Fire Dance

Written by Delle Jacobs

Narrated by Michael Page

A mysterious castle.

A deadly gift.

A missing, unwilling bride.

And a Norman knight determined to conquer all.

Ordered by his King to carry out a cryptic command—kill a wicked sorcerer lord, seize his castle, and take his daughter as a wife—Alain de Crency expects a fierce battle. Instead he discovers a defenseless castle, the daughter missing, and the sorcerer dead, shrouded in a magnificent purple cloak. With no knowledge of the evil lurking within it, Alain takes the cloak as his own before investigating the whereabouts of his supposed betrothed.

Upon Alain’s arrival, Melisande, the sorcerer’s daughter who begrudgingly learned her father’s sinister trade, hides in plain sight as a servant. But Alain suspects this beautiful blonde knows more than she claims, and he resolves to uncover the truth—if he can resist his burning desire for her.

Soon Melisande realizes her father’s infernal magic reaches beyond the grave—and that only Alain can save her people from the menacing evil. But with Alain’s new cloak dyed in poison, can Melisande save her people’s savior without revealing her dark secrets to the man who’s captured her heart?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Brilliance Audio
• Release date: Sep 11, 2012
• ISBN: 9781469211657

Delle Jacobs

A native of Illinois, Delle Jacobs has been crafting stories since the tender age of four. She earned a degree in geography from the University of Oklahoma and worked as a cartographer until eventually becoming a social worker specializing in troubled teens and families. Everything changed, however, once she began writing books in 1993, and by 2004, literary success convinced her to quit her day job and focus full time on writing. She is a seven-time finalist for the Romance Writers of America’s Golden Heart Award, which she won an unprecedented three times, in addition to numerous other writing awards for her novels, including His Majesty, the Prince of Toads, Lady Wicked, Sins of the Heart, and Aphrodite’s Brew. Along the way she discovered a knack for designing e-book covers, which is a great way to get her creative juices flowing when her book characters are being particularly uncooperative. She lives today in southwest Washington State with her family.

Reviews for Fire Dance

[lawonder10 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This was an interesting early historic romance. I love the times of knights and honorable kings. This was a great fictional story during the time of King Rufus who succeeded King Henry. It was a time when lands were conquered then controlled. This is a very positive situation. A young Heiress was left alone when first her mother then her evil father died. King Rufus called a beloved Lord knight to conquer that land and wed the young princess and would be given the title of Lord and the castle and land would become his with the Lady. He was instructed to marry her and accept her without questions. When he and his knights arrived, no battle was necessary and the Heiress was missing and none of the people owned to knowing where she was. He was persistent in finding her and eventually he did. The Heiress was loved by her people and had suffered greatly under her father's rule. She felt no grief at his death whatsoever. She wanted no more killing or suffering of her people so asked they summit with no more bloodshed. What ensued further keeps the reader in suspense until the very end. The story took a slight 'hitch' at the end but the author recovered very well. This was full of suspense and intrigue. it would have been perfect for even the YA audience but there were a couple of unnecessary, intimate sex scenes which makes it inappropriate for a younger audience.

[halo776 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Fire Dance begins with Alain and his knights storming Fyren's castle. Fyren lies on his death bed, a victim of poisoning by his daughter, Melisande. She knows of his evil deeds more than anyone and has killed him to protect his people. Although she fears Lord Alain (for she knows King Rufus has commanded him to kill Fyren and marry Melisande), she knows he cannot be as cruel a master as Fyren. However, she has deep secrets which cause her to fear for her very life if she marries the handsome lord. As she cannot escape the castle walls, she has only one option: taking her mother's name, she must disguise herself as a servant and literally hide under Alain's very nose. Meanwhile, while Alain is searching for his intended bride, he finds himself in a struggle against his feelings for Edyt, the beautiful and mysterious servant girl. Along with his search for Melisdande, Alain must battle insurgents in the area and prepare the way for a visit from King Rufus. Just as he's beginning to suspect who his fair bride may be, comes information that threatens Alain, Melisande, and everyone in the kingdom. This is a book that cannot be judged by its cover. It is a complex story with a mystery, adventure, and a sweet romance. Alain is a knight in shining armor who wins Melisande through offering comfort and patience, not by force. As a character, Melisande grows in the book. At the beginning, she is a somber, fearful, and self-deprecating girl. By the end, she has faced her demons and is courageous, strong, and self-assured. That development, along with delightful minor characters and a heart-pounding assortment of battle scenes create a story that is hard to put down. It caught my interest at the beginning and held it until the very end. Speaking of the ending, it does not disappoint.