Counts of Eight

Brynn Ford

May 2020 · Brynn Ford

About this ebook

An unforgettable dark romance trilogy!

Two captive dancers. One cruel master. A single performance to determine whether they live or die.

 

★★★★★ "Dangerous, haunting, twisted, powerful; this is what true dark romance is meant to be." -The Flamingo Bookshelf Review-

 

Anya

I've served the four families since I was kidnapped three years ago.

I've accepted my fate, knowing that escape is impossible.

My villainous master abuses me, but I've learned to live this lonely life.

I've become complacent in my misery… then my master brings home another captive for me to train, and his presence changes everything.

 

Ezra

I was violently taken and brought to kneel at her feet.

She demands that I dance with her, but I refuse to recognize anyone as my master.

Yet when I see the horror of her existence with my own eyes, I know I have to save her.

I could never have expected her to break down my walls… I could never have expected to form an unbreakable bond… I could never have expected to fall in love.

 

This is a dark romance series involving many triggering elements which may be upsetting for some readers. A complete list of tropes and triggers can be found on the author's website. 

This is book 1 of 3 in a complete trilogy.

It is not a standalone, and the books must be read in order.

READING ORDER

Anya & Ezra's Story

Book 1: Counts of Eight

Book 2: Dance with Death

Book 3: Pas de Trois

SPIN-OFF

Murphy & Stella's Story

Book 4: King of Masters

Ratings and reviews

Full review appeared at Reader's Edyn on June 10, 2020 Anya is no longer living her life. She is merely surviving; doing what she has to so that she makes it through another day. Her dream had always been to become a principal ballerina and she was well on her way – until one fateful day when she was ripped away from the life she knew. Thrust into a dark world of brutality, the vileness of human trafficking, the relentless mental and physical abuse toward her and others, owned and ruled by a man who can only be described as a monster. She dares not hope for escape or any other kind of life outside of this one. Hope is dangerous and the punishments brutal. So for now, to avoid death, she dances. Although she will probably dance until she dies anyway. But her latest partner is like none she has encountered. Ezra kindles her spark – a flame she had let extinguish in the face of her horrific reality. That spark is a dangerous thing to have. But it also allows her to live again. Knowing her time is likely drawing to a close, she allows herself to get lost in Ezra and everything he represents – a life she could have had once upon a time. But even as her heart softens towards the rebellious dancer, the fear of their imminent demise is never too far from their minds. They have a performance to prepare for and once the curtain closes, so may their time together come to a tragic end. Ezra doesn’t know what the he[[ has happened. Snatched away following a performance in Russia, he fails to completely grasp the seriousness of his new situation. A situation, he is told, that is also his new reality from which there is no escape. Ezra is now owned – a slave to Nikolai just as Anya is. He will not be broken, but as his rebellion causes Anya pain and abuse, he must fight to submit despite everything inside himself warring against the possession. The things he and Anya experience are made of nightmares. Things that couldn’t possibly be true, yet here he is in the middle of one. Determined to save the woman he is quickly coming to care for, he looks for any opportunity to escape. Wanting to provide Anya with anything she needs that is within his capability, he easily gives in to any desire she expresses despite the severe warning given to them by their Master. Refusing to believe their life is now in the hands of a madman, he still hopes for freedom and a life with Anya away from all of this horrifying sadism. But a beautiful night turns threatening, and it looks as if Ezra will lose Anya for good. Nikolai – also known as the devil incarnate. He can and will do whatever he wishes. He takes what he wants and right out owns it in every way possible. He inflicts coerced pleasure and pain – but no matter how you slice it, it is abuse both physically and mentally. He’s hateful and evil and has no feelings or emotions what-so-ever. He’s damaged to the point that there will be no saving him. And even if he could be saved, he could never be trusted. He is the worst sort of human being ever. Or is he? Just when you think you have him figured out, the slightest snippet of the tiniest glimpse of humanity is revealed. Or maybe humanity is too big of a word to associate with Nikolai. Because anyone who treats people as he does – who does what he does to Anya – can’t have even the slightest shred of decency inside. Or can he? Holy effing cliffhangers! What the actual eff just happened? I am brand new to dark romance. I may have read something at one time, but it did not make an impression enough for me to be able to recall it. But this … this twisted, jacked-up, edge of my seat, train-wreck in the making, disaster … I couldn’t get enough of it. And now I am wondering what the he[[ is wrong with me that I was so enraptured by such a demented read. I mean – sure – this kind of thing exists. We like to pretend that it doesn’t, but in reality, we know it does. It reminds me of the quote from The Greatest Showman – something like people don’t want to admit it, but they are fascinated with the exotic and macabre...

About the author

Brynn Ford is an author of dark and dirty romance for daring readers. She is a lover of the dark, twisted, and playful and strives to bring the unmentionable aspects of passionate romance into her stories.

Brynn lives in the Midwestern United States with her husband and sons, whom she expects will someday be embarrassed by their mom's books. When she isn't obsessively writing, you may find her binge watching favorite shows while eating far too much junk food or fanatically reading, always seeking to lose herself in the emotional roller coaster of a damn good story.

She is quite the idealist despite her fascination with the wicked and warped aspects of humanity. She’s a firm believer that her characters continue to live on outside the pages in the minds of her readers. Stories don’t just end because there aren’t any more pages to turn.