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Dance of the Dead Gods: Hunt
Istheus (Issa) is a nightmare curse, tethered to Jonathan, a man who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. The two coexisted, might even have been counted as friends, until the day Issa spotted a strange girl on the street and became fatally obsessed.
Now, he’s determined to break the terms of the curse and possess the woman with the bright red ribbon in her hair.
It doesn’t really matter what happens to Jonathan, because to hell with Jonathan.
Sofia was an unusual girl who did peculiar things. She was tasked by her goddess to keep forbidden magics in a secret place, and did quite a fair job of it until she met Jonathan, a slightly doltish but thoroughly delightful friend.
But perhaps she ought never to have made friends because the dark man at his house keeps looking at her, and his sugared words have knife-edged teeth.Content Dance of the Dead Gods is a dark fantasy romantasy featuring a morally black villain lead and a soft (not helpless) FMC. The series engages with disturbing themes and power-imbalanced dynamics. Some items below are isolated incidents; others are ongoing themes. Reader discretion is advised.
What to Villain main character (stays morally black; dark humor)Morally grey FMC“He will burn the world for her” energyStalking and manipulation from the villain’s POVKneeling/power-exchange dynamicsHeat 4/5 (“on-page spice”) There is no physical abuse or cheating between the MCs. This is not a story where the good guys win.
Trigger/Content AsphyxiationAttempted sexual assaultBody horrorChild kidnapping (isolated incident)Death and violenceDubious consent / coercive dynamicsHuman sacrifice; ritual animal sacrifice (non-graphic; no animal torture)Mental manipulationScarificationSomnophilia themes (attraction to a sleeping/unconscious person)StalkingTaphophobia (fear of being buried alive)Strong language (tasteful profanity)This guidance is series-wide; individual books may include some, but not all, items listed above.
Now, he’s determined to break the terms of the curse and possess the woman with the bright red ribbon in her hair.
It doesn’t really matter what happens to Jonathan, because to hell with Jonathan.
Sofia was an unusual girl who did peculiar things. She was tasked by her goddess to keep forbidden magics in a secret place, and did quite a fair job of it until she met Jonathan, a slightly doltish but thoroughly delightful friend.
But perhaps she ought never to have made friends because the dark man at his house keeps looking at her, and his sugared words have knife-edged teeth.Content Dance of the Dead Gods is a dark fantasy romantasy featuring a morally black villain lead and a soft (not helpless) FMC. The series engages with disturbing themes and power-imbalanced dynamics. Some items below are isolated incidents; others are ongoing themes. Reader discretion is advised.
What to Villain main character (stays morally black; dark humor)Morally grey FMC“He will burn the world for her” energyStalking and manipulation from the villain’s POVKneeling/power-exchange dynamicsHeat 4/5 (“on-page spice”) There is no physical abuse or cheating between the MCs. This is not a story where the good guys win.
Trigger/Content AsphyxiationAttempted sexual assaultBody horrorChild kidnapping (isolated incident)Death and violenceDubious consent / coercive dynamicsHuman sacrifice; ritual animal sacrifice (non-graphic; no animal torture)Mental manipulationScarificationSomnophilia themes (attraction to a sleeping/unconscious person)StalkingTaphophobia (fear of being buried alive)Strong language (tasteful profanity)This guidance is series-wide; individual books may include some, but not all, items listed above.
321 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 21, 2025
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41 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
October 21, 2025
“A dream…” Her lips moved, barely audible. “I am dreaming, and I must wake…”
“So you admit you dream of me?” His voice came out hoarse, like thirst had been eating at him.
“A nightmare, then,” she whispered, smiling.
“One you pray to have,” he purred.”
I wasn’t sure what to expect with this book and really enjoyed it! This is a start of the series so while we don’t get all the answers this lays the groundwork of the world really well.
“A devil born of a curse with the smug attitude of a cat and unpleasantness of a guest who’d overstayed his welcome– that was Issa.”
Issa is a morally black cursed creature with a tiny soft spot for a few select people. This makes his blackness endearing in a horrific sort of way. He’s unapologetically pompous and funny, I laughed out loud in chapter 1. If you like your MMC sarcastic and willing to burn the world down for their love interest, you will really enjoy Issa. The nature of this story is dark but Volkova walks the line between disturbing and humorous so well. The story ultimately starts on the path of Issa learning his origin story and I am very interested in the lore of the magic and gods of this world.
“I’m a delight.” He wasn’t, and it never occurred to him it would be in any way important.”
Sofia is a witch and definitely odd. I loved being able to explore her little cabin full of the bizarre. And it was fun to follow her down a path to Issa!
“He liked the way she blinked twice when asked a question. He liked it when she answered the question with a lie.”
Volkova’s writing was really captivating, beautiful, and poetic at times. There is great atmosphere and tension. I occasionally had to reread or backtrack a bit to get things straight - especially with the passing of time as POVs changed - but not because it was confusing, more because Volkova wasn’t spoon feeding me her world build and I really appreciated that! There is a lot here that we just don’t understand yet and the writing leans into the atmosphere of the mystery.
“All the purity, the grace, the fragility of who she was, apexed at that moment, and he would learn each quiver as written word.”
The pacing was perfect. I was hooked right away and the characters left me wanting to learn more. As events unfolded, the tension really started to build. Again, it’s the start of a series but the story ends in a place that leaves you wanting more without feeling betrayed by the abrupt end. I definitely want to read on.
Thank you to the author and Shadow Light Press for this ARC!
“So you admit you dream of me?” His voice came out hoarse, like thirst had been eating at him.
“A nightmare, then,” she whispered, smiling.
“One you pray to have,” he purred.”
I wasn’t sure what to expect with this book and really enjoyed it! This is a start of the series so while we don’t get all the answers this lays the groundwork of the world really well.
“A devil born of a curse with the smug attitude of a cat and unpleasantness of a guest who’d overstayed his welcome– that was Issa.”
Issa is a morally black cursed creature with a tiny soft spot for a few select people. This makes his blackness endearing in a horrific sort of way. He’s unapologetically pompous and funny, I laughed out loud in chapter 1. If you like your MMC sarcastic and willing to burn the world down for their love interest, you will really enjoy Issa. The nature of this story is dark but Volkova walks the line between disturbing and humorous so well. The story ultimately starts on the path of Issa learning his origin story and I am very interested in the lore of the magic and gods of this world.
“I’m a delight.” He wasn’t, and it never occurred to him it would be in any way important.”
Sofia is a witch and definitely odd. I loved being able to explore her little cabin full of the bizarre. And it was fun to follow her down a path to Issa!
“He liked the way she blinked twice when asked a question. He liked it when she answered the question with a lie.”
Volkova’s writing was really captivating, beautiful, and poetic at times. There is great atmosphere and tension. I occasionally had to reread or backtrack a bit to get things straight - especially with the passing of time as POVs changed - but not because it was confusing, more because Volkova wasn’t spoon feeding me her world build and I really appreciated that! There is a lot here that we just don’t understand yet and the writing leans into the atmosphere of the mystery.
“All the purity, the grace, the fragility of who she was, apexed at that moment, and he would learn each quiver as written word.”
The pacing was perfect. I was hooked right away and the characters left me wanting to learn more. As events unfolded, the tension really started to build. Again, it’s the start of a series but the story ends in a place that leaves you wanting more without feeling betrayed by the abrupt end. I definitely want to read on.
Thank you to the author and Shadow Light Press for this ARC!
October 12, 2025
I loved the vibes—it had such an addictive pull right from the start. The atmosphere was rich, dark, and a little mysterious, and it made me want to stay immersed in this world for as long as possible.
One of the highlights for me was the MMC. He was everything—so funny, so evil, and honestly, so unpredictable. I felt like I was on a rollercoaster with him. One moment, I liked him; the next, I was totally wary of his intentions. The author really nailed that whiplash feeling, where you can’t decide if you’re rooting for him or if you should be afraid of what he might do next. It kept me on my toes!
Another thing I adored was the inclusion of witches and magic. I love a good magical world, and this one had all the elements I crave—mystery, power struggles, and the sense that anything could happen at any moment.
I kept trying to guess where the plot was going, but every time I thought I had it figured out, something would twist and surprise me.
The author’s writing style was immersive, making it easy to get lost in the world. I need to read book 2 when it comes out to find out what happens next!
One of the highlights for me was the MMC. He was everything—so funny, so evil, and honestly, so unpredictable. I felt like I was on a rollercoaster with him. One moment, I liked him; the next, I was totally wary of his intentions. The author really nailed that whiplash feeling, where you can’t decide if you’re rooting for him or if you should be afraid of what he might do next. It kept me on my toes!
Another thing I adored was the inclusion of witches and magic. I love a good magical world, and this one had all the elements I crave—mystery, power struggles, and the sense that anything could happen at any moment.
I kept trying to guess where the plot was going, but every time I thought I had it figured out, something would twist and surprise me.
The author’s writing style was immersive, making it easy to get lost in the world. I need to read book 2 when it comes out to find out what happens next!
October 17, 2025
Thank you to the author and Shadow Light Press for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
I love a dark romance and stories based on cultural folklore, and this is a story that I really enjoyed the whole way through. What Volkova is selling is what she serves, that is for certain. The world was rich and immersive while also deeply unsettling. The humor is dry and quick. The plot is full of twists. I think any dark romance/romantasy reader would quickly fall in love and enjoy that Volkova did, in fact, write an MMC who is morally grey and largely unrepentant for that. Issa was such a complex, miserable bastard of a MMC, but how can you not end up loving him?
The author did a great job of building tension and keeping a very spooky vibe throughout. It made me want to read more books with Slavic lore incorporated. It was definitely dark and suspenseful.
The only true gripe I have about the characters is that Sofia is too...weak... for me. I felt more compelled to see Issa with a different character than our FMC. She's got such cool powers and has such a lovely story, but to see her still be so innocent and meek was not what I expected out of her. I don't really know how the love story even truly started, as they start off being enemies almost. However, by the end, I did like their interactions with one another, and I hope to see that grow into something beautiful by the end of this series.
I will say that occasionally I would come across a sentence that needed another pass before fully understanding the meaning. I'm unsure if that is my own stupidity or if things would benefit from another re-work. However, these instances never hindered the story or my enjoyment. I cannot wait to see the world and background given more attention in the following books, because this society our characters live in, with the witch hunts and demons, is so richly crafted by Volkova that I feel it deserves to be fleshed out even more. Anyone who is a dark romance reader but wants morally grey characters to maintain through the whole book, this is the read for you.
I love a dark romance and stories based on cultural folklore, and this is a story that I really enjoyed the whole way through. What Volkova is selling is what she serves, that is for certain. The world was rich and immersive while also deeply unsettling. The humor is dry and quick. The plot is full of twists. I think any dark romance/romantasy reader would quickly fall in love and enjoy that Volkova did, in fact, write an MMC who is morally grey and largely unrepentant for that. Issa was such a complex, miserable bastard of a MMC, but how can you not end up loving him?
The author did a great job of building tension and keeping a very spooky vibe throughout. It made me want to read more books with Slavic lore incorporated. It was definitely dark and suspenseful.
The only true gripe I have about the characters is that Sofia is too...weak... for me. I felt more compelled to see Issa with a different character than our FMC. She's got such cool powers and has such a lovely story, but to see her still be so innocent and meek was not what I expected out of her. I don't really know how the love story even truly started, as they start off being enemies almost. However, by the end, I did like their interactions with one another, and I hope to see that grow into something beautiful by the end of this series.
I will say that occasionally I would come across a sentence that needed another pass before fully understanding the meaning. I'm unsure if that is my own stupidity or if things would benefit from another re-work. However, these instances never hindered the story or my enjoyment. I cannot wait to see the world and background given more attention in the following books, because this society our characters live in, with the witch hunts and demons, is so richly crafted by Volkova that I feel it deserves to be fleshed out even more. Anyone who is a dark romance reader but wants morally grey characters to maintain through the whole book, this is the read for you.
October 26, 2025
This book was received as an ARC from the publisher in exchange for my honest review. As always, all thoughts are my own.
The characters? Fascinating.
The pacing? Fantastic.
The prose? Lush and tactile and absolutely *satisfying*.
"A dark and primeval forest, untouched and revered until the sawmill came with stern foremen and sharp axes to create wounds within its outer edges and dig into its soul."
Polina Volkova does what many authors wish they could: write lush, poetic prose without coming off as annoying, pretentious, or cringe. It's a treat to read!
"The morning still clung to the skies, breathing chill from underneath the door of Odis’ home and bothering the fire."
The vignettes with background characters add short bursts of humanity and tragedy that further flesh out and flavor the townspeople, setting, and actions of the main characters.
"He wanted her. Whether to eat or *eat*, he wasn’t sure. Her fear fed him and made him warm, but standing there, Issa realized what he took for want of her being afraid was the need of her to seek refuge in him."
I try to avoid spoilers in my reviews, so I'll keep it vague. There are several themes that run parallel through multiple characters, their lives, and their desires. Watching these themes develop and intertwine makes the story even more enjoyable. (It gives the literature-loving part of my brain something to chew on.)
Issa's hunger is ever-present, whether it be for flesh, Sofia, or freedom.
Polina Volkova has earned her spot on my bookshelf (and a re-read before book 2 releases!). I look forward to ravenously devouring the rest of the series.
The characters? Fascinating.
The pacing? Fantastic.
The prose? Lush and tactile and absolutely *satisfying*.
"A dark and primeval forest, untouched and revered until the sawmill came with stern foremen and sharp axes to create wounds within its outer edges and dig into its soul."
Polina Volkova does what many authors wish they could: write lush, poetic prose without coming off as annoying, pretentious, or cringe. It's a treat to read!
"The morning still clung to the skies, breathing chill from underneath the door of Odis’ home and bothering the fire."
The vignettes with background characters add short bursts of humanity and tragedy that further flesh out and flavor the townspeople, setting, and actions of the main characters.
"He wanted her. Whether to eat or *eat*, he wasn’t sure. Her fear fed him and made him warm, but standing there, Issa realized what he took for want of her being afraid was the need of her to seek refuge in him."
I try to avoid spoilers in my reviews, so I'll keep it vague. There are several themes that run parallel through multiple characters, their lives, and their desires. Watching these themes develop and intertwine makes the story even more enjoyable. (It gives the literature-loving part of my brain something to chew on.)
Issa's hunger is ever-present, whether it be for flesh, Sofia, or freedom.
Polina Volkova has earned her spot on my bookshelf (and a re-read before book 2 releases!). I look forward to ravenously devouring the rest of the series.
October 20, 2025
Thank you to the author and Shadow Light Press for allowing me to be an advanced reader.
This dark paranormal romance drew me in with its folklore-inspired world and masterful storytelling. The tension was palpable, and the unexpected twists had me on the edge of my seat.
With demons, witches, and magical beings, the paranormal elements were perfectly woven in. It’s dark, so be sure to check your triggers! The writing was immersive and descriptive, making it a great fit for a spooky fall read. It took a bit to get going, but once it did, I was captivated. If you're a fan of dark
romantasy and morally black MMC, you'll love this. The ending left me with some questions, and I'm eagerly anticipating the next book!
This dark paranormal romance drew me in with its folklore-inspired world and masterful storytelling. The tension was palpable, and the unexpected twists had me on the edge of my seat.
With demons, witches, and magical beings, the paranormal elements were perfectly woven in. It’s dark, so be sure to check your triggers! The writing was immersive and descriptive, making it a great fit for a spooky fall read. It took a bit to get going, but once it did, I was captivated. If you're a fan of dark
romantasy and morally black MMC, you'll love this. The ending left me with some questions, and I'm eagerly anticipating the next book!
November 14, 2025
I’ve loved every book by Polina that I’ve read. Into the Deep Wood was one of my top reads this year, maybe even takes the number one spot. I jumped into this as soon as I saw she released a new book. It did not disappoint. I loved each character and the chemistry between them. I guess her writing style just pairs well with the way I think, because it always makes me feel like I’m in the story with the characters. It’s funny, it’s witty, it’s romantic and loving. I can’t wait for the next one!
October 23, 2025
I received a free copy of this ARC, thank you to the publisher!
I enjoyed how detailed this story was, and the relationship between Issa and Sofia had me wanting more!
This book is a page-turner and I definitely recommend it to dark fantasy lovers.
I enjoyed how detailed this story was, and the relationship between Issa and Sofia had me wanting more!
This book is a page-turner and I definitely recommend it to dark fantasy lovers.
October 21, 2025
Loved the story line! Definitely one of a kind and not something I have read so far.
October 26, 2025
This one took me a little bit to get into it, but I am glad I stuck with it! I ended up enjoying this story and loved the dark, fairytale vibe that it gave me!
November 9, 2025
Weird but great
I am so glad I took a chance and read this book. I was better than I thought it would be. Loved all the details Polina used throughout the story.
I am so glad I took a chance and read this book. I was better than I thought it would be. Loved all the details Polina used throughout the story.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews