The Dark King and the Eternal Dance

Ever After in Vilastoria #1

by Alesha Adamson

An unwanted proposal. An unexpected curse. Will Rayna, and her eleven sisters ever be free of the Dark King and his eternal dance?

Rayna is not usually the boldest of her sisters. However, when her eldest sister, Faelynn, seems ready to abandon her own happily ever after and accept the Dark King’s proposal, Rayna knows she must act and take drastic measures before someone gets hurt. Measures that just might cost her her heart.

Drake’s reputation as the Dark King precedes him—a reputation he doesn’t quite deserve. When the opportunity arises, Drake seizes the chance to barter for Princess Faelynn’s hand. Weaving his magic, he establishes a weekly ball to court his intended. After six months of rejection, something must change. He never anticipated finding Princess Rayna in his castle disrupting his quiet life.

Will he change directions and acknowledge his heart before it is too late? Or will he live up to his reputation as the Dark King, shattering more than one happily ever after?

The Dark King and the Eternal Dance is one of twelve short novels in A Villain's Ever After, a collection of stand-alone stories featuring villainous twists on some of your favorite classic fairy tales. Read the series in any order for magical adventures . . . and fall in love with villains as you've never seen them before. Who said villains can't have happily-ever-afters?

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Retellings, Fairy Tales, Fairy Tale Retellings, Young Adult, Magic

236 pages, Paperback

First published September 24, 2021

About the author

Contrary to what hundreds of authors have experienced, Alesha did not love reading from an early age. Battling dyslexia, she mostly avoided the written word, instead spending hours and hours creating her own stories with dolls, stuffed animals, or even beaded lizards. Copying movies and tv would not do, she insisted upon creating her own stories usually involving romance and insurmountable odds. In the end good would prevail and everyone would receive their happily-ever-after.

Then, with the dedicated help of family and loved ones, she discovered that books were not simply letters on a page, they were amazing stories full of romance, magic, adventure and so much more. It wasn’t long before she was hooked, then—almost accidentally—found herself writing her very own stories.

Once she started creating stories, she couldn’t stop. The ideas kept flowing and she is excited to continue writing more fairytales, adventures, fantasies and especially romances all with their own happily-ever-after.

Reviews

[librarian.of.rivendell · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Wow. Okay. So this rating is VERY biased, because I don't generally give almost 5 stars to romance-focused stories BUT this book literally just pulled me out of my writing slump and I LOVED it.

Okay, now onto WHY I loved it.
I went into this book knowing (kinda) what I was getting into. I talked with Alesha and she told me it was a clean read. What she didn't tell was that it is a HADES and PERSEPHONE retelling too????!!!! Obviously the pomegranates on the cover should've hinted at that... In case you don't know, Hades and Persephone is a myth I am waiting to see retold CLEANLY in a book and I have yet to see that done, so I (almost) cried of happiness when I read this story, thank you Alesha Adamson

*ANYWAY*

In this retelling of the 12 dancing princesses, one of the sisters ends up with the Dark King. It's the concept of the Villain's Ever After series and honestly, it's not something I typically love, however, since I didn't know much of the original story apart from pieces here and there (like the enchanted forest, the ferry and the dancing-obviously) it didn't bother me at all. In fact, it even sort of contained the enemies-to-lovers trope that I love, couples with the second-and-less-remarkable sister trope and the brooding-dark-king type... yeah, I was a goner. I started this book on Sunday evening and I finished it Monday evening. I read most of the day, instead of my chores (whoops) and at work when I could... I was totally addicted and if you start this book, I don't think you'll be able to put it down.

NOTE, people, that this was Alesha's FIRST book, her début! And believe me, it was SO good! The editing mistakes were SO few I think they fit on the fingers of one hand and the story really flowed.

I loved all the sisters' personalities, although I felt that some of them were sort of "erased", they kind of faded into the background. I'm really looking forward to Mira's story, but most of all Marion's because I really related to her character.

The romance was great in this book. Unexpectedly, it started quite some ways into the book and not directly in the beginning, which was new and refreshing. I really liked how Alesha conveyed the Dark King's feelings first for Faelynn and then for Rayna. The difference between what he was feeling for both was so stark there is no doubt whom he really loved—and Alesha did all that very subtly, with no telling.

Content warning: The only reason I'm removing half a star is the epilogue. The couple are in their bed, they're married, but the scene was quite intimate and made me a little uncomfortable because it felt borderline (there was some very slight innuendo which could go over the head of younger readers, but the scene itself felt more mature). The book contains a lot of romance, but it is all clean.
For these reasons, I'd recommend this book for ages 17+ (conservative)

Thank you Alesha for this free ARC, all opinions expressed in this review are my own.

[Camille · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Dark King and the Eternal Dance is a beautifully written debut that marvelously weaves together two classic stories—The Twelve Dancing Princess and Hades and Persephone. From the very first page, I became immersed in the beautiful writing style that was entirely perfect for a fairy tale retelling, as well as a plot I found thoroughly engrossing from the moment I began reading.

In addition, the characters were a delight. Rayna was a wonderful character, so thoughtful, kind-hearted, and fiercely loyal to her sisters. I loved witnessing her courage to take action that led her not only to a beautiful romance, but a wonderful journey of development as she grows in confidence. I also adored coming to know Drake and discovering along with Rayna who he truly was. Their romance was beautiful and adorable—I especially loved the scene in the rain—who made one another better.

Not only is the romance adorable and the plot mesmerizing, I also loved the themes and messages carefully woven throughout the story. I love it when a story touches me on a deeper level and I immerse from it inspired to be better.

I'm so enchanted by the world Alesha has created, and just from a glimpse of the other characters, I'm already eager for their stories. I cannot wait to discover what new and creative ways the author combines fairytales with classic mythology. If the stories to come are anything like this sweet, lovely, and thoroughly romantic novella, each book from this wonderful author will be quite the treat.

[Sarah Ryder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another one in this series I wasn’t sure I was going to like but ended up LOVING! The mashup of 12 Dancing Princesses and Hades and Persephone is an interesting choice I never would have thought of but works so well in this tale. I loved all the nods to the fairytale (I think the author used nearly everything!) and how it all wove in and just fit so perfectly. I’m not as familiar with the Hades and Persephone myth besides the very basics so I don’t know how well the myth was portrayed, but I liked the few hints and nods I caught.

Rayna reminded me a lot of myself in how she stays in the background and isn’t really noticed much but is braver and bolder then she or anyone else would ever have guessed. I was afraid I wasn’t going to like Drake in that he’d be a typical “beast” type character (one so mean and grouchy I can’t even see why the girl would fall in love with him—a HUGE problem I tend to have with Beauty and the Beast retellings) but he wasn’t that at all and I really liked and sympathized with him quite a bit. And he and Rayna are perfect for each other and so cute together—their relationship was my favorite thing in this book aside from the Forest of Abundance! Their relationship was so fun and real and I just love it! 😍🥰

I also liked Faelynn’s story woven in between and all the sisters I managed to keep straight which tends to be a feat for me in 12 Dancing Princess retellings (which is odd since I can usually keep long casts of characters straight… 🤷🏼‍♀️). The Greek elements also added a nice, different touch then your normal fairytale retelling.

A wonderful debut from this author and one I highly recommend! Can’t wait to read her next book (which follows one of Rayna’s sisters!)!


‼️Content‼️

Language: Hades; Styx

Violence: a character is rumored to have murdered their family to gain the throne

Sexual: kissing (not to semi detailed)

Drug/Alcohol: a character’s family was poisoned and died

Other: magic; a character is an enchanter; characters have been placed under a spell/curse; magical abilities/objects; a man was magically banished from a kingdom

[Alaina · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Dark King and the Eternal Dance is the seventh installment within the A Villain's Ever After series. Now I definitely loved how this book merged two stories into one, meet the twelve dancing princesses with a dash of hades and persephone.

Oh man, I love me some H&P retellings. It was also really interesting to see how cleanly this all could be done because I'm mostly a sucker for the dark and smutty kind of retellings. That being said, I definitely adored this version even though I wished I got some darkness. I mean, they are villains getting a happy ever after, right?

As for the characters? Definitely liked them. Rayna and Drake were just way too easy to like. Or maybe it's just me with this kind of retelling? Heck I'm also reading another book that has an MC with the name Persephone. So, yeah, I swooned and swooned hard.

Their romance was just so easy to devour. I loved every second of it and just wanted more. So much more. If anything, I think I'm still a sucker for the darker versions, but this was a pretty good one. I can't wait for the next book because I just need the villain train to keep chugging along.

[Tricia Mingerink · Rating 5 out of 5]

This one is a Hades and Persephone mash up with the Twelve Dancing Princesses fairy tale, with a dose of Pride and Prejudice thrown in for good measure. With so much to balance, this book came together so well, especially since this is the author's debut book! The Twelve Dancing Princesses fairy tale is one of my favorites, and this story managed to stay true to all the elements while crafting its own unique spin on all the tales it was combining! I can't wait to see what this author will write next!

[Marquise · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC offered by the author in exchange for an honest review.

I liked the concept for this retelling of mixing the plotline of a fairy tale, here "The Twelve Dancing Princesses," with elements from a Greek myth, in this case Hades and Persephone. It combines two of my favourite things, that made it hard to resist reading this book though I'm not a fan of the fairy tale it rehashes, and it paid off as this was a lovely new story.

The sisters are the selling point for me, and the best part. Each has such a very distinct personality and voice that each could have their own book (and from what I read at the promotional end pages, at least one of them will) retelling a different tale, combined, naturally, with a Greek myth. All the most famous fairy tales have elements that recall Greek myths, so much so I wonder why this is not done more often. I can see that Faelynn and Raynetta are the leading ladies in this book, but personally I didn't care that much for either; my favourites were two of the younger and, to me, pluckier sisters, Marion and Cassandra, because they're more unconventional.

The romance is sweet, clean, and heartfelt, although it also happens rather quickly and doesn't have time to grow, but at least avoids the insta-love trope even if by a hair's breadth. Funnily, the Dark King had more chemistry, of the non-romantic variety, with the younger sisters than with the one he chooses, precisely because the younger ones don't mind their tongue, but their exchanges are too brief, and it's a pity. The Dark King, on the other hand, is a character that turns out to be so sweet you wonder exactly why he's supposed to be "dark," and the reason for his reputation was predictable to me. I'd have loved him be a bit more intimidating, more imposing, to live up a bit longer to his "dark" moniker before the inevitable reveal that he's a stuffed bear posing as a grizzly.

The world is the only part I found underdeveloped. We aren't shown almost anything, but lots of places are mentioned, events are discussed about that are taking place in the country, but not shown even in glimpses. Even Kelkona Castle, the abode of the Dark King, is barely shown in glimpses, and sounds more like a dilapidated manor owned by a broke Lord than the dread dwelling of a powerful sorcerer meant to stand in for Hades. The world really needs to be shown more, especially if there will be more stories set in it; it's just a bit too decorative rather than part of the story.

In the end, I enjoyed this very much. It reminds me why I keep reading retellings of fairy tales that aren't my favourite; it's because, from time to time, someone writes a retelling that makes me care for the tale, to see it under a new light, and this did the trick.

[Noonecansinkmyship (Tissa) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is really great! I love Rayna so much. We finally get a girl who understands that the guy isn’t being told the full truth and know that her sister’s biased judgements are wrong. Yayyy! She decides to do something about instead of being an idle bystander. You go girl!

Rayna is mature, intelligent and watching her come out of her shell to help her sister out of love was amazing. It was fascinating how, around Drake, she was still herself, but she was able to bloom and become more than just the quiet, peacemaking, overlooked sister.

She’s so spunky when it comes to Drake and I love how, even though her sisters didn’t notice or agree, she still believed in herself and her observation skills and knew that Drake was kind, if rough around the edges. (Or should I say gruff around the edges haha.)

The book is written from third person point of view and we get to see things happen from a few different perspectives sometimes which is nice. To be honest, I started really disliking Rayna’s proud “perfect” older sister by the end of the book because of her deafness. Like hello. Listen to Rayna at least a little please? It won’t kill you to try and trust her judgement. -_- And talk about hypocrisy. Of course, at least she’s not as bad as Marion. Marion….I hope she grows some before the her book comes out. (It releases in the summer of 2022.)

I think that’s the reason why this book didn’t make my favorites shelf. If it was just perspectives from Rayna and Drake, then I wouldn’t have been so annoyed even though I would’ve known less lol.

Since this is supposed to be partly a Hades and Persephone retelling (even though it’s a lot more The Twelve Dancing Princesses), I would’ve like to see the symbolic biting of the pomegranate someone where in the story like maybe at their wedding feast or engagement party. It was a bit jarring to see the characters use the expression, “Hades!” (I like how Drake uses, “Styx!” though. :D) I get why, I do like it and it fits the world perfectly, but it was just jarring to me because it was supposed to be a Hades and Persephone retelling as well as a Twelve Dancing Princesses one. It’s was kind of like the main heroine using the guy’s name instead of saying, “Oh my god” in our world lol.

But all in all, this is still (despite my complaining sorry haha) a really enjoyable book. I couldn’t put it down. I was enjoying it so much! Rayna and Drake are so sweet together and seeing how happy they were together made grin like I was deranged haha.

(I received a copy of this book for an arc review.)

[Jane ☾ · Rating 2 out of 5]

okay wow, I did not expect this to have the same writing style I did when I was 11 years old, but alas...

The characters were oblivious to everything, the writing was super repetitive and childish, and honestly, I didn't see the chemistry. It was pure insta love with two idiots in the middle who refused to see it. The relationship (and the whole plot) basically went like this:

-Dark King wants to get engaged to older sister bc political reasons
-Older sister likes Random guy so refuses Dark King for months
-The deadline is getting closer so older sister is planning to accept
-The MC "accidentally" stays for a week at Dark King's crib to disuade him from the proposal
-Dark King looks at her eyes for the first time bc apparently, he was drooling at older sister the whole time
-suddenly he falls in love within 2 days
-she falls for him too, but they are both oblivious to this fact
-she keeps saying "no, this can't be, he's the Dark King"
-he keeps saying "no, this can't be, I'm supposed to get engaged to the older sister"
-they end up together and heal both lands

Here's the thing though, none of this made sense!!!

a) why are they calling him the Dark King? Because he was MOODY. omg I cringed so hard when I realized he never did anything especially dark or evil. There were some rumours about his family, but that's it...



b) he apparently "needs" this marriage with the eldest sister for political reasons, but why? Because he's the "Dark King" and people "fear him" and his BFF told him he needs a wife to look better in their eyes. So why the eldest? Who knows? She's the most appropriate, I guess...

c) the magic was never explained - how he had it and no one else, how it worked, or why it didn't work sometimes. Also, why did the lands need healing? What were those trees or plants they talked about?? How did they get healed? Everything was so vague and nonsensical.

Let's be real, I wouldn't care for all these plot holes and ridiculousness if the writing was better and the main couple actually interesting

[Irina Kermong · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an indie, so I'm being... kind with my rating? This is more of a 2.5, if I had to be honest, and if anything, this entry adds up to complaints I've had for other entries in this anthology series, namely that I wish the villain characters were actually a little more villainous? Less "oh they're misunderstood" and more moral greyness? Redemption arcs?

There are other things I could say about this book (but I'm lazy lol), but I don't know if it boils down to the fact that the general direction chosen for this anthology just wasn't what I expected, which, obviously, is nobody's fault. I have high hopes for the next one with Gothel, though ;)

[Robin · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was another almost DNF for me unfortunately. Too many POVs caused a lot of repetition, and the MCs were just so oblivious that it was frustrating to read from their POV. I think this definitely had potential, but it needed another few rounds of editing to streamline the story to focus only on the Hades/Persephone plot.

[Annette · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are a lot of fairytales my mother introduced to me when I was only a very little girl. Those are the tales I know best, where I know all the details, where I recognize the core elements. There are also tales I only discovered later, when I was old enough to read fairytales myself or when I started watching the Grimm series the Dutch television aired. This is one of those tales. I wish I had discovered it sooner, because I love it.

Just like I really love how Adamson rewrote the story into a story that would work within this Villain's Ever After world. Without really changing the core of the story, I think she might have kept all the elements and the entire plot, she added an extra layer to it that made the entire story entirely different, even when in a way it also stayed exactly the same. And I think that's really something impressive.

Adamson also really adds an amazing magic system to the story. Of course, the original fairytale contains a lot of magic to begin with and she does use said magic in this version of the tale, but just like with the tale itself, she also adds a lot to the magic. It's not just something the king possesses and can use however he pleases, it's rooted in the land, it has celebrations attached to it, it's vital for the success of the kingdom.

The one thing that didn't entirely convince me was the chapters from the crown princess' point of view. I understand that Adamson made the romance in this book a little more complicated, but I'm not convinced that adding the crown princess' point of view to the story actually added something. Maybe her chapters would have been more meaningful if we also had some point of view chapters from her husband to be, but his tale was mostly taking place off page, sadly.

However, that minor thing didn't lessen how much I enjoyed reading this story!

[Abigail · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a good book! I highly enjoyed everything about it!! I cannot wait to read the next book in the series!! 😍

[Bonnie (A Backwards Story)]

“I can create a portal from your home to mine. This way, travel between kingdoms will be simple -- you could come each weeek and not be missed. If it helps, I can even host the ball at midnight, thus allowing you time to complete your duties.”
~THE DARK KING AND THE ETERNAL DANCE

When I heard that THE DARK KING AND THE ETERNAL DANCE by Alesha Adamson was a mix of one of my favorite fairy tales, The Twelve Dancing Princesses, and one of my favorite Greek myths, the tale of Persephone and Hades, I knew I had to read it. Even better? It's part of the A Villain's Ever After anthology, so of course, now I want to read all the things. (Although unluckily for me -- but lucky for many of you! -- I don't have a Kindle Unlimited subscription and don't shop with the Big A, so I just have to hope that one day, the rest of the collection goes wide!)

While we all know the tale of The Twelve Dancing Princesses, how many of us know the origins of the magic that brings the sisters to their endless midnight dance? Usually, we are dropped into the story where the girls have been dancing for a long period already, the king is at his wit's end, and men are lining up to solve the mystery and claim a princess for a bride as their prize. This time, however, we see what leads to the dance, and this rendition is much less nefarious than most.

When King Lionel of Danzari travels to the kingdom of Kelkona to speak with King Drake, the Dark King rumored to have killed his father and elder brother in order to seize the crown, he is desperate. His kingdom is floundering and he would love access to the magic keeping Kelkona so healthy. Drake agrees, but only if Lionel promises his eldest daughter Faelynn's hand in marriage. Lionel is, of course, hesitant to do so since he promised his daughters a say in whom they'd marry, so instead, he promises that he will tell all his daughters about the request and let them decide. Drake is still set on winning Faelynn's hand, so he travels to Danzari and tells Faelynn he will magically create a weekly Midnight Ball for her to attend with her sisters over the next six months so that the two of them may get to know one another better, never stopping to think about the sisters or the feelings on the matter.

The novel alternates between Drake's point of view, Faelynn's POV, and one of her younger sister's, Rayna's, POV. None of the twelve sisters wish to marry the scary Dark King, of course, and it's a widely known secret that Faelynn has already given her heart away -- though nobody has told Drake, of course. Rayna managed to overhear Drake and Faelynn when the spell was cast, but was helpless to do anything to stop the curse. Now, she is the one who tries to keep the peace. Her youngest sisters love going to a fancy ball and dancing the night away, while some of the older girls hate it and are plotting things that could lead to war if discovered -- unless she can talk them down. When one of the sisters loses the key to returning home, Rayna decides to give her own away to save her sister, leaving her alone in a foreign kingdom for an entire week. But maybe she can use that time to show Drake that there are other ways to help her kingdom than just marrying Faelynn?

The novel is much heavier on the fairy tale elements that inspired it than is the mythological ones, but the tale was woven well and easy to become immersed in. I have seen so many wildly different takes on The Twelve Dancing Princesses over the years, so the beloved tale never feels old or stale. I really enjoyed the fact that this ball wasn't "evil" or "wrong" but based in the enchanter wanting to get to know his future bride better, misguided though he may have been. I also liked seeing the way other elements of the tale were pulled in and shaped, making it feel familiar, yet also new. In some versions, only the princess who is the main character of the novel gets any in-depth screen time and readers are left knowing little about her sisters. With a cast that large, it's easy to get lost in the mix. And while some sisters are touched on more than others, a lot of personalities were brought forward and expanded upon, which was a nice change. There were even hints at future companion novels featuring a couple of the girls - in fact, Adamson's next novel, which releases in 2022, is entitled THE WOLF'S GOLDEN DECEPTION and mixes together the tale of Little Red Riding Hood and the myth of Orpheus and Eurydice, starring another one of the sisters, whose story you'll be wanting to know after finishing this novel.

I love when the romance in a book takes time to develop and isn't instant. The characters have to work for it, and therefore have a stronger, more lasting foundation. Drake initially doesn't have true feelings when he makes the deal with King Lionel. Faelynn is beautiful and well-liked by her people. With her at his side, he could build a better reputation and maybe his people will stop seeing him as an evil Dark King. Even six months into the balls, he only sees Faelynn and never considers any other way into the future other than what he arbitrarily decided he wanted. It isn't until Rayna is trapped on his estate for a week and he has to actually talk to her and learn about her and her life that he begins to develop real feelings and understand his own heart. There is more to romance than visual infatuation, and watching their relationship develop formed the heartbeat of the story. The burn is steady and endearing, and readers will be rooting for various romances with a few of the sisters and some side characters to develop as the novel progresses. The romance is also very clean and can be read at any age!

I'm always sad when I read a debut author and realize there isn't any backlist to go back and devour, and this time is no different. I'll be very patiently waiting to get my hands on Adamson's sophomore title next year and reunite with some of these characters and dive even deeper into their own lives.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great addition to the series! This book is a combination of Twelve Dancing Princesses and Hades and Persephone, and the author did a great job with the story.

The characters were well written and interesting. I like books where the MCs have many siblings with contrasting personalities. I enjoy the banter, teasing, and loyalty towards one another. Though I found it a bit difficult to remember all the names, I had fun reading about their interactions. It made me wish I had a large family.

Though this was Rayna's story, there were romances between other characters included as well, but it did not take away the attention from her. Instead, it felt like multiple threads were woven together to form a beautiful story.

This is my first book by the author, and I'm very impressed by her writing. There was never a dull moment. One of the best parts of the book was the concept of the Forest of Abundance. I won't say more about it for fear of giving away a spoiler, but I'd say there's a lesson in it.

I also liked the way Rayna and Drake brought out the best in each other. It was a sweet relationship. I'm eager to see what happens with the other characters; their stories are a part of a different series, and I'm excited to check it out.

I recommend this book to readers who enjoy romantic fantasies with misunderstood heroes and sunshine heroines.

[Mylene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh me, oh my! This short novel was utterly sweet, so enjoyable, and quite difficult to put down! At several points in the story, I found myself comparing it to 'Ever After: A Cinderella Story' and 'Beauty & The Beast' – and this is absolutely a big compliment! So charming, full of heart, making us root for the characters to really 'see' each other, and so much more.

Also... Meet your new book boyfriend, King Kelkona (Drake)! The way that Alesha Adamson wrote the character was so great, making me sympathize with him and appreciate what he was going through. And what can I say about the beautiful romance? Swoon! She is very good at setting it all up with quiet and delicious anticipation, making us cheer for the characters as the story progressed.

I expect great things to come from Alesha in the future. Give this book a try! You absolutely won't regret it. She will be on my list of authors to watch!

[Jessica Harrison · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this in a single day. It’s short and fun, with a cute (if a little rushed) romance. It’s a fairy tale retelling and definitely has that feel to it. Recommended for those looking for a light and engaging story.

Content:
There’s no foul language, violence, or sex. The romance is clean with only a few kisses at the end. There is magic. There are references to the Great Creator, but I wouldn’t call it Christian.

[Crystan M. · Rating 5 out of 5]

As my enjoyment of fairytale retellings only began recently, there were some of the tales I was unfamiliar with. The twelve dancing princesses is one such tale. It is a story I have come to enjoy and this version did not disappoint.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an excellent book! It is my favorite retelling of The Twelve Dancing Princesses. The characters were likeable and the world building was excellent! I highly recommend this book!

[Brooke Munn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was fantastic! A super sweet romance that made me smile and laugh so many times. Not only were Rayna and Drake great characters, but I loved all of the supporting cast as well. The author wove the stories of The Twelve Dancing Princesses and Hades and Persephone so seamlessly, it was just perfect.

Content-
There really isn’t much to worry about in the way of content. There were a couple fairly awkward kisses, but that’s about it. I would consider this a pretty clean read.

Also there’s a strawberry blonde character. That’s probably not a bonus for anyone else, but I think she’s only the third strawberry blonde character I’ve come across in my life, and I very much appreciated it.

[Dee/ bookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very fun read. It had a lot of twists and turns. Some you could see coming, some that were a complete surprise. I like how the characters grew with the book and the author added layers to the characters as we were reading, some you didn't like immediately in the beginning, but at the end they had grown on you.

I received an advance reader copy in exchange for a fair review. Thank you for the opportunity.

[Deborah · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

Sooo good! Loved the build up and the characters. Of course how it ended up happy and swoony certainly makes for a darn near perfect book.

[Sarah B · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let me start by saying fairy tale retellings are like Hallmark movies. You get 10 minutes in and 90% of the time you already know the ending but you keep coming back for more. Here's the thing it's not about the ending per se, it's about the journey and the characters. The way the storytelling makes you feel. This book was fantastic at all of it! I wanted to close my eyes and jump into this book. I can not believe it was Alesha's first.
This retelling mashup of the twelve dancing princess, Hades and Persephone and I personally got some Beauty and the Beast vibes was a page turner. I couldn't put it down. I started reading it Monday night and finished by Wednesday afternoon! I loved Rayna, she is such a relatable character. She starts out doubting herself and her worth and we get to see her bloom into a strong confident Queen. Drake grew on me as well, although I did want to shake him senseless when he didn't tell Rayna how he felt before the end of the last ball. Don't worry he makes up for it. 😉 (Side note I want her ring, it sounds amazing!) The underlying messages about second chances, not judging a book by its cover, telling the truth, following your heart and trusting in yourself were refreshing and heartfelt.
I can't wait for Alesha's next book. It sounds like we will be getting to read about more of the Danzari princess, Mira and her love interest Rafe. Hopefully Kyron will get his own book too. 🤞

I received an ARC of the book for my honest review.

[Mary Mecham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Perfect Retelling of Twelve Dancing Princesses

(Mary’s Review) The original telling of the twelve dancing princesses had some gaping holes in it, and this book filled them all!!! The mystery of the silver, gold, and diamond forest, the soldier who had the cloak of invisibility, everything! I loved this book so, so much!!!

[Karen Daliath · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first read from Alesha Adamson and I loved it so much! The 12 Dancing Princess had always been my favorite since childhood, and this retelling just rocked it! The sisters were all AMAZING. I loved Drake and Rayna, their story was beautiful! To everyone who loves fairytales, I highly recommend this book!

[Rose | Adventurous Bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tropes: 12 dancing princesses

Content: kissing

[Diana]

Aaah! Kind, fun and easy to read, sweet romance story!
Was perfect for me to take my attention off things on a weekend!

[Tiszka · Rating 3 out of 5]

Totally average. Not good, not bad, not very imaginative. I enjoyed it -as I finished it in a day, duuh - but few hours after reading I had no idea what character agenda was and what they did.

[a ☕︎ · Rating 1 out of 5]

[trembling like a tiny dog high on sugar] how did this manage to ruin one of my all-time favorite fairy-tales… i don’t have the energy for this…

[Riella Cristobal · Rating 5 out of 5]

    Another amazing book in the Villain's Ever After series, The Dark King and the Eternal Dance is a retelling of 12 Dancing Princesses and Hades and Persephone. First of all, I must say that I am so glad that this series is as good as I hoped! All the books that I have read have been so fun! This one was especially intriguing to me because of the mythological inspiration. I love mythology and think it is so cool to see how they can be reimagined in different stories. This one was no different! I thought it was such an interesting twist on the story and it was such a sweet romance too.   
Rayna is not the boldest of her sisters, but when her eldest sister Faelynn seems ready to give up her own happily ever after to accept the Dark King’s proposal, she is determined to act. But will the measures cost her heart?    Drake’s reputation as the Dark King precedes him, even if he doesn’t deserve it. When the opportunity comes, he seizes the chance to barter for Princess Faelynn’s hand. With his magic he creates a weekly ball to court his intended, but after six months of no progress he knows that something must change. Finding Princess Rayna in his castle disrupts his quiet life, will he be able to make his own happily ever after?
This was super cute! I was excited to read this book after reading the description. Rayna was a really cool main character. She wasn’t very bold or loud, but she was thoughtful and had courage. Once she realized that she needed to act for her sister, she went for it. I loved the sister relationship between the girls, they were all different, but they were there for each other. I liked the way that Rayna found her place throughout the story. She was one of twelve, but was able to discover how she flourished. She and Drake were really cute too! He needed to step back and see what had happened to his kingdom and himself. He was a bit stuck and Rayna shook up his quiet life. He was actually such a sweetheart, underneath his gruffness and reputation. They complimented each other and helped each other flourish. 
This was such a cute book and I thought it was especially great considering it is the first book by Ms. Adamson! I am so excited for her future books, especially as they are going to be connected to this one! I can’t wait for the continuation of the series. I would recommend this book to those who enjoy fairytales, romance, and mythology! 

I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from the author. All views expressed are only my honest opinion, I was not required to write a positive review.

[Caitlyn (delightful.reading) · Rating 4 out of 5]

You know how in most Twelve Dancing Princesses retellings the story is centered on the eldest sister and her commoner love interest / boyfriend? This time, Alesha Adamson has flipped the script in her addition to the A Villain's Ever After Collection.

The Dark King and the Eternal Dance is a really solid retelling. I enjoyed the shift in usual perspectives to a not-so-evil sorcerer king and the not-so-bold princess who found something to stand out for. There's hints of Hades and Persephone here and there, which is really fun!

All in all, this was another great addition in the Villain's Ever After Series. If you enjoy 12 Dancing Princesses Retellings (or just Hades & Persephone vibes), pick this one up! (And I cannot believe this is Alesha Adamson's first novel! I can't wait to read more by her - especially since her next book is a Orpheus and Eurydice retelling mixed with Little Red Riding Hood)

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.