Dance With the Devil: A Dark-Hunter Novel    by Sherrilyn Kenyon Order:  USA  Can St. Martin's, 2003 (2003) Paperback      Reviewed by Rashmi Srinivas Continuing the Dark-Hunter series, in Dance With the Devil Sherrilyn Kenyon brings her devoted readers the tale of Zarek, the dark-hunter universally hated by one and all. Thanks to his aggressive actions in New Orleans, Zarek expects to be killed by his own kind upon his return to freezing Alaska, his home for the last 900 years. But using his formidable powers of telekinesis and acute hearing, along with his expert knowledge of the freezing landscape, he escapes after being wounded. Zarek regains consciousness in a warm, comfortable house, tended by beautiful, blind Astrid, with a suspicious wolf at her side. The raging snowstorm forces them into close proximity. Zarek is immediately attracted to Astrid, but fights his feelings, given his miserable experiences as a human slave. Unknown to him, Astrid is an Olympian judge, sent by Artemis and Acheron to discover whether or not Zarek should be executed. As Astrid comes to know Zarek in both his past and present lives, she's moved to tears, and greatly attracted to him. When an indestructible force is set loose to destroy Zarek, Astrid is torn between remaining an impartial judge and helping the man she's come to love. But a morally corrupt killing machine like Zarek can't love ... or can he? Sherrilyn Kenyon's world of Dark-Hunters, Katagaria Slayers, Olympian Gods, Oneroi, Apollites, demons and Daimons is a fascinating one. Her Dark-Hunter series sweeps readers away into a dangerous and sensual world. Initially, Zarek is not at all likeable because of his uncontrollable rage and notorious reputation. As the story progresses and the reasons behind his actions are revealed, he is redeemed, so that it seems a natural response, when Astrid falls for him. Zarek's feelings are more complicated, at first purely sexual but gradually evolving into a credible love for Astrid. The frozen and forbidding tableau of Alaska is majestically captured, even as a life and death romantic drama is played out on its numbing soil. Many interesting side characters are introduced in this book and hopefully they'll also get to star in their own stories soon. Its mix of romance, passion, action and pathos makes Dance with the Devil a tempting delight for both old and new Kenyon readers. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Romance books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews