Book Review: Dance with the Devil by Sherrilyn Kenyon

The third in her fabulous Dark Hunter series. Fantasy Lover being the first but it is considered the zero of the epic series although it starts a line of books that are so amazing they just can not be put down and beg you to read more. **more reviews coming soon**

Review: Dance with the Devil
Series: Dark Hunter #3
Author: Sherrilyn Kenyon
No of Pages: 362
Release Date: December 1st 2003

Synopsis:

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 hurt 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? — Goodreads

What’s happening:

Everyone thinks Zarek is a self absorbed, pompous ass. He threatens anyone that comes near him, squires, other hunters and humans it seems. But nobody has been able to get under his tough exterior to find out what is really lurking underneath. Could he really just be a crazy, pathetic loser of a hunter that has finally lost it and killed humans or is he something more?

Zarek’s life has never been easy. When he was human he was a slave and was tortured so severely he could barely see, hardly walk but his strength of will carried him on. Artemis took away his scars but not his dreams, his nightmares of his past life. Being disliked wasn’t a new thing for Zarek. Not even the other Dark Hunters, each with their own hideous pasts, could come to accept Zarek, especially after the fateful night when he let his guard down and the town he was supposed to protect, all died.

Ash, always looking out for his Dark Hunters, even one like Zarek asked for him to be judged. And judged he shall be, by Astrid, the one that has never found anyone innocent of the crimes they have been accused of.

My thoughts:

This book is wrought with emotion. You can see from the beginning that Zarek wants to care and his attitude is simply a point of not wanting to get hurt anymore. He has been cast off by so many that he simply just can’t stand it anymore.

Their meeting starts off great. Zarek finds himself at Astrid’s house, how he got there he does not know and he questions everything and knows he can not stay near her or her dog. Especially the dog, who looks like he could eat Zarek at any time. They instantly do not get along.

What I love about this book, well.. simply everything. Yet another great Dark Hunter novel. Fabulously written, wonderful characters. I love how Zarek and Astrid meet and how they have to talk whether either wants to or not, but it’s Astrid’s strength throughout the book that I love the most. If you haven’t picked up any of the Dark Hunter novels. I would definitely suggest to. They are amazing, easy, fun and sexy. But not so sexy that it’s over the top. The stories are believable (well, except the paranormal of course) and fun!