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The Siren's Dance

(Siren #2)

Amber Belldene (Goodreads Author)

4.08 · Rating details · 13 ratings · 9 reviews

The performance of their lives is about to begin…

Death has transformed former ballerina Anya Truss into a vila—an alluring wind nymph—but her need for revenge has kept her trapped on the riverbank where she was drowned. Now, after fifty years of waiting, she finally has a chance to break free by getting even with her cruel dance instructor, the man who betrayed her and bro ...more

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ebook, 150 pages

Published April 26th 2016 by Lyrical Press

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· 13 ratings · 9 reviews

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Feb 26, 2016 Maria Rose rated it it was amazing

Shelves: 5-star-reads, best-of-2016, fully-reviewed-books, paranormal-romance

The Siren's Dance is a paranormal romance, unique in its setting and premise. It's the second in the Siren Romance series by Amber Belldene which began with The Siren's Touch. Each story is designed to be read as a standalone but characters from book one appear in book two. It combines Slavic mythology with a suspenseful revenge plot and a sexy romance, pulled into a page turning story unlike any other I've read.

The background setting of the series is tragic. The Truss family lived in the Ukrain The Siren's Dance is a paranormal romance, unique in its setting and premise. It's the second in the Siren Romance series by Amber Belldene which began with The Siren's Touch. Each story is designed to be read as a standalone but characters from book one appear in book two. It combines Slavic mythology with a suspenseful revenge plot and a sexy romance, pulled into a page turning story unlike any other I've read.

The background setting of the series is tragic. The Truss family lived in the Ukraine in the late 1960's when it was still under Communist rule. Mr. Truss was a jeweler who came into possession of a ring belonging to powerful men. In reclaiming that ring, the men hunted down and executed Mr. Truss's family. He had two daughters, Sonya and Anya. Sonya was shot and fell into a river where she drowned. She became a 'Rusalka', a ghostly water nymph seeking revenge on the man who killed her. In trying to enact her revenge through a blood oath, she falls in love with Dmitri, whose uncle Gregor is one of the men responsible for their killings. That's the focus of the first story, The Siren's Touch, an excellent read on its own.

Anya, a ballerina in training, also drowned while running from her family's pursuers. She became a Vila, a nymph with power over the wind. In her ghostly form she is invisibly tethered to her tattered ballet shoe that sits on the riverbank where she drowned. This story begins with Sonya, Dmitri, and Gregor going in search of Anya. Together they find her hovering at the river bank, though Gregor is the only one who can see her, because of his part in her death. He begs for her forgiveness, which if granted will ensure she can rejoin the living world. But Anya seeks her ballet master, a cruel and demanding man named Stas Demyan who broke her spirit. Though he wasn't responsible for her death, he is the man she blames for destroying her life. Dmitri contacts his friend Sergey, a police officer who helped him unearth the old Truss family case while he was helping Sonya. Sergey also seeks the same man as Anya for his own reasons. Sergey is shocked to come face to face with a ghost. And not only is Anya a spirit, she is also a Siren, her voice and body ensnaring Sergey with her sexual power. Confronted with the reality that the childhood myths he heard his demented mother rave about are real, Sergey worries for his own mental well-being. Will he be able to help Anya in her mission of revenge or will his own demons take over?

The setting of this story is quite unique. The Ukraine is not a common country in which to base a romance, and using the cities of Kiev and Odessa with the link to the old Communist regime as well as continued Russian influence makes for an interesting background. Along with this, the story is heavily influenced by the ballet Giselle in plot and in characters. I've seen the ballet a few times myself, and it's a haunting piece about a woman who dies of a broken heart. She is able to save her lover, whom she forgives for his betrayal, from a group of supernatural women (The Vilas) who try to dance him to his death. In this story Anya, as a Vila, has been visited by the head of a similar group of spirits, her sisters in kind. She's been promised a place among them once she satisfies her need for revenge.

Anya is a ballerina whose goal was to dance the role of Giselle, a dream she was unable to realise when she didn't live up to her ballet master's expectations. As a character, she is a disciplined, controlled young woman with sharp edges, figuratively and literally, and this has not changed in the forty years she has been a ghost. She's still the same woman, with a sharp tongue and a body that bears witness to her art, and the transition of that body from invisible ghost to fully human is part of the appeal of the story. She is invisible to those around her though she has control of the wind and can make herself known by displaying this power. When she is angry or emotional, the wind intensifies and sometimes she has difficulty keeping it under control. When Gregor (who was actually responsible for her death as she was running from him when she drowned) touches her, she gains her human form and can be seen by those around her. Without Gregor physically present, she can only be seen and talked to by wearing an item of his, in this case a ring he leaves with her once Sergey agrees to help her.After Anya and Sergey set off on their quest together, they discover that when Anya touches Sergey she enters back into human form and as long as they keep some kind of skin to skin contact, she remains present. When they lose that contact, she becomes a ghost again. Back in the nightgown in which she drowned, any clothing she might have put on while in human form puddles at her feet. This is a really interesting way to make her transitions back and forth entertaining, and at the same time a way to enable her to have an intimate relationship with Sergey when in her body.

Sergey, a police officer, has been looking for Stas for years. Stas is Sergey's father, though they've never met. Stas's mother was also a ballerina ruined in the same way as Anya and lives in a mental home, beset by nightmarish visions and memories, some too far-fetched to be believed. On this quest with Anya, Sergey finds himself very attracted to her. As a ghost or in human form, she displays a strength of character that he's never seen in another woman. Though Anya knows she can get Sergey to do anything she wants by using her Siren powers, she finds herself attracted to him in return, and wants to experience a real sexual relationship. Sergey is more than happy to oblige her and they share some steamy scenes together - always in human form, and only once Sergey is sure that she'd never slept with his father when she was his protégée. He desires to protect her and to help her seek vengeance - for her, for his mother, and any other woman Stas ruined. The hunt for Stas takes on a decidedly suspenseful air in the latter part of the story, with some surprising twists and turns I didn't see coming.

From start to finish I found The Siren’s Dance an enthralling tale. Like any paranormal romance, one has to be willing to suspend belief to imagine that the characters can fall in love, especially when one of them is a ghost. The author does a commendable job of making the characters flawed yet attractive to the reader, and the suspenseful plot flows well. Combine that with a sexy romance and a woman who deserves to be avenged, and you've got an entertaining story you won't soon forget.

This review can also be found at All About Romance: http://likesbooks.com/cgi-bin/bookRev...

Note: a copy of this story was provided by the author for review. ...more

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Feb 26, 2016 Carrie rated it liked it

Shelves: netgalley

After her family was murdered Anya Truss was chased into a river where she drowned. She's spent the last fifty years as a ghost tethered within a fifteen foot radius and has found that she is a vila, an alluring wind nymph. When her murderer finds her he offers her the chance to become human and live again, having already done the same for her sister but Anya only wants to find the man that had tormented her in life.

Seeking the help of police investigator Sergey Yuchenko, Anya tries to find the ...more

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Apr 13, 2016 Jenny - Book Sojourner rated it really liked it

Shelves: e-arc, read-in-2016, ghosts, magic

I was completely engaged by 'The Siren's Dance.' Though I did read the first book in this series, and thoroughly enjoyed it, this second book can be read as a standalone. You will get pieces of the first couple's story though, so it may tempt you to backtrack to their story. I actually re-read the last few chapters of the previous book before starting this one, and it helped refresh my mind and get me right back into this story world.

If you've read the previous book and worry that this one is j ...more

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Aug 09, 2016 Angel Hatfield rated it really liked it

Anya’s family had been murdered then she was chased and she had drowned. Anya had been a ballerina in training and now became a Rusalka whichis a ghostly water nymph wanting revenge for the man who killed her. Then Anya falls in love with Dimitri - his uncle Gregor is one of the men responsible for the killing of her family. But Anya actually blames her dance master Stas Nemyan for destroying her life. Dimitri gets a hold of Sergey who is looking for the same man for his own reasons that Anya is ...more

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Feb 05, 2016 Julia rated it really liked it

Shelves: net-galley, sbtb

This book is its own siren song. This type of narrative wouldn't be my normal cup of tea (ghosts + mystery + demons), however the world-building sucked me right into the narrative. Belledene keeps her scenes and characters crisp and clear. There was little characterization wasted on a person dead for 50 years being bowled over by modern technology. The character obviously adapted quickly in life and did so, logically, in death/afterlife. I liked this enough that I want to go back and read the fi ...more

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Mar 29, 2016 Notthatcatwoman rated it liked it

Copy received from NetGalley in exchange for honest review
This was a good book. Good not great. Characters were ok, writing style was ok, plot was....ok (lol). It was the kind of book where you quickly figured out who were the good guys, who were the bad, the ending was clear and the twist was pretty obvious, so it was just a case of sit down (sedately with a cup of tea and a biscuit) and enjoy the ride. Criticisms would include, certain aspects could have been fleshed out just a little bit mo ...more

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Mar 03, 2016 Franjessca rated it really liked it

Full Review posted at Book Lovin' Mamas

The Siren’s Dance was definitely not something I’ve read before and I look forward to reading even more from this series. I loved how both characters were seeking out answers/revenge. You won’t believe the ending of the story and what Amber reveals about one of the characters.

I give this book 4 stars and recommend it paranormal readers out there looking for a book that has a little bit of everything; romance, mystery, revenge, and drama. ...more

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Dec 09, 2015 Stacy McKitrick rated it it was amazing

Shelves: e-book, paranormal, romance, series

An unusual setting (Ukraine) and unusual ghost (vila) made for one enjoyable read. Oh, and there's some sexy parts, too! You don't have to have read the first book to enjoy (or get) this one, but why wouldn't you? They're fun stories. ...more

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May 04, 2016 Betsy rated it really liked it

Characters: dancer/supernatural, cop
World Building: modern Ukraine
Plot: vengeance, sudden supernatural explanations
Sex: medium
Read another: Yes

Good characterization and world building. The plot seemed like a lot at the last moment.

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Amber Belldene

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Amber Belldene grew up on the Florida panhandle, swimming with alligators, climbing oak trees and diving for scallops…when she could pull herself away from a book. As a child, she hid her Nancy Drew novels inside the church ...more