Quick Take
- Narration: Paul Morey handles the ensemble cast of this paranormal mystery with clarity, the world has many moving parts, and the narration keeps the characters distinguishable across the full eleven hours.
- Themes: Outsider identity in a supernatural world, mystery and loyalty, found family across species lines
- Mood: Atmospheric and layered, with romance that earns its weight through character rather than heat alone
- Verdict: Dance in the Dark improves on its series predecessor in emotional depth and central relationship, making it the better entry point into Megan Derr’s paranormal world for listeners drawn to character-centered romance.
I found Dance in the Dark on a Tuesday evening when I wanted something that was simultaneously cozy and genuinely weird. Megan Derr’s paranormal fiction occupies a specific tonal zone that I find difficult to describe precisely, it is not horror, not urban fantasy in the Ilona Andrews sense, not conventional romance, and not mystery in the procedural sense, though it borrows from all of those. This second book in the Dance with the Devil series follows Johnnie, the very human adopted son of a vampire lord, as he is pulled into a chain of mysteries that begins with a missing pair of Cinderella slippers and does not stop escalating from there.
The premise is playful in a way that the execution then takes seriously, which is exactly the right approach. Derr clearly enjoys the architectural complexity of her paranormal world, the various supernatural factions, the social hierarchies, the particular logic of how power and vulnerability distribute across species, and she gives Johnnie a perspective on that world that is simultaneously intimate and external. He has grown up inside this society but has never fully belonged to it, which makes him both a useful guide and a genuinely interesting character to follow.
Our Take on Dance in the Dark
The book is widely regarded among series readers as stronger than its predecessor, and I think the consensus is accurate. Where the first Dance with the Devil book had to do considerable world-building groundwork, this one can move more freely, and Derr uses that freedom to develop the central relationship between Johnnie and his bodyguard Bergrin with more room and more emotional honesty. One reviewer described nearly being in tears by the end and noted that the book was better written than the first, again, a judgment I would broadly share.
Bergrin as a character is a significant asset. He is protective without being possessive, competent without being infallible, and his patience with Johnnie’s prickliness is one of the more convincing aspects of the romance. One reviewer specifically called him out as a favorite in the series, noting his ability to be both genuinely capable and emotionally present. That enthusiasm is understandable; he is the kind of male lead who earns affection through behavior rather than by being described as irresistible.
Why Listen to Dance in the Dark
Johnnie is not an immediately likeable protagonist, and the book does not pretend otherwise. He is cold, proud, and accustomed to maintaining distance as a survival strategy. One reviewer’s assessment was direct and accurate: Johnnie is not always likeable but he is interesting, which is all I need. That is the right frame for this character, he is compelling rather than charming, which is more interesting in a long listen. Paul Morey’s narration handles this quality well, keeping Johnnie’s emotional flatness readable without making him feel remote from the story’s concerns.
The mystery structure, multiple small cases that weave together into a larger pattern, gives the book more plot momentum than the romance alone would generate, and the fairy-tale and Shakespearean references woven into the narrative add a layer of literary texture that elevates the material slightly above genre convention.
What to Watch For in Dance in the Dark
The book is the second in a series and cannot be read in isolation. Key world-building, character histories, and the logic of the paranormal society all depend on the first book. Reviewers consistently advise reading in chronological order, and that advice is sound, jumping in here would mean missing significant context that shapes almost every interaction in the plot.
The multiple-mystery structure is ambitious and mostly successful, but the middle section of the book requires some patience as the various threads are established before they begin to connect. One reviewer noted that the author was good about signaling when new storylines began and ended, which helps, but the structure is more complex than a single-mystery format, and listeners should expect to hold several threads simultaneously.
Who Should Listen to Dance in the Dark
LGBTQ+ paranormal fiction readers who enjoy mysteries threaded through their romance will find this a strong entry in a genre that does not always deliver on both fronts. Fans of Megan Derr’s other work will find the world here consistent with her characteristic tonal range. New readers should start with the first Dance with the Devil book before arriving here. Those who prefer their romance to build through character rather than through heat will find the Johnnie-Bergrin dynamic particularly satisfying.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Dance in the Dark be read as a standalone, or is the first book in the series required?
The series should be read in order. Multiple reviewers specifically note that the world-building, character histories, and the logic of the paranormal society all depend on having read the first Dance with the Devil book. Jumping in at book two would mean missing significant context.
How much does the romance drive the plot compared to the mystery elements?
Both are genuinely present. The mystery, beginning with the Cinderella slippers and expanding into a chain of interconnected cases, provides the plot engine, while the romance between Johnnie and Bergrin develops as a secondary but significant thread. By the end, the two are intertwined rather than parallel.
Is Johnnie a sympathetic protagonist, or does his cold and proud personality make him difficult to spend eleven hours with?
This is genuinely a matter of listener preference. Reviewers consistently note that Johnnie is not immediately likeable but is consistently interesting, a distinction that some listeners find satisfying and others frustrating. His characterization is deliberate rather than accidental, and his emotional arc across the book is real if gradual.
How explicit is the romantic content in Dance in the Dark?
The book is published by Less Than Three Press, which specializes in queer romance, and the romantic content is present but reviewers describe it as fitting within a paranormal adventure framework rather than explicit. It is more character-driven and emotionally focused than graphically explicit.
