The Gods of Chaos series continued to intrigue and amuse me with this second volume. Even though there were fewer plot twists than in the first one, it held its own. The focus in Dance with the Devil is firmly on the inner turmoil and the character growth of Archer, the man being tested, reformed or taught a lesson, whichever wording you prefer. It fits the series theme of finding redemption from your sins really well.

Archer is a bit of an airhead at first. He gets severely punished - 3 months of reliving one’s sins while suffering physical deprivation is pretty bad. Interestingly, even that doesn’t quite teach Archer the lesson he needs to learn. While it gets him to the point of regretting what he did (an important first step), it can’t really teach him how to do better. That's what he spends the rest of the book figuring out.

Levi is a great guy. Controlled yet passionate, with the patience like an angel and hotter than should be legal, he is the one who teaches Archer about basic human decency, friendship, loyalty and the fact that one an CAN be enough. Oh, and he throws in a few lessons about self –worth as well, helping Archer regain his confidence.

I loved the lesson in this book: punishment is only the start, real change can only come from real-life situations and, sometimes, the help of a devoted friend/lover. If you like stories with sexy men who learn how to change their lives, who make you laugh and feel for them, and who keep you in suspense as to how they will deal with their attraction, you will probably like this book as much as I did.
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