Dancer of Death (Specter 2, #2)

Title: Dancer of Death (Specter 2, #2)
Author: Jordan L. Hawk
Publisher: Widdershins Press, LLC
Release Date:Feburary 16, 2016
Genre(s): Paranormal
Page Count: 106
Reviewed by: Kristin
Heat Level: 3 flames out of 5
Rating: 4 stars out of 5

Blurb:

Revenge. Murder. Ballet?

Vampire spirit Gray wants to hunt demons. Unfortunately, the foolish mortals at SPECTR have put his host, Caleb, their lover John, and their partner Zahira on desk duty. Gray longs to leave Charleston with John, but if they flee, SPECTR will make them the hunted.

A series of paranormal murders returns the team to the field, at least temporarily. Ballerinas are being murdered by a vila, a demon that kills with dance. If they can’t stop the deadly attacks in time, one of Zahira’s friends may become the next victim.

And while they track the demon, an unknown entity has begun to track Gray….

Dancer of Death cannot be read as a stand alone and you will have to read SPECTER series 1 and Mocker of Ravens to understand what is going on.

My comment from Mocker of Raven’s still stands – I enjoy this series because they aren’t overly complicated, they are set in Charleston SC (a city I adore!), I like the characters, there is enough tension to keep me engaged, and the premise is interesting.

Dancer picks up right where Mocker of Ravens leaves off, but now we have Zahira, a fresh field agent who seems like she’s going to be a good fit with the dynamic trio. Gray has taken a liking to this new mortal and has acquiesced to letting her interview him once the four of them solve this newest case. Zahira is proving to be a wonderful character. Her enthusiasm brings some much needed lightness to what could become an overly angst-ridden and emotionally heavy series. I also really like the fact that she is a very non-traditional character in a strong co-leading role.

The main plot revolves around the local ballet company. An unknown entity is picking off the principle ballerinas as they lead up to a performance of Giselle. Something is dancing them to death. Something right out of the ballet itself – an entity known as a vila. That tidbit was very well done and I loved the tie in. It’s little things like that which can really make a plot pop with interest.

My one concern of this new series continues to be with the new SPECTR boss. I’ll maintain he’s almost over the top, and when he threatens to break up John, Caleb and Gray, causing Gray to manifest and scare the shit out of him, I really had to wonder where this is going to lead. I detest the character, and it must before a reason because now Caleb and Gray are hiding things from John and Zahira, which never ends well. To what end is the asshole of a supervisor going to serve the story line?

Which means I have to WAIT for the next installment. Arrgghh!!! (As the pirates off the coast of South Carolina used to say.)

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