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When love has gone, when hope has flown, where do you go?
Aven Winter has literally been to hell and back. Despite living through more trauma than most people can survive, she’s tried to hold on to the joys in her life and move on from the grief. But following the anniversary of her husband Darius’s unexpected death, Aven’s broken heart forces her to seek solace among a local coven of witches.
However, this new friendship soon twists into a sinister ploy to exploit Aven’s newfound magic. When Aven refuses to use her powers for evil, the coven leader, a man capable of commanding the strands of time, casts a spell on Aven, cursing her physical body to fall into a deep sleep while her mind is thrust back into the past.
Living as Aven Bell once again, Aven is delighted to find that Darius is still alive and they’re at the beginning of their courtship. Desperate to cling onto her one true love, Aven attempts to change the future, but the relationship she missed so much is not what she remembered. Instead, she’s forced to spend more time with Darius’s good-for-nothing friend Baz, whom she really can’t stand. Despite their incompatible personalities, Aven finds herself drawn to Baz, and she eventually reveals the truth—that she’s from the future and she needs his help to get back to her time. Determined to rewrite her story and break the curse, Aven must find the coven leader and destroy the source of his power: his very heart.
A Dream Upon Waking is the highly anticipated sequel to A Cry for the Deep and the lush finale to the Three Bells series, beautifully examining the experience of grief and the hope of new beginnings. This gothic mashup of Sleeping Beauty and Snow White will keep you spellbound from the first page to the last.
Praise for A Dance With Death
“Linsmeier creates great atmosphere in her richly detailed opening chapters... Lovers of gothic romantasy will find plenty to hold their interest.” —Publishers Weekly
“A gothic fairytale with nods to ‘Beauty and the Beast,’ Amanda Linsmeier’s A Dance With Death explores the overlap of love and grief... The atmospheric prose paints lush pictures of misty beaches, hollow mansion halls, and a demonic queen’s court... The tender portrayal of the quiet devastation of grief is standout, rooting the characters in empathetic experiences, even when they aren’t human at all.” —Foreword Reviews
“A Dance With Death is like a night at the gothic ballet. Eerie atmosphere, resonant themes of revenge and sisterhood, and an exquisitely rendered romance leap from the pages. Readers will be riveted as they watch the story play out on a ghastly stage magically set by Amanda Linsmeier.” —Autumn Krause, critically acclaimed author of Grave Flowers
“Absolutely spellbinding! Linsmeier makes a name for herself with this sweepingly romantic, enchantingly gothic fairytale. A Dance with Death is both beautiful and haunting—a masterclass of love, loss, and sisterhood.” —Skyla Arndt, author of House of Hearts and Together We Rot
“Atmospheric, swoony, and unputdownable, this dark fairytale retelling is about loss and love, revenge and redemption, and the desperate measures one woman will take to save her sister. Corliss and Orrin’s chemistry—framed by a haunting setting and beautiful prose—absolutely crackles off the page. An incredible first foray into adult fantasy!” —Keshe Chow, Sunday Times bestselling author of For No Mortal Creature
“With a trio of charming sisters, a demon in the woods, and a cottage by the sea, Amanda crafts a curious world en pointe, balancing classic romance against artful twists you'll want to savor as they go dancing by! Perfect for fans of Practical Magic, and anyone who grew up desperate to dance in a pair of red shoes.” —Maggie Rapier, USA Today bestselling author of Soulgazer
“Told in lush prose, A Dance with Death is a blood-laced gothic romance tied up with a silken bow. Gruesome, grief-stricken, yet ultimately filled with heart, Linsmeier delivers a crushed-velvet triumph of a tale.” —Teagan Olivia King, author of Spit Back the Bones and Bitterbloom
"Linsmeier artfully crafts a dark fairytale with gorgeous prose and rich worldbuilding. I was enchanted by the seaside town, the mysterious house, and the eerie magic twisting through every page." —Ana Davis, author of My Keen Knife
“A Dance with Death is a delightfully haunting gothic fairytale, replete with vivid, eerie atmosphere, luscious prose, and a love story that’s to die for. I was utterly captivated.” —Kalie Cassidy, author of In the Veins of the Drowning