Dancing In The Void

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

Beware those with white locks… touched by death, they bestow her onto others…

It should have been a day like any other. The sameish routine of ordinary life. The monotony of a calm evening. But that fateful day would be anything but typical. That day, Constantine Sancthos found a stranger. A being unlike anything he'd ever seen before crashed through the window of his room. His heart cried out in an echo of agony, forcing him to act, to save her. What cruel soul could abandon a wounded angel to the whims of fate? He could have never imagined that the merest act of kindness would drag him and all his dearest friends into the true unseen reality of their world. A world of the supernatural, filled with horrific demons, eldritch beings that defy conception, and darker forces beyond their wildest imaginations. Will they sink into an abyss of despair, or will they persevere and cling on to the frail hopes of their humanity?

Dancing In The Voidis a story that I have been writing for a very, very long time. Currently it is 101 chapters long, with over 700k words, broken up into 2 completed books and 1 being written at the present time. At its core, it is a story about love, wrapped in a shell of tragedy and despair, full of treacherous demons, world-shattering battles and crucial choices that will shape the fate of reality itself.Dancing will return on the 5th of February 2026 and a chapter will be posted every thursday during the month!

I am also currently working on adjusting the formatting on the chapters but I'm moving at a slowish pace. Please excuse some large paragraphs until I finish with all of them.

Information

Status: Ongoing
Year: 2024
Author: Dragyg

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 4.8/ 5.0
Followers: 78
Views: 29,439

What readers say about Dancing In The Void

“REVIEW OF BOOK 1 This is going to be fairly short considering the other reviews are pretty robust and I don't think my feedback requires much explanation other than that it's pretty enjoyable. I'd been reading this book over the past couple of months after…”
Rowdha Al SolRoyal Road5.0 / 5
“Overall, this story has good writing and interesting characters, backed by the mythos of angels and demons. The character interactions are done with an eye for detail, and a lot of thought has been put into the lore of the world. If you're into the idea of…”
WinterwispRoyal Road5.0 / 5

Reviews

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Community Reviews(10)

Rowdha Al SolRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
REVIEW OF BOOK 1
This is going to be fairly short considering the other reviews are pretty robust and I don't think my feedback requires much explanation other than that it's pretty enjoyable.
I'd been reading this book over the past couple of months after work and the gym, as well as some others (not from this particular author).
If you like psychological prose that actually makes you feel what the character feels through clever control of language, then it's a must-read. It starts off a little slow but picks up really quick. It's one of those books I mentioned in a recent thread that makes the prose reflect what is literally going on and isn't just simply "he did this, he did that, she did this, she did that".
Grammar is great, although occasionally I came across some choppy/repetitive phrases, particularly in the later chapters. I imagine these didn't get as much editing compared to the earlier ones.
Characters, quickly moving on to them. Alright, so I think they're funny lol, in a good way. This probably wasn't the intention but there's some lightness to otherwise intense narrative direction. It's a juxtaposition that simply works without feeling cringey.
Anyway, I'll probably be updating this review at the end of book two, but for the first installment, it is very, very enjoyable.
REVIEW OF BOOK 1 and 2 Collectively
I feel like my brain is quite literally fogging into nothingness having drifted through this book in the space of a couple days. Funnily enough, I discovered the original through an "Others Also Liked" and didn't expect to enjoy it as much because it is extremely long and the earlier chapters can be a little hard to digest if you're not used to this sort of writing style. But it's clever and witty yet doesn't feel like it's being clever or witty for cleverness or wittiness sake. It has the momentum that good prose should have even if it's a bit rough around the edges, which I guess is more important than having every single line perfect. This is jus
WinterwispRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Overall, this story has good writing and interesting characters, backed by the mythos of angels and demons. The character interactions are done with an eye for detail, and a lot of thought has been put into the lore of the world. If you're into the idea of a hidden world underneath the mundane, and like stories of angels and demons taking a role in reality, this story is worth a read.
We mee the MC, Constantine, on an ordinary day of his life that suddenly takes a turn when he finds an angel in his room. The angel flees, and Constantine very understandably freaks out, as he tries to make sense of what is going on. Meanwhile, we meet Mephistopheles, who is sent up to the human world to find an angel that was supposed to be dead. Here he has to work together with other demons to reach his goals, all of whom are equally prepared to backstab one another if they get the chance.
Style: Overall, I think the author has a good grasp of narrativ structure, believable dialogue and devices like foreshadowing and building tension. A bit more environmental descriptors would be nice, to set the scene we're in, but there's some, and it does the job. The framing of time between Constantine and friends' story and Mephistopheles is a bit confusing, though, as one moves forward at the speed of days, while the other moves over timeline of months--but both storylines have about the same amount of space devoted to them in the story, so far.
Story: The story has a good build at the beginning, starting with the mystery and supernatural elements and then taking us back in time to ordinary life for the MC. Then the second storyline comes about, and it quickly outshines the primary. While MC and friends have very good interactions, a lot of them don't really move the plot forward a lot, while a lot more is happening in the demon-part of the story. That makes the primary storyline feel bloated compared to the secondary, whereas either on their own would be fine.
Character: Characters are gener
DeltaLunaRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Dancing in the Void is a tragically beautiful masterpiece.
The characters draw inspiration from cultures throughout the world, while integrating enough unique concepts that make them stand out from a lot of generic fantasy tropes. Each member of the cast has their own unique personality traits and flaws that make them all feel as if they could be someone you meet in real life.
The story starts slow with a heavy emphasis put on the relationship between our main cast of characters, but quickly starts to pick up pace as the story requires of it. This is bolstered with a slight mystery throughout the story that leaves details sprinkled throughout that will have you theorizing ahead of time of what the next plot point could be. These details range from minute details listed in the chapter, to the chapter names, and to the authors note at the end. It helps that a few of the sentences are brain worms that stick with you long after you read.
Tragedy is prevalent throughout, and this allows the moments of hope and light to shine through all the brighter when they do occur. Some of these moments are the slice of life story beats between the main characters, which humanizes them even among all that the apocalypse brought forth.
The action scenes are well choreographed and described in a way that allow for one to easily follow the flow. They are spread out well enough that allows time for the rest of the story to breath. It helps that the set pieces that the story focuses on allow for unique setups that keep the reader engaged.
I thoroughly enjoyed this story, and it has left me teary-eyed throughout at certain key plot points. Dragyg is phenomenal writer and I eagerly await the release of book three on November 1, 2025.
DestroyatronMk8Royal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
A game of cat and mouse, with lovers caught between. Our MC's simple life takes a turn for the weird when he finds a crying angel in his room. He doesn't know why his girlfriend seems to believe him. He definitely doesn't know that an ancient demon has been sent from Hell on an errand of death.
STYLE: The prose flows well, and the dialogue sounds natural. The disparity of tone between Constantine's chapters and the the Demon's make an excellent, suspenseful contrast. The pacing is solid, and the descriptions paint a vivid (and occasionally nightmarish) picture. The author goes out of their way to make Angels and Demons beings of awe and terror. It's extremely effective.
STORY: There's a lot going on here, but the author does a good job of making it digestible. A mix of mysteries and big moments keeps the reader in suspense. The lore and the worldbuilding are on point, and the plot is very firmly character driven, if not necessarily by our unwitting MC.
CHARACTERS: This is where the story really shines. Constantine and his friends feel real and relatable. Mephistopheles and his demon counterparts are evil, wretched, and absolutely terrifying. They are relatable as well, which makes them even more disturbing. I'm getting serious Magnificent Bastard vibes from Mephisto and Azazel.
GRAMMAR: The formatting needs work. Multiple paragraphs are smushed together. Other grammar mistakes are less common, but there were enough that I noticed. There were also some odd phrases and extra descriptors that should probably be cleaned up. The story's still readable, but it badly needs a round of editing.
OVERALL: Formatting issues aside, this is an excellent work. Rich, deep, and compelling. Beautiful and horrible and powerful. An adventure of Biblical proportions. (Sorry. Couldn't help myself. I'll go now.)
DiagRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Dancing is a really inspired and dramatic story ready to unfold, and I'm really excited to see what comes next!
The story kicks off and gets going right away, with a supernatural meeting setting events in motion like a runaway train that never stops, although sometimes it slows to let you catch your breath
I absolutely love the characters and each one brings so much to their scenes, and my favorites thus far have to be Azazel and Mephisto, along with Evan who I really enjoy as the side character friend type. I expect lots of fun developments to come from each and every single one though, and I think that's what keeps me coming back for more. How will this unbelievable affair come to affect or change their lives, especially given how dangerous of a situation it is for everyone involved.
It has quite a nice style too, as it is very apparent that even the way the very paragraphs are ordered is meaningful, and honestly if I had to complain about something, it would be that sometimes paragraphs are a bit too long sometimes, but other than that I can tell that a lot of love went into how the story is conveyed.
I'll keep reading for sure as I've read the first 15 chapters as of today and can't wait for more!
AwooraRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Dancing in the Void oozes with style and action, full of unique, distinct characters all with their own stories to tell in an ordinary world revealed to be anything but.
The story jumps right into things with the main character meeting an angel in the forest, immediately shattering any illusion that this world is normal. From there, the mystery begins to unfold as more and more characters are pulled into the ensuing mess, each with their own goals and ideas that are slowly revealed overtime. The underlying mystery about what is going on is tied together with strong character interactions and dramatically stylish action set pieces that vividly unfold in the mind like a scene out of a flashy anime.
This all occurs multiple times within only the small chunk of the story that I've read, so I'm sure things only escalate further from here, which is a very exciting feeling. The slow reveal of how the supernatural world is, and has been, mingling with "our" world is wonderful as well, showing how creatures like demons have been living among us for thousands of years and how they too have progressed with the times. There are likeable characters on all sides, ranging from those who you love to root for and those who you love to hate. There's underlying tragedy among several of them, and the looming threat of tragedy hanging over everyone's heads, which is surely going to arrive in the ensuing chapters.
Do not rob yourself of a chance to check this out, there is a ton of passion oozing from every word.
VerxintRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Threading the line in delivering a dense and complex narrative at a pace which feels exciting without overloading the reader with too much information is not an easy task, but it's one that Dragyg accomplishes with incredible finesse. From the start, the story and characters grab your attention, giving you just enough time in their world to feel their distress as it begins to slip away. Before long you're drawn into a fantastic and imaginative world of unimaginable horrors and stubborn hope.
The action and drama come out swinging and don't stop, yet ample care is taken to introduce every character and every facet of the wonderfully rich world the author has created for us to explore. At every step, you learn something new about this world and its characters in a perfectly paced drip-feed leaving you wanting to know more, wanting answers, yet every answer only brings more questions.
The characters themselves stand out, with the ones you'll love and the ones you'll love to hate. Despite how many you're introduced to in a short time, each one has its distinct purpose in the plot and it's impossible to forget any of them. So far Evan is my favorite and I already want to know where his story leads. Azazel is abhorrent and revolting in the best way one could ask from an antagonist, and while part of me despises him I also find myself cracking a smile whenever he opens his mouth. With how many players are introduced early on, you're sure to find someone who suits your tastes.
But above all, you can feel the care and heart that goes into every bit of this story. Nothing is without its place, and every detail is thought through. If you're a fan of urban fantasy, the supernatural, magic, horror, drama, and want a dense narrative that keeps on delivering, give this a read. You won't be disappointed.
RavensFantasyRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Style/Story: The story starts off with one point of view as a character comes into contact with an Angel. The next chapter flips to another view point of a devilish encounter. The story utilizes great descriptions and realistic reactions that pulls you in.
The sentence structure, grammar, flow, are all done well in my opinion. The only problem I had with this story was the long blocks of text but I’m sure they will go through and edit that so I am not taking off points for it. The chapter length was more on the lengthier side as well. Both chapter length and paragraph length can be a negative for some but I do recommend you giving this story a chance.
Grammar: I did not see any grammar mistakes. The story was written well!
Characters: I haven enjoyed all of the characters that have been introduced so far. Each character is distinct, and reacts accordingly. The first set of characters that are introduced are school students that are just trying to get through the day. They appear relatable as some are under stress about tests and have behaviors that are expected. One of these characters gets a special visit from an angel. To which their reaction to it was enjoyable for me to read as it was a relatable reaction. We haven’t gotten too much from the angel yet within the first few chapters so I am interested to see how that goes.
The other set of characters that we get introduced to is a set of what appears to be devils. There are vivid descriptions which allow us to see the creatures in our minds. Their reactions are also on point as it appears the main one that we may be following hasn’t been on Earth for sometime. I’m interested to see where all of this leads.
In Summary: Once you overlook the long chapters and paragraphs, this story will pull you in with its vivid descriptions and on point character reactions. Nicely done!
JonHRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
Grammar
Grammar is hit or miss, with just enough mistakes to take you out of the story on occasion. That being said, after reading more of the story, the author's control of language gets better with each chapter!
Style
Many times, descriptions are very well done and on point, but occasionally, they get a little redundant. This can cause scenes to drag a little, but doesn't hamper the overall experience. The writing also gets better as you move further into the story; I think the first chapters, after being workshopped, will better reflect the writer's current skill. That being said, this is not amateur work. The author develops their voice with each progressive chapter.
Characters
Characters are hit or miss, but if you like this genre, you'll find yourself at home. Our main character is sufficiently fleshed out, but side characters feel more one-note. There are hints of improvement at the point of the story I've reached, though. Overall, they're likeable enough for you to care about them, and that is what we're really looking for in a story, isn't it?
I think the real treasure here is how the characters progress. They start off like an archetype, but as each one is explored more in depth, you find yourself more attached, or at least, wondering where their path will take them.
The Story
The story, though familiar, has as great, if not somewhat cliche, style. If you're here for angels and demons, hoo boy you'll get them. And the descriptions of these beings is done well. There's a borderline-anime feel to the way the story flows, and it fits surprisingly well.
There's a solid amount of intrigue, and I particularly enjoy the sections where the hierarchy of demons interact and plot. In fact, I think that intrigue might be the story's strong suit, and readers who are looking for a little mystery are going to find themselves pleasantly enthralled.
If you watched Constantine and want more of it, you might just have found your new home.
H.I. SouthwellRoyal Road
★★★★ 4.0
Review Intro
I took considerable time to reflect on this piece to provide a fair review. One of the main challenges is that it's evident from both the writing and conversations with the author that they are very passionate about this work. They have a solid understanding of writing and storytelling. However, I worry that the author is perhaps less strict with themselves and their own work than with others. If they could overcome this tendency, they could significantly improve this piece.
I believe a four-star review is fair. Some aspects may fall below this level, but I am confident that with a thorough edit, the author could enhance most elements of the story to reach 4.5 stars. I hope that by the time you read this review and the story, the author has made these improvements because if they have, I believe you'll be in for a treat.
Will I enjoy it?
This story follows a familiar theme: older high-school-aged teens on a journey to discover supernatural destinies and clash with dark forces. It’s a coming-of-age tale that will resonate with fans of teen fiction. The narrative is heavily steeped in fantasy Abrahamic theology, featuring demons and angels battling on the mortal plane. Readers will recognize elements reminiscent of works like Constantine, Devil May Cry, Supernatural, Lucifer, BBC's Demons, Grimm, and other dark young adult fantasy thrillers that were popular between 2000 and 2016.
Fans of such narratives will feel at home and quickly find a storyline they’ll enjoy. However, the opening may seem typical of this genre, so I doubt it will intrigue readers who aren’t already fans. Therefore, it doesn’t have universal appeal. Despite this, the story is firmly grounded in its genre while offering unique approaches, making it sufficiently original for fans of this type of fiction to enjoy.
One way the story introduces unique elements is by focusing more on non-hero protagonists. It dedicates significant time to two demonic characters: one seemingly set for a red