Dance Among the Flames

By: Tori Eldridge

Narrated by: Alex Picard

Passion. Horror. Betrayal.

From the nationally bestselling author of the Lily Wong thriller series comes a “stunningly original” (F. Paul Wilson) dark journey into Brazilian mysticism about a desperate mother who rises from the slums to embrace Quimbanda magic amid her quest for the ultimate revenge.

Across forty years, three continents, and a past incident in 1560 France, Serafina Olegario tests the boundaries of love, power, and corruption as she fights to escape her life of poverty and abuse. Serafina’s quest begins in Brazil when she’s possessed by the warrior goddess Yansã, who emboldens her to fight yet threatens to consume her spirit. Fueled by power and enticed by Exú, an immortal trickster and intermediary to the gods, Serafina turns to the seductive magic of Quimbanda. It’s dangerous to dance in the fire. But when you come from nothing, you have nothing to lose.

©2022 Tori Eldridge (P)2022 Blackstone Publishing

Masterfully written and read

I had no idea what I was getting into when I started this book. From the first scene, I was hooked, but the story morphed in such a way that I feel almost as though the book that I started is not the same book that I ended, and I don't mean because of any issues with continuity. It was just such an incredible journey due to the writing and the beautiful narration. As a lover of mythology, having it interwoven throughout a strong plot led to something I could not put down.

In an effort to not give anything away I won't go into the plot too much. The main character, Serafina, is a strong, charismatic character and she remains polarizing throughout. In the second half of the book, there are some additional characters introduced who I absolutely fell in love with, and I stayed in love with them till the end.

The narrator of this book is amazing. Her pronunciation of the cities and Portuguese phrases, as well as the gods' names, immersed me into the story and culture, and her portrayal of the characters made me feel truly connected. This is one of the few times listening to an audiobook has also made me want to purchase the book in physical form. Some of the lines are so beautiful that I want to have the ability to flip back the pages and read them again, and I don't think I would have noticed them the same way if they had not been narrated so thoughtfully and gracefully.

This book is not for the faint of heart. There are some graphic violent and sexual scenes, but they are very well done. It deals with topics of mental illness, depression, abuse, and injustice. In short, it blends the fantastic with reality, and in a very powerful way.

I can't wait to read more by this author, and will absolutely be searching for more by this narrator as well. Do yourself a favor and listen to this book.

Tori Elderidge Hits it out of the park

Dance Among the Flames is a page turner from the start i listened to it in one day. i have enjoyed the hell out of all her books. thank you Tori Elderidge for yet another brilliantly written story. Dance Among the Flames is a winner well worth the credit and time. Alex Picard does a good job with narration try this one out you wont want to stop once you start the book. I can wait for her next book