Dance of the Dead

Ravenloft #3

by Christie Golden, Clyde Caldwell (Illustrator)

When the riverboat on which she works as a dancer docks at a zombie-plagued island known as Sourange, Larissa Snowmane must rely on the help of the swamp creatures to save her soul.

Genres: Fantasy, Horror, Fiction, Dungeons and Dragons, Zombies, Gaming, Dark Fantasy

310 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published June 30, 1992

About the author

Award-winning author Christie Golden has written over thirty novels and several short stories in the fields of science fiction, fantasy and horror. She has over a million books in print.

2009 will see no fewer than three novels published. First out in late April will be a World of Warcraft novel, Athas: Rise of the Lich King. This is the first Warcraft novel to appear in hardcover. Fans of the young paladin who fell so far from grace will get to read his definitive story.

In June, Golden’s first Star Wars novel, also a hardcover, sees print. Star Wars: Fate of the Jedi—Omen is the second in a nine-book series she is co-authoring with Aaron Allston and Troy Denning. Also in June comes the conclusion of Golden’s StarCraft: The Dark Templar Saga with the release of Twlight, the third book in the series. The first two are Firstborn and Shadow Hunters.

2004 saw the launch of an original fantasy series called The Final Dance, from LUNA Books. The first novel in the series, On Fire's Wings, was published in July of that year. The second, In Stone’s Clasp , came out in September of 2005. With In Stone’s Clasp, Golden won the Colorado Author’s League Top Hand Award for Best Genre Novel for the second time. The third book, Under Sea’s Shadow, is available only as an e-book

Golden is also the author of two original fantasy novels from Ace Books, King's Man and Thief and Instrument of Fate, which made the 1996 Nebula Preliminary Ballot. Under the pen name of Jadrien Bell, she wrote a historical fantasy thriller entitled A.D. 999, which won the Colorado Author's League Top Hand Award for Best Genre Novel of 1999.

Golden launched the TSR Ravenloft line in 1991 with her first novel, the highly successful Vampire of the Mists , which introduced elven vampire Jander Sunstar. Golden followed up Vampire with Dance of the Dead and The Enemy Within . In September of 2006, fifteen years to the month, The Ravenloft Covenant: Vampire of the Mists enabled Jander Sunstar to reach a whole new audience.

Other projects include a slew of Star Trek novels, among them The Murdered Sun , Marooned , and Seven of Nine , and "The Dark Matters Trilogy," Cloak and Dagger , Ghost Dance and Shadow of Heaven .

The Voyager novel relaunch, which includes Homecoming and The Farther Shore , were bestsellers and were the fastest-selling Trek novels of 2003. Golden continued writing VOYAGER novels even though the show went off the air, and enjoyed exploring the creative freedom that gave her in the two-parter called Spirit Walk, which includes Old Wounds and Enemy of my Enemy .

Golden has also written the novelization of Steven Spielberg's Invasion America and an original "prequel," On The Run , both of which received high praise from producer Harve Bennett. On The Run, a combination medical thriller and science fiction adventure, even prompted Bennett to invite Golden to assist in crafting the second season of the show, if it was renewed.

Golden lives in Loveland, Colorado, with her artist husband and their two cats.

Reviews

[Gianfranco Mancini · Rating 3 out of 5]

Non il migliore romanzo di Ravenloft che abbia mai letto, ma neanche il peggiore.
Misroi è un Signore Oscuro un po' blando, dato il suo ruolo secondario rispetto alla trama, e l'assenza di pezzi da novanta come Strahd o Lord Soth si fa sentire parecchio, ma tutto sommato storia e protagonista sono più che decenti, e l'ambientazione di Souragne, dominio misconosciuto basato su una classica e paludosa Luisiana voodoo, mi è piaciuta parecchio.
Ed il capitano Dumont, bardo malvagio e lascivo che nasconde la sua attività di schiavista dietro un battello fluviale di teatranti itineranti, è uno splendido villain che avrei usato volentieri come DM in una delle mie vecchie campagne di Dungeons and Dragons, mia vecchia passione di cui ho già parlato abbondantemente qui ed in altre recensioni.
Peccato questo sia l'ultimo romanzo tradotto e pubblicato in Italia della serie, avrei letto volentieri gli altri ma gli irriperibili volumi inglesi costano ormai un occhio della testa.
La copertina illustrata da Clyde Caldwell è da dieci stelle.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book because of the title, cheesy cover art, and the Ravenloft connection. I did not have high expectations, so I was pleasantly surprised. It was a fun read for a rainy day at the beach and I couldn't put it down!

[Jasher Drake · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was probably the weirdest book I’ve ever read.

Like honestly, I really didn’t know that I was in for a novel about a musical-theatre actress saving talking animals from zombies in a haunted swamp by using the magical powers of her dancing, but that’s what I got and it was actually really good.

Pacing was a struggle at the very start, but once the story gets going, it really gets going.

Dance of the Dead was a super unique book with memorable characters and a great plot. Had a few awesome horror moments as well which I thoroughly enjoyed.

[Necropenguin · Rating 4 out of 5]

More of a 3.5 really.

Good, but not great. A little too French for me. I'd rather Larissa be a musician than a dancer, but then they couldn't call it 'Dance' of the Dead.

highlights:
-Lond made for a pretty good villain.
-The dark lord of the realm was kinda dull, so it was good that he wasn't a major player in this book.
-Good background for Larissa.
-The Maiden of the Island was a good character. She needs a book of her own, though I highly doubt it'll ever happen.
-An unexpected ending for the MC's love interest.
-Musical theatre isn't my kind of thing, so I'm glad they didn't spend a lot of time showing the play.

lowlights:
-I wanted more background on DuMont and the boat.
-Willen's secret past (Yawn).

All in all, it's worth a read. It's easy to finish quickly and isn't a snoozefest (except for a couple parts).

[Eric Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an excellent book in the series. Zombies, power being able to corrupt, loss of innocence, and realizations of the darkness that lies within us all. All of these are found within this book in one of the lesser known domains of Ravenloft. I don't remember there being any mention of this domain anywhere other than the source books for the campaign setting but here within these pages is a fully realized domain with character and a lord whose presence is felt throughout but used sparingly and to great effect. Excellent read.

[Robert · Rating 3 out of 5]

The feeling you get when you know the climax is going to be an epic dance-off:



The weird, ersatz French Louisiana but with magical paddle boats setting was a novel one for me, and it was also refreshing that this Ravenloft book has a minimal amount of Vampiric content instead focussing on uncanny swamp creatures and the inevitable zombie hordes.

It was maybe a little bloated with secondary characters and magical talking animals but the author was doing world-building for the RPG setting as well as telling a story so I won't quibble too much. All in all, fun, and also nice to see a strong-willed female protagonist overcome her nefarious male adversaries.

[Nimrod Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I listened to this one as an audiobook, and Marisa Vitali does a good job with her narration and the different voices she uses for various characters.

Writing-style
Christie Golden's writing-style is good and flows well.
4/5

World-building
The world-building is well-executed, especially the concept of the swamp surrounding the island. This area is shrouded in mystery, and we gradually learn more about its inhabitants and creatures. The magic system is unique and dance-oriented, adding an intriguing twist to the story.
4.25/5

Characterization
Larissa is a captivating protagonist with a well-developed background that unfolds throughout the book.
The villain is also well-crafted, with its own motives that add depth to the story.
Captain Dumont, Willen, and the Maiden of the Swamp are compelling characters, each adding their own flavor to the narrative.
4/5

Plot and Pacing
The plot is full of mystery and very engaging from start to end.
The pacing is well balanced throughout the book.
4/5


A very enjoyable read set in the Raveloft setting
4.0/5

[hotsake (André Troesch) · Rating 3 out of 5]

A middling book/story that had just enough going on to keep me reading.

[Amanda Dzierzewski · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am a fan of the Ravenloft series. Christie Golden is a great storyteller in my opinion. This book is a light read fantasy that includes magic, folklore, zombies, and a bittersweet love story. I have read Dance of the Dead a dozen times. It's one of my favorite books in the Ravenloft series and no matter how many times I read it, I always shed a tear at the end!

[Don Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good book. Not amazing, but certainly worth a read. Christie has great skill with descriptive language. There are a lot of good twists and turns in this book that kept me coming back for more. This book seemed like it belonged in 19th century Louisiana. The Ravenloft element was in name only, except for the Mists.

[Sugarpop · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first Ravenloft novel that was actually good with good pacing.
For once I truly liked the characters and was genuinely sad for them.

This novel can also function as a great mystery horror campaign and I will use it as such in the future!

[Tim Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Back in the late 1980s and into the mid-1990s, I used to read a lot of the novels that TSR put out for Advanced Dungeons and Dragons. I would read dozens a year it seemed, reading books set in most of the worlds the company offered, including some I did not play in or run games in as a Dungeon Master. Sometimes I might read only one book in a given setting, but I would at least sample some writing from that particular part of their overall game universe. There were some great books I would put up against the best fantasy out there and some, well, best forgotten books.

I realized recently two things. One, I had never actually written a review for any of the TSR novels, not even my favorites, the Dragonlance Chronicles and Legends. Not one review! And second, I have never read a Ravenloft novel. Well, here I am.

I decided my first Ravenloft novel was not going to be any of the best sellers dealing with the most famous character of the setting – the vampire Count Strahd Von Zarovich – nor deal with a “classic” middle or eastern European setting. I picked the third in this stand-alone, open-ended series, _Dance of the Dead_ by Christie Golden which had neither vampires (well, a single one page cameo of one very early on) nor any pseudo Romanian, German, or other European-inspired setting.

This book is set almost entirely in and around the swampy island of Souragne, a land of mid-19th century style plantations, a smallish city that has both high ends areas and some dangerous crime ridden sections, and a distinctly New Orleans/Louisiana Creole/Cajun flair in terms of some of the vocabulary, food cooked and eaten in town and on the plantations, and the overall ecology of the area (cypress trees, Spanish moss, crocodilians – well, Louisiana would have alligators, not crocodiles, but this is not the real world).

When I say set in and around, much of the action is actually not on the island of Souragne, but instead on the steam-driven paddlewheel showboat known as _La Demoiselle du Musarde_. The riverboat travels from realm to realm in Ravenloft, its captain and crew earning money through its magically enhanced musical that the performers perform on board night after night at towns they dock in for several days or a week (the play being called _The Pirate’s Pleasure_).

The main character of the book is a young woman who goes by the name Larissa Snowmane, a white-haired young lady who is a dancer in the musical (her white hair breathtakingly unusual in a woman her age, which I believe is late teens or early twenties). Living for and loving to dance, her world is the play and her fellow cast members, the somewhat rakish bard Sardan (the male lead), Liza Penelope (the female lead and star of the show), her best friend and understudy Casilda Bannek, and the captain, Raoul Dumont, father figure to Larissa after her father disappeared.

Things were not bad for Larissa until one night in the land called Darkon one of the play’s leads is found strangled in their room on the ship. Dumont, not keen to wait around for the authorities of that place to investigate with the delays and restrictions this would impose, orders the boat into the mists that surround that particular realm, off to greener pastures (in the Ravenloft setting, each country or region is somewhat cut off from others by swirling permanents mist, mists many fear to go through as not only is visibility greatly reduced, but strange and dangerous monsters are sometimes encountered).

Making their way to the southern Louisiana-style island of Souragne and its town of Port d’Elhour, the cast and crew set up shop there in a place obviously not used to visitors. Things start to unravel for Larissa, Dumont, and the others through a series of events, including the fact Larissa hears drums no one else can, Dumont takes on a mysterious passenger named Lond, a man with a sinister secret, one whose face is permanently in shadow in a hooded cloak, a kind, handsome, light-hearted man by the name of Willen who befriends Larissa one night in town and becomes part of her life, all while Larissa finds out some dark secrets about what happened to the murdered cast member, later another cast member who develops “swamp fever” and appears lethargic, barely talks, has cool skin, and is very compliant, her father years ago (who may not have just left), Dumont’s mysterious new friend Lond, and why her new friend Willen is there, and why Dumont’s ship is able to pass safely through the mists that separate the various realms in Ravenloft, much of this all tying together.

Readers find during the course of the story that there are good and bad forces at work against each other on the boat, each with their own agents, and both sides have at one point or another touched upon Larissa’s life past and present, including relating to things such as what happened to her father and why she had snow-white hair. There were some genuinely evil forces that wanted to destroy out of a need to control others or otherwise get what they want, some evil forces that could be bargained with and understood the concepts of mutual interests, evil forces that had limits on how far they would go and could feel regret about their decisions and even try to reverse them, and some genuinely good forces that while sometimes a risk to work with did have good intentions. I was pleased how relatively nuanced the evil was in the novel and also pleased that the story didn’t only had unrelentingly dark elements but had genuinely good and kind forces at work as well (it wasn’t nihilistic!).

I gather each area of Ravenloft has its “thing” in terms of what horror is most prevalent there for story and game purposes and I will go ahead and tell you Souragne’s “thing” is primarily zombies. Old school zombies, not the disease-spread pandemic monsters of more modern works, mindless creatures that exist only to kill, feed, or make more zombies. No, really old school zombies, ones created by a sorcerer or evil priest or wizard or the like, with some intelligence, that can at least for a time pass for living, and exist to do the bidding of their creator. That was refreshing I thought and really fit the setting. I think maybe at times more could have been done with them throughout the novel but one gets plenty of them at the end.

I liked how the title actually figured into the story, that it wasn’t just something pretty or poetic or the like, but actually was a plot element in the novel.

I liked the more fantastical elements of the story, ones that felt very like AD&D in terms of setting, such as Gelaar, an elven illusionist crew member on the ship, Dragoneyes, the really only friend and confident of Dumont and who is a half-elf, and some of the other non-undead creatures that the story featured. It was dark fantasy but definitely fantasy and didn’t forget that and it was different from other horror or horror-type novels I have read due to folding these elements in.

The book wasn’t really a horror novel until I would say maybe about a 100 or 150 pages from the end, though by that point it had evolved into definitely a horror novel. I liked that and had no problem with that, but if one were to start reading the book and expect a horror novel I would say they would have to work their way to the point where it became that. Though before it becomes a horror novel it is darkly atmospheric with the impenetrable swamp, mists surrounding the realms, fog arising every night, murder, and the mysterious comings and goings, the other elements and tone seem to keep it more a dark fantasy than a horror novel.

I think the author did a good job with atmosphere, scenery, dialogue, pacing, and keeping track of the different plot elements. I think combat description/depiction was her weak point, as they often lacked detail and felt rushed though weren’t confusing or particularly bad. I liked the new monsters the book introduced, ones I am not familiar with from other AD&D novels or game materials, but I think naming things was not her strong point at times. A steam-driven boat is quite unusual in AD&D novels and I was surprised this wasn’t dealt with or described a bit more, but then again Ravenloft is the one setting that has gaming materials for adventuring as late as the 1890s (not sure if any novels are set in technology that advanced) so that is not really a problem. It took me a while to get used to the style of writing, in which the author, while clear they are depicting the story from another point of view, did so without breaking into new chapters or sections. I quickly got used to it but I would prefer if any sort of point of view changes there at least be a page or paragraph break of some sort. I liked how the story had a definitive end with not a lot of ambiguity. I also liked how the author wasn’t afraid to kill off some major characters though again to a point I made previously, not in a nihilistic fashion.

[Travis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dance of the Dead by Christie Golden- This is the third book that was released in the Ravenloft line of novels based off the Ravenloft setting in the pen and paper roleplaying game Dungeons and Dragons. This is also a stand-alone novel and can be read without any prior knowledge with Ravenloft or Dungeons and Dragons. Christie Golden has written a number of books in shared universes and otherwise. She has written two other novels based in the Ravenloft setting, Vampire of the Mists and The Enemy Within. She's also written a number of stories that are set in the various Star Trek universes. Her Star Trek: Voyager works include; The Murdered Sun, Marooned, Seven of Nine, the Dark Matters trilogy (Cloak and Dagger, Ghost Dance, and Shadow of Heaven), Homecoming duology (Homecoming and The Farther Shore), and the Spirit Walk duology (Old Wounds and Enemy of My Enemy). In Star Trek: The Next Generation she co-wrote the six book in the Double Helix series titled The First Virtue with Michael Jan Friedman. She wrote one book in the Star Trek: S.C.E. titled Hard Crash. She contributed a book to the Star Trek: Gateways series titled No Man's Land. She has also written a book in the Star Trek: The Original Series series called The Last Round-up. Another shared universe that she's contributed to is Warcraft. She's written Lord of the Clans, Rise of the Hoard, co-wrote Beyond the Dark Portal with Aaron Rosenberg, Arthas: Rise of the Lich King, and The Shattering: Prelude to Cataclysm. She's also written a trilogy for Starcraft titled Dark Templar (First Born, Shadow Hunters, and Twilight) as well as writing a book for Starcraft II titled Devil's Due. She wrote two books for the Star Wars series called Fate of the Jedi titled Omen and Allies. Some of her original works include the Verold series (Instrument of Fate and King's Man and Thief), A.D. 999 under the pen name of Jadrien Bell, Invasion America series (Invasion America and On the Run), and the Final Dance trilogy (On Fire's Wings, In Stone's Clasp, and Under Sea's Shadow). Christie Golden has also contributed a number of short stories to various anthologies. Dance of the Dead was released in 1992 and published by TSR, Inc. However, this book is hard to find and you'll most likely need to pick it up used.

Larissa Snowmane's world is turned upside down. As the Lady of the Sea in the play The Pirates Pleasure, the dancer has had an uneventful and peaceful life. All that changed when after a performance, she finds the lead singer, Liza, strangled in her room. After the captain of the showboat and Larissa 'uncle', Raoul Dumont, finds out about the death, he sets off and heads into the Mists. During the horrifying trip into the Mists, the showboat comes out unharmed. They find themselves near a port in a place called Souragne, a swamp-like island. After disembarking at Port d'Elhour, the captain offers his entertainment to the town, for a free taste of the show. During a scene from the play, Larissa encounters a friendly man named Willen who can see her when she's invisible. But before she could ask anything more about him, her scene comes up and has to leave to act. After the brief taste of the play that Captain Dumont gives the town, he takes Larissa on a walk, only to cause a schism between their relationship. With the help of the mysterious Willen, Larissa is able to hide from Dumont and his unwanted advances. However, she decides to return to the showboat for the first full performance. After the successful show, a strange human asks Dumont if he can accompany them to their next destination. He accepts after the stranger, Lond, shows his 'usefulness'. Larissa finds Willen again, after Willen joins the showboat to help navigate the swamp. But Willen has something awful and horrifying to tell her about her beloved 'uncle' and that she's special. What is this horrifying secret that the captain has? Who's Lond? Will the showboat escape the swamp? Why is Larissa so special?

Criticisms:
1) Side Characters. The characters themselves were not bad at all. The problem is that there is just too many characters. While some characters had some nice development and interesting enough, but there was just too many that didn't have enough. For example, the pilot Jahedrin and Gelaar needed more time to develop. While Jahedrin didn't have that big of a role, it was awkward to see him get so much scene time at the end. He does seem like a very interesting character, but it almost seemed like his character was just thrown in for some exposition and lines. However, Gelaar is the most disappointing side character. He had a constant presence throughout the story, yet not any development other than him losing his daughter. He's the most disappointing character because at the end of the story he just suddenly becomes a dues ex machina and has a moment of great development but then he is suddenly forgotten. While the side characters were good, they seemed to need 'more'.

Praises:
1) Villains. The villains were just wonderfully evil. The mysterious stranger, Lond, is the more straightforward villain. He's evil and you can definitely tell that he is. While this wouldn't be a good thing, somehow this just works. He does things late in the story that is utterly horrifying and vile, and he's made to be hated. Then you have the sympathetic, yet not sympathetic character of Dumont. For half of this story, Dumont comes off as a rather nice character. Sure, he killed one of the boats pilots to make Larissa fall in love with him, but even past that he was likeable. He had this charisma that it seemed no matter what he did, you couldn't help but like him. It could have been his friendship with his first mate Dragoneyes or how he generally acts towards his cast, but something about him makes me like him. However, he does slowly became a mean and vile character but even when this happens, I couldn't help but like him. He also has a kind of 'redemption moment' at the end that was really good, if tragic. All in all, the villains were wonderful.
2) Protagonists. I also really liked the protagonists. Larissa was good and Willen was interesting. Larissa had a lot to make her a wonderful and interesting character. She had a well-developed and heartbreaking background. She matures throughout the story and has very good character development and progression. Not to mention her naivety in things is kind of (for lack of a better term) cute. That makes her change all the more shocking and well-earned. She doesn't seem like a good heroic character, yet she pulls it off almost flawlessly. Willen is pretty much the same way. His background is a little more mystical, but for some reason it's interesting. I really can't say much about Willen without some major spoilers, so I'll just say that his character is surprising interesting.
3) Natives. I really liked how this story had characters that are native to Ravenloft. While this is a very minor thing, I really liked it. There was no real need for a famous character from another setting to be transported into this realm. It was just nice to see this change after having the first two books of other settings having an introduction in another setting. It was also nice to see that characters that from the Ravenloft setting hold their own.

Side Notes:
1) Horror. I do have a hard time calling this a fantasy horror novel. For seventy percent of the novel, it had the feel of a 'normal' fantasy book. Then at the end it started to get a little horrifying.
2) Swamp. I really liked the whole Louisiana-esque swamp feel this story had. It had a different kind of feel to a fantasy story.
3) Cover Art. I honestly hate it. The dress color on Larissa is horrible and looks like puke. Her face is just demonic and disturbing. It's so disgustingly disturbing. The whole cover is plain awful and hurts the eyes.

Overall: 4/5
Final Thoughts:
Dance of the Dead is a great read, with one problem. The side characters needed to be a little more developed. They were just there for most of the story, and what development they were given was quickly forgotten. Another small problem is that the story never really felt like a horror story, but it wasn't a terrible thing. However, the characters are wonderful and the story is solid. Larissa and Willen were just wonderful characters. They have a lot of depth and a very interesting and well-developed backgrounds. The villains were also great. Lond was absolutely vile, and I loved to hate him. Dumont had a likeable quality to him that even when he does terrible things, I couldn't help but not hate him for it. Would I recommend Dance of the Dead? Yes, of course. It was a wonderful read with great characters.

[Serkan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ravenloft serisinin ilk kitabının da yazarı olması nedeniyle daha önce tadına alışkın olduğum yazım şekli, bu kitapta biraz daha farklıydı sanki. Sislerin Vampiri'nde biraz daha karanlık, daha "ciddi" bir tad alırken, belki de yürüyen ağaçlar konuşan tavşanlar gibi aşırı fantastik öğeler yüzünden biraz daha "renkli" bir tad bıraktı. Souragne adasının Lordu Anton Misroi'nun kitaptaki ağırlığının bu kadar az oluşu şaşırttı. Sislerin Vampiri'nde Strahd ne kadar derin bir karakterse burada Anton Misroi o kadar yüzeysel kalmış. Ben her ne kadar hızlıca okuyamadıysam da, hızlıca okunabilecek eğlencelik bir kitap.

[Justin · Rating 4 out of 5]

My favorite of the four Ravenlofts I've read so far. As good or better than Vampire of the Mists. This one really put the lore and world building into place in a novel and enjoyable way. Golden does a good job giving her characters motivations that aren't too basic even though this is a relatively conventional fantasy book. The characters and setting are memorable.

[Wastrel · Rating 3 out of 5]

Surprisingly good fun! Issues with both plotting and prose, but overcome through audacity, horrific bloodshed, some cleverness, and the discomforting inversions of conventional plotting that come with the Ravenloft setting (the gods in the machine are likely to be devils, and just surviving is considered a victory).

I could completely understand if someone absolutely hated this. But I think that that would be close-minded, and that such a person would be missing out.

I'd be particularly interested to see what fans of modern paranormal romance made of this, as this is essentially a precursor to the modern genre.

Anyway, as usual fuller thoughts are on my blog.

[Jeff Waltersdorf · Rating 2 out of 5]

I continue to plow through the dusty cardboard box in the basement containing my old Ravenloft fiction books.

I preferred this to the first two in the series, which isn't saying much. Perhaps because it didn't include any of the major personalities that I was already familiar with (Strahd and Lord Soth), and thus had preconceived notions of.

The story follows a paddlewheel showboat traveling through the swamps of Sourange (a Louisiana analog, complete with plantations and zombies). The boat is crewed by a bunch of people I didn't really care about, most doing bad things or getting into trouble. Things didn't start picking up steam for me until the appearance of the darklord Anton Misroi, but by then the book was nearly over.

[Frank · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm reading this series in order (even though I know you don't really have to), and I have to admit this was my least favorite so far. The story wasn't bad, but I feel the execution fell flat. At one point it started jumping around a bit too much, but more specifically, the main character's maturation into what she ended as just seemed all too quick for my liking and even less believable. Not that fantasy needs to be believable but, you know.

[I.D. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid entry in the series that does require knowledge of the source to really appreciate. The pacing was a little off with a very slow beginning portion but once the plot kicked in it was worth reading. The characters in some cases were slim but it was nice to read a d&d book that wasn't about swords and wars.

[Robert · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not my favorite of the Ravenloft series

[Hunter R · Rating 4 out of 5]

I can't think of much higher praise than that I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. It was consistently fresh, engaging, funny, satisfying, and beautiful. It's a good book.

If you're reading the Ravenloft books in order, it is a bit jarring. I kept forgetting that we were in the demiplanes of dread. As others have said, it feels a lot more classic fantasy than horror, which isn't a problem if you like classic fantasy. And you'll hear no complaints from me about the setting, which is refreshingly different from Barovia and is used to the fullest, lending its flavour to every part of the book.

And the characters, oh my. I fell in love several times reading this. Larissa, Willen, Lond, the Maiden, and Anton all found a place in my heart. So did Dragoneyes actually, which is impressive given how much screen time he gets. Dumont found his own place, a place of deep hatred. He sucked so much and so unambiguously. Golden acknowledges his humanity but never tries to justify or excuse anything he does. Watching him suffer was one of the best things about the climax. All of these characters felt rounded and unique. There's also an impressively large supporting cast, which, yes, is full of people who could have stood to be fleshed out more. But I'm generally fine with characters just existing, knowing but not seeing that they have their own unique personalities and journeys.

Golden is, I think, adept at making the most of small tidbits of information. Things are sprinkled here and there that hint at more than they say, and several smaller bits can add up to something substantial. Know that I mean it in the nicest possible way when I say that you will see a lot of things coming in this book. It doesn't make the book feel boring though - quite the opposite. It engages you, inviting you to read into things, to treat bits of dialogue and description as clues to be analyzed and pieced together. That's how it felt to me, anyway. To you, it might just feel like every reveal is well-earned because it makes so much sense in retrospect.

So why am I not giving Dance of the Dead 5 stars? I do have few minor gripes that add up to the book being less than it could have been, like moments that felt out of character and some pacing that I didn't love. Maybe just because it's the freshest in my mind, the biggest issue that stands out to me is Will's death. It made no sense. He knew what the Dance was and knew she was doing it. Lond was able to cover his eyes, so why couldn't Will? Because he had to have his tragic death. Really, though, I could have ignored that kind of stuff. The big thing is that, though it's leaps and bounds beyond the first two Ravenloft books, Dance of the Dead still isn't fantastic about female characters. There are two great ones, and, well, several dead ones. Of course there are a lot of dead men, too, but more of them contributed to the plot. The dead women mostly seemed to be there to die. And the other women who didn't die seemed to be there to suffer, and by their suffering reinforce how evil Dumont was. I've only read three Ravenloft novels, and I am already sick to death of seeing women used as props to show how evil men are. You know who didn't enslave and torture women? Anton and Lond. Did you have any trouble figuring out that they were evil? Ok maybe Anton did sort of kidnap and briefly enslave Larissa, but she wasn't being used as a prop to develop Anton's character; she was her own character who was interacting with him. I can't say that for Flowswift or Aradnia. A part of me feels like I should just look past these things, because they're to be expected in this genre. But I don't think I should have to. The treatment of the female characters made me uncomfortable, and it makes the otherwise great book worse.

[Matthew · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've been on massive nostalgia trip lately. I used to play AD&D 2nd edition back in the mid 1990's when I was in high school. I read several of TSR's Forgotten Realms and Ravenloft novels, and decided to read a few that I missed, and re-read some of my favourites. I can't stand the current trend of fantasy books being little more than identity politics virtue signaling, with a bland story sprinkled in, so going back to books written in the late 80's and early 90's was a welcome escape.

Christie Golden's Vampire of the Mists was one of my favourite TSR novels, so I picked Dance of the Dead to start off with. I'm afraid it didn't come close to matching how much I enjoyed Vampire of the Mists.

Dance of the Dead started off really well. I quite liked the premise of it. Riverboats, traveling entertainers, beautiful dancers, magically enhanced theatre, all set in the gothic horror fantasy setting of Ravenloft. But, to me it all started falling apart around the time when Larissa escapes the boat and starts learning the "flower and fruit magic". Yes, it is actually called that in the book.

I felt like she learned it all way too fast, and became overpowered almost instantly. In Dungeons and Dragons terms, it's like she went from being level 0 to level 20 in the space of a few chapters, with only some minor speedbumps along the way. It's almost ridiculous, and it wasn't very believable.

Captain Dumont is probably the most well-rounded and interesting character in the book. He could have easily had his own book or series.

Larissa is a likeable character, but I lacked the same kind of connection with or interest in her as I had with Jander Sunstar from Vampire of the Mists.

Willen, Larissa's love interest, is probably the worst of the characters. He felt like a "Disney Prince" who just doesn't end up doing much really.

Anton, the dark lord, is disappointing as well. Especially if you compare him with Strahd, or Lord Soth from other Ravenloft books. The book also seems to lack that "Ravenloft" feel that other books in the series had. The only "horror" element comes from necromancers and swamp creatures, which could have just as easily been in the Forgotten Realms setting instead.

It's not a bad book, and it's free of current year politics. Christie Golden told the story that she wanted to tell, with no unnecessary characters or opinions thrown in to check off boxes on a list. And that's the way fiction should be.

[Larry McCloskey · Rating 2 out of 5]

Once again, the Mists of Ravenloft have ensnared another soul. In this tale, it is young Larissa Snowmane, whose riverboat home finds its way to dreary Souragne - a land of bleak villages and loathsome swamps filled with the dead...and worse.

A young, innocent riverboat dancer, Larissa slowly learns that her "uncle", the captain, is not the man she thought. Like so many of the souls in Ravenloft, captain Dumont has secrets - secrets which slowly come to light as he sinks further into the darkness with his new associate, the mysterious Lond. Fleeing the ship for the promise of help, Larissa embarks on a treacherous voyage of discovery in the swamp learning that power comes with a cost. Learning the magic of both life and death, Larissa and her new companions seek to undo Lond's evil and Dumont's fall, to save not only their friends, but their souls. The lord of the domain, however, has his own plans for Larissa and her insurrection.

Souragne is one of the more overlooked islands of terror within the Ravenloft setting, which is unfortunate for it offers up some of the most truly horror-inspired opportunities. Many of those opportunities, though, are wasted here. The underlying story is good, as is the balance of light and dark in the storytelling, but at times the story strays too far into Gothic romance and it's just not necessary. The focus on the performances and the performers aboard the board and their relationships also gets clumsy at times, taking the contrast between lightness and darkness which is a staple of Ravenloft and making the implicit overly explicit. The dance of the dead, itself, is a heavy-handed deus ex machina at the conclusion; only the price that must be paid for performing it saves it from completely derailing the ending. The denouement, on the other hand, goes back to the same trite tone that pervades the rest of the story too often.

For those looking to darken their Gothic fantasy reading, this is a solid choice - there's enough of the realm of shadow here to spice things up a bit. For those looking to travel the lonely and dreary roads of Ravenloft, on the other hand, many of the other Ravenloft books offer more of its sinister magic.

[Vladimir Ivanov · Rating 2 out of 5]

Роман начинался довольно неплохо... луизианский колорит, южная готика, огромные колесные пароходы, байю, м��нгровые заросли, аллигаторы, ну и конечно, вуду. На мой вкус, романтические переживания юной красотки Лариссы - танцовщицы в передвижном театре-балагане - занимали многовато места, но в целом вырисовывалась неплохая, умеренно мрачная история.

Где-то в середине повествования героиня, спасаясь от домогательств капитана парохода, бежит куда глаза глядят и оказывается в дебрях луизианских болот. Читатель уже предвкушает суровую историю борьбы за выживание... но тут, к читательскому изумлению, героине приходят на помощь говорящий заяц, говорящее дерево, добрые огоньки, а также лесная фея, которая учит ее волшебному танцу (не шучу!) Посредством волшебного танца Ларисса созывает всех лесных жителей - оленей, лисиц, дятлов там всяких - и с их помощью побеждает злого капитана и его сообщника-некроманта. Конец.

Я аж с обложкой сверился, не скрывается ли рядом со словом RAVENLOFT логотип DISNEY...

Закрыл книгу в глубоком недоумении. Голден в целом невеликая литераторша, но таких выходок она себе раньше не позволяла.

[Books With Kate · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read the first two Ravenloft novels first, and liked them both. The first in the series is by the same author as this one, so I was sure this would be a great story.
But alas, it's a dud. I kept waiting for the story to get better, forcing myself to finish it. It's nothing but a YA mysterythriller-wannabe however, with some boring "dance magic" which is never really described in any kind of interesting way, and a weak and naive main character who turned into an annoying Mary Sue once the story has its little twist (if it could be called that).

It's as if this is an earlier story from the author's hand (but published later), one where she was a lot younger herself, and hadn't written anything like a good story yet.

But, as I said, Ravenloft #1, by this same author, is a lot better. If you're a Raveloft fan, skip this one.

[Greg Wright · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like it, I did. For something set in a Domain based on Louisiana, there sure wasn't a lot of Louisiana flavor. A complete misunderstanding of what a loa is, the fault of the setting and 90s more than the author, drives me to madness. The problematic elements are just, not great, not even all that offensive, just poorly done old cliches with no twists and nothing all that interesting. Larissa Snowmane is an OK main character, but her transition from dancer to druid/post-3e warlock is way too quick. The writing was just not great in general.

Also, *do not* do the audiobook, my God. The worst damn thing I've ever listened to.

[Trenton Holmquist · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book is so incredibly boring. The characters are lame, the plot is horrible, and the romance is childlike at best. Moreover, who thinks dancing is a fun way to articulate magic and combat? It was so stupid and clunky

The Ravenloft books usually have an interesting Dreadlord, and this novel had one as an easter egg at most. His foreshadowing was cool, but nothing became of it and nothing was explained about him!!!

I could rant even more about this book, but this was certainly a slog to get through. If I wasn’t dedicated to learning D&D lore I would have forced myself to put this down at or before the halfway point

[Drew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun Ravenloft story. This one doesn't involve Strahd (except for an uncredited cameo) but follows a traveling crew of performers on a riverboat from one destination to the next. There is no mention of Castle Ravenloft or even Barovia, but the Mists are present. A colorful cast of sympathetic characters and villains alike, plus a swamp full of magic, makes this one worth reading. Solid Ravenloft book.

[Dave · Rating 2 out of 5]

Unlike Christie Golden's first Ravenloft book, Dance of the Dead is much more like a standard fantasy book. With zombies. Although the zombies are much less threatening than your stereotypical ones. There is not a whole lot worth mentioning about this book. I found too many instances of characters not behaving in rational ways. The main character's story arc was too much of a "inexperienced farm boy (or girl) discovers a hidden power and goes on to save the kingdom/world, and then goes on to be the greatest king of all time." This book is fairly entertaining for a light read, as long as expectations are low, but in the end a pretty forgettable story.

[Nenad Pavlović · Rating 4 out of 5]

A southern gothic in D&D setting, with all the tropes (steamboat, plantations, bayous, voodoo...), mystery, romance, and not one but THREE villains? Yes please!
Yeah, it's rushed, a bit too cheery, and the protagonist is a Mary Sue, but so what, if I wanted to read a long, bleak book about tragic characters I'd read Russian classics.

My only real gripe with this novel is that it's not Ravenloft - nor really.

It's worth a read if only for the novelty alone. I found it super fun.