REVIEW - DANCE WITH DEATH by Brynn Ford

Anya didn't think her life could get any worse, but that was before Nicholai found her with Ezra.  She was Nicholai's talent slave and his own personal ballerina.  But, now she is being pulled down the grand staircase in her underwear with a gun held to her head to be punished in front of the Four Families who were gathered for their quarterly meeting.  Instead of shooting Anya he stomped continuously on her ankle sending excruciating pain up my spine.

But, that not the true horror.  No, the true horror is Vigo, head of the Vittori family, is asking how much Nicholai wanted for his broken Russian doll.  It's been three years since Nicholai tricked her into slavery.  At the age of eleven he became her benefactor and she worked hard until she had landed the coveted position as soloist in the NY Ballet.  Nicholai had approached her after leaving the ballet one night and recognizing him from her recital years ago she went willingly when he promised her training in Moscow.  A dream come true.

Nicholai is part of the Four Families.  A secret worldwide conglomerate slave trade started 200 years ago from each families ancestor using each other as alibis in their murderous ventures.  And each generation raised their children to be monsters.  Each family resides in a different part of the world - Russia, United States, Italy and Ireland.

This is book two of The Four Families series and it exceeds book one for surprising twists and turns.  Despite the depravity of these monsters I couldn't put the book down wanting to see where Brynn was leading these characters.  These men are breathtakingly gorgeous and use their charm to wrap you in their web of torture, catching you before you can escape.

This book is told through Anya, Ezra and Nicholai's POV.  Anya has been Nicholai's slave for three years and managed to accept her circumstances would never change and even though she submitted to Nicholai and found a safe space to escape during his tortures on her body she finally gets to her breaking point with Vigo.

There is no doubt that Nicholai was a monster and he is beyond obsessed with Anya.  He had staked his claim on her as a child seeing a spark that he wanted to own and when she became of age he went to claim her.  Brynn surprisingly brought humanity to Nicholai where I ALMOST felt sorry for him.

My emotions were all over the place with this book.  Dismayed at Anya and Ezra's captivity - horror at torture they endured at Nicholai and Vigo's hands - hope for Anya and Ezra and tears - lots of tears.  These characters will grab you by the heart.  

If you thought that book one left you with a cliffhanger, it was nothing compared to the twists at the ending of book two leading to a cliffhanger of all cliffhangers.  I can't wait to get into book three of this series.  

There are major triggers in this book which the author gives massive warnings in her book description which include human slavery, brutal non-consent sexual activity, torture and depravity, but saying that I highly recommend this book.  The author takes us through the true horrors that these characters go through so you understand the full depth of the story.  I highly recommend not only this book and series, but also the author.  Brynn Ford has gained another fan.

Start the series now!