Dance Among the Flames

 Early Praise for Dance Among the Flames by Tori Eldridge:

"With Dance Among the Flames, Tori Eldridge gifts us with a tale as dark as the holds of the Portuguese slave ships that carried the Yoruba gods from Africa to the New World. A stunningly original novel that breaks new ground with every shocking turn."

—F. Paul Wilson, New York Times bestselling author of The Keep

“With Dance Among the Flames, Tori Eldridge looks for light and hope in the darkest corners of the human heart. She mixes mysticism and horror with seduction and vengeance to conjure real magic.”

—Jonathan Maberry, New York Times bestselling author of V-Wars and Ink

"Tautly written, mystical, and action-packed Dance Among the Flames will take you on a wild, thrilling ride through centuries and continents. Eldridge is at the top of her game, delivering an irresistibly sweeping adventure that will linger long after the gripping story ends. Don’t miss it!"

—Lisa Unger, New York Times bestselling author of Last Girl Ghosted

"Tori Eldridge's Dance Among the Flames is a mesmerizing blend of ancient dark magic and horrors both mystical and man-made. It was compelling, disturbing, beautifully crafted...in other words, I loved it!"

— Lisa Morton, six-time Bram Stoker Award® winner

“Eldridge wields her darkest magic yet in this sensual and richly layered novel of poverty, privilege, and power. Vibrant and brutal, Dance Among the Flames is a cultural triumph.”

—Lee Murray, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of Grotesque: Monster Stories

“Compulsively readable, with prose so smooth and evocative the pages fly by.”

—Tim Waggoner, Bram Stoker Award-winning author of Writing in the Dark

“The cost of justice is high in Dance Among the Flames, born in the fire of Tori Eldridge’s radiant imagination. The journey begins in a Brazilian favela where characters are transformed by the need for hope. They discover power can flood through a body, allowing them to become more than human. I thoroughly enjoyed this glorious adventure!”

—Linda D. Addison, award-winning author, HWA Lifetime Achievement Award recipient and SFPA Grand Master.

“Dance Among the Flames is a fascinating page-turner of a novel, rich with details yet written with a lushly sparse elegance that manages to immerse the reader in the story, settings and characters without sacrificing pace or action. A winner!”

—Dana Fredsti, author of Blood Ink and the Ashley Parker series

"Beautiful, gripping read! The storyline of Tori Eldridge's Dance Among the Flames is so incredibly strong, the voice so unique and clear, the character development so rich, that I did not want to put this book down... or end. The chilling suspense of Stephen King's Carrie meets the near-autobiographical cultural saturation of Alex Haley's Roots. Powerful on so many levels."

—Sandra Brannan, author of the Liv Bergen Mystery/Thriller Series

"Fueled by the power of a warrior goddess, Dance Among the Flames is a rich story of sacrifice and strength. It's full of spirit, magic and the energy of the gods."

—Cynthia Pelayo, Bram Stoker Award nominated poet and author of Children of Chicago

"Dance Among the Flames is an evocative, erotic, mystical deep-dive into the roiling cauldron that is race, culture and family. It transports readers to another time and pulls them back again to this one, satisfied, wiser. What a tour de force. What fun! Tori Eldridge brings the fire!"

—Tracy Clark, winner of the 2020 Sue Grafton Memorial Award for the Cass Raines Chicago Mystery Series

“Fascinating characters, exotic locales, and a very original plot all combine to create an enchanted reading experience. Tori Eldridge’s most ambitious novel yet. You simply cannot afford to miss out on this one.”

—Thomas F. Monteleone, 5-time winner of the Bram Stoker Award

5-Star Review:

"Tori Eldridge weaves an expansive, mystical tale that evokes the best of James Clavell and Alex Haley. The same tenacity and resilience we love in her Lily Wong series is here. But Dance Among the Flames is so much more. Tori has crafted a Homerian epic that explores every dimension of the human experience with beautifully crafted prose that often approaches poetry. A grand achievement to be savored."

Publishers Weekly Starred Review:

Eldridge (the Lily Wong series) wows with this astonishing and challenging tale of religion, magic, and trauma. In 1974, Serafina Olegario is raising her newborn son, Carlinhos, in the slums of Salvadore, Brazil, when she is momentarily possessed by the goddess Yansã and compelled to pursue the religion of Umbanda under the guidance of the Mãe de Santos. After a perceived betrayal, however, she splits from Umbanda for Quimbanda, becoming a powerful Quimbandeira and wielding dark and sensual magic to pursue power and seek revenge against those who have wronged her. In a parallel narrative set in the early 2000s, Serafina’s granddaughter, Adriana, experiences tragedy after tragedy before falling in love with an American artist amid an abusive marriage. Eldridge masterfully navigates the nuances of Brazilian religious syncretism and takes a deep and daring look into the issues of colorism, class, generational trauma, and physical, sexual, and emotional abuse. Spanning decades and generations, this is both a page-turner and an emotional powerhouse.