Dance of the Dead

A Ravenloft Novel

By: Christie Golden

Narrated by: Marisa Vitali

Length: 10 hrs and 21 mins

Publisher's summary

When the riverboat on which she works as a dancer docks at a zombie-plagued island known as Sourange, Larissa Snowmane must rely on the help of the swamp creatures to save her soul.

©1992 TSR, Inc. (P)2012 Audible, Inc.

mixed feelings

I love this book! I read it before a long time ago! I am finding it hard to get through this version because the narrators voice is so off putting

Speechless

The story start out someone slow but is amazing and Fits in World of Ravenloft perfectly.

it's okay

I'm dyslexic and thought this book was called dead can dance like the band. It's predictable but not poorly written.

Not the best, not the worst

Would you try another book from Christie Golden and/or Marisa Vitali?

I have already read another Christie Golden novel and that's part of why I chose this one. Marisa Vitali has a lovely voice, and is an talented voice actress, though I feel she might not have been the best choice for such an ugly, despair-filled story.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Larisa, the protagonist, was my favorite character. She was treated to the whole "hero's quest" story arc.

Did the narration match the pace of the story?

Pace, yes. Tone, no. As stated earlier, I believe Vitali was a bit too... cheerful with her tone, even when things were dark. Nothing against her, I just don't think it clicked for me.

Do you think Dance of the Dead needs a follow-up book? Why or why not?

Nope. The story's over, and everyone can move on with their lives.

Great book just like the whole series

A great story I really enjoyed every minute of it. The characters were a wonderful mix of various colorful individuals and it had a great plot. The narrator was ok in my opinion though I can see why some didn’t care for her.

Good gothic horror gaming story, abysmal reader

I loved this book in my late high school and early college years, when I was deeply involved in gaming in the same setting where the story takes place. It was then and is still my favorite of the Ravenloft novels of the time; Christie Golden does a nice job. Like most gaming-based fiction, it's not especially deep, sort of a Creole riverboat horror version of what would otherwise be termed a "fun romp." If that kind of accessible story is your cup of tea, I would recommend this one... in print form.

The reader is simply dreadful. On the positive side, she sounds as if she is enjoying the story herself, which is nice, but half the cast of characters come out sounding like Tiffany from Daria--slow and somehow breathy, but monotone and distracted.

A spark of talent shows when the reader gives a bit-part a rich French accent, but for some reason in this tale set against a Louisiana style Cajun/Creole backdrop this is the only time she makes use of this skill. I was left wishing repeatedly that a voice like that would return, and chuckling inappropriately whenever the Tiffany voice would return.

I was able to complete my listen because I knew the story and was looking forward to the poignantly satisfying big finish. If you are new to this story, I don't know how you take it seriously with this reader.

Okay story, grating voices.

The story is fairly standard horror fantasy. When the narrator is reading non-dialog she is rather pleasant, but some of the voices she attempts are halting and grating. I was tempted to stop listening after some long scenes with The Lady or Dragon Eyes dialog.

Reader ruined it.

If you're looking for a tale of Strahd or Soth, or the other lords of the Domains of Ravenloft, this isn't it. This is a story about people with the misfortune of living in those Domains.
I read the book when it first came out and enjoyed it. I was very impressed by Christie Golden's writing style and ability to deliver the grim, dark mood that Ravenloft should have. The set up with the showboat was entertaining. The characters felt like they could be real people.
Then there's this reader. Wow. How did this woman get a job reading books? I feel like she was literally phoning it in. According to her, someone "Pared" an attack. Someone cut the attack in half? The word is "Parried," as in to block. Her attempts to do other voices is just painfully bad. Why did no one stop her? Correct her? Teach her pronunciation? I sincerely hope that one day she finds a job doing something she's actually good at.

Great book

This is one of my favourite books. I have read it myself many times. The narrator did a Great job.

Slow at times with good ending

The narrative was a bit flat at times, even exciting times. The story was slow at times, but finishes strong.