Product Description

Zarek is the most dangerous of all the Dark-Hunters. He endured a lifetime as a Roman slave and centuries as a Dark-Hunter in exile. Zarek trusts no one. Because of his steadfast denial to follow any orders, he is kept in isolation in Alaska where his activity is seriously limited and closely monitored. There are many who fear he will one day unleash his powers against humans as well as vampires. Have nine hundred years of exile made Zarek too vicious to be redeemed? The gods want Zarek dead but reluctantly agree to allow justice goddess Astrid to judge him. Astrid has never yet judged a man innocent, and yet there is something about Zarek that tugs at her heart. He views even the smallest act of kindness with shock and suspicion. But while Astrid struggles to maintain her impartiality in the face of her growing attraction to Zarek, an executioner has already been dispatched...

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #22283 in Books
• Published on: 2005-06-24
• Original language: English
• Binding: Paperback
• 368 pages

Review
"'Those who can't get enough of bad boy heroes and Buffy the Vampire Slayer reruns will relish this roguish tale....Move over, Anne Rice. Kenyon's Dark-Hunter books are changing the face of the vampire novel, making it hip, darker and all the more appealing to the next generation of readers.' Publishers Weekly"

About the Author
Writing as Sherrilyn Kenyon and Kinley MacGregor, she is the NEW YORK TIMES bestselling and award-winning author of several series: the Dark-Hunters; the Lords of Avalon; and the League. She lives with her husband and three sons in Nashville, Tennessee.

Customer Reviews

YUMMY!
We first encounter ZAREK in NIGHT EMBRACE, a sociopathic (his own words) Darkhunter with a chip on his shoulder large enough to break his back. This seems understandable when we learn of his upbringing; growing up a roman slave he is the whipping boy of a powerful family until he is sold into further slavery and degradation and later stoned to death for a crime he didn't commit. Enter the goddess ARTEMIS answering his call for vengeance, however his conversion of man into immortal is not that of a standard DH which makes for some interesting results.

ZAREK is an outcast even amongst the Darkhunter clan, an immortal warrior who possesses no social skills and an obvious deathwish. Scrape the surface though and we meet a lonely man deeply scarred by vague memories of a horrendous crime he committed following his rebirth as an immortal. At the end of her tether with him following his actions in New Orleans (see NIGHT EMBRACE), ARTEMIS is determined that ZAREK should be executed. ACHERON (ASH) is against this idea and negotiates a brief reprieve. He persuades a justice nymph ASTRID to judge ZAREK's soul, a nymph who in all the history of the world has never found anyone innocent. Jaded by her past experiences ASTRID is reluctant to take on this job but agrees to watch over ZAREK for a 2 week period and then deliver her verdict.

OK so fans of SK's Darkhunter series will already know the outcome of this book yet the developing relationship between ASTRID and ZAREK is beautifully written. Add the spiteful interference of ARTEMIS and her unleashed immortal killer THANATOS and we have a splendid and highly entertaining read with a few interesting twists towards the end. SIMI again crops up and her innocent bewilderment and pain are heartrendering following her face off with THANATOS. ASH's response is impressive and we again witness more of his formidable powers.

ZAREK is one of my favourite characters in this series, close behind ASH and SIMI of course. He is a reclusive man with his own code of honour, warped by his upbringing and unable to trust anyone until he meets ASTRID. Yet again SK has vividly drawn a hero we can fall in love with. I am a huge fan of the DH series and highly recommend each and every one of these books. Fans of truly memorable characters, sizzling hot passion, fun, romance and fantasy will be delighted by DANCE WITH THE DEVIL.

Zarek the troubled Darkhunter
I only have one criticism of Sherrilyn Kenyon's Darkhunter stories....THEY DON'T COME OUT FAST ENOUGH!

This is by far my favourite book of the Darkhunter series. I think it is because although Zarek featured in other books he wasn't portrayed as a possible leading character and so it was a complete shock when I read Dance with the Devil and SK did such a good job of redeeming him. I agree with the reviewer from Margate and have read this book a few times.

I would recommend that other readers read one of SK's earlier books first. I read Night Play first and although each book can stand on its own, I spent a lot of time confused or skipping over bits I did not understand. I also spent a lot of money purchasing books second hand to gain the whole series. If you have trouble getting these books, skip Fantasy Lover (it is related but not essential) and go for Night Pleasures or Night Embrace first.

Dance with the Devil
Zarek is a man plagued by his passed. He was a slave who was treated very badly, who's body was abused by his owners. Because of the way he was treated before he became a dark-hunter he is unable to trust anyone and believes him self unlovable and unworthy of love. He has become the kind of person who believes that you should do unto others before they do it to you. Yet even though he has this bad attitude going deep inside he has a heart that even after all the knocks it has taken still has a soft spot for anyone weaker than himself.
Astrid is the heroine of this story she is a a judge of the gods,who is considering giving up her job. After 900years of judging men she had not found one man innocent of his crimes. Because of this Artemis thinks she is the perfect judge for this asignment as she wants Zarek dead. The delicious Archeron also wants Astrid to judge Zarek but for a different reason, he knows that the only reason that Astrid Has condemend every man she has been sent out to judge is because she has never been faced by an innocent one. I have read everyone of Ms Kenyon's dark-hunter series so far and loved everyone of them. My only complaint is that Sherrilyn isn't able to write about a new dark-hunter,were-hunter or dream-hunter every month.