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nemerith's review against another edition
4.0
This is the first book I read by this author and I can honestly say it won't be the last (as in... yep, the second instalment is on my ever-growing TBR list! :D).
While it took about 1/3 of the book to really catch and keep my attention, once it did, it didn't let go. There is a good depth to the world and all the characters that makes the story come alive. Of course, I always want to know more about whom I'm reading about or the world the author created, but that would just have been overkill for this first instalment.
More than enough info and details and an active imagination that handles the rest, what more do you need?
The book was well written with no (noticeable) errors and yes, there is sex described (if that is important to you).
To be honest, when writing this review I can almost compare this book to, indeed, an actual dance. The ebb and flow, the quiet moments and the heartfelt movements in times of action.
I liked and enjoyed reading it, the story was something different within a genre we all know and love, so yep, I do recommend you check this one out and enjoy!
While it took about 1/3 of the book to really catch and keep my attention, once it did, it didn't let go. There is a good depth to the world and all the characters that makes the story come alive. Of course, I always want to know more about whom I'm reading about or the world the author created, but that would just have been overkill for this first instalment.
More than enough info and details and an active imagination that handles the rest, what more do you need?
The book was well written with no (noticeable) errors and yes, there is sex described (if that is important to you).
To be honest, when writing this review I can almost compare this book to, indeed, an actual dance. The ebb and flow, the quiet moments and the heartfelt movements in times of action.
I liked and enjoyed reading it, the story was something different within a genre we all know and love, so yep, I do recommend you check this one out and enjoy!
book_vorfreude's review
4.0
4 ⭐️
Quick note: if you liked Daughter of Smoke and Bone, I think you will most definitely like this book.
So this is what I would call a hidden gem, with only 400 ratings and just under 100 reviews on Goodreads, this first book in a trilogy started off in the best of ways. This isn't a recent series, this first book is from 2016 - but I'm very happy I found it and finally decided to pick it up.
Set in Prague (hence the DOSAB comparison) after an event they call the godswar, this was an incredibly interesting story, with all the paranormal beings you need, and a morally gray love interest to match - a mix of urban fantasy and paranormal romance, something I hadn't read in a while.
Azrael - our resident bad-boy love interest - is a possessive, but protective, Necromancer who rules over Europe while residing in Prague, with a close-knit group of loyal guards he has a problem that needs fixing. In comes Isela, a dancer to the gods, with an unfortunate deteriorating health condition that is threatening her career. When these two meet, sparks fly, and I'll let you discover where they lead.
This book had some really pretty writing, and with such an interesting concept that I couldn't help but keep reading. Dancing had such a cool part to play in this story, and in talking to the gods, and while Isela was faced with a lot of challenges, she held up her own and made for a very cool character to follow.
I would have liked a little more on our nemesis, and the overall background of everything, but this is the first book in a series and I'm very curious to where this will go next. I also think that the love was a little insta-love at the beginning, but I think the author did a great job at creating substance and making them feel like a real couple. Other than that I can't really get too much into some things because they would spoil part of the book.
Overall a very solid start to the series, and I will definitely be reading book two, maybe closer to some colder weather, this definitely feels like a Fall kind of book.
Quick note: if you liked Daughter of Smoke and Bone, I think you will most definitely like this book.
So this is what I would call a hidden gem, with only 400 ratings and just under 100 reviews on Goodreads, this first book in a trilogy started off in the best of ways. This isn't a recent series, this first book is from 2016 - but I'm very happy I found it and finally decided to pick it up.
Set in Prague (hence the DOSAB comparison) after an event they call the godswar, this was an incredibly interesting story, with all the paranormal beings you need, and a morally gray love interest to match - a mix of urban fantasy and paranormal romance, something I hadn't read in a while.
Azrael - our resident bad-boy love interest - is a possessive, but protective, Necromancer who rules over Europe while residing in Prague, with a close-knit group of loyal guards he has a problem that needs fixing. In comes Isela, a dancer to the gods, with an unfortunate deteriorating health condition that is threatening her career. When these two meet, sparks fly, and I'll let you discover where they lead.
This book had some really pretty writing, and with such an interesting concept that I couldn't help but keep reading. Dancing had such a cool part to play in this story, and in talking to the gods, and while Isela was faced with a lot of challenges, she held up her own and made for a very cool character to follow.
I would have liked a little more on our nemesis, and the overall background of everything, but this is the first book in a series and I'm very curious to where this will go next. I also think that the love was a little insta-love at the beginning, but I think the author did a great job at creating substance and making them feel like a real couple. Other than that I can't really get too much into some things because they would spoil part of the book.
Overall a very solid start to the series, and I will definitely be reading book two, maybe closer to some colder weather, this definitely feels like a Fall kind of book.
teresa04's review
adventurous
dark
funny
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
cowmingo's review
4.0
I was contacted by the author after responding to a tweet about authors of color with diverse characters and offered a copy of the book in exchange for a review. I graciously accepted and then the book sat on my Kindle for entirely too long. My apologies to the author for taking so long.
Death's Dancer is set in Prague which was the first rarity for this book. This is probably the first and only book I've ever read set there. Second, the premise was unique. Necromancers have saved the world after a godswar. Isela Vogel is a godsdancer. Her dancing brings about the power of the gods to assist her patrons in number of ways.
Isela is hired by a necromancer to help find a murderer. Shrouded in secrecy, she accepts the job without fully realizing what she's signing up for much to the dismay of everyone she knows, including her family. This is where the book went a little off kilter for me. Rather than spoil it for anyone reading this, I will say that the surprises with the Vogel clan threw me for a loop and I'm still on the fence as to whether or not it made sense to me as a plot point. It wasn't bad by any means, it just distracted me from the main story of the hunt for a killer.
I found the book a little slow in the pacing but not boring. The author did a great job with world and character building and threw several surprises in to the plot that made me want to keep reading. I kind of want Kyle to have his own story but I digress. In any case, I look forward to reading more about Isela and finding out what happens next, especially after the preview of the second book!
Many thanks to Jasmine Silvera and NetGalley for a copy of the book. I hope to see more from you in the future!
Death's Dancer is set in Prague which was the first rarity for this book. This is probably the first and only book I've ever read set there. Second, the premise was unique. Necromancers have saved the world after a godswar. Isela Vogel is a godsdancer. Her dancing brings about the power of the gods to assist her patrons in number of ways.
Isela is hired by a necromancer to help find a murderer. Shrouded in secrecy, she accepts the job without fully realizing what she's signing up for much to the dismay of everyone she knows, including her family. This is where the book went a little off kilter for me. Rather than spoil it for anyone reading this, I will say that the surprises with the Vogel clan threw me for a loop and I'm still on the fence as to whether or not it made sense to me as a plot point. It wasn't bad by any means, it just distracted me from the main story of the hunt for a killer.
I found the book a little slow in the pacing but not boring. The author did a great job with world and character building and threw several surprises in to the plot that made me want to keep reading. I kind of want Kyle to have his own story but I digress. In any case, I look forward to reading more about Isela and finding out what happens next, especially after the preview of the second book!
Many thanks to Jasmine Silvera and NetGalley for a copy of the book. I hope to see more from you in the future!
thewoollygeek's review against another edition
5.0
I absolutely adored this, something completely different and couldn’t put it down. I loved Isela and Azrael. Isela was the amazing rarest of things in good fantasy, a strong female lead who didn’t lose her strength, didn’t back down and kept true to herself, even after meeting a male she loved ! Cannot wait to read the sequel.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest review
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest review
thewoollygeek's review
5.0
I absolutely adored this, something completely different and couldn’t put it down. I loved Isela and Azrael. Isela was the amazing rarest of things in good fantasy, a strong female lead who didn’t lose her strength, didn’t back down and kept true to herself, even after meeting a male she loved ! Cannot wait to read the sequel.
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest review
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest review
nelsonseye's review against another edition
3.0
Overall Death’s Dancer was pretty good. I liked the descriptions of Prague (it’s always nice to have a different city/country as the setting) and I thought the action/suspense scenes were well done. I also enjoyed the details that went into Isela’s dances. Isela’s family (and their secrets) were a nice surprise and I think the prequel series features them.
jashanac's review
I really liked the premise of this one and the characters so far were cool, but something about the writing wasn't working for me. Just the execution, I guess. Nothing crazy "bad" in my opinion, just wasn't for me!
radioactve_piano's review against another edition
5.0
I'd been waiting to start this series over my end-of-year break so I could really sink into it, and I'm so glad I did. The writing is just so lovely, and the characters are so damn rich and vibrant. I love the world Silvera has created, and how it plays with all the "certainty" humans have about things.
orange_embers's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
4.5
This book really surprised me. When picking it up I was not expecting such an urban/dystopian fantasy novel. The worldbuilding was interesting and unique though still leaves more to be explained (I hope in the second book). The romance was believable and overall I liked all the characters.