A review by tesaelin
The Dancer and The Masks by Bea Paige

3.0

Main Characters:
Christy -

Spoiler

Virgin who has spent most of her life hiding due to physical deformities such as a birthmark on her cheek and burn scars on her back. She dreams premonitions seeing both past and future. Strong-willed but lonely, she knows her future entails her being taken by the Masks but can't see much past that point.

Jakub -

Spoiler

Leader of the Masks and youngest of their group, Jakub is the official heir to his family line. He, along with the other 2 members, have been beaten and conditioned by his father to be ruthless and cruel. As children, the 3 of them decided the only way to become what his father demanded was to don masks and let their innocence go. He is obsessed with the ugly and different. Perfection having a repulsive effect on him due to his father's own obsession with it. He tends to go to the woods to regroup when he is losing control. Calls Christy "Nothing".

Konrad -

Spoiler

As close to the "jokester" trope that you can find in this dark book, Konrad hides his darker nature seeming to be the "nicest" of the 3. His kink is hurting and then healing. His favorite haunting spot is the dungeons where he enjoys breaking the numbers in. Calls Christy "Zero".

Leon -

Spoiler

Oldest of the 3, Leon is the most volatile. Leon craves pain and gets off on endurance. He is loyal to his brothers but tends to fly off the handle the most of the 3. He now acts as the enforcer when clients get out of line with the staff and numbers. Calls Christy "Nought".

Subpar Summary:

Spoiler

We start with Christy arranging her goodbyes after her premonitions tell her that she will be taken by the Masks. Her sister, Grim/Kate, is a high profile gangster along with her partner Beast/Robert. She's known her fate for awhile and decides not to tell either of them what's in store after Grim took it badly the first time. She prepares herself and hides her birthmark with makeup. When the Masks take her, they debase her and strip her of her name and dignity referring to her as "Zero". Starved of water and food, she wakes in their dungeon and receives kindness in the form of nourishment from the maid, Nala, and the butler, Renard. They warn her not to speak of their help or they will be killed. Nala is assigned to her personally as her handmaid and Christy convinces her to obtain more make-up for her face not wanted the Masks to see her disfigurement. During her captivity, she learns that they are in a castle that entertains clients with a performance show featuring talented people who were also kidnapped and stripped of their names to now be only numbers who perform and fuck their audience. What she doesn't understand is that all of the numbers are complicit in their captivity and choose to stay. The Masks tell her there are rules to follow and that they own her completely as revenge for Grim killing their father. Christy makes many attempts to fight them and is met with cruel and perverted punishments each time. The Masks formally introduce her to the rest of the numbers during a banquet dinner where she is drugged and they attempt to take her virginity by force. Just prior to the events, Thirteen (a member who acts as a healer and is not a performer nor does she interact with the clients), kisses her and passes her a tincture that nullifies the effect of the drug allowing her to regain her strength quickly. She attempts to fight back but, realizing she's locked in, she wipes off her make-up and shows off her scars hoping it will disgust and discourage them from their attack. Instead it does the opposite. To prevent the 3 of them from losing their minds, Jakub employs the use of a chastity belt and entrusts the key and Christy to Thirteen to keep her safe until an upcoming ball. Christy is also required to perform in the show but she is not to be whored out to their clients as they remind her that she belongs strictly to them. More abuse happens and Christy is trying to find a way to escape, mostly worried for her sister who she believes may come to harm when she attempts to rescue her from the castle. Christy tries to get through to the numbers but they continue to insist they are happier performing and being slaves to the Masks. She ends up having another premonition, this time seeing Grim and Beast negotiating a debt in order to gain access to the upcoming ball. Worried even more that they will be killed, she attempts to get help from Thirteen who refuses, loyal to the Masks, but gives her a letter that her mother had written to her. It reveals that her mother also had the gift of premonition, knowing how and when she would die. She urges Christy to not fight fate and help the Masks regain their humanity. She also reminds Christy of how she was saved from the fire that long ago killed her mother. In a rage, she remembers that the fire was started by Leon and that, although he saved her from the wreckage, he is also responsible for her mother's death. She runs off and attacks him in her anguish and he refuses to fight back. After kissing him and regret for hurting him so badly, she begins to see beneath the "mask" that he wears but he catches himself and becomes hostile to her again removing her from his sight. Not long after, on the eve before her first performance where she intends to take advantage of the chaos and attempt to escape, she is brought to a dinner with the 3 and she goads Leon to the point of breaking. In his pain and rage he attempts to kill her thwarted by the other 2 but just barely. The next night, after her performance, Jakub traps her and gives her a tonic that renders her paralyzed but lucid. He leaves her in the entertainment room to watch the after show where the other numbers are whored out and a client, The Baron, who is infatuated with her attempts to take advantage. He touches her and rips her dress fondling himself before he is stabbed and killed by the Masks in their rage for someone touching what is there. We leave off with them turning to Christy and informing her that she is too much of a distraction to them and their priorities and that they must kill her. Cue the cliffhanger!

Thoughts:
Well....

I dunno, man. I like dark romances and I will give absolute credit to the author in that she is upfront in the beginning with what to expect. I think, on a personal level, I just can't get past how badly Christy is treated. The guys are given moments (through her eyes with the premonitions) where you can see why they are the way they are but that's just not enough. The literal pain and abuse she endures at their hands (including multiple instances of molestations and attempt to rape) is abhorrent and I don't see it as forgivable. I honestly couldn't in good conscience rate this any higher because so much of what happens lacks any kind of redemption in my eyes. I like the complexities of the characters but I see no romance in this and more just opportunistic exploitation. That being said, I do intend to read the finale. Mostly because I just have to believe that the author is going to make good on her promise for something better. Fingers crossed.

Overall: 3.3/5