Dance with the Devil by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Title: Dance with the Devil

Author: Sherrilyn Kenyon

Series: Dark Hunters (Book #3)

Previous in series: Night Embrace

Next in series: Kiss of the Night

My rating: 5 Stars

Synopsis: Zarek has been isolated for so long he doesn't know how to play nice with others and many view him as insane. Astrid is the justice nymph assigned to pass judgment on him, but she is actually the only one who sees past his dark façade to his underlying need for truth and love.

Review: A fantastic read!

Zarek is the epitome of the tortured hero and is my favorite Dark Hunter so far. His tragic childhood and traumatic life experience are so sad and heart-wrenching that I found myself crying all over my Kindle – I really hope the thing is waterproof. One aspect of Zarek’s characterization that I do find troubling is the implication that he is borderline inhuman due to the cruelty to which he has been subjected. However, the descriptions of his actions clearly indicate that he has an abundance of humanity even more so than many of those around him. Astrid is also a particularly likeable heroine and I loved that fact that she is able to "see" beyond Zarek’s surface antagonism to the soft and caring heart beneath. Their relationship is steamy and sensual but also sweet and touching.

The secondary characters are also engaging, particularly Sasha, whose spiteful banter with Zarek is simply hilarious, and Simi, who is one of the most adorable character’s I’ve ever encountered. Her comments about Artemis are just to die for!

As in the previous installments, the romance takes center stage but the side story involving Thanatos’s desire for revenge and Acheron’s need to protect Zarek even from himself are engaging and provide a good backdrop to the romance. I am slowly working my way through the books but the more I read about Acheron and his love/hate relationship with Artemis, the more excited I am about getting to his book.

The story is well-written and the dialogue is excellent. The dream sequences are cleverly incorporated into the main plot, which is often one of the most difficult things to do but is accomplished quite successfully here. I never found myself questioning my suspension of disbelief.

In sum, Kenyon’s Dark Hunter series is exceedingly entertaining and Dance with the Devil is a prime example. Although the books do not really need to be read in order, I do recommend it so as not to miss out on the early appearances of characters who feature in later installments.