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Blood Singer #6
To Dance With the Devil
In To Dance with the Devil, the latest entry in Cat Adam's Blood Singer series, Celia Graves’s newest client is one of the last surviving members of a magical family that is trapped in a generations-old feud with other magic-workers. She’s supposed to die at the next full moon unless Celia can broker peace between the clans or break the curse before it can take effect.
For the first time in a long while, Celia’s personal life is looking up. Her vampire abilities seem to be under control, her Siren abilities have gotten more reliable, and even though her office was blown up, her services are more in demand than ever now that she's fought off terrorists and been part of the royal wedding of the year. Her friends all seem to be finding love and her grandmother has—finally—agreed to go to family therapy.
The only trouble spot is Celia’s love life. Not long ago, she had two boyfriends. Now she barely has one and she isn’t sure she wants him. But Bruno DeLuca is a powerful mage and Celia needs his help... especially after she's attacked and her client is kidnapped.
For the first time in a long while, Celia’s personal life is looking up. Her vampire abilities seem to be under control, her Siren abilities have gotten more reliable, and even though her office was blown up, her services are more in demand than ever now that she's fought off terrorists and been part of the royal wedding of the year. Her friends all seem to be finding love and her grandmother has—finally—agreed to go to family therapy.
The only trouble spot is Celia’s love life. Not long ago, she had two boyfriends. Now she barely has one and she isn’t sure she wants him. But Bruno DeLuca is a powerful mage and Celia needs his help... especially after she's attacked and her client is kidnapped.
304 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 5, 2013
28 people are currently reading
1437 people want to read
About the author
Cat Adams
18 books729 followersThis is the pen name of Cathy Clamp and C.T. Adams (co-authors of the Thrall trilogy and the Sazi series published by Tor). They created this name to write under to make it easier for new fans (or old) to find them on the book shelves.
http://us.macmillan.com/author/catadams
http://us.macmillan.com/author/catadams
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 95 reviews
February 4, 2015
Liking the sound of that description, Bye Bye Bruno you douche! She needs to go repair things with John after that BS lack of a breakup we didnt get in the last book!
REVIEW: HUGE IMPROVEMENT over the last book! There was an actual decent story in this book, though at six books into a series there really should be an overall story/theme that ties all the books together. I'm still not happy about Ceilia being with Bruno, but it wasn't all of the book so I was able to stomach it for the most part. I'm still holding out hope that things with John get fixed & I am not happy that he again made only a brief appearance in another book, that's two in a row now with minimal involvement, such a waste of a great character. Fingers crossed the next book will be heavy on the Creede.
REVIEW: HUGE IMPROVEMENT over the last book! There was an actual decent story in this book, though at six books into a series there really should be an overall story/theme that ties all the books together. I'm still not happy about Ceilia being with Bruno, but it wasn't all of the book so I was able to stomach it for the most part. I'm still holding out hope that things with John get fixed & I am not happy that he again made only a brief appearance in another book, that's two in a row now with minimal involvement, such a waste of a great character. Fingers crossed the next book will be heavy on the Creede.
January 6, 2014
Spoilers
Not impressed. It was better than the last book but it still failed to deliver in several areas, I was most disappointed in the lack of character development and Celia's stagnant relationships with various loved ones.
-What's what: Vampire-siren hybrid, Celia, is attacked by some big bad mage and she and her friends have to fight him. So yea, it was the typical good guys have to defeat the bad-guy-of-the-week type plot line.
-I used to like Celia, she was a bit of an underdog and had a some backbone and attitude. Sadly, in the last few books she's become more and more lame and turned into the typical Mary Sue placeholder heroine. I was especially annoyed at how forgiving she was, most people treated her like rubbish and she just forgave and forgot. What was even worse was how she thought she was responsible for everyone and their mother, any bad thing that happened she blamed herself for it even though she did nothing wrong. I despise heroines like that.
It seems like the job of the modern UF/PNR/YA heroine these days is to be screwed over by her nearest and dearest, excuse them of all their wrongdoings, save the day and risk her life for a bunch of ungrateful sods, all whilst begging for forgiveness for simple existing. Yea, it's as ridiculous as it sounds.
-Bruno was still a dick. He treated Celia awfully, it didn't even seem like he loved her, everything was all about him. And what was with the fucking synopsis? It said that Celia/Bruno were having problems and that Celia wasn't sure if she wanted to be with him anymore. Bullshit. They had a little disagreement in the beginning where Bruno told Celia she was a shitty girlfriend, and she apologised even though it was actually Bruno who was the crap boyfriend… Other than that they were fine, and there was nothing that suggested Celia didn't want Bruno any more. Why did the synopsis make it seem that Bruno/Celia's crappy relationship would be one of the main storylines? It wasn't. It felt like the authors only wrote that in the synopsis because they knew how many readers hated Bruno/Celia's relationship. So yea, they kind of tricked readers who wanted Bruno/Celia to split up into buying this. Ugh.
-I won't ever like Bruno. He's one of the worst love interests in UF that I've come across. He has dumped Celia loads, chose another woman over her, and treated her like rubbish. It's obvious that he doesn't love her like she loves him. If they broke up again, he wouldn't even be bothered, he'd just move on and fall in love with someone else after a couple of months. Whereas pathetic-desperate Celia would mourn him for years and stay celibate in the hope that he might want her back one day. She's so pathetic.
-Celia's mum and grandma were selfish wankers. They blame her for all sorts, shoulder her with responsibility and worry, and act like she's an awful daughter. When in actual fact they were the ones who had done nothing but let her down her whole life. Celia needs to realise how awful they both are and kick them to the curb.
-I did feel sorry for Celia because she was always second best to various family members. Her mum loved Ivy and hated her, her dad left her and started a new family, her grandma always put her mum first, and Bruno dumped her for someone else. Unfortunately, Celia hasn't clocked on to the fact that she doesn't mean as much to her loved ones as they do to her… She just drifts along thinking everything is fine with how her family and boyfriend treat her. Normal non-Mary Sue people would be hurt and insecure if they were always second or third best to the people that are meant to love them the most. Celia needs to act more realistically and refuse her mum/grandma/Bruno's shitty idea of love.
All in all, I wasn't pleased. The story was similar to countless other UF books, the heroine was a typical doormat, and the romance was lame.
Not impressed. It was better than the last book but it still failed to deliver in several areas, I was most disappointed in the lack of character development and Celia's stagnant relationships with various loved ones.
-What's what: Vampire-siren hybrid, Celia, is attacked by some big bad mage and she and her friends have to fight him. So yea, it was the typical good guys have to defeat the bad-guy-of-the-week type plot line.
-I used to like Celia, she was a bit of an underdog and had a some backbone and attitude. Sadly, in the last few books she's become more and more lame and turned into the typical Mary Sue placeholder heroine. I was especially annoyed at how forgiving she was, most people treated her like rubbish and she just forgave and forgot. What was even worse was how she thought she was responsible for everyone and their mother, any bad thing that happened she blamed herself for it even though she did nothing wrong. I despise heroines like that.
It seems like the job of the modern UF/PNR/YA heroine these days is to be screwed over by her nearest and dearest, excuse them of all their wrongdoings, save the day and risk her life for a bunch of ungrateful sods, all whilst begging for forgiveness for simple existing. Yea, it's as ridiculous as it sounds.
-Bruno was still a dick. He treated Celia awfully, it didn't even seem like he loved her, everything was all about him. And what was with the fucking synopsis? It said that Celia/Bruno were having problems and that Celia wasn't sure if she wanted to be with him anymore. Bullshit. They had a little disagreement in the beginning where Bruno told Celia she was a shitty girlfriend, and she apologised even though it was actually Bruno who was the crap boyfriend… Other than that they were fine, and there was nothing that suggested Celia didn't want Bruno any more. Why did the synopsis make it seem that Bruno/Celia's crappy relationship would be one of the main storylines? It wasn't. It felt like the authors only wrote that in the synopsis because they knew how many readers hated Bruno/Celia's relationship. So yea, they kind of tricked readers who wanted Bruno/Celia to split up into buying this. Ugh.
-I won't ever like Bruno. He's one of the worst love interests in UF that I've come across. He has dumped Celia loads, chose another woman over her, and treated her like rubbish. It's obvious that he doesn't love her like she loves him. If they broke up again, he wouldn't even be bothered, he'd just move on and fall in love with someone else after a couple of months. Whereas pathetic-desperate Celia would mourn him for years and stay celibate in the hope that he might want her back one day. She's so pathetic.
-Celia's mum and grandma were selfish wankers. They blame her for all sorts, shoulder her with responsibility and worry, and act like she's an awful daughter. When in actual fact they were the ones who had done nothing but let her down her whole life. Celia needs to realise how awful they both are and kick them to the curb.
-I did feel sorry for Celia because she was always second best to various family members. Her mum loved Ivy and hated her, her dad left her and started a new family, her grandma always put her mum first, and Bruno dumped her for someone else. Unfortunately, Celia hasn't clocked on to the fact that she doesn't mean as much to her loved ones as they do to her… She just drifts along thinking everything is fine with how her family and boyfriend treat her. Normal non-Mary Sue people would be hurt and insecure if they were always second or third best to the people that are meant to love them the most. Celia needs to act more realistically and refuse her mum/grandma/Bruno's shitty idea of love.
All in all, I wasn't pleased. The story was similar to countless other UF books, the heroine was a typical doormat, and the romance was lame.
August 25, 2016
GR lost my review for this. I don't feel like rewriting it. Suffice to say, this was a lot of repetition and not much of anything new. The end.
August 4, 2014
Hmmm . . . kind of a departure from the previous books as no Big Bad demon is trying to take over the world and get Celia in the process. And Creed is back. At least in the periphery.
I liked this book better than the last one. The Eldritch Conspiracy just pissed me off. Creed was gone with virtually no explanation and there was just a stagnant overall feel to the whole thing. Things seem to be moving along again in To Dance With the Devil, but I'm still not rooting for Bruno.
Not a Bruno fan. At all.
I love this series. It's been in my Top 5 Urban Fantasy Series since I read Blood Song when it first came out. BUT. It is solidly in the five spot and seriously in danger of getting bumped. It just doesn't seem to be going anywhere. Kate Daniels is working toward a battle/showdown with Roland. Rachael Morgan is trying to prevent war between the supernatural races and find a way for vampires to keep their souls. October Daye is trying to figure out what the bloody heck it means to be Blood Fae. What's Celia Graves doing? Putzing along as far as I can tell.
At book six it's a little late in the game to be introducing "The Plan." Get on with it already. P-L-E-A-S-E.
I liked this book better than the last one. The Eldritch Conspiracy just pissed me off. Creed was gone with virtually no explanation and there was just a stagnant overall feel to the whole thing. Things seem to be moving along again in To Dance With the Devil, but I'm still not rooting for Bruno.
Not a Bruno fan. At all.
I love this series. It's been in my Top 5 Urban Fantasy Series since I read Blood Song when it first came out. BUT. It is solidly in the five spot and seriously in danger of getting bumped. It just doesn't seem to be going anywhere. Kate Daniels is working toward a battle/showdown with Roland. Rachael Morgan is trying to prevent war between the supernatural races and find a way for vampires to keep their souls. October Daye is trying to figure out what the bloody heck it means to be Blood Fae. What's Celia Graves doing? Putzing along as far as I can tell.
At book six it's a little late in the game to be introducing "The Plan." Get on with it already. P-L-E-A-S-E.
December 16, 2013
Review courtesy of All Things Urban Fantasy
While I haven’t kept up with the Blood Singer series as much as I should have TO DANCE WITH THE DEVIL makes me want to go back and read all of the previous books. In some cases starting a series off six books in is not recommended considering the changes characters and plots have over time which can be hard for a new reader. This is pure Urban Fantasy at its best with a smart, sassy heroine trying to solve a particularly dangerous magical murder plot along with dealing with her magically diverse group of family and friends. The blood feud Celia gets in between seemed like it would be pretty straight forward but it has some clever twists that kept me on my toes albeit the story was a bit slow which can be attributed to a ton of character and relationship development between Celia and her friends and family.
Celia is a very complex heroine with a lot of real world problems that make her an easy character to relate to especially considering her therapy sessions and almost normal family problems in dealing with grief. The combination of siren and vampire or ‘bat’ powers is an interesting mix though I could have done without the constant talk about having to eat and what Celia is going to eat. In regards to her romantic relationships I was very happy to see that the love triangle took a serious back seat to Celia’s pesky ‘bat issues’ and her attempt to stop generational blood feud.
TO DANCE WITH THE DEVIL is a solid addition to the Blood Singer series with a unique siren/vampire/human heroine battling mages, balancing her relationships, and managing her every evolving powers. Considering TO DANCE WITH THE DEVIL in no way ends the series there is definitely more in store for Celia and her friends which I am looking forward to seeing.
While I haven’t kept up with the Blood Singer series as much as I should have TO DANCE WITH THE DEVIL makes me want to go back and read all of the previous books. In some cases starting a series off six books in is not recommended considering the changes characters and plots have over time which can be hard for a new reader. This is pure Urban Fantasy at its best with a smart, sassy heroine trying to solve a particularly dangerous magical murder plot along with dealing with her magically diverse group of family and friends. The blood feud Celia gets in between seemed like it would be pretty straight forward but it has some clever twists that kept me on my toes albeit the story was a bit slow which can be attributed to a ton of character and relationship development between Celia and her friends and family.
Celia is a very complex heroine with a lot of real world problems that make her an easy character to relate to especially considering her therapy sessions and almost normal family problems in dealing with grief. The combination of siren and vampire or ‘bat’ powers is an interesting mix though I could have done without the constant talk about having to eat and what Celia is going to eat. In regards to her romantic relationships I was very happy to see that the love triangle took a serious back seat to Celia’s pesky ‘bat issues’ and her attempt to stop generational blood feud.
TO DANCE WITH THE DEVIL is a solid addition to the Blood Singer series with a unique siren/vampire/human heroine battling mages, balancing her relationships, and managing her every evolving powers. Considering TO DANCE WITH THE DEVIL in no way ends the series there is definitely more in store for Celia and her friends which I am looking forward to seeing.
November 20, 2013
Celia meets with a woman who wants to hire her to protect her daughter, but when Celia points out that the woman isn’t telling the whole truth, the woman storms out without hiring her. Bad decision. Celia does get involved when the powerful bad guy tries to warn Celia off after a seer tells him she’ll be in his way.
There is a major growth issue for Celia in the story when it comes to her family and what she’s always felt she was responsible for. Celia also learns to ask for help from her widening circle of friends. There’s plenty of action and inward speculation. It’s nice to see that more people are seeing Celia as an asset to have around instead of a monster.
This is first and foremost an urban fantasy series and not a romance. Yes, she does have an ongoing relationship, and while it’s an important part of her life, it’s a small part of the overall story.
I have to admit that I’d stopped buying the books when I became disenchanted with the series. But after reading and enjoying the last 3 books via the library, I believe it’s time for me to start purchasing the books again. I’ve never gone back to purchasing books in a series after switching to getting them from the library. And I think I’d like to reread the series.
There is a major growth issue for Celia in the story when it comes to her family and what she’s always felt she was responsible for. Celia also learns to ask for help from her widening circle of friends. There’s plenty of action and inward speculation. It’s nice to see that more people are seeing Celia as an asset to have around instead of a monster.
This is first and foremost an urban fantasy series and not a romance. Yes, she does have an ongoing relationship, and while it’s an important part of her life, it’s a small part of the overall story.
I have to admit that I’d stopped buying the books when I became disenchanted with the series. But after reading and enjoying the last 3 books via the library, I believe it’s time for me to start purchasing the books again. I’ve never gone back to purchasing books in a series after switching to getting them from the library. And I think I’d like to reread the series.
August 18, 2014
I am finally--finally!--done with this series!
I do like Celia, but I think the longer the series went on, the more I just kind of got bored with her. She was facing the same problems over and over--her mother's screwed up, her grandmother's an enabler, she has a conflicting/caring relationship with all the men and half the women that are never really resolved. And aaaugh why is she still with Bruno? Their relationship seems so flat, while her relationship with John was filled with awesome banter. Bruno's more like... She ought to be in love with him, so she keeps saying she is, but you never really believe it.
The other books in the series were fine, but they've been steadily going downhill and it kind of shows in this one. It was kind of weak, and I kept losing track of the real issue because Celia was kind of all over the place.
I really liked the first one. Now, I'm just glad the series is over. ( I think. I hope.)
I do like Celia, but I think the longer the series went on, the more I just kind of got bored with her. She was facing the same problems over and over--her mother's screwed up, her grandmother's an enabler, she has a conflicting/caring relationship with all the men and half the women that are never really resolved. And aaaugh why is she still with Bruno? Their relationship seems so flat, while her relationship with John was filled with awesome banter. Bruno's more like... She ought to be in love with him, so she keeps saying she is, but you never really believe it.
The other books in the series were fine, but they've been steadily going downhill and it kind of shows in this one. It was kind of weak, and I kept losing track of the real issue because Celia was kind of all over the place.
I really liked the first one. Now, I'm just glad the series is over. ( I think. I hope.)
November 25, 2013
Celia is finally making some progress with her life. After the last several books fiascos I was happier to see that she was having an easier time of it…until one of the more unforgettable things I have ever read happens to Celia (will she ever forgive herself for that darn body-binding spell? So good in theory, yet so bad when used against you!). Now Celia may be back to square on with her Vampy bits, *sigh* and she has a client who really isn’t a client – it is a matter of Celia’s good conscience taking center stage once again. Not that I can blame her one bit; when the good of man-kind is at stake-pull out all the stops.
For a Siren she sure does seem to have a lot of friends of both sexes! I also loved all of the secondary and tertiary stories in this book that have nothing to do with bad things for once! Mostly. Dawna ,*sigh* - poor thing, but we all saw this coming! Some new characters are brought in as well but don’t get to used to them! Old friends are back and in my opinion, will be playing what looks to be larger parts in future books. Oh and it looks like we may learn a little more about the werewolves in coming books –at least I hope so!
If you have never read any of the books in this series you may want to start right from the very first book. However, it isn’t really necessary to do so since the writing team does such a wonderful job of putting in just enough back story for new readers to understand what is going on. This writing team has the delicacy to NOT bore the readers who have been following the series. I have a feeling though, that anyone who starts here will soon find himself or herself grabbing for the whole series.
In this book, we do finally see Celia making headway with her mother or at least coming to terms with her and also with her sister Ivy and the part Celia feels she played in Ivies death. What I do not like so much is the parts that John and Bruno are playing – these are the magic men that Celia has been having relationships with. While it is nice to have her have two men interested – it is starting to get a little repetitious to some of the readers. Bruno just doesn’t seem to be Celia’s type at all – he is a little to non-Alpha. ;-)
This was a good solid read, if not a perfect one. A good book and one that gives Celia the closure she needed in so many different aspects of her life. I just hope we get back to the more kick-butt frenzy that her life was until this book!
For a Siren she sure does seem to have a lot of friends of both sexes! I also loved all of the secondary and tertiary stories in this book that have nothing to do with bad things for once! Mostly. Dawna ,*sigh* - poor thing, but we all saw this coming! Some new characters are brought in as well but don’t get to used to them! Old friends are back and in my opinion, will be playing what looks to be larger parts in future books. Oh and it looks like we may learn a little more about the werewolves in coming books –at least I hope so!
If you have never read any of the books in this series you may want to start right from the very first book. However, it isn’t really necessary to do so since the writing team does such a wonderful job of putting in just enough back story for new readers to understand what is going on. This writing team has the delicacy to NOT bore the readers who have been following the series. I have a feeling though, that anyone who starts here will soon find himself or herself grabbing for the whole series.
In this book, we do finally see Celia making headway with her mother or at least coming to terms with her and also with her sister Ivy and the part Celia feels she played in Ivies death. What I do not like so much is the parts that John and Bruno are playing – these are the magic men that Celia has been having relationships with. While it is nice to have her have two men interested – it is starting to get a little repetitious to some of the readers. Bruno just doesn’t seem to be Celia’s type at all – he is a little to non-Alpha. ;-)
This was a good solid read, if not a perfect one. A good book and one that gives Celia the closure she needed in so many different aspects of her life. I just hope we get back to the more kick-butt frenzy that her life was until this book!
December 5, 2013
3.5 stars. This book was a bit slower than the last, but it still held my interest. I can tell I'm reading a good book when I just want to keep reading. I do love this series!
Much of To Dance with the Devil is about Celia's relationships with others and learning to control her inner "bat." Both progress and setbacks occur with her family and friends.
She gains some closure with her familial relationships. Her friends are back--including some from the past--as well as her current and prior loves, Bruno and John Creed. I'm still unhappy with how her relationship was John was so suddenly severed in the last book and hoped something would change in this book on that front. *Sigh*, not this time.
The action starts when Celia meets with a prospective client who storms out when Celia starts asking questions the client is unwilling to answer. When Celia is attacked, she realizes the two events are related. She reluctantly takes on the case, bringing on a battle with a very strong black mage.
Celia has really grown as a character, and I just love her! Next one, please!
Much of To Dance with the Devil is about Celia's relationships with others and learning to control her inner "bat." Both progress and setbacks occur with her family and friends.
She gains some closure with her familial relationships. Her friends are back--including some from the past--as well as her current and prior loves, Bruno and John Creed. I'm still unhappy with how her relationship was John was so suddenly severed in the last book and hoped something would change in this book on that front. *Sigh*, not this time.
The action starts when Celia meets with a prospective client who storms out when Celia starts asking questions the client is unwilling to answer. When Celia is attacked, she realizes the two events are related. She reluctantly takes on the case, bringing on a battle with a very strong black mage.
Celia has really grown as a character, and I just love her! Next one, please!
August 17, 2015
The climax of this was good, but for the most part, I didn't really enjoy it. For more than the first half of the book, Celia is depressed and down, which is not surprising with what she goes through, except for the fact that none of the other instances that occurred in previous books caused her to be like this, not even being turned into an abomination, she just got on with it. She's still with Bruno, which has to be the most boring of romances in any book ever, and the timeline was just odd. This book and the first book are supposed to be years apart...which I wouldn't have guessed except that it keeps being mentioned.
I felt that throughout this series, there were a lot of unimportant things which were given way too much page time, and yet, in my opinion, more important things, (the break up with Creede probably being the biggest one), were given no page time, and we were just told it had happened.
Lastly, I'm taking it this is the last book in the series, but it just didn't feel that way, and there were a few loose ends not tied up.
Not a great ending to this series at all.
I felt that throughout this series, there were a lot of unimportant things which were given way too much page time, and yet, in my opinion, more important things, (the break up with Creede probably being the biggest one), were given no page time, and we were just told it had happened.
Lastly, I'm taking it this is the last book in the series, but it just didn't feel that way, and there were a few loose ends not tied up.
Not a great ending to this series at all.
March 13, 2016
Me faltó más de Creede...
February 25, 2014
Sixth in the Blood Singer urban fantasy series and revolving around Celia Graves, a bodyguard-turned-vampire-cum-siren. Based in Santa Maria de Luna on the California coast.
My Take
Nothing like jumping in with both feet… This is a tidy-up which fell over into the un-believable arena even as Adams goes exploring into new arenas. Issues with some characters get resolved, experience change (good and bad), or stay in abeyance while new characters are introduced. Yeah, yeah, you may say that's how stories evolve, but there's something about this one that feels like some re-arranging behind the scenes. There's a finality in this, a chill that didn't draw me in as it used to.
The Creede-Bruno conflict seems to be on hold between the men, not so much with Celia. I mean, what is Bruno's problem?? He's getting what he wanted, and it's not enough. What a jerk. Then there's Dawna and her relationship problems. Luckily, Emma's relationship problems are taken care of. The interviews for new employees? Scary. Just plain scary the quality of people available...*shakes her head, laughing silently*...
We get more detail on what happened that resulted in Ivy's death, and Gran's singing a new tune.
I'm assuming that these dribs and drabs about Mickey will mean something eventually. Of course, Fred may not be talking to Celia after what happened out at the lake...eek... Kevin will be a curiosity with his new position as well as his new "partner".
There's a lot going on, and it veers back and forth into the melodramatic. I don't know if the melodrama wasn't quite as effective as Adams may have intended as a great deal of this was tell. It's particularly obvious with Isabella. After Adams has talked up how much she hates Celia, it's still just talk. Although, I did love the jewelry moment...the "look" on Bubba's face...
I get that Celia is good, but superwoman?
The Story
Just your average day, looking for a new office, hiring new employees, turning down clients whose killers come after you, no big deal.
Not until it turns out that the killers are connected to a super big-bad felon imprisoned in a super high-security prison from which nothing can emerge. But people will die.
Amazing what people will do for power.
The Characters
Princess Celia Graves runs Graves Personal Protection which has just undergone a forced upgrade after events in Eldritch Conspiracy , 5. Celia is part vampire and part siren, with both parts creating problems for her: the blood one is obvious. It's the siren side that can make meetings with other females near impossible. Ivy is the ghost of Celia's baby sister. Gran is her mother's mother and an enabler. Until she finally sees a psychic and sees the truth. Lana Graves is her pain-in-the-butt, "blameless", drug-addicted, alcoholic of a mother, who is imprisoned in a siren prison.
Bruno DeLuca is Matty's brother and a mage as well as Celia's on-again, off-again boyfriend. He'll be teaching at the university this semester. Isabella, the Grand Hag of the East Coast, is Bruno's mother, and she hates Celia.
Graves Personal Protection (GPP)
Dawna Han Long had been so committed to GPP that Celia offered her a partnership. Now Celia is wondering why. Chris Gaetano, Dawna's boyfriend who works for the Company, no longer likes Celia and wants Dawna to quit. Talia Han is Dawna's ex-military cousin. Mae is her hairdresser sister. Kevin Landingham is Emma's brother, a werewolf, and dealing with severe PTSD. He's also worked for the Company in black ops and tech so he could be an asset. Paulie is his assistance dog. There's just one problem. He betrayed Celia once. Dottie is retired and a very powerful clairvoyant who does some work for Celia; Queen Lopaka says she is Celia's personal prophet. Minnie the Mouser is her cat. She's married to Fred, another psychic. Mickey is Fred's scumbag son. Bubba is an old friend and a bail bondsman from the pre-exploded office days.
Emma Landingham has some psychic ability and is dating Matteo DeLuca, Bruno's brother, a level-6 mage, and part of a militant order of mage priests in the Catholic Church. Professor Warren Landingham is their father.
Creede & Miller
John Creede had been the in-between boyfriend until he screwed up. He's also Isaac's apprentice. Roger Thomas and Zach Stone are C&M employees.
Abigail Andrews is a potential client; Michelle Andrews is the adopted daughter she wants protected.
Gwen Talbot is Celia's psychiatrist and the administrator at Birchwoods, a very high-end mental health and addiction treatment facility. Katie is her receptionist. La Cocina is Celia's favorite Mexican restaurant, family-run, and her office away from home. Barbara and Pablo run the place and take on Celia's nutritional restrictions with glee. Isaac and Gilda Levy run a shop that specializes in magical gear: weapons, spells, and tailoring. They're friends of Celia's, and it turns out that Isaac is the Interim Grand Master of the West Coast and the Grand Chronicler. Roberto is Celia's criminal defense attorney.
The sirens
Great-aunt Lopaka is also queen of the sirens; Gunnar Thorsen is her husband. Hiwahiwa is Lopaka's assistant. Helen Baker is a member of the Siren Secret Service. Dr. Thomason is Celia's mother's shrink.
Queen Adriana and King Dahlmar have an interest in Celia's life. Rob is the Company's helicopter pilot.
Cops and FBI
Detective Heather "Alex" Alexander (Santa Maria de Luna PD) knows Celia through her lover, the very wealthy Vicki Cooper, who was also Celia's best friend until she died in Blood Song , 1. Special Agent Dom Rizzoli is a high-level intuitive; Special Agent Shawn Shea is a pain. Jason Anderson is Dom's supervisor who gets how Dom works. Officer Alyssa Rivera is a psychic sketch artist for the SMDL PD. Detective Charles Andrulis investigates the shooting.
Eric Zorn is the jerk assistant warden at the prison; Warden Bob Davis is much friendlier. Mage Barton is one of the prison guards. Dr. Halston is the prison doctor.
Those men who come after Abigail and Celia include Suit, a.k.a., Jack Finn, and Slugger, a.k.a., Rob Douglass.
Connor Finn and his son, Jack, are the only survivors of the Finn clan, fallout from the Finn/Garza mage family feud. Connor is in prison for his actions in the feud.
The Needle is a high-security supermax prison in the middle of Death Valley for mages, terrorists, mass murderers, and serial killers. Spawn are the children of a demon by a human. Most can shapeshift to look like anyone and are very hard to kill. The Company is a "private paramilitary company with fingers in pies all over the world". Sirens are like mermaids with their affinity for water, but their true power lies in influencing men into doing anything they want.
The Cover
The cover is neon lights and a flaring center with Celia sandwiched between while wearing her signature knives, but not her standard blazer. Instead she's in a leather-trimmed black vest and a turquoise tank top, wearing jeans and red nail polish.
The title refers to Connor and his ilk, for Celia and her allies will have To Dance With the Devil to survive this.
My Take
Nothing like jumping in with both feet… This is a tidy-up which fell over into the un-believable arena even as Adams goes exploring into new arenas. Issues with some characters get resolved, experience change (good and bad), or stay in abeyance while new characters are introduced. Yeah, yeah, you may say that's how stories evolve, but there's something about this one that feels like some re-arranging behind the scenes. There's a finality in this, a chill that didn't draw me in as it used to.
The Creede-Bruno conflict seems to be on hold between the men, not so much with Celia. I mean, what is Bruno's problem?? He's getting what he wanted, and it's not enough. What a jerk. Then there's Dawna and her relationship problems. Luckily, Emma's relationship problems are taken care of. The interviews for new employees? Scary. Just plain scary the quality of people available...*shakes her head, laughing silently*...
We get more detail on what happened that resulted in Ivy's death, and Gran's singing a new tune.
I'm assuming that these dribs and drabs about Mickey will mean something eventually. Of course, Fred may not be talking to Celia after what happened out at the lake...eek... Kevin will be a curiosity with his new position as well as his new "partner".
There's a lot going on, and it veers back and forth into the melodramatic. I don't know if the melodrama wasn't quite as effective as Adams may have intended as a great deal of this was tell. It's particularly obvious with Isabella. After Adams has talked up how much she hates Celia, it's still just talk. Although, I did love the jewelry moment...the "look" on Bubba's face...
I get that Celia is good, but superwoman?
The Story
Just your average day, looking for a new office, hiring new employees, turning down clients whose killers come after you, no big deal.
Not until it turns out that the killers are connected to a super big-bad felon imprisoned in a super high-security prison from which nothing can emerge. But people will die.
Amazing what people will do for power.
The Characters
Princess Celia Graves runs Graves Personal Protection which has just undergone a forced upgrade after events in Eldritch Conspiracy , 5. Celia is part vampire and part siren, with both parts creating problems for her: the blood one is obvious. It's the siren side that can make meetings with other females near impossible. Ivy is the ghost of Celia's baby sister. Gran is her mother's mother and an enabler. Until she finally sees a psychic and sees the truth. Lana Graves is her pain-in-the-butt, "blameless", drug-addicted, alcoholic of a mother, who is imprisoned in a siren prison.
Bruno DeLuca is Matty's brother and a mage as well as Celia's on-again, off-again boyfriend. He'll be teaching at the university this semester. Isabella, the Grand Hag of the East Coast, is Bruno's mother, and she hates Celia.
Graves Personal Protection (GPP)
Dawna Han Long had been so committed to GPP that Celia offered her a partnership. Now Celia is wondering why. Chris Gaetano, Dawna's boyfriend who works for the Company, no longer likes Celia and wants Dawna to quit. Talia Han is Dawna's ex-military cousin. Mae is her hairdresser sister. Kevin Landingham is Emma's brother, a werewolf, and dealing with severe PTSD. He's also worked for the Company in black ops and tech so he could be an asset. Paulie is his assistance dog. There's just one problem. He betrayed Celia once. Dottie is retired and a very powerful clairvoyant who does some work for Celia; Queen Lopaka says she is Celia's personal prophet. Minnie the Mouser is her cat. She's married to Fred, another psychic. Mickey is Fred's scumbag son. Bubba is an old friend and a bail bondsman from the pre-exploded office days.
Emma Landingham has some psychic ability and is dating Matteo DeLuca, Bruno's brother, a level-6 mage, and part of a militant order of mage priests in the Catholic Church. Professor Warren Landingham is their father.
Creede & Miller
John Creede had been the in-between boyfriend until he screwed up. He's also Isaac's apprentice. Roger Thomas and Zach Stone are C&M employees.
Abigail Andrews is a potential client; Michelle Andrews is the adopted daughter she wants protected.
Gwen Talbot is Celia's psychiatrist and the administrator at Birchwoods, a very high-end mental health and addiction treatment facility. Katie is her receptionist. La Cocina is Celia's favorite Mexican restaurant, family-run, and her office away from home. Barbara and Pablo run the place and take on Celia's nutritional restrictions with glee. Isaac and Gilda Levy run a shop that specializes in magical gear: weapons, spells, and tailoring. They're friends of Celia's, and it turns out that Isaac is the Interim Grand Master of the West Coast and the Grand Chronicler. Roberto is Celia's criminal defense attorney.
The sirens
Great-aunt Lopaka is also queen of the sirens; Gunnar Thorsen is her husband. Hiwahiwa is Lopaka's assistant. Helen Baker is a member of the Siren Secret Service. Dr. Thomason is Celia's mother's shrink.
Queen Adriana and King Dahlmar have an interest in Celia's life. Rob is the Company's helicopter pilot.
Cops and FBI
Detective Heather "Alex" Alexander (Santa Maria de Luna PD) knows Celia through her lover, the very wealthy Vicki Cooper, who was also Celia's best friend until she died in Blood Song , 1. Special Agent Dom Rizzoli is a high-level intuitive; Special Agent Shawn Shea is a pain. Jason Anderson is Dom's supervisor who gets how Dom works. Officer Alyssa Rivera is a psychic sketch artist for the SMDL PD. Detective Charles Andrulis investigates the shooting.
Eric Zorn is the jerk assistant warden at the prison; Warden Bob Davis is much friendlier. Mage Barton is one of the prison guards. Dr. Halston is the prison doctor.
Those men who come after Abigail and Celia include Suit, a.k.a., Jack Finn, and Slugger, a.k.a., Rob Douglass.
Connor Finn and his son, Jack, are the only survivors of the Finn clan, fallout from the Finn/Garza mage family feud. Connor is in prison for his actions in the feud.
The Needle is a high-security supermax prison in the middle of Death Valley for mages, terrorists, mass murderers, and serial killers. Spawn are the children of a demon by a human. Most can shapeshift to look like anyone and are very hard to kill. The Company is a "private paramilitary company with fingers in pies all over the world". Sirens are like mermaids with their affinity for water, but their true power lies in influencing men into doing anything they want.
The Cover
The cover is neon lights and a flaring center with Celia sandwiched between while wearing her signature knives, but not her standard blazer. Instead she's in a leather-trimmed black vest and a turquoise tank top, wearing jeans and red nail polish.
The title refers to Connor and his ilk, for Celia and her allies will have To Dance With the Devil to survive this.
December 10, 2013
Looking back over previous reviews, I see that my memory is correct and I've been up & down on this series a bit. I've always really liked Celia as a hero, she's a good mix of smart and brave, a survivor for her whole life, not just from the vampire attack, witty without being too snarky, with a nice dose of vulnerability. I think the authors created a great character, even if they don't always totally do her justice. Especially in her love life, which is always pretty weak in my opinion. Creed was sexy, but controlling. And I just never got Bruno, other than residual feelings for an old boyfriend I just don't see what Celia sees in him at all, the authors haven't managed to show it to me.
But! This book really showcased what I like about Celia. It was my payoff for sticking with the series, I wasn't annoyed at all until around two-thirds of the way through the book, and then it was just that one thing (see below). This book highlighted the contrast between the strong, capable woman who's job it is to protect and rescue people by averting danger and facing it if she must, and the sensitive, vulnerable woman that she can be as well. And that she can be both and manage to survive and thrive, if often by the skin of her teeth, and frequently only with the help of her loyal friends. When she was dealing with her sister moving on, she was vulnerable and strong at the same time. The other dealings with her mom and grandma were things that many readers can relate to on different levels, it has nothing to do with the supernatural and everything to do with being human. And there was another moment when she was in the hospital that was particularly well done. The entire time from when she woke up in the hospital to when the nurse came into the room was moving, seeing how afraid Celia was that she might have hurt someone or that she might finally go too far and might lose her struggle to remain human. But when the nurse came in and reminded her that they met before, it was really lovely. Celia has been the object of so much fear, and unreasoning hatred. And when she was so completely vulnerable and afraid, that she might lose her struggle and become a bat, that she might be executed instantly because of it, worst of all that she might hurt an innocent person, yet here was a woman who remembered that Celia has tried to help a lot of people before also under very difficult circumstances and she trusted Celia to control herself, and it gave her hope. It was a simple scene, shorter that my description probably, but it touched me. It was the first time that regular people outside of her circle of friends, not security guards hired by royal families, just people trying to do their jobs reached out to her and said that they had her back, they were going to protect her and get her through a crisis and it felt like a turning point. And at the end of the book she was tough and strong, she made the decisions that needed to be made no matter how hard they were and saved a life, then flew to the battle and saved many more, fighting side by side with a man who considered her an enemy, but they got the job done and she made the blow that may have saved the day. Her fears and limitations never stopped her from doing what needed to be done.
Taking a step back, I really liked the characters in book one of this series, even though the story only got three stars. Then books 2-4 had a lot of weaknesses in the plots, major coincidences and things that just felt like the kind of lazy writing that really experienced writers like these two shouldn't be trying to get away with. They kept undermining the strong character that they'd developed in Celia and in her friends to the point that if I wasn't able to read the books for free from the library I'd never have stuck with the series. But I'm glad I was able to, because book five showed some improvement and this book was really much better. Overall it showed strong character development for the main character as well as several of the secondary characters slotted neatly into the ongoing action story. The balance between their personal lives and professional lives/action story was well done, in my opinion.
But the authors always do at least one weird, really stupid thing and ruin their good streak! Like have Celia wake up from a truly terrible night and call Bruno to check if her weapons are ready, shower, get dressed, whine about not having her favorite jacket available, check her messages, and on and on but never check on her beloved friend who was medivaced to the hospital to have major surgery last night! Celia was with him on the helicopter, she was super concerned, then nothing. These authors are so inconsistent sometimes, it makes me nuts, don't they read their own manuscripts or have editors or beta readers? They're too big for it? No one cares about this hugely sympathetic character? Pages later, she's had an entire drive with Dawna and a long conversation about bills and everyday details and neither of them brought him up still. Their future spa date to relieve Dawna's stress is more important than finding out if their friend has survived the night. Finally, after Celia rents a new car but before she pulls out of the parking lot, she calls the hospital to find out that he's stable. Seriously? Who does that? It's so not OK, it completely undermines the character and makes her seem horribly shallow and stupid. Especially after the way that all of these people sent flower and were constantly at her hospital earlier in the book even thought they couldn't even get in to see her. But now Celia, and Dawna, couldn't even call to see if he had survived and what condition he was in. I'd like to say that the authors seem dumb for writing her that way but it would probably get my review banned. It's just so completely inconsistent with the character they've established. Or if they did it on purpose then it makes her seem incredibly unlikable with the screwed up priorities of a teenager, and I don't think that's what they intended, considering the rest of the book.
Rant aside, the book was very good, much better than I expected, the best since the first one. I like the woman Celia has become, and I like her friends. I appreciate her struggles and I can even relate to some of her experiences, despite the supernatural story. I wouldn't even mind the authors having her make stupid, shallow decisions sometimes if they felt intentional, no character is perfect and perfect is boring anyway. I don't care that she worried about her hair and makeup or loves her jackets or whatever. It's just some of the really odd choices that they make that make me nuts. (Anyone remember Emma's suddenly decision to become sterile just so she could stay friends with Celia? Who does that?) But overall I really enjoyed this book about a strong, vulnerable, successful woman.
But! This book really showcased what I like about Celia. It was my payoff for sticking with the series, I wasn't annoyed at all until around two-thirds of the way through the book, and then it was just that one thing (see below). This book highlighted the contrast between the strong, capable woman who's job it is to protect and rescue people by averting danger and facing it if she must, and the sensitive, vulnerable woman that she can be as well. And that she can be both and manage to survive and thrive, if often by the skin of her teeth, and frequently only with the help of her loyal friends. When she was dealing with her sister moving on, she was vulnerable and strong at the same time. The other dealings with her mom and grandma were things that many readers can relate to on different levels, it has nothing to do with the supernatural and everything to do with being human. And there was another moment when she was in the hospital that was particularly well done. The entire time from when she woke up in the hospital to when the nurse came into the room was moving, seeing how afraid Celia was that she might have hurt someone or that she might finally go too far and might lose her struggle to remain human. But when the nurse came in and reminded her that they met before, it was really lovely. Celia has been the object of so much fear, and unreasoning hatred. And when she was so completely vulnerable and afraid, that she might lose her struggle and become a bat, that she might be executed instantly because of it, worst of all that she might hurt an innocent person, yet here was a woman who remembered that Celia has tried to help a lot of people before also under very difficult circumstances and she trusted Celia to control herself, and it gave her hope. It was a simple scene, shorter that my description probably, but it touched me. It was the first time that regular people outside of her circle of friends, not security guards hired by royal families, just people trying to do their jobs reached out to her and said that they had her back, they were going to protect her and get her through a crisis and it felt like a turning point. And at the end of the book she was tough and strong, she made the decisions that needed to be made no matter how hard they were and saved a life, then flew to the battle and saved many more, fighting side by side with a man who considered her an enemy, but they got the job done and she made the blow that may have saved the day. Her fears and limitations never stopped her from doing what needed to be done.
Taking a step back, I really liked the characters in book one of this series, even though the story only got three stars. Then books 2-4 had a lot of weaknesses in the plots, major coincidences and things that just felt like the kind of lazy writing that really experienced writers like these two shouldn't be trying to get away with. They kept undermining the strong character that they'd developed in Celia and in her friends to the point that if I wasn't able to read the books for free from the library I'd never have stuck with the series. But I'm glad I was able to, because book five showed some improvement and this book was really much better. Overall it showed strong character development for the main character as well as several of the secondary characters slotted neatly into the ongoing action story. The balance between their personal lives and professional lives/action story was well done, in my opinion.
But the authors always do at least one weird, really stupid thing and ruin their good streak! Like have Celia wake up from a truly terrible night and call Bruno to check if her weapons are ready, shower, get dressed, whine about not having her favorite jacket available, check her messages, and on and on but never check on her beloved friend who was medivaced to the hospital to have major surgery last night! Celia was with him on the helicopter, she was super concerned, then nothing. These authors are so inconsistent sometimes, it makes me nuts, don't they read their own manuscripts or have editors or beta readers? They're too big for it? No one cares about this hugely sympathetic character? Pages later, she's had an entire drive with Dawna and a long conversation about bills and everyday details and neither of them brought him up still. Their future spa date to relieve Dawna's stress is more important than finding out if their friend has survived the night. Finally, after Celia rents a new car but before she pulls out of the parking lot, she calls the hospital to find out that he's stable. Seriously? Who does that? It's so not OK, it completely undermines the character and makes her seem horribly shallow and stupid. Especially after the way that all of these people sent flower and were constantly at her hospital earlier in the book even thought they couldn't even get in to see her. But now Celia, and Dawna, couldn't even call to see if he had survived and what condition he was in. I'd like to say that the authors seem dumb for writing her that way but it would probably get my review banned. It's just so completely inconsistent with the character they've established. Or if they did it on purpose then it makes her seem incredibly unlikable with the screwed up priorities of a teenager, and I don't think that's what they intended, considering the rest of the book.
Rant aside, the book was very good, much better than I expected, the best since the first one. I like the woman Celia has become, and I like her friends. I appreciate her struggles and I can even relate to some of her experiences, despite the supernatural story. I wouldn't even mind the authors having her make stupid, shallow decisions sometimes if they felt intentional, no character is perfect and perfect is boring anyway. I don't care that she worried about her hair and makeup or loves her jackets or whatever. It's just some of the really odd choices that they make that make me nuts. (Anyone remember Emma's suddenly decision to become sterile just so she could stay friends with Celia? Who does that?) But overall I really enjoyed this book about a strong, vulnerable, successful woman.
July 27, 2018
The story in general is not bad. But when it comes to series books, I read for the characters. Over the course of the last three books more and more pivotal changes have been happening outside of the series, which for me is bad enough, but to compound that, the male characters are becoming less lovable with every sentence that passes. Not in the “we love to hate the villain” way, but in the “why on earth is this main character putting up with this way”.
First - between the stories - John tries to take over from the little woman and show her how things should be done? Not ok, and not really fitting with the character so far. So he gets dumped. Good. Off book. Not good.
Now Celia and Bruno are fighting because he hates that she always in danger. News flash - she was always in danger pre-relationship. How on earth do you make it into a relationship if that bothers you so much that you can’t deal with it?
On top of that, secondary characters Donna and Chris are having the exact same problems. Chris can’t stand that Donna is in danger because she is friends with Celia. Again, this was well established pre-relationship, so if this is something you can’t handle in your significant other, then why have you been with them long enough to fall in love and get engaged? That doesn’t jive for me.
These guys changing faces on the dime like this is starting to feel to me - and please know this is just my feeling and my opinion, I am not hating, others are free to feel the way they feel - like a couple who gets married just to have the guy turn abusive and controlling afterwards.
After so many books of this, I am starting to debate continuing to read the series. I have only done so so far because I enjoyed the first books and I enjoy the authors in general.
First - between the stories - John tries to take over from the little woman and show her how things should be done? Not ok, and not really fitting with the character so far. So he gets dumped. Good. Off book. Not good.
Now Celia and Bruno are fighting because he hates that she always in danger. News flash - she was always in danger pre-relationship. How on earth do you make it into a relationship if that bothers you so much that you can’t deal with it?
On top of that, secondary characters Donna and Chris are having the exact same problems. Chris can’t stand that Donna is in danger because she is friends with Celia. Again, this was well established pre-relationship, so if this is something you can’t handle in your significant other, then why have you been with them long enough to fall in love and get engaged? That doesn’t jive for me.
These guys changing faces on the dime like this is starting to feel to me - and please know this is just my feeling and my opinion, I am not hating, others are free to feel the way they feel - like a couple who gets married just to have the guy turn abusive and controlling afterwards.
After so many books of this, I am starting to debate continuing to read the series. I have only done so so far because I enjoyed the first books and I enjoy the authors in general.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 13, 2018
There is always mayhem in these books, her life is forever in the balance but then what do you expect from someone with a death curse placed on them?!
Despite all she's seen and been through she's still learning, still fighting and winning. Her mother makes her life hell always with the blaming her for existing. So mama drama is never far but it strains her relationship with her gran and that's just not okay.
Never mind the fact she's half turned, a body guard, has a death curse and the worst things always seem to happen to her and the people she's closest to.
Therapy can only do so much!
Yet onward she fights and this time is no exception, one of the worlds most powerful mages has a grudge and she's in the way, so naturally he wants to kill her.
Fighting off one of the worlds most powerful mages while sorting through family drama and figuring out this mages whole plan becomes a from the pan into the fire routine.
Will she stop the evil magic at work? Can she figure out his end game in time? Protect her client? Deal with mama-drama and fix things with her gran?
stay tuned to find out ..
Despite all she's seen and been through she's still learning, still fighting and winning. Her mother makes her life hell always with the blaming her for existing. So mama drama is never far but it strains her relationship with her gran and that's just not okay.
Never mind the fact she's half turned, a body guard, has a death curse and the worst things always seem to happen to her and the people she's closest to.
Therapy can only do so much!
Yet onward she fights and this time is no exception, one of the worlds most powerful mages has a grudge and she's in the way, so naturally he wants to kill her.
Fighting off one of the worlds most powerful mages while sorting through family drama and figuring out this mages whole plan becomes a from the pan into the fire routine.
Will she stop the evil magic at work? Can she figure out his end game in time? Protect her client? Deal with mama-drama and fix things with her gran?
stay tuned to find out ..
November 9, 2020
I'm really enjoying this series. Complex characters and plots keep the reader engaged. It would be nice for Celia to beat her inner "bat" once and for all...her character deserves a break and reading about her constantly fighting it has gotten a tad boring. It would be nice to see more romance in the next installment (and maybe have John throw his hat in the ring again or maybe flirt a little. Bruno needs to realize what he has with Celia). That said, the cover for All Your Wishes is awful! Celia looks like a complete caricature drawing! I know most of her hair burned off, but seriously, the new hair cut was still supposed to make her look good...she's a siren for crying out loud. There is no sex appeal for Celia on this cover, not even her clothes look good...she looks very masculine on this cover. If I wasn't a fan of the series, this cover could really turn me off to reading the next installment.
January 8, 2023
This was surprisingly good for a book that I kept checking out from the library and then not reading for over 3 years.
I think the mark of a good urban fantasy series is that you can jump in at a random book and feel right at home. To Dance with the Devil is the 6th book in this series, but it's the first one on my library shelf so it's the one I read. While no October Daye, this was an enjoyable romp and had some interesting tropes outside of the werewolf-vampire-woman-in-a-leather-coat romance triumvirate.
One question though: why do women in urban fantasy novels enjoy wearing polo shirts? It's always polo shirts. I've never willingly worn a polo shirt in my life. "It was a casual event / I wanted to look casual so I threw on a polo shirt" said no person ever except for golf dads and urban fantasy detectives/knights/bounty hunters/body guards.
I think the mark of a good urban fantasy series is that you can jump in at a random book and feel right at home. To Dance with the Devil is the 6th book in this series, but it's the first one on my library shelf so it's the one I read. While no October Daye, this was an enjoyable romp and had some interesting tropes outside of the werewolf-vampire-woman-in-a-leather-coat romance triumvirate.
One question though: why do women in urban fantasy novels enjoy wearing polo shirts? It's always polo shirts. I've never willingly worn a polo shirt in my life. "It was a casual event / I wanted to look casual so I threw on a polo shirt" said no person ever except for golf dads and urban fantasy detectives/knights/bounty hunters/body guards.
February 19, 2022
Another beautifully balanced read that is fast paced and filled with action and character development. The authors are able to create events and situations not too far from reality and evoke strong emotions while keeping a good balance between drama and light hearted comedy. I just wish Celia's love life can be sorted out finally. Sad knowing that the next book is the final one.
January 27, 2018
Another intense read as a turned out client leads Celia to saving the world again. Things are changing not only for Celia but her friends. Can't wait until the next book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 27, 2018
At this point I'm just being stubborn. I generally do not like the books anymore, but I still feel invested enough to want to know where the characters end up.
October 23, 2018
Love this Series
Fun read and always action packed. Can't wait for the next one. . . . . . . . .
Fun read and always action packed. Can't wait for the next one. . . . . . . . .
January 9, 2019
Celia needs a vacation. Everyone seems to have it in for her.
May 12, 2019
I would've liked more romance, but I really enjoyed the storyline, characters & pace.
December 30, 2022
vampire/ siren badass protagonist :)
trauma porn, dead lesbian :(
trauma porn, dead lesbian :(
March 5, 2024
Kind of repetitive in story line. Should’ve stopped with the previous book.
October 14, 2014
In this latest installment of Cat Adams' The Blood Singer series, we begin TO DANCE WITH THE DEVIL with Celia in therapy. Her mother hates her, Celia's grandmother doesn't understand their animosity, all the while dealing with her own problem of being part-vampire and hunted by demons. But it's not the therapy that lands her in the hospital. No, it's the guys in suits who run her off the road, trash her car, and leave her on a sun-soaked beach to burn alive.
Not really the relaxing weekend she was hoping for.
The attack turns out to be a warning, if a rather brutal one. A recent meeting with a potential client went south when the client refused to disclose important information to Celia about the woman she was supposed to protect. As a result the client left the meeting without hiring Celia. Now Celia begins to suspect that both events are related. It turns out that her instincts are right, and as Celia unravels the who, what, when and why, she risks not only her own life, but the lives of those close to her because her new enemy is not only powerful, but is dangerously ambitious.
This series finally hit its stride with the last installment, THE ELDRITCH CONSPIRACY; the first few books in the series were so-so, but I'm glad I stuck with it because Adams has really built a solid footing, and the recent books are the result. Celia's progression across the series is realistic and enjoyable (even if she regresses in this book and has new struggles with her inner bat as a result of the attack), as well as the flow and ebb of relationships with friends, family, and co-workers. There are a lot of people from past books showing up here, and if you haven't read the series thus far you will probably get mixed up with them, despite Adams' explanatory cues. It's fun to see old friends stand up for Celia because she's always been a friend when they needed her.
Adams' writing is easy to read, if somewhat cliché in spots; there were a few places where flow was an issue, and I blame an editor for missing those (also: do we really need to know everything she eats?). I do enjoy Celia's dry sense of humor, and how Adams isn't afraid of poking a little fun at the occasionally theatrical behavior of our heroine. This time around we get to learn more about mages and not just what they can do, but also the politics and culture surrounding them. However, I still wish there were more magic and setting details, but they got swallowed up in the fast-paced action.
I found the plot made a lot more sense to me than previous installments--in fact, this is the best book of the series so far. So much more comes together as a result of what we know about Celia and her relationship with her friends and co-workers. The story moves quickly, revelations are brought to our attention in a steady stream, and by the exciting end we are invested in the potentially disastrous result. It's turning into a really fun series.
Recommended Age: 15+
Language: A handful of the stronger stuff
Violence: Plenty of blood and mayhem
Sex: Referenced
***Find this and other reviews at Elitist Book Reviews.***
Not really the relaxing weekend she was hoping for.
The attack turns out to be a warning, if a rather brutal one. A recent meeting with a potential client went south when the client refused to disclose important information to Celia about the woman she was supposed to protect. As a result the client left the meeting without hiring Celia. Now Celia begins to suspect that both events are related. It turns out that her instincts are right, and as Celia unravels the who, what, when and why, she risks not only her own life, but the lives of those close to her because her new enemy is not only powerful, but is dangerously ambitious.
This series finally hit its stride with the last installment, THE ELDRITCH CONSPIRACY; the first few books in the series were so-so, but I'm glad I stuck with it because Adams has really built a solid footing, and the recent books are the result. Celia's progression across the series is realistic and enjoyable (even if she regresses in this book and has new struggles with her inner bat as a result of the attack), as well as the flow and ebb of relationships with friends, family, and co-workers. There are a lot of people from past books showing up here, and if you haven't read the series thus far you will probably get mixed up with them, despite Adams' explanatory cues. It's fun to see old friends stand up for Celia because she's always been a friend when they needed her.
Adams' writing is easy to read, if somewhat cliché in spots; there were a few places where flow was an issue, and I blame an editor for missing those (also: do we really need to know everything she eats?). I do enjoy Celia's dry sense of humor, and how Adams isn't afraid of poking a little fun at the occasionally theatrical behavior of our heroine. This time around we get to learn more about mages and not just what they can do, but also the politics and culture surrounding them. However, I still wish there were more magic and setting details, but they got swallowed up in the fast-paced action.
I found the plot made a lot more sense to me than previous installments--in fact, this is the best book of the series so far. So much more comes together as a result of what we know about Celia and her relationship with her friends and co-workers. The story moves quickly, revelations are brought to our attention in a steady stream, and by the exciting end we are invested in the potentially disastrous result. It's turning into a really fun series.
Recommended Age: 15+
Language: A handful of the stronger stuff
Violence: Plenty of blood and mayhem
Sex: Referenced
***Find this and other reviews at Elitist Book Reviews.***
December 18, 2013
Celia Graves has definitely had her share of problems over the past 5 books in the 'Blood Singer' series and "To Dance With the Devil" only promises more challenges. There is plenty of action, suspense, and bad guys oh my in this sixth book. The only question is, "Where is this series going?" As much as I love this series, the villians change from book to book and there does not seem to a central theme. I am beginning to wonder if we are heading in the direction of the Anita Blake series where there will book upon book until we will be looking at book #35. If the theme does not appear soon, I for one will be getting off of that ride to nowhere.
Celia and Bruno and managing their relationship. Celia needs a mage but is smart enough to know not to hire Bruno because he will only try to take over what is her business. She is struggling to find a suitable home for her new office after the total destruction of the previous one but her business continues to grow. Her partner Dawna is acting strange. She sets up a meeting with a female client without the necessary pre-client work up. Additionally, Dawna does not show for the meeting. When the wheel chair ridden client takes an immediate dislike to Celia, she knows this job will never work. Before Celia has a chance to ferret out the woman's secrets, she angrily steps away.
Celia is in for a major upheaval in her life after looking over childhood pictures. With the help of her therapist, she realizes that there was nothing she could have done to save her sister, Ivy. With this acceptance, Ivy now feels free to move on to heaven leaving Celia feeling alone for the first time since her death. While she is happy for Ivy, she is also saddened for herself. Now, she must tell her mother during an upcoming family counseling session. Needless to say, it does not go well.
Meanwhile, Celia is shocked when she discovers that the prospective client, was kidnapped. Although she knows she is not on the payroll for this woman, she cannot help but be a little curious about her past. Then, Celia is attacked by three goons who leave her in the sun to roast. Using her siren abilities and the help of some seagulls she is found before she is engulfed in flames. Celia is in for a long recovery and if she cannot bring her vampire urges under control she will be put down like a dog.
There are plenty of twist and turns including the return of John Creede back into the picture. He was always my first choice for Celia over Bruno. While his appearance in the book is just a cameo, it reminds me why I liked him so. Once again, I truly enjoyed this book but question just where the series is headed. I hope that the writing duo of Cat Adams will clue us fans in soon because I am becoming a little concern that there will be no end in sight and that the series will get watered down over time. I guess I will have to take a wait and see approach. Read this latest installment for yourself and enjoy.
P.S. Cat Adams, Gloria Gaynor sang, "I Will Survive" not Donna Summers!
Celia and Bruno and managing their relationship. Celia needs a mage but is smart enough to know not to hire Bruno because he will only try to take over what is her business. She is struggling to find a suitable home for her new office after the total destruction of the previous one but her business continues to grow. Her partner Dawna is acting strange. She sets up a meeting with a female client without the necessary pre-client work up. Additionally, Dawna does not show for the meeting. When the wheel chair ridden client takes an immediate dislike to Celia, she knows this job will never work. Before Celia has a chance to ferret out the woman's secrets, she angrily steps away.
Celia is in for a major upheaval in her life after looking over childhood pictures. With the help of her therapist, she realizes that there was nothing she could have done to save her sister, Ivy. With this acceptance, Ivy now feels free to move on to heaven leaving Celia feeling alone for the first time since her death. While she is happy for Ivy, she is also saddened for herself. Now, she must tell her mother during an upcoming family counseling session. Needless to say, it does not go well.
Meanwhile, Celia is shocked when she discovers that the prospective client, was kidnapped. Although she knows she is not on the payroll for this woman, she cannot help but be a little curious about her past. Then, Celia is attacked by three goons who leave her in the sun to roast. Using her siren abilities and the help of some seagulls she is found before she is engulfed in flames. Celia is in for a long recovery and if she cannot bring her vampire urges under control she will be put down like a dog.
There are plenty of twist and turns including the return of John Creede back into the picture. He was always my first choice for Celia over Bruno. While his appearance in the book is just a cameo, it reminds me why I liked him so. Once again, I truly enjoyed this book but question just where the series is headed. I hope that the writing duo of Cat Adams will clue us fans in soon because I am becoming a little concern that there will be no end in sight and that the series will get watered down over time. I guess I will have to take a wait and see approach. Read this latest installment for yourself and enjoy.
P.S. Cat Adams, Gloria Gaynor sang, "I Will Survive" not Donna Summers!
December 16, 2013
I thought this book was a huge improvement over the last book.
First of all, the heroine, Celia, had a chance to showcase her excellent planning and deduction skills while busy with playing detective in her mission to prevent the bad guys from doing something disastrous which may potentially bring down the country's most secure prison. Second, there was not much of Bruno (her lover) in the book. As mentioned in my review of the last book, I was always rooting for John Creede (a previous love interest to Celia) and the fact that they broke up (under awkward and contrived circumstances, as staged by the author) in the last installment kind of upset me. Not having Bruno in the picture much helped me focus more on Celia and her abilities in solving issues and looking after herself and her people.
Celia also had a chance to settle some family issues. In many ways she was now on her own.
Another good thing that I liked was that John Creede returned to the picture, although took a somewhat lesser role in the overall story. However, both Celia and John seemed to be willing to mend things between them so at least they were on friendly terms again, which brought me hope that their relationship might improve given enough time.
In general, the story was packed with actions. So from the perspective of entertainment, it definitely wasn't lacking. However, what I failed to understand though, was how the events of this book related to the underlying story arc - which was the whole impending demon thing. While I enjoyed this book, I continued to find it puzzling because I wasn't sure where the whole series was going. It almost felt as though the author just wanted to give some magical adventures to Celia and her gang and neglected the overall advancement of the series as whole. I really hoped that the author would pick a definitive direction and go with it. It was frustrating because after so many books, there still wasn't much going on in that department.
I'd give this book 4 stars, considering that I actually liked it. I just wished that it was more solid in terms of relationship development and plot advancement related to demons and sirens.
First of all, the heroine, Celia, had a chance to showcase her excellent planning and deduction skills while busy with playing detective in her mission to prevent the bad guys from doing something disastrous which may potentially bring down the country's most secure prison. Second, there was not much of Bruno (her lover) in the book. As mentioned in my review of the last book, I was always rooting for John Creede (a previous love interest to Celia) and the fact that they broke up (under awkward and contrived circumstances, as staged by the author) in the last installment kind of upset me. Not having Bruno in the picture much helped me focus more on Celia and her abilities in solving issues and looking after herself and her people.
Celia also had a chance to settle some family issues. In many ways she was now on her own.
Another good thing that I liked was that John Creede returned to the picture, although took a somewhat lesser role in the overall story. However, both Celia and John seemed to be willing to mend things between them so at least they were on friendly terms again, which brought me hope that their relationship might improve given enough time.
In general, the story was packed with actions. So from the perspective of entertainment, it definitely wasn't lacking. However, what I failed to understand though, was how the events of this book related to the underlying story arc - which was the whole impending demon thing. While I enjoyed this book, I continued to find it puzzling because I wasn't sure where the whole series was going. It almost felt as though the author just wanted to give some magical adventures to Celia and her gang and neglected the overall advancement of the series as whole. I really hoped that the author would pick a definitive direction and go with it. It was frustrating because after so many books, there still wasn't much going on in that department.
I'd give this book 4 stars, considering that I actually liked it. I just wished that it was more solid in terms of relationship development and plot advancement related to demons and sirens.
December 10, 2013
To Dance with the Devil is Cat Adams' latest installment in the Blood Singer series! This is a series that is just so incredible and fun! We're six books in and I can't believe how much time has passed in the books themselves. It's been a few years, just as it's been a few years since the series started itself.
Celia has come a long way from being the newbie almost vamp to what she is now. Part vampire, part siren. She is able to work the two sides of her heritage pretty smoothly. At times she has some slip ups, but she bounces back. She fights to cling to her human side as fiercely as she can.
This time around, Celia has quite the case on her hands. And she wasn't even technically hired to do it. When a woman comes to Celia wanting to get protection for her daughter from her father, Celia is skeptical. She asks some standard questions, and the woman is evasive in answering. Then a few days later she turns up dead and her daughter comes to Celia asking even more questions. Celia finds herself caught between an age old blood feud between the Finns and the Garzas. And one of them in particular wants Celia "taken care of" asap.
To Dance with the Devil was definitely an exciting and fast paced read! I almost could've made it a one day read but other responsibilities and whatnot got in the way. While I say it is kind of important to read this series in order, they can be managed on their own. Like this one, we get tidbits of what's come to pass already--which was a nice refresher for me--and we move on with the current story. Important details from the past are rehashed so you are able to understand how it's effecting the present and all is good! So if you feel like taking a go at this series but feel like, uhh, book 6? That's a lot of catching up to do...well, you don't have to really catch up at all if you don't want to! While each book could read like a standalone, there are a few events that will get carried over from book to book.
There were a few things that didn't get quite resolved at the end of this one, but nothing that makes you want to scream at the bloody cliffhangers! They were minimal details, but things that you can expect to see happen in future books as they--hopefully--head towards resolution.
As far as romance goes, there wasn't a whole lot in this one. It seems clear that Celia and Bruno are back to being a couple. They have a few tiny, tender moments, but nothing too over the top. It's definitely a nice change of pace sometimes when that happens!
Overall this was an exciting and quite adventurous read! I look forward to reading more of this series and seeing what the authors will cook up next for Celia!
Overall Rating 4.5/5 stars
Celia has come a long way from being the newbie almost vamp to what she is now. Part vampire, part siren. She is able to work the two sides of her heritage pretty smoothly. At times she has some slip ups, but she bounces back. She fights to cling to her human side as fiercely as she can.
This time around, Celia has quite the case on her hands. And she wasn't even technically hired to do it. When a woman comes to Celia wanting to get protection for her daughter from her father, Celia is skeptical. She asks some standard questions, and the woman is evasive in answering. Then a few days later she turns up dead and her daughter comes to Celia asking even more questions. Celia finds herself caught between an age old blood feud between the Finns and the Garzas. And one of them in particular wants Celia "taken care of" asap.
To Dance with the Devil was definitely an exciting and fast paced read! I almost could've made it a one day read but other responsibilities and whatnot got in the way. While I say it is kind of important to read this series in order, they can be managed on their own. Like this one, we get tidbits of what's come to pass already--which was a nice refresher for me--and we move on with the current story. Important details from the past are rehashed so you are able to understand how it's effecting the present and all is good! So if you feel like taking a go at this series but feel like, uhh, book 6? That's a lot of catching up to do...well, you don't have to really catch up at all if you don't want to! While each book could read like a standalone, there are a few events that will get carried over from book to book.
There were a few things that didn't get quite resolved at the end of this one, but nothing that makes you want to scream at the bloody cliffhangers! They were minimal details, but things that you can expect to see happen in future books as they--hopefully--head towards resolution.
As far as romance goes, there wasn't a whole lot in this one. It seems clear that Celia and Bruno are back to being a couple. They have a few tiny, tender moments, but nothing too over the top. It's definitely a nice change of pace sometimes when that happens!
Overall this was an exciting and quite adventurous read! I look forward to reading more of this series and seeing what the authors will cook up next for Celia!
Overall Rating 4.5/5 stars
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