Book Review of Dancing with the Devil (The Thorne Trilogy Book 3) by R.K. Ryals

Book Title: Dancing with the Devil (The Thorne Trilogy Book 3)

Genre: YA Paranormal Romance

Pages: 128

Author: R.K. Ryals

Date Published: 31 October 2014

Synopsis:

***Due to language, violence, and sexual content, this book is suggested for older readers***

Falling ash. Subservient Hellhounds. Dark mirrors and ticking clocks. Such is the life of a daughter of Hecate living in Hell...

Monroe Jacobs isn't your typical witch. She is strong, her powers growing with each passing day. They are powers that beckon, powers coveted by many, including the man she loves.

Luther Craig is a remorseless Demon ruler in Hell. Governing a kingdom once presided over by his mother, the she-demon Lilith, Luther has everything he's ever wanted. Power.
But his kingdom is at risk, his newfound strength a challenge to the Princes of Hell.

Theirs is a strange relationship, the witch and the Demon, full of passion and need. It's a relationship that will be tested by the worst kind of obstacles--pride, covetousness, lust, anger, gluttony, envy, and sloth.

For in the ash-filled shadows of Hell, the Princes are preparing for war. Luther isn't the only one who wants power and a blonde-haired witch. He'll have to face the Seven Deadly Sins to keep both.

Review:

Dancing with the Devil by R.K. Ryals
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is the third book in the Thorne Trilogy. I loved it!

Monroe Jacobs is a fantastic character! I loved her when I first met her in Redemption (The Redemption Trilogy). She is the best friend of Dayton Blainey. She also happens to be a witch, a very talented one, who is now tied to Luther "Thorne" Craig, a hybrid demon.

Luther Craig is a complex character. He is very arrogant, power hungry and decidedly sexy! He is also attracted to Monroe (and her soul) more than he would like. I was unsure about this character when I met him in the Redemption series, but getting to know this contrary demon has been great fun!

I have been wanting to read this book for some time, but due to a rather large reading list, it has taken me longer to get to read it than I would have liked.

I started to read it and was hooked from the first page; I read the book in one sitting. The story is full of action and danger, and kept me turning the pages.

Luther is still power hungry, even after winning his mother's kingdom, and even I was surprised at how ambitious his plans were in acquiring more. Monroe is still a powerful witch, but she will have to embrace all of her inherited power to be with Luther and keep them alive from the seven Princes of Hell, who reign over the territories relating to the deadly sins: Pride, Covetousness, Lust, Anger, Gluttony, Envy, and Sloth.

Monroe and Luther have a chemistry that burns white hot, even in Hell, and fairly scorches the pages! Their love is passionate and intense. But, they both seem to thrive on it. Some of the bedroom scenes are a little on the explicit side, but not explicitly graphic.

I found myself rooting for a demon against other demons. I'm not sure that this is normal, but Luther is one of the "bad boys" that seems more good than bad - better the devil (or demon in this case) you know. He may be evil, but he has a charisma that makes him a compelling character and I can see why Monroe is in love with him. I too have a soft spot for him, along with his brother Marcus. There is something about bad boys that women find irresistible. It must be a hold over from the primitive "survival of the fittest" gene. However, these boys are definitely knee trembling, even if they are a little darker than the norm.

The ending was a little bittersweet. I was sad to reach the end of the book, as it is always sad to say goodbye to characters in a series. However, the story finished satisfactorily and left me feeling happy. I am now looking forward to read more about the Craig brothers (Marcus and Luther) in the fourth book in the Redemption series, Revelation as soon as it is released.

R.K. Ryals has written another fantastic YA Paranormal Romance Series. She is one of my favourite authors, and I will read anything written by her. I love her fast paced writing style and the flow was wonderful. However, my only complaint is that I felt that this story was a lot shorter than the previous two books and could have been a bit longer!

Due to the use of bad language and violence, as well as scenes of a sexual nature that are a little explicit, I do not recommend this book to younger readers (under 17). But, I HIGHLY recommend this series if you love YA Paranormal Romances with demons, angels, gargoyles, witches and strong characters that come alive on the page. I also highly recommend that you read The Redemption Series (to find out how it all began) and Acropolis Series (Conor Reinhardt's story) too. - Lynn Worton

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