demon companion, Simi, is introduced in this book, and she is mostly cute and endearing, although I will admit that she talks a little too much for my taste. She is a child-like creature who has stream of consciousness dialog, basically no filter between her brain and her mouth, but her heart is definitely in the right place. There are a number of other new characters who were introduced in Dance with the Devil as well including Jess aka Sundown who is Zarek's friend and the first cowboy Dark-Hunter; Sasha, Astrid's Katagari (Were-Hunter) wolf companion; Syra, the first female Dark-Hunter to grace the series; Spawn, the first Apollite Dark-Hunter, and M'Adoc, a Dream-Hunter. There was also a brief mention of D'Alerian, another Dream-Hunter who appeared in Night Pleasures, and several assorted squires. Some of these characters were quite intriguing, but unfortunately, I'm not aware of any of them appearing in their own books as of yet.

While I did enjoy Dance with the Devil a lot, especially when compared with some of the previous books in the series, it wasn't absolutely perfect for me. The author seems to have a habit of throwing supernatural powers into the story for the sake of convenience, and Dance with the Devil unfortunately was no exception. It just wasn't as pronounced in this book as in past ones which made it more palatable. I was also able to take it a little bit better because there were no human characters who were being afforded these powers either. Ms. Kenyon also seems to enjoy creating lots of new characters, as is evidenced above, which usually means new mythology as well, but again unlike previous books, she managed to weave most of these elements in without bringing the story to a screeching halt to do it, which I greatly appreciated. The last thing that was a little bothersome to me was the ending. There was certainly some excitement in the climax, but things just seemed to peter out a little too quickly. Maybe it was because the bad guy wasn't quite as bad as he seemed, so I didn't get the satisfaction of his comeuppance. Also, the final romantic scenes between Zarek and Astrid, while quite happy, seemed to be a little lacking and I felt they needed a bit more zing to them. Overall though, my complaints are pretty minor and didn't detract much from my overall enjoyment of the novel. Dance with the Devil still managed to earn a place on my keeper shelf and has definitely reinvigorated my interest in the Dark-Hunter series which I now look forward to continuing in the future. There are currently 25 novels and short stories (#26 is due to be released in August) in the Dark-Hunter series with Dance with the Devil being the sixth. A complete list of all the books and their recommended reading order can be found on Sherrilyn Kenyon's website.

A Dark-Hunter Christmas – This is a short 16-page bonus novella that can be found in the back of Dance with the Devil, but I'm not sure if it is in every edition. The story is that of Gallagher, a relatively young Dark-Hunter (only about 100 years), who was newly introduced for this tale. Readers will get to see yet another side of Acheron and Simi that adds a bit more depth to their characters, and also get a brief visit with a bunch of the Were-Hunters from Sanctuary as well as Tabitha (Seize the Night). I don't know if Gallagher will play a part in any future Dark-Hunter stories or if he might someday get his own, but I felt like I got to know him well enough to think that he would make a good hero. Overall, this was just a quick, heartwarming holiday-themed read that emphasizes the importance of family and how people don't necessarily have to be related by blood to consider themselves family. For some reason this novella is no longer listed in the recommended reading order for the Dark-Hunter series on Sherrilyn Kenyon's website. I know of one other story that disappeared from the chronology which is now included in another full-length novel, so I'm not sure if that's what happened to this story as well or not. Rating: ****1/2 ( )

Zarek's Point of View:

Dark-Hunter: A soulless guardian who stands between mankind and those who would see mankind destroyed. Yeah, right. The only part of that Code of Honor I got was eternity and solitude.

Insanity: A condition many say I suffer from after being alone for so long. But I don't suffer from my insanity—I enjoy every minute of it.

Trust: I can't trust anyone...not even myself. The only thing I trust in is my ability to do the wrong thing in any situation and to put a hurt on anyone who gets in my way.

Truth: I endured a lifetime as a Roman slave, and 900 years as an exiled Dark-Hunter. Now I'm tired of enduring. I want the truth about what happened the night I was exiled—I have nothing to lose and everything to gain.

Astrid (Greek, meaning star): An exceptional woman who can see straight to the truth. Brave and strong, she is a point of light in the darkness. She touches me and I tremble. She smiles and my cold heart shatters.

Zarek: They say even the most damned man can be forgiven. I never believed that until the night Astrid opened her door to me and made this feral beast want to be human again. Made me want to love and be loved. But how can an ex-slave whose soul is owned by a Greek goddess ever dream of touching, let alone holding, a fiery star?

4.5 stars

This is the 4th book in the Dark-Hunter series.

Zarek is a Dark Hunter who's been mostly banished to Alaska because he destroyed a village he was supposed to protect--900 years ago--and rather than killing him outright, this is his "second chance." Between his human life as a hideously abused slave, and his centuries of isolation, he has a not-undeserved reputation for insanity. In Night Embrace, he showed up in New Orleans to help out, and got himself noticed, so he's expecting the assassins any day now.

When Thanatos, the killer of Dark Hunters shows up, Zarek can't help fighting, but he knows it's all over. Except that he ends up waking up in a warm, soft bed, and finds himself in the company of the beautiful, compassionate, and blind Astrid.

Astrid is the strictest of the Olympian judges, known for never having found a subject not guilty, and she's been tasked with judging Zarek. She's also scrupulously fair, and burned out on her job. Every time she's ready to pronounce Zarek guilty, he does something that makes her wait, and reevaluate.

Of course, they fall in love (look at the spine--it's a romance), and it's sweet and poignant--Zarek having never in all those centuries known affection, and Astrid being torn between her duty and emotions.

And in the process, a lot of things are cleared up, things which got to be pretty darn infuriating.

Zarek has got to be one of the most extremely tortured heroes I've read. His absolute devotion to duty in spite of all he's been put through is both admirable, and just a wee bit too much for me. His temper does... heh... temper it somewhat, but I still found it a little too good to be true that he never, in all those centuries, was even tempted to turn on those colleagues who'd long ago turned their backs on him. Still, it was only a half-star's worth of irritation.

I see why this series has such devoted followers. What I'm still struggling with understanding is that as much as I've loved all the books in this series that I've read, I don't feel invested in it. ( )

I wasn’t expecting to like this installment in the series, mostly because Zarek is not the most charming of Dark-Hunters. I was pleasantly surprised! I ended up like this quite a bit, despite Zarek’s surliness. It helps if it hasn’t been *too* long since you read Night Embrace (Talon’s story), because there’s a lot of reference to Zarek’s part in that book. There were a few things that didn’t make sense to me in this, not the least of which was the story behind Astrid’s blindness. She’s supposed to lose her sight while she’s judging someone, yet she can use her “companion”, Sasha, to see. Isn’t that cheating? Regardless, this troublesome little detail isn’t enough to get in the way of the true purpose of the story, which is to tell a love story about the gods. ( )

Love this series,,this is the best one so far could not put it down finished it at 1230am... ( )