Dance with the Wind

City of Virtue and Vice #1

by Susannah Welch

A singer with forbidden magic.
An undercover renegade.
How can she keep her magic a secret if it goes wild every time they dance?

On Ylena’s first day inside the Shining City, a mysterious woman tricks her into auditioning for a magical ritual celebrating the Goddess. Every year, the young singers and dancers compete for the honor of performing in the enchanted ceremony, but with the ruthless High Priests in charge, a single wrong note is blasphemy.

If learning her role wasn’t hard enough, unexpected emotions make rehearsals even more complicated. There’s Wilder, Ylena’s flirty costar who knows more about the city’s dark secrets than he’s willing to tell, and Caed, her dance instructor, a priest who isn’t what he seems.

When Ylena manifests magic that makes her a threat, can she escape the spotlight at center stage before the High Priests discover her secret?

Prepare to be swept into a world of beautiful magic, shocking twists, and breathless fairy tale romance. Inside you will find a sweet, slow-burn romance with a swoon-worthy couple, and a happily-ever-after at the end of the trilogy.

Dance with the Wind is Book 1 in the City of Virtue and Vice series. If you enjoy strong heroines, fantasy worlds, elemental magic, and sweet romance, then try the City of Virtue and Vice series today!

Genres: Fantasy, Romance

300 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 17, 2021

About the author

Susannah Welch lives in sunny South Florida with her brilliant husband and a magically hypoallergenic cat. She enjoys singing and dancing and showing off. She likes her stories with a little bit of drama, and a whole lot of sparkle.

Reviews

[Joy Kaplan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I devoured this book! It is a wonderful fantasy book that captures you with the heroine lead! Super girl power fearlessness for the main character! You will fall in love with the young adult romance triangle and join a team (or ship if you're british). The world built makes you want more - and kept me making predictions. I couldn't put it down until I read the end and then I immediately wanted the next book! I don't want to give the plot twists away, but you will be surprised! This is a super fun book that even my husband loved it! He's a big fan of Brandon Sanderson and Neil Gaimon novels and he loves this! I'm a huge fan of Jacqueline Carey and this is a great clean version of the suspense that she builds in female leads! I bought a signed copy, but I know you can get these on amazon or barnes & noble!

[Shelda · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books I’ve read!!! From the first word to the last I was spellbound! The characters are well written and developed . The storyline was captivating and has left me wanting more!!! Anxiously awaiting the next book in this trilogy. Will Ylena finally get some long overdue answers about her parents? Will Grandfather finally trust her and will she ever see Caed again? This reader wants to know!!!

[Abi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got this book as a freebie in a sale last week, and I finally read it on the plane yesterday. I didn't really have any expectations beyond thinking that the synopsis sounded interesting, but I actually really ended up enjoying it! It was a fantasy-dystopian(esque) mix with a likable main character, a good male lead (team Caed all the way!), and an intriguing world and set-up. It definitely had elements that I've come to expect over the years - special snowflake, love triangle, coming of age - but they were all very well executed. I would definitely recommend checking this book out! 4 stars.

[Iris · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Dance with the Wind" is a spellbinding journey into a world of enchantment and intrigue. Ylena's forbidden magic and her enthralling role in a Goddess-celebrating show make for an engaging premise. As she navigates the intricate dance of secrets, her chemistry with the charismatic Wilder and the enigmatic Caed adds depth to the tale. Elegantly written, this novel weaves a tapestry of fantasy, romance, and suspense. The lush descriptions and shocking revelations keep the reader captivated. "Dance with the Wind" is a harmonious blend of magic, mystery, and love that leaves you eagerly anticipating the next steps in the City of Virtue and Vice series.

[KMKB · Rating 3 out of 5]

I started and stopped reading this book a few times. Naive is not my favorite type of heroine. I do like learning the world through the main character experiencing it, so that was nice... very little world building exposition. However, a naive heroine who takes forever to learn the world and who just goes along with everything makes the story harder for me to get into, I guess. The story struggled to hold my interest until at least halfway through. And then my biggest complaint is that it ends on a cliffhanger. I was looking forward to the end of the story, thinking I might not read the next one, but now... I'm curious enough that I'll start the next one, I think.

[Lisa Dawn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I started this because it was free and dropped it after a few chapters. Basically, the main character gets swept into some sort of goddess competition without being told anything about it and just goes along with out without asking questions. The "chosen one" thing seemed a bit trite, and it was weird that she wasn't the least bit curious why she was recruited for this or what it was all about.

[Melodie Porter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Content guide:
🤬 a tiny bit of mild language
🌶 heterosexual passionate kisses.
🗡 some fantasy violence including murders.
🍺 no alcohol or drug use.

Loved this! I just got lost in the dystopian city, pageant, magic, fine arts, and love triangle. And so many secrets! I still have so many questions that need answering. I downloaded the sequels immediately.

If I'm looking at it more critically, it could have used more world building, and some of the events driving the novel seem unrealistic and manufactured. Still, I really enjoyed the novel.

[Dee Renee Chesnut · Rating 4 out of 5]

I downloaded this ebook into my Nook library when it was offered as a #Free Friday selection from Barnes and Noble.
The author does a wonderful job of world-building and I enjoyed the characters. For that I started to give it 4 stars.
There are six volumes in this series, and I doubt if I will continue this series. I have too many books on my Want To Read shelf to continue with a new series.