Review: Dance with the Devil by Sherrilyn Kenyon

Dance with the Devil (Dark-Hunter #3) by Sherrilyn Kenyon
Format: paperback
Source: purchased
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Dark-Hunter
0.5. Fantasy Lover
1. Night Pleasures
2. Night Embrace
3. Dance with the Devil - Paperback | Kindle
4. Kiss of the Night
5. Night Play
6. Seize the Night
7. Sins of the Night
8. Unleash the Night
9. Dark Side of the Moon
10. The Dream-Hunter
11. Devil May Cry
12. Upon the Midnight Clear
13. Dream Chaser
14. Acheron
15. One Silent Night
16. Dream Warrior 
17. Bad Moon Rising
18. No Mercy
19. Retribution
20. The Guardian
21. Time-Untime
22. Styxx
23. Son of No One
24. Dragon Bane
25. Dragonmark
26. Dragonsworn
27. Stygian

Sherrilyn Kenyon
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Synopsis (Goodreads):

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?

My Thoughts: Zarek's story has long been one of my favorites. I remember the first time I read this series that it was his book that turned me from someone who liked the series to someone who LOVED the series. His past just KILLS me. We learn things about Acheron that makes my heart ache. We get to see more of the tangled threads that weave the gods and mortals together. We get to meet Simi, the charming, irreverent Charonte demon that Ash loves like a child. Simi's musings on barbequing her enemies gave me a case of the giggles. There's just SO MUCH going on here. SO MUCH!

My love for heroes who have been sorely abused, mistreated, neglected, and otherwise have had a shit life continues. Zarek is so prickly most people avoid him like the plague. Ash's musings on why Z is quick to lash out hurt. He hasn't known an ounce of compassion in his life -- just like Ash -- and he hurts others because it's the only thing that's a constant for him. He's another one that I just want to give cookies and hugs to. Poor Z. Poor, poor Z. I felt for Astrid, too. She's forced to lie to Zarek about who she is and the more she learns about Z, the more she knows that her lies will hurt him when he finds out the truth. It's a sticky situation.

Seriously, I adore the threads of the overall arc that are being revealed. It's big and it's just going to get bigger. As a reread, I think I enjoyed this as much as I did before simply because I like seeing all the groundwork being laid for later stories. This series is huge and a little intimidating and I'm a little in awe of Sherrilyn Kenyon's storytelling abilities.