Dancing with the Vengeance Demon

Foils and Fury #2

by Lauretta Hignett

Having just escaped the clutches of her manipulative and abusive husband, Sandy's finally settling into her new life in D.C. She's got the perfect job, perfect friends, and the perfect home. Oh, and a perfectly bloodthirsty vengeance demon sharing her body, but Sandy's doing an amazing job in keeping that little secret to herself.

But it's going to be a secret she'll struggle to keep.

A dark force is rising in Washington D.C. – a shadowy figure his followers call Lord Seth. Rogue vampires, evil magic-users and disenfranchised shifters are flocking to him, lured by his promises of power and justice, stoked by their violent misogyny. They call themselves the Blood Kings.

When Prue's niece's best friend is discovered comatose, unable to be woken after a wild sorority party, Sandy is determined to figure out what happened to her. Another victim surfaces, then another, and the brutally hot Detective Conrad Sinclair reluctantly asks for her help to figure out what is happening to these girls, and why they can't be woken.

They're going undercover, hitting the party scene of Georgetown, to gather information and find out who is drugging these girls. Sinclair is a little nervous about putting Sandy in danger.

Sandy is nervous that she'll eat someone's liver.

Can she keep Mavka a secret? Or will Sinclair find out, and feel honour-bound as the Enforcer to destroy her?

Genres: Urban Fantasy, Fantasy, Romance, Demons, Paranormal, Magic, Mystery

Kindle Edition

First published November 17, 2022

About the author

A raving fangirl for all things paranormal, supernatural, supernormal and fantastical, Lauretta writes fun Urban Fantasy, PNR and Superhero adventures with a dash of sweet romance and humour.

She's a massive fan of Young and New Adult fiction, loves a plot twist, hates cliffhangers, and always keeps her readers on their toes.

When she's not writing, Lauretta enjoys fad diets, sunshine, her two little children, weird craft projects and massive amounts of dark chocolate

Reviews

[PJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This has just as much female rage as the first one. This is shaping up to be a really good series. This fiction is really non-fictioning in a scary way.
Also, is anyone else picturing Conrad as Brock Sampson from The Venture Brothers🤣?

[Nikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dancing with the Vengeance Demon (Foils and Fury book 2) by Lauretta Hignett is a 5 ⭐️ read.
This book is by one of my new favourite authors, she writes books that keep your mind occupied. Sandy is a single mother who by day works as a hairdresser and by night takes care of her beautiful son, she left her abusive husband and moved to a new city where her friends and her brother live, Sandy is also the host to a Goddess, Mavka who eats evil men for fun. Sandy has previously worked with the Supernatural Enforcer,Conrad Sinclair but he ghosted her a few months ago but when she offers to help her friend Prue’s cousin find out what has happened to her friend who is in a coma that there’s no reason for she bumps into him again and things don’t go that well. Sandy must keep Mavka a secret while trying to help Sinclair and deal with her attraction to him, but her old life isn’t ready to let her go just yet.
I love Mavka and Sandy, they are both brilliantly written, this series is great and I’d highly recommend it.

[Savannah · Rating 2 out of 5]

The predictability and repetitiveness from the first book made this less enjoyable; I found myself so bored.

[amber.☘︎ ݁˖ · Rating 5 out of 5]

okay i love this book as much as i loved the first one. the comedy throughout character interactions are still just as charming as the first book and i find myself enjoying them even more! i’m also really enjoying the plot so far, i think the character interactions work well with the plot and it certainly doesn’t leave me unsatisfied after reading. the romance is taking off more in this book which i’m enjoying so far.

i don’t read many series so i’m unsure about pacing or story transitions etc but i’m liking how everything is interacting so far!

[B. · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oops I ate a vengeance demon was the most surprising book pick for me last year, one I expected to DNF but that turned out to be a 5 star it was so much fun.

Unfortunately the magic is gone in this one. The entire first chapter is an info dump of a recap of book 1. It doesn't flow and it isn't fun and I don't recognise any of the characters I so loved in book 1.

A dnf at 6%. What a disappointment.

[Mettesknit]

Part of a box set.

[Hannah · Rating 2 out of 5]

lol

[nanaimo bars · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review: "Oops, I Ate a Vengeance Demon" and "Dancing with the Vengeance Demon"

Book 1 focuses on Chloe and Sandy's revenge-fueled journey, with supernatural elements and a romance subplot.

Book 2 focuses more on the romance between Sandy and Sinclair. The investigation becomes a subplot and is resolved off-screen in an unsatisfying and rushed 'conclusion'.

The books are strongest when they tackle feminist issues (patriarchy, male violence, religious trauma, purity culture).
The story effectively critiques systemic oppression of women, but undermines its own message by romanticizing toxic masculinity and failing to deconstruct harmful romance tropes.

EXTREME SPOILERS AHEAD:
The books start off strong, with a bold premise of Sandy being empowered by a vengeance demon to fight back against patriarchal violence, and escape her abusive husband. They excel in bringing up facts and real world references to systemic oppression, male entitlement, and arguments against religion.

Sandy deals with weaponized incompetence, manipulation, various forms of rape (marital rape, stealthing), and black-mailing from her ex-husband Terry, all of which are enabled by her zealously religious mother (and step-father). Empowered by Mavka and the support of other women around her (Prue, Chloe, Aunt Marche), Sandy avoids being put away in a psych ward by her ex, and fights rapists, sex traffickers, kidnappers, while saving other women. Her vengeance is cathartic because it directly challenges the idea that women must silently tolerate male violence. Sandy's arc exposes how religious institutions enable abusers by teaching women to endure suffering as 'virtuous wives'. The books do not shy away from showing how abusers weaponize religion to justify control, making Sandy's rebellion deeply satisfying.

Sandy's escape almost seemed too easy initially, with her friends lining up a free place for her to stay (via a powerful benefactor, Aunt Marche), 24/7 free childcare via Damon (Aunt Marche's acolyte), and a lucrative job working at a highly successful hair salon co-owned by her besties Prue and Chloe. But then in book 2, Sandy's mother returns, along with Sandy's abusive ex-husband Terry, tormenting her by threatening to legally take away her son Dexter. Here we see more realistic consequences, ostracization, and blackmailing, that would come with such a rebellion, making it even more satisfying when Sandy continues to resist.

Enter Conrad Sinclair, your hard-boiled detective, paranormal enforcer, and the romantic subplot that undermines the feminist themes. It’s a slow, sinking feeling, when after the first several pages of Sandy’s internal monologue gushing how unbelievably sexy Sinclair is, you realize it’s not a meme nor satire. You get to hear in excruciating detail about how he’s so masculine his sweat, urine, or other bodily fluids are probably banned substances in any competitive sport. It’s like Chuck Norris level of memes in describing him. Sinclair doesn’t do pushups, he pushes the Earth down. There’s probably a solid 10-20 pages of Sandy internally monologuing about how insanely hot he is, and maybe less than 5 pages of Sandy and Sinclair ever actually talking to each other. The fact that most of their ‘relationship’ takes place in Sandy’s head makes it all the worse when he successfully gaslights her into thinking he had a great reason to be aloof and emotionally unavailable in almost the entirety of the story. Even when they ‘team up’ to investigate, they almost always immediately go with the classic “let’s split up” strategy that horror/supernatural fans know and love. He’s your typical aloof, hyper-masculine, dominant mmc, and you wait for the twist which never comes (unless you consider throwing in a fated-mates trope a twist…).

By book 2, the romance begins to dominate the story and undermine the feminist rage that worked so well. Mavka devolves from a terrifying force of feminine rage to a submissive romantic plot device to help Sandy get laid. All in service of your typical hyper-masculine brooding male lead who spends most of the books aloof. In book 1, Mavka is an unpredictable, almost Lovecraftian force of vengeance. Sandy fears her, struggles to control her, and is horrified by the consequences of her hunger for sinful male flesh. Mavka's violence is not glorified, it's treated as a dangerous and morally ambiguous power that could consume Sandy just as easily as her enemies. Sandy has to bargain with, and decide who Mavka is allowed to eat. Mavka's ominous presence wasn't just cathartic; it was destructive, messy, and nearly uncontrollable. But by book 2, Mavka is stripped of all autonomy and menace. She facilitates Sandy's romance with Sinclair, pushing them together like a supernatural rom-com best friend. She 'disappears' when Sandy needs to play damsel or when Sinclair's dominance needs to shine. The same supernatural force who once terrified Sandy with her hunger, now meekly accepts being sidelined in favor of an aloof and brooding male lead. Her entire purpose shifts from consuming male evil, to helping Sinclair look cool. This mirrors real-world narratives, where women are encouraged to soften their anger to be palatable to men.

As the romance progresses, feminism regresses, and is sacrificed like ingredients for a love spell, in favor of the most predictable romance tropes. Mavka should have been a constant threat, to Sandy, to Sinclair, to every man in the story. Instead, Sinclair is allowed to be conveniently aloof for 90% of the books, causing Sandy to be distressed and gaslit into believing he must have a good reason for doing so. Without consequences, Sinclair is allowed to be useless, aloof, emotionally unavailable, threateningly violent, and non-communicative. Mavka, the embodiment of female vengeance, becomes a romantic cheerleader who helps Sandy and Sinclair get together – along with Aunt Marche, the most powerful witch in 1000 miles, who becomes a condom-and-exposition-dispenser, because apparently that’s how you use a powerful woman character in a feminist story. Even Prue, who is normally badass, outspoken to a fault, and never backs down, becomes shy and submissive when Sinclair is around. They all bend to Sinclair's presence, symbolically suggesting that male authority trumps women's rage.

Like the never-ending meme descriptions of Sinclair’s violent aura of testosterone, the investigation plot derails into a joke, becoming an opportunity for Sandy to play dress-up for Sinclair and have a cringe-worthy scene where random college kids at a party demand that she and Sinclair kiss to 'prove' they're lovers. The author takes a stab at deconstructing this scene, only to reinforce that Sandy is hopelessly insecure without Sinclair's approval. Yikes. Sandy keeps getting drunk or high in key investigation sequences, compromising the seriousness of the investigation just so she can be a damsel in distress for Sinclair to rescue. While Sinclair is missing for almost the entirety of the books, Sandy still manages to stew in insecurity and jealousy over Giselle Russo, Sinclair's coworker ex who barely speaks 1 sentence to either of them throughout the entirety of both books.

Chloe, the unironic embodiment of the ‘dumb and pretty blonde’ stereotype (another great feminist inclusion), becomes "cock-struck" by Dr. Herd (an elite character who is an expert in medicine, opera, and apparently designer fashion). She is unable to walk, talk, or do her job properly, while Prue and Sandy laugh at her behind her back because Chloe can't "See" that Dr. Herd is a centaur. The criminal investigation Sandy and Sinclair undertake becomes a subplot. The central conflict of blood witches tethering and torturing university women’s souls is resolved off-screen in a couple lines at the end of the book, feeling extremely rushed. 'By the way, all the girls woke up from their supernatural comas. The tip you gave led to the bad guy being caught. So anyways, let's make out some more...'. After Sandy just escaped her abusive ex-husband, and solved the case of Chloe's boyfriend blackmailing her with revenge porn, both women immediately fall over backwards for the next attractive man who comes along, despite knowing almost nothing about them and both being aloof / difficult to talk to.

The archetype of the aloof and dominant male is problematic because it frames emotional detachment, avoidance, and indifference as signs of strength and superiority. In reality, these behaviors often mask insecurity, poor communication skills, or even emotional manipulation. Sinclair being known as a force of violence and deeply embedded in the cop/detective profession should also be correlating red flags for these behaviors (Mavka even comments about the high domestic violence rates amongst cops). Miscommunication, silence, hot-and-cold behavior, and emotional unavailability create confusion and anxiety. This isn’t ‘mystery’ or ‘challenge’; it’s a power play that keeps the other person dependent on earning your approval. Until the end of book 2, Sinclair keeps trying to dominate Sandy, insisting that he can minimize her role in the investigation and keep her out of harm’s way, leading to him often being aloof to try to investigate without her, and her being afraid to communicate directly with him. Even though Sinclair consistently fails to both keep Sandy out of the investigation, and to make any meaningful progress without her, he never stops trying to dominate her, under the guise of ‘protecting’ her by being as aloof and stoic as possible. Indifference as a weapon, treating someone as disposable (ghosting, breadcrumbing, negging) isn’t confidence, it’s emotional abuse. It conditions women to accept minimal effort while doubting their own worth, as Sandy often does throughout the books. Finally, all the avoidance is justified: when Sinclair reveals he secretly had Sandy watched the whole time, or his little speech at the end of book 2 saying how much he’s always secretly cared for Sandy and respected her role in the investigation, do not actually justify his miscommunication or avoidance of Sandy. Instead, these weak excuses attempt to romanticize a fear of vulnerability.

Sinclair: “...I got it in my head that you were planning…to take on Lord Seth yourself”
Sandy: “I’m not that stupid”
… A few pages later: “I wasn’t going to tell him… I was going alone.”

There is so little adult communication between the pairings, Sandy and Sinclair, Chloe and Dr. Herd, yet there is room for pages and pages of internal lobotomized drooling over their respective crush. Even Sinclair secretly showing up somewhere behind Sandy, without her knowing, is enough to set off her body: “My nipples had hardened with the change in atmosphere, and my bra was too thin and lacy to hide them” (book 1) Yes, it’s everyone’s favorite “my body is betraying me” trope, in a book that condemns rape culture and purity culture. Does it make sense that Sandy goes on for consecutive pages at a time about Sinclair’s erotic hyper-masculine appearance, reaching meme levels of descriptors: “...his whiskey-and-fireworks scent was turning my brain into mush” (book 2), yet Sandy and Sinclair hardly ever actually talk? With all the underworld and supernatural elements to play with as sources of conflict, would it really have been so ‘boring’ if Sinclair had used his big boy words and tried direct communication and availability? Don’t answer that, read these 5 consecutive pages about how he could easily be a model instead, he’s a viking warlord in the flesh, he’s violence incarnate, he’s the grim reaper, he’s the whirlwind and the thunder, he makes Sandy’s nipples tune into Starlink before she consciously realizes he’s there...

Besides the 'romance', these two books are founded on an inconsistent moral framework. "Good" characters are granted redemption arcs, while "bad" ones are summarily executed without a second thought. The books establish a world where Mavka the vengeance demon consumes irredeemable men, implying that justice is absolute, with no room for rehabilitation. Yet this standard is hypocritically abandoned the moment a "good" character has a dark past. Maybe it’s wrong to expect a nuanced treatise of “is capital punishment ever just?” in a fun romance book, even though the book does such a thorough job showcasing the harm of patriarchy, women’s traditional gender role, and religious manipulation. But if you’re expecting anything more than simple cartoonish violence, or any thoughts on “what makes someone worthy of redemption?”, you won’t find that here.

Prue's mother committed blood magic and murdered an innocent, mentally ill woman (also she is a vulnerable immigrant who barely speaks English). An act that, by the book's own logic, should make her a prime target for vengeance. Yet, she faces no consequences beyond a vague warning of 'she better not do that again!'. The narrative excuses her because she's 'on the right side', but if she were a random male criminal, she'd have been eaten without hesitation. The fact that her victim was mentally ill makes this even more egregious, yet the book glosses over it, and flips it as an act of benevolence by Sinclair "The Enforcer" to forgive what would otherwise be considered a capital crime. Well, who doesn’t like freebies.

Sinclair's mysterious dark past is teased as something that 'once would have made him "delicious"’ to Mavka, implying he was 'as bad as the men Sandy now kills without question'. Yet, instead of reckoning with this, the narrative romanticizes his redemption, while denying the same possibility to others. Given the author's tendency to avoid difficult questions when the male lead is involved, his past will likely be retconned into something sympathetic (e.g. "he stole to feed orphans" or "he was forced into crime"). This undermines the entire premise: if Sinclair can change, why can't the other men Sandy kills? Mavka's justice is absolute and merciless; men who abuse women are consumed instantly, with no trial, no reflection, no chance at change. Yet the 'good' team is full of former criminals who are given passes because they're likable or useful. The hypocrisy is especially stark when considering that Sinclair, a hardened detective, likely had to work within a corrupt system, yet his past sins are handwaved, while random criminals are executed on the spot. We’re supposed to believe that Mavka is infallible, that her justice is righteous because she can unerringly read men’s minds and know their thoughts and past actions. Oops, she would’ve been wrong about Sinclair, and she can’t get a clear read on Ollie. She would eat Terry, if not for Sandy’s bargaining. She lies by omission several times to Sandy, but clearly she is perfect enough to trust her with life and death as judge, jury, and executioner.

So we end up with 'women's rage is justified... unless the man is hot or on our side.' Or 'Redemption is possible...but only for characters the narrative likes.' There is one morally ambiguous character, Ollie, who is clearly in the incel/misogynist pipeline yet loves his comatose sister dearly. But since his sister's condition is resolved off-screen in a one-liner in the last chapter of the book, we never find out what happens to him. The refusal to grapple with moral ambiguity suggests the author wants the catharsis of vengeance without the ethical responsibility of examining it. While the strong highlighting of patriarchal injustice makes this feel satisfying and emotionally justified, it is inconsistent. The books condemn religious control and men abusing women, but grants Sinclair, Sandy, and Prue’s mom immunity, making the good guys ‘infallible’ authoritarian enforcers and powerful executioners of a simplistic moral ideology(hey, that kind of sounds like almost exactly the kind of systems they were fighting against). Mavka’s ‘infallibility’ as a mind reader props up a hypocritical and simplistic moral system where good guys get redemption, bad guys get executed.

The books set up a feminist revenge fantasy, then betray it. The premise suggests women breaking free from male control, yet both Sandy and Chloe immediately center new men in their lives. Chloe and Sandy don't grow into independence, they shift from one form of male dependency to another. The narrative fails to question why 'dominant, aloof' men are romanticized in the first place. Sandy should have been wary of any man claiming to 'protect' her after her husband's abuse, especially an aloof, older, violent enforcer who works within a corrupt system. Chloe's arc should have been about gaining real intelligence and agency, not remaining a naive girl who falls for the nearest authority figure while being the butt of the joke from her two 'best friends'. A true feminist revenge story would have let Chloe and Sandy thrive without making their happiness contingent on yet another man's approval, especially an aloof, violent, unavailable and non-communicative man who doesn't deserve it.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
5/5 stars. Would recommend it to anyone. 😊

[Robyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fans of Annie Anderson, Jane Hinchey, Heather G. Harris and Rachel Rener will love these

Once more I've been sucked into the world of Lauretta Hignett.

Book two in Foils and Fury happens a few months after the first one. Sandy has settled into her new life in DC, until her friends cousins friend falls into a coma. And its not normal.

There are supes banding together. Rogue shifter, vampires, and blood witches. All following a dark entity named Lord Seth.

What's a girl hosting a vengeance demon to do? Help solve the case (and eat some bad men) thats what!

The slow burn is starting to heat up. The jokes and banter are there. Sandy is coming into her own, and I hope she just keeps realizing how strong she actually is.

I can't wait to see what happens next.

[Leigh Brooker · Rating 5 out of 5]

HELLS YES, once again I've been sucked into the wonderful world that Lauretta has created. This delightfully dark but humorous installment had me laughing out loud on more than one occasion, and Sandy is rapidly becoming another of my favourite characters. There are a few tiny little twists which I'm sure will be revealed at a later point and knowing just how the author can blindside me I'm sure I'll be surprised and I CAN'T WAIT..

After leaving her manipulate and emotionally abusive husband, Sandy is settling into her new life in DC. She has a great job, loves hanging out with her friends and a cute if not rambunctious toddler that she's raising. Oh yeah, she also has a bloodthirsty vengeance demon inside her, who wants to eat the flesh and livers of male evil doers. When girls start to turn up comatose and unable to be woken, Sandy along with Prue decide to investigate the cause, their paths inevitably cross with Conrad Sinclair who's also on the case, and although he'd prefer Sandy not get involved he enlists her help tracking down the monsters behind what is happening to the young women. Can Sandy keep the demon inside her hidden. Or will Conrad find out her secret and destroy her?..

I absolutely love Sandy, she is definitely sunshine and sparkles in nature, even after the terrible things she's endured over the years. She's also learning to stand up for herself that has nothing to do with Mavka and that for me is wonderful to see. I also love the way that her and Mavka have found a way to coexist and even have a friendship and work together fighting the evil that surrounds them. The slow burn romance between her and Sinclair is heating up nicely, my romantic heart is just so happy at this. I definitely need more...

Conrad definitely puts the SIN in Sinclair as he continues to make me swoon, his protectiveness over Sandy is adorable as at times it conflicts with his bad ass nature. I also love the fact that everyone is scared of him but Sandy has no fear of putting him in his place. Yep I'm totally smitten with him. Le sigh.

Mavka my entrail eating goddess is gloriously wicked, with a sense of humor to match even if it is dark, she's totally awesome. And I'd make a bet that all of us at times would love to have a Mavka inside us.

I just knew that that douchebag Terry would rear his ugly head again and the fact that he's determined to hurt Sandy is really really making me want Mavka to eat him. Slowly..If not someone close to her needs to punch him in the face. I do love to have a villain to hate and for me at the moment it's Terry.

Again I totally recommend this series, it's full of humor a bit of gore and fantastic characters. I'm off to book 3 as I can't wait to see what's instore next 😁

[Danielle · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5 stars rounded to 2

I really enjoyed the first book in this series, but Dancing with the Vengeance Demon was so, so disappointing.

**If you haven't read Oops, I Ate a Vengeance Demon, this review will have spoilers. **

I still love the premise of this series. Sandy is, at times, sweet and fun, and Mav is hilarious and focused. My problems were with the execution.

I hate the way Sandy and Prue talk about Chloe. It's one thing to tease a friend, but some of the comments they make about her are mean, especially the ones they say behind her back. Here's an example: Chloe was still standing there, with the dumbest expression I'd ever seen on her face, which, for Chloe, is saying something. Maybe one or two comments like this would be fine, but there are so many that it really isn't funny at all.

Worst of all, the plot is basically a device to put Sandy and Sinclair together. Seriously, it wraps up OFF PAGE. What is that? I think it crosses over with another book set in the universe, but still, we should get to read what happens without having to read another series. What there is of the story is thin and frankly disappointing. I was expecting more action, less awkward romance, especially when the MC is not even divorced from her abusive husband, and has a VENGEANCE DEMON inside of her. So much wasted potential.

While I appreciate the creative ideas of this series, unfortunately I won't be continuing it.

[Lalania Duprey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome spin off

Just a couple things! Doesnt really effect the story but your english is showing haha! Its not a big deal but if youre trying to portray americans tveres jyst a few things we' d never say on the regular. We NEVER call a windshield a windscreen, we say 'Hey!' not ' Oi!' to get someones attention and we call it a ' living room' instead of a 'lounge', and in most cases we call it a parking lot instead of a car park, or maybe a parking garage. Its just little things but I thought when she kept saying ' lounge' at first that she meant a bar. And windscreen I kept imagining like the old fashioned windshields on like old rolls royces. The freaking story is , as usual great tho! I dont mean to seen like a complainer bc the story is awesome and the characters too, tho Prue is annoying and her personality grates to the point that I doubt in real life anyone, men or woman, would be able to stand her. But just good writing if I hate her. I just thought for future notice maybe it d be more authentic if an american woman, especially a southern american, used american terminology. Im sorry if I seen nit picky bc its truly my only very minor issue. Love all the books! Imogens and Chloes stories are great too!

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

One might think a series which begins with the protagonist eating a banana that a vengeance demon inhabits, subsequently becoming a single unit with, would be a comedy. It's not. While there moments of humor, sweetness and a delicious slow burn romance, this book continues addressing the themes of misogyny and abuse towards women, the toxic and hypocritical effects that a certain belief system can have on marriage and families - and dark, dark magic.

The Bad Guys are nightmarishly bad - some of the most vile I've read. Blood magic at its worst. Fortunately, Sandy and Mavka's relationship continues to evolve with a combination of violence, humor and poignancy as they begin to truly appreciate the value and balance each of them brings to an increasingly useful coequal life. They can get a lot of beneficial work done. (As long as no one finds out about it!)

Once again, as with LH's Imogen Gray series, the majority of her main characters are strong and complex enough to warrant their own series. The world building is one I feel like I could step into and become a part of. Her writing is excellent. Who could ask for anything more?!?

[Sarah Metcalf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book!! This book picks up a few months after the previous book. Sandy is settling in and getting into a routine. But when Prue's niece finally comes to her with a problem, Sandy and Prue decide to help. Ginger's friend is in a coma and they think college rave parties are the link between the girls. And of course, while investigating, they figure out these girls are connected to the blood witches. Sandy is determined to help take these guys down with the help of Mavka and she won't let anyone, even Conrad Sinclair, get in the way. Several relationships are strengthened in this book, whether it's romantic, familial or friendship. Sandy even starts to become "fond" of Mavka as more than just a "passenger". We get to learn more about Aunt Marche and why Sandy's mom is the way she is. There is lots of action and vengeance, humor and suspense. I love how Sandy is actually starting to see how Mavka is useful and hand the reins over more easily now and how she is starting to grow a backbone! The twist at the end with the person behind Terry's legal trouble - I did not see that coming!! And how Sandy handled it was amazing! Will be reading the next book very soon!

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little less thrilled with this one

I think I’ve come to discover that I like origin stories. Movies, books, you name it. And I get a little bored if things don’t move along in the direction or at the pace I’d like.

And, so, the majority of the beginning of book one was allllll setting the stage and the origin story. Which was so well done. And, let me be up front an honest, I’m also in an extremely similar situation to where we first meet Sandy (in Imogen’s books) and so I’m righteously angry for her. And I wanted to see what would happen.

I think because our situations are so similar, but our personalities definitely are not, it was quite intriguing to see life after marriage/divorce. Of course, I don’t have a vengeance demon to swallow, nor do I think I’d like to live the vigilante lifestyle she does. But it does make for good reading!!

However, I’m just a bit let down with the way the story is progressing. Things with Sinclair are molasses slow, a lot of revelations felt odd and not that interesting and maybe were in weird places. Some key things that happened weren’t described. Just summed up after the fact. And I don’t know. I’m just disappointed.

[Mike Lewis · Rating 5 out of 5]

entertaining urban fantasy adventure series

This is an entertaining paranormal urban fantasy adventure series. A great cast of characters in an entertaining storyline. A young woman lives in Washington DC. Jesus single mother with a child. Going to a divorce and she cares within her vengeance demon. The vengeance demon goes after evil men and devours them. Our main character has devise the scale that if they’re not more evil than her ex-husband then she cannot eat them however there’s still plenty of evil people running around. She’s helping the local enforcer a police detective who happens to be the enforcer of paranormal beings in the area. He’s also part of the normal police department. They are chasing down a group of criminals called the blood kings along with her friends there saving women from being subjugated by these evil men and any other evil doers out there. A very entertaining series as it is a spinoff from the Imogen Gray immortal series. Check them both out.

[Jace · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book really fell apart for me. The characters turned stupid and couldn't see what was in front of their faces, not even mavka.
There's very little mavka interaction, unlike the other books. She's constantly prodding her and not getting much back. The relationship between Conrad and Sandy progressed all the way, and yet, he's barely met her child once or twice right before bedtime. Spent no time with him, it's weird. In fact her son is barely even in this book, just used as a threat at the end, which was hugely disappointment.

The bad guy was finally discovered and ended up being someone even mavka couldn't do anything to, and that was after being tricked by him the entire book. Conrad also keeps trying to keep her out of things, despite telling her he won't do that, and really the entire book was just annoying AF.
It's too bad because I liked the other two, but I'm not going to be continuing with this series now.

[Nereid · Rating 3 out of 5]

Magical sleuthing and family drama

This book us a good follow up and the characters are well fleshed out apart from the villians. Sandy develops a backbone and helps Sinclair with a few cases. Chloe is doe eyes and innocent about the supernatural world. Pure is the enforcer and supports her friends. They rush into danger but have each other backs. The slow burn romance between Sandy and Sinclair is more implied and grey struggle with their feelings for each other. Solving the cases is interesting but the book lacks the pent up excitement or danger that would make the series addictive. I enjoyed the book but not sure if I will keep reading the series. There is more angst than action at times and the villians don't stand a chance with Mavka around. I liked the book but it was not a must read for me.

[Susan1566 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sandy is a single mom, a hairdresser and a host for a vengeance demon/goddess, Mavka who wants to eat any evil man she meets.
While settling into her new life in DC a friend of Prue’s niece is found in a coma and she is not the only victim. Sandy and Prue decide to see if they can solve the problem but Conrad Sinclair, the enforcer, is also working on this. Being worried that Sinclair will kill her because of Mavka, Sandy is also extremely drawn to him and he to her.
There is a fair amount of action, lots of humour, romance, a couple of gruesome spots, great characters and an interesting story that is not finished in this book.
I found myself laughing outload with some of the comments in this book. It is a fun, easy, quick read and book 3 is already to go.
So far I would highly recommend any book by this author.

[Nightwitch · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another fun excursion, although it could have been subtitled "rise of the incels" and that is something about which I feel ambivalent - this series is tackling misogyny, and men who hate women, in a major way, and while I don't disagree with the author's views there, it's discomfiting to have things like the overturning of Roe v. Wade ascribed to some sort of evil supernatural force trying to take over the world. I'm not sure how the overarching narrative of the series can have a conclusively happy ending when it's ascribing a fictional cause to horrifying real-world events, basically. They can't "win" without rewriting contemporary events, and I'm not sure how that won't read as saddening wish-fulfillment. But the fourth book isn't even out yet, so who knows.

[Traci Otte · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started this one right after finishing #1. I did not pass Go, I did not collect $200, and I did not review it. Nor did I review this one right after finishing - I went straight into #3. I have since reviewed #1 (if you can call my rambling about reading the next book immediately a review), and now that I'm in #4, I'm reviewing #2.

I feel that reviewing books for indie authors is extremely important, but this series demanded I keep reading. I love everything about this series - the characters, the humor, the romance, the descriptions of a certain detective (I had to remind myself to breathe during those), the action, the magic, Dexter and his cat... everything.

Sorry - can't write more right now. Gotta review #3 so I can get back to #4!

[Daz Waltzer-Hill · Rating 5 out of 5]

What can I say?
This book was just over-the top fantastic. The puns were flying, and I don’t even like puns! But I was cackling like a crazy loon every time. And yes, I’m old enough to have gotten the Mr. Ed reference ;) Also, I’m loving Mavka more and more!!!! She just totally rocks. And Conrad is just beyond yummy! I stayed up til dawn, because I could absolutely not close the book until the very end! In fact, I loved it so much that even though I read it free with Kindle Unlimited, the first thing I did when I got up in the afternoon (because, as you’ll remember, I read through the night), was buy it so I’d have it for my own!

[Matt Cory · Rating 5 out of 5]

So very good!

Like the 1st book, this story definitely has some hard parts to get through and a fair bit less of the humor that helped the ick go down in the 1st story… nonetheless, despite the difficult parts, the story is wonderful and is again populated with marvelous protagonists and with more of the characters’ histories revealed.

A few parts were too spooky for me to read late night (my most uninterrupted read time), but comfortably digestible in the daytime.

Overall, I loved it and can’t wait till the end of December for book 3!

[Abi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yay! I love lady killers. Sandy spends this book searching for a supe who is putting young girls in a coma after attending raves but no one can figure out how. When Prues nieces friend falls into a coma she goes to Sandy and Conrad for help solving this mystery. I love the relationship dynamics between everyone. I think the overarching plot in general is awesome and the reason i'm reading all four books. The sub plot in the last book was better than this one but the actual dynamics, writing, and overall plot was better.

[Kate Jenkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

It got better and darker

I finished this in just a few hours. I'm so glad Sandy is finally getting her man and more comfortable with Mav.

This one is funnier in some parts but also much darker with what's happening to the girls and Sandy's religious trauma shinning through more, but she's healing and I love it.

If Mav could go eat Sandy's ex and mom that would amazing.

I'm so Happy Chloe got a good man...sort of and that this one ends on a happy note. I'm loaded up book three and waiting for everything to go wrong.

[Caroline Doig · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’m loving this series with Sandy who is possessed by a demon Mavka a female who loves to eat evil men and with Sandy’s friends Prue who is a skeleton and the other friend Chloe who has no idea about the supernatural world. Now there is a mystery to solve with girls who end up in a coma after going to a rave which makes Sandy and Prue on the case. I loved this story it’s a fantastic read and I definitely recommend this book/ series.

[Kat M · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was another great entry in the Foils and Fury series, it did a great job in continuing the story. The plot worked out great and I really enjoyed getting back to this universe. The characters were what I was looking for and I enjoyed the way they were written. It left me wanting more in both the world and from the author.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Sue Wallace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dancing With The Vengeance Demon by Lauretta Hignett.
Book 2 of Foils and Fury.
Having just escaped the clutches of her abusive husband, Sandy's finally settling into her new life in D.C. She's got the perfect job, perfect friends, and the perfect home. Oh, and a perfectly bloodthirsty vengeance demon sharing her body, but Sandy's doing an amazing job in keeping that little secret to herself.
Brilliant read. Love the cover. I do hope there is more to come. 5*.

[Renee H · Rating 5 out of 5]

Prue and Sandy are perfection. That is all.

I stumbled upon this series late and out of order-I read Bones first, then hopped back to Imogen’s storyline, and now I’m here. I am loving this author more and more with each story I read. Sandy is a delightful MC, and I literally laughed out loud multiple times reading this book. The premise is fresh and original, and I absolutely love diving deeper into this world.

[Rhonda Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding

Love this writer. She has a wicked sense of humor and isn't afraid to use it.
Sandy who is willingly possessed by a goddess of vengeance, has a son and her son's familiar, gets a letter stating her lazy , slime ex is going to fight for full custody of their child. In the meantime she has to keep Conrad Sinclair from finding out about Mavka the goddess of vengeance who has been eating evil men while possessing Sandy. Great ride and superb humor.