



Dance of Shadows
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- € 7,49
Beschrijving uitgever
Dancing with someone is an act of trust. Elegant and intimate; you're close enough to kiss, close enough to feel your partner's heartbeat. But for Vanessa, dance is deadly - and she must be very careful who she trusts . . .
Vanessa Adler attends an elite ballet school - the same one her older sister, Margaret, attended before she disappeared. Vanessa feels she can never live up to her sister's shining reputation. But Vanessa, with her glorious red hair and fair skin, has a kind of power when she dances - she loses herself in the music, breathes different air, and the world around her turns to flames . . .
Soon she attracts the attention of three men: gorgeous Zep, mysterious Justin, and the great, enigmatic choreographer Josef Zhalkovsky. When Josef asks Vanessa to dance the lead in the Firebird, she has little idea of the danger that lies ahead - and the burning forces about to be unleashed . . .
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Black debuts with a paranormal twist on the hypercompetitive world of professional ballet school, first in a planned trilogy. When 15-year-old Vanessa Adler is accepted to the prestigious New York Ballet Academy, more awaits her than she expected, including a decades-long mystery of disappearing ballerinas, a hidden diary, sadistic rituals (upperclassmen demand a "blood sacrifice" from new recruits), and demonic possession. The novel swerves between thriller territory (will Vanessa discover whatever became of her vanished older sister?), coming-of-age angst (does sexy dancer Zeppelin Black consider Vanessa his girlfriend?), and customary dancer rivalries (why was Vanessa, a freshman, cast as lead in The Firebird?), with a romantic triangle, themes of dominance and submission, and a strained relationship between Vanessa and her mother also in the mix. Although the supporting cast is only superficially developed, the story gains traction as it focuses on otherworldly elements, including revelations of legends of demons called forth by means of a mysterious dance. Black pulls off an enticingly eerie conclusion, setting the stage for the next book. Ages 12 up.