Books Eater

Synopsis

Engulfed by the darkness,

I lost my way.

Thinking about the past,

I lost sight of the present.

My vision blurred by the tears,

I forgot to see the light.

As if my throat just closed up,

I forgot to ask for help.

But I was wrong to have despaired,

It wasn’t the end of my story.

It was only a sad chapter,

Until I remembered to turn the page.

© 2019, Fizza Younis.

Underneath the wreckage of anxiety and panic attacks,

My dream is buried,

Somewhere deep down in those shacks.

It’s a dream I had when I was a little boy, bigger than myself,

Life had seemed easy,

And I had hoped to achieve it without help.

Only when I grew up did I realize how wrong it was, my life’s impression,

I began with a dream but soon,

All I was left with was my depression.

I was alone with no hope of ever finding a way out of this wreck,

I wasn’t weak,

I did fight it for as long as I could, heck!

But the beast that’s depression is nothing to joke about,

It’s vicious and it’s cruel,

It won’t let you go no matter how much you shout.

It’ll suck the very life out of you and it doesn’t know how to rest,

Soon, I was tired to my bones,

I had done my best.

Now, I’m ready to give up on my dream and my life,

Because what’s the point of having a dream…

That can’t even survive.

© 2019, Fizza Younis. All Rights Reserved.

Oh, the things we do for love,

And the dreams that can never be.

Oh, the lies we tell ourselves,

And the nights we cry until falling asleep.

If love is so painful is it even worth it?

Then, if not love what else there is to live for?

Shackled by the bonds of our love,

None of us can ever be truly free.

It's something we crave and welcome,

Even if it breaks our heat in the end,

Love is something we'll always want to feel.

For love, we'll do despicable things,

And then will tell ourselves that,

All is fair in love and war.

We claim that the love we seek has higher purpose,

Telling ourselves that we accept wrong to be right.

Oh, the things we do for our love,

And the lies we tell ourselves!

© 2019, Fizza Younis. All Rights Reserved.

When I think of death, I feel alive

Death isn't something to be afraid of

It's something inevitable and fighting it is futile

Thinking about it is a little strange at my age

But not thinking about it would be even stranger

Because when has death cared about the years

It can come to anyone at any time

We must be vigilant and stay prepared

Don't let it surprise you

Don't let it deprive you of the joys of your life

It is inevitable, that much is true

It is the unknown, fearing it may seem natural

But when you live the way you have

How bad could death really be?

It might even be better

Death is your friend, only if you'd see

Surrender to it and it will take care of you

Go willingly and it will lead you to someplace safe

Don't make a fuss

Life has no right to be better than death

It's just the other side of the same coin

Death is a beauty, nothing to fear

Some even wait for it to appear

Some hope it comes sooner, to some of us

It is very, very dear!

© 2019, Fizza Younis. All Rights Reserved.

“I’m not a forgiving person. I’m a tit-for-tat an-eye-for-an-eye kind of person and always have been. If you annoy me, I’ll annoy you. If you make me angry, I’ll make you angry. If you try my patience then I’ll try yours. That’s how I work and that’s who I am. I’m not a nice person. I don’t care about your mental health issues and your insecurities. They’re yours to deal with and have nothing to do with me. I don’t give people second chances. I absolutely hate liars and cheaters. On second thought, I hate people period. I only tolerate the ones I call family or friends. Did I say you’re my friend? I suppose I did. Okay, I’ll tolerate you for now. Don’t expect any special favors though because that’ll never happen. If you want my respect, you’ll have to earn it. If you want my love? Well, that’s not going to happen as I don’t do love. That just isn’t my thing. Don’t ever think about love while you are here. There will be no love stories and no romance to speak of. My memory is weak so I do forget things easily, make sure you keep reminding me about all the important things otherwise you are useless for me and I’ll have to let you go. I admire people with a strong sense of morality and ethical values. I despise the ones who think just because they can they should break rules. Rules are meant to be kept and not broken. They are there for a reason and even though you are too stupid to understand that reason doesn’t mean that you get to break them. So, don’t even think about it. Also, I don’t consider ignorance as an excuse and it is your responsibility to learn about the rules and regulations of this place. Above all, remember who is the boss and what’s your place here. Don’t cross any lines and we’ll be all good. Any questions?”

His monologue finally ended not that I was paying attention. That man had serious issues, after his first sentence, I stopped listening. So, did I have a question? Probably a dozen but was I going to ask him? Not a chance. I’d find my own answers. I was good at that, after all, that’s why I was there; to find answers. Oh, I also had to deal with Mr. I-have-a-stick-up-my-ass but I wasn’t really concerned about that part. I was the best of the best, that’s why he chose me. I could do this job with my eyes closed. The real challenge would be to keep my true intentions for being there a secret. I cringed inwardly, my boss wasn’t going to make it easy on me I could see that much. Whatever, no one said life was easy. I would have to suck it up at least until I accomplished what I came here to do.

“Are you listening?” He said curtly.

“No, no questions,” I replied instantly.

“Please, avoid this fading out, be in your own head kind of thing from now on. If I ask something I expect an immediate answer. Understood?”

“Yes, Sir,” I said a little sarcastically and then hoped he wouldn’t pick up on that. Not a good move but the man was already getting on my nerves. The way he talked, his arrogance was astounding.

“Good, now that we are clear you may leave and get acquainted with your work.”

“Right away,” I wasn’t sure why my new boss thought I needed to know so much about him but I left the room hastily before he remembered something else that he had to say about himself. I didn’t think I’d be able to control my tongue if another absurd remark came from him. What a prick, I prayed that I didn’t have to deal with him every single day or I’d go crazy. Well, life had a way of throwing hardships at us. I’d consider this one of those and try not to fail at coping with it, with him. Only time would tell whether I’d succeed or not. Right now, I had a job to do and a secret mission to complete.

#

“So, how was your first day?” Mrs. Fary asked with a mischievous smile.

“Don’t worry, Ma’am,” I said respectfully, “the job would be done.”

“Oh, forget that,” she said smiling, “I want to know more about your new boss, Zavier.”

“What about him?” I was genuinely confused.

“Oh, don’t play coy,” she said, “I’ve heard he is hot.”

“He is?” Well, that was news to me. I suppose if he kept his mouth shut, he wasn’t too bad.

“Come on, it’ll stay between us women.” Apparently, the old lady liked to gossip.

“He wasn’t anything special. Just your usually asshole of a boss.”

“Oh, you’re no fun.” The way she said ‘oh’ in every sentence was annoying but I kept my opinion to myself. Mrs. Fary was paying my salary, the one that mattered. I worked for her and I must get used to keeping my mouth shut. Both my current bosses were difficult people to deal with. Not that I would ever admit that out loud.

#

“You’re late.” I looked up at Mr. Zavier as I left the elevator. Then, I looked at my watch and said, “yes, I’m three minutes late. I apologize for that.”

“Don’t be late, not even a second,” he said knowing full well that I hadn’t meant that apology. “We’re leaving so just follow me,” he said curtly.

“Where are we going?” I asked as I followed him back to the elevator.

“I’m taking you shopping,” he declared as if that wasn’t anything unusual.

“Excuse me?”

“You need proper clothes and I don’t want to be difficult. I’ve no idea if you wear,” he looked at my attire pointedly before continuing, “what you wear by choice or maybe you just don’t know better things are available out there. Anyhow, I’ll buy you some proper clothes. You can thank me later.”

Did he just say what I thought he said? I didn’t even know how to react to that, my brain was still processing this when we entered the most expensive shop in the mall. Did I mention that my boss owned this Mall and every shop in it? In any case, half an hour later I left the shop with a dozen dresses and matching shoes.

Not that I would ever thank him for that highhanded attitude. I had to remind myself that this wasn’t my actual job. It was temporary and I could wear these fancy clothes for a few days, weeks at tops, that I’d be here. Mind you, that thought was the only reason that I didn’t kill him right then and there.

#

“Zavier, how good to see you.” It was my mother and some other lady, one of her friends no doubt.

“Mama,” I said as I hugged her, “what are you doing here.”

“Oh, your mother and I were just window shopping,” the woman said before my mother could reply.

“This is Mrs. Fary.” My mother introduced the woman and said, “she’s an old friend.”

“I’ve heard so much about you,” Mrs. Fary said, “from your mother of course.” She was looking at my new employee who was standing behind me. “Who is that?” She asked.

“No one you need to be concerned with,” I said. Nosy women were creatures I couldn’t stand.

“How rude, Zavier,” my mother said, chastising me, “anyhow, you must be busy. We’ll be on our way then.” They said goodbyes and left. I started towards the top floor assuming that Miss Matilda would follow me and she did.

#

“He is the most insufferable human being I’ve ever come across.” Obviously, she was talking about me. That put a smile on my face. I’m not like most people I actually enjoy it when others talk shit about me. It keeps things interesting.

“Miss Matilda, may I have a word,” I said rounding the corner and startling her into dropping her phone. Served her right.

“Yes,” she said as she picked up her phone and said a quick bye to whomever she was talking to, “who do you need?”

“In my office, please,” I said and didn’t wait for her response. I was the boss and she’d follow me without question. “Take a seat,” I said as I took mine behind the desk.

“Thank you,” she said timidly. I knew she was anything but.

“How long have you worked for me?”

“A week.”

“And how long have you worked for Mrs. Fary?”

“Excuse me?” She feigned ignorance. “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Do you remember what I told you about myself when we first met?”

“Not really,” she admitted.

“I hate liars and cheaters more than anything else in the world. So, I’ll ask you once again,” I said harshly, “how long have you worked for Mrs. Fary?”

“A year,” she said in a small voice.

“Good, finally some honesty.” It wasn’t good and we both knew that. “Why are you here?”

“To spy on your company.”

“And have you?”

“Have I what?”

“Spied and reported back?”

“No, not yet.”

“Will you?”

“I’m caught,” she stated the fact.

“Let me be blunt,” I said, “I’ve observed you during this week and you’re the best at your job. I don’t want to lose you. Are you willing to stop your spying thing?”

“That’s a tough question. I’m paid very well.” I didn’t think I’d want to work for someone like him.

“I’d double your pay.”

Now, that was tempting. “Okay, deal. No more spying. I’ll resign from my current job and will work for you full-time.”

“Don’t betray my trust,” he said in a warning, “it won’t end well for you.”

“As long as you’re willing to pay me what you’ve just promised, you don’t need to worry about a thing.”

#

“And that was how our friendship started,” Tara said, the memories had put a smile on her face.

“But grandma, that doesn’t say anything good about you or grandfather,” Lily complained.

“That’s the truth. He was the most arrogant and difficult to deal with a man I had ever met. I was the most sought after spy. So good at my job that every top firm was after me. But I chose him and he paid me well.”

“But that doesn’t tell us how you fell in love,” Sarah complained too. Their grandparents’ story was nothing they had anticipated. Two little, impressionable girls couldn’t figure out what their grandmother wasn’t saying.

“Who said anything about love?” Tara smiled at them. “Weren’t you listening? Your grandfather didn’t do love. Ours was a relationship based on mutual respect and friendship.”

“But that’s not enough.”

“Maybe not for everyone but for us, it was more than enough,” Tara said with a far-off look in her eyes. It was indeed more than enough for them. Two imperfect people living and working together in perfect harmony. What more could you ask for?

© 2019, Fizza Younis. All Rights Reserved.

Sometimes a hundred years isn't enough time to get to know someone. Sometimes a second is more than enough. It was a rough patch in my life when I met her for the first time. We met in a hospital of all places. I was visiting my psychiatrist and she was there is her brother who had been in an accident. It wasn't your ideal social gathering and normally I wouldn't even be talking to anyone let alone sharing my deepest darkest secrets with a complete stranger. There was something about her though that compelled me to open up.

That day, I told her things even my doctor didn't know. He often told me that my biggest problem is that I don't talk about myself, oh boy, only if he could see me talking to her. I couldn't stop myself, she was a good listener. She didn't say much about herself, noded just a little, gave me a few smiles and said all the right things. That's another interesting thing about her, everything that comes out of her mouth feels right. It's like she knows exactly what to say and when to say it. I'm not sure if there is any science to it but she had it perfected. So, was it any wonder that I fell in love with her right then and there?

We met again in the same hospital. She was sad because her brother was no longer with her. That day she talked while I listened and we decided to stay in touch. It was the beginning of our friendship that went on for years. I never told her that I loved her and she never let me believe that it was anything more than friendship for her. It was okay though, we were happy with our situation. We met often and we used to talk for hours on the phone. My depression was long forgotten. I had fully recovered and my life was on the mend. She had picked up the pieces of hers and was now moving on.

It's one of those good things that come from the worst situations in your life. Unfortunately, it didn't last long. Soon, we drifted apart. It happened slowly, unknowingly to us. I can't be sure what started it. Perhaps, there were parts of her life I wasn't privy to. She knew all about me though. I used to talk about myself a lot. In hindsight that might have been one of the problems. I loved talking to her so much that I rarely let her talk. I just assumed that she wasn't much of a talker never ever imagining that there could be more to it.

You know, how they say that what you don't know will never hurt you? Well, guess what? They lie, what you don't know is exactly the thing that's going to hurt you. I was so self-absorbed that I never thought about her or what she might be going through. Years later I found out that she had committed suicide and I felt like an idiot. The time that was happiest for me was anything but for her. The friendship that I cherish to this very day hadn't meant much to her because she never confided in me. Was I even a good friend to her? Are my memories of that time so twisted that I had made those moments mean more, in my mind, than they actually did?

In retrospect, I can see where things went so wrong. I was experiencing something good after the lowest point in my life and I let that cloud my judgment. This one regret in my life will stay with me forever. What if I had asked her something as simple as, 'are you happy?' What if instead of keeping my feelings to myself I've told her, 'I love you.' What if I wasn't so self-centered? What if... would she still be alive then? Would we be together then? These questions and many more plague my every waking moment.

People are often more than what they seem and things are often far more complicated than we assume them to be. These days I tend to pay more attention to people around me. I want to know if anyone is going through a hard time. Perhaps, I'll never be able to do anything for them but at least, I'll be there and I'll definitely try to catch them as they fall.

© 2019, Fizza Younis. All Rights Reserved.

She gave and gave never expecting anything in return,

She lived her life for others never complaining even once.

She was generous to a fault and gave away the last of herself,

She believed that she will receive the love she deserves.

Alas, she was wrong because life is not so fair,

In the end, all she received was a lack of love and little care.

On her death bed, she was lying utterly alone,

No loved one to kiss for the last time and say goodbye to.

But even then she pretended to be okay and did not complain,

Until the very end, a beautiful smile on her face remained.

She did what she did and lived a life she believed in,

Her heart was warm and her soul was giving,

She was content with her life and didn’t require anyone,

But we know that was a lie because she did care.

One thing is for sure though, she must have gone to a happy place,

Because what else there could be for a soul that left behind no trace,

Of hatred, or resentment, of anger or sadness, to her life was fine,

There was a light in her soul she had let that shine.

She had given so much love and so much care, so what?

If she didn’t receive enough in return, it was never her intention,

She didn’t like it when her good deeds people mention.

To her, the more you give is not so that the more you receive,

To her, giving is a choice you should make regardless,

Because this life is fleeting and there is a life after,

That life matters more and for it, she was preparing,

In all the love and care that she was sharing.

#

2019, All Rights Reserved.

The women I admire and aspire to be...

What do you do when you are sad, restless, anxious, or simply distressed about something in your life?

I think it is sad that not many readers talk about villains. Have you ever considered how much a well-written villain brings to the story? As they often say that a hero is only as good as the villain. It's the villain's job to bring out the best traits in heroes. So, I believe that a great villain can really take a story to the next level and maybe even make it epic.

When I say "favorite" I actually mean our most hated villains. Because the more you hate the villain the better they are. I think our hatred is kind of proof that the author has done their job well in developing a villain worth reading about. What do you think?

Some of my most hated and despised villains of all times are;

Dolores Umbridge from the Harry Potter series:

She was the Defence Against Dark Arts teacher in Hogwarts (Book Five). Her purpose there was to keep a close eye on Dumbledore's activities and brainwash students into believing that there were no real threats to the wizarding world and Voldemort is just propaganda. She was an evil witch and I think it is safe to say that we all hated her with a passion. But did you notice how she brought out the best of Hermoine Granger? Hermoine was at her best in book five of the series and afterward. I think a lot of that credit goes to Umbridge, the most hated of all villains. We also hate Lord Voldemort, of course, but not more than Dolores Umbridge.

Bellatrix Lestrange is another character from Harry Potter that we love to hate. She was a lunatic and a follower of the dark Lord. Also, Sirius Black's cousin who ended up causing his death as well as murdering Dobby. How on earth can we ever forgive her? Not a chance.

Author: J.K. Rowling

Agatha Trunchbull, Principal from Matilda:

So, it was a long time ago when I read Matilda and what an amazing story it was. I loved every character and I loved the story too. I still remember the villain of the story, a dreadful Principal who punished children and was horrible to teachers, especially her niece and my favorit teacher of all times, Miss Honey. Although Matilda's parents were also part of the problem but it the oppressive principal who was the real villain of the story and who ended up bringing forth the abilities that Matilda possesses. To this day she remains one of my most hated literary villain. Also, I think it might have something to do with my own villainous high school principal. Oh, how I hate that woman even to this day (yikes!).

Author: Roal Dahl

Ramsay Bolton from Game of Thrones:

I think he is the vilest character ever written or at least I have ever come across. Seriously, that man is truly worthy of all our hatred. I am not really a Game of Thrones fan. I like it well enough, I suppose but it is not a series I am passionate about. Yet, it has some of the cruelest and most hates villains ever. Phew! The series is actually full of them and they do tend to bring out the best in our favorite characters aka Stark siblings. All of them are going to reach their full potential because of these vile beasts that the author has created. So, yeah there is that.

Author: George R.R. Martin

Lady Catherine de Bourgh from Pride and Prejudice:

As compared to other villains sighted here, Lady Catherine may seen like a sweet old lady, she was anything but. In her own way she did try to ruin our favorite love story of all times. So, she is definitely worth mentioning. She was an uppity woman who looked down upon anyone and everyone. She was the aunt of our favorite hero, Mr. Darcy and she hoped that he would marry her daughter. When Lizzie Bennett came into the picture she didn't take it so well and tried to come between her and Mr. Darcy. Not that it worked so, all was well in the end. But we still hate her for trying her worst anyway.

Author: Jane Austen

Every Other Character from The Great Gatsby:

If I have to name one character from this book, I won't be able to do it. I still don't know who was the real villain in this story. Was it Daisy Buchanan who only cared about money and prestige and used Jay Gatsby in the worst way possible? Was it her racist, cheating husband Tom? Or was it Jay Gatsby himself, an obssessive man who couldn't look beyond his obssession and idealistic views of the world? Honestly, it is hard to say. There are  a number of very flawed characters in this book and they all seemed to bring out the worst in each other. All in all, this was one messed up story.

Author: F. Scott Fitzgerald

P.S. So, this is a very short list of my most hated villains in literature. Who are some of yours? Do share and thank you for reading my post.

There are many reasons why I am obsessed with books and reading. Some of the important ones are;

Books are the ultimate escape

Every time life gets hard I pick up a book and just like that forget all the things weighing me down. For me, books are my ultimate escape from reality and all the problems related to it.

Reading is the best way to pass the time

Sometimes when you can't find anything to do all you need is a book to read. For me, no other activity is as pleasurable as reading fiction. It doesn't matter what genre I pick up, I enjoy it all.

Reading keeps life interesting

There is nothing boring about books. The worlds, the people, and the feelings that we encounter in our favorite books make our lives interesting. It doesn't matter how ordinary your own life is you can live dangerously via the lives of your favorite bookish characters.

Between the pages of the books, I get to see places I will never visit in real life

It is the most important part of reading for me. Because I can't travel as much as I'd like to, so I have found a way to see the world through books. And some might argue that it isn't the same thing but I will point out that it is so much better. You can have all the fun without actually have to deal with the 'non-fun' parts of travel. More than that, books are like doorways to other worlds.

Books are friends who will always be there for you

No matter how much time passes, you can always pick up one of your most favorite books and read it again. You can read it as many times as you like. It is just like having a friend and your disposal. The kind of friend who never fights with you, who isn't demanding and yet give you the same comfort and warm feelings of love that any friend should. For an introvert like me, it is important. I am not very good at socializing with people and sometimes I wonder if books are the only real friends that I have.

Books assuage my thirst of creativity

Yes, that's another thing about books. Anything is possible between the pages of a book. You can never guess what you will find there. It might be something dangerous, something fun, something mysterious, or romantic. Books can give you whatever it is that you seek. Whether it's fiction or non-fiction, books are the best source of entertainment and information. There is nothing in this world more satisfying than reading a good book, a book that you love and enjoy.

Reading is food for your brain and soul

Reading reduces stress. I don't know if it is scientifically proven or not but it is the truth as far as I am concerned. Whenever I find myself in the clutches of a beast called depression, books always help me out. In fact, if I am honest I must confess that books are the reason why my clinical depression was completely cured and I never relapsed. Those were the darkest times of my life and reading is the only thing that kept me afloat. It was like eight or nine years ago, but the point is that I can vouch for how much books do for your mental health. They are like food for the soul that keeps it at peace.

P.S. Don't forget to share your thoughts and obsessions with me. I love to hear from my readers. What is your guilty pleasure? How addicted are you to reading?

P.P.S. Recently, a friend said a really beautiful thing and this post reminded me of that. I was wishing her our happy third friend-verasy on Facebook (of all places) and she said, "I know you don't like people much so think of me as another book in your life." I just loved that. I do sometimes think of people as books. It makes it easier for me to love them so my friend wasn't that far off the mark.

How much do we know about the genres we read and love so much?

Sometimes it so happens that you read a book and your life changes for good. It doesn’t happen often, to some it may never happen at all, but there are some lucky readers who know what it feels like. They will tell you exactly how exhilarating such experiences are. These books have the power to stay with us forever. You can never guess which book is going to stay with you. As we read, we hope every book is that book for us. Don’t we?

Every reader is unique. What we take away from a book depends on us and not the book itself or the author. Every person reads a book in his own unique way and understands it as no one else would. This is the most beautiful thing about the entire reading experience and this is the prime reason why we love to discuss books with fellow readers. Maybe we missed something? Maybe we felt something more than others did? Either way, it is a blessing to have fellow readers in your life so that you can share your reading journey with them. For me, it’s you guys and that’s why I love to talk about books so much.

I’ve been reading since I was a kid. I don’t remember a time in my life when I wasn’t a reader. For me, reading is not only the best way to pass time, but also it’s my passion, my first and only love. I make time to read no matter how busy I am. And I read almost every day.

I can very well define my life’s journey by the books that I’ve read. As a child, I loved Enid Blyton and Roald Dahl. As a teenager, my favorite books were Sweet Valley High Series and Fear Street Series. Those books used to keep me up all night long. In my late teens, I started reading classics and simply fell more in love with books than ever before. Jane Austen introduced me to the world of romance, while Agatha Christie’s murder mysteries kept me hooked for a long, long time.

It is very difficult to say what makes a book exceptional. As I said before, I strongly believe that every reader’s experience is unique. No one ever reads the same book or so the saying goes. Readers’ personal experiences matter a lot. For example, the books that have stayed with me through the years include;

1. Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie (I also never wanted to grow up so Peter’s character was very close to my heart).

2. Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll (because she was lost and I could relate to her).

3. Matilda by Roald Dahl (because in my opinion, that book was written about my childhood).

4. Endless Night by Agatha Christie (it shows how misguided in our emotions we can be and how sometimes we do things we regret a lot, but still cannot do anything about it. Losing people through our own actions is a curse that we face from time to time in our lives. It may not be to the extent this story shows, however, it can be a painful experience and we even forgo the right to mourn our loss).

5. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (its simplicity is its beauty and let’s not forget Mr. Darcy).

6. Great Expectations by Charles Dickens (I think this book is the perfect example of disappointments in life. How things are and how we perceive them to be are not always one and the same. Ultimately, we must learn to live with everything life throw at us).

There are a number of other stories which I can name here. but let’s keep it short. From what I can see, one thing that these books have in common is the fact that they have very strong, well-developed, and relatable characters.

Not every fiction book has the power to hold our attention for a long time. More often than not we just read to pass time and then forget about the story afterward. I’m not saying that such books are bad books. They also have their purpose, but the best ones will never leave you, and so far I’ve only seen that quality in the classics (mostly). I guess that’s exactly what made them classics in the first place.

P.S. Which books have stayed with you years after you read them? What do you think is the reason. Don’t forget to share your views and thoughts about them. I love to hear anything and everything about books.

Welcome to the Wardens of Terra, an elite group of Zodiac Shifters destined to save humankind!

The Hounds of God have been disbanded by the Catholic Church, leaving a terrible void in the fight to save humankind. As a result, a much older organization returns to power and takes up the reins to fight to save the Earth from the evil that stalks it.

They are the Wardens of Terra, an elite force of Zodiac Shifters each carrying the power of their sign to aid them in the never-ending battle against the forces of darkness.

Alone they are fierce warriors. Once they’ve found their true mates, they become an unstoppable force. These are there stories.

Tagline:

Instant attraction won’t stop him from doing his duty, but there are some things a shifter just can’t fight!

Synopsis:

Troy Waman is a Thunderbird Shifter, bound to the sign Aquarius, and a Warden of Terra. He is sent to upstate New York to investigate a disturbance in the balance of magic and nature. His job is to decipher whether the sudden string of winter storms is natural or the work of darker forces in the area.

Andrea Kristos’ estranged great-aunt recently passed away, leaving her a house in Shadowland, New York. The novice Romani Caster moves into the ancient house hoping to learn more about the parents who left her long ago. During her search, she discovers that some things are better left undisturbed.

Just when things couldn’t get any worse, a huge, devastatingly handsome stranger shows up at Andrea’s door in the middle of the night and puts her in handcuffs!

How will she get him to believe that she is innocent?

Add to Goodreads Shelf

Buy at Amazon

Review

I absolutely loved this book. It is a fast-paced, romantic, and enetertaining story about an almost-witch and a Zodian shifter. The beginning is very good and so is the ending. All in all, it is a captivating story that you'd want to read in one sitting. For me it was so difficult to put down the book once I started reading.

Troy is a powerful Zodiac shifter who has been brought up and trained for one purpose only; protect the Earth. That's his destiny and he has always been looking forward to it. Andrea is a witch who never learned how to cast magic. She has been running from her destiny all her life. When the two of them form a mate bond things become very interesting for both of them. Together they are far more powerful than any other shifter and wtich and also they both get to live for the cause they believe in. Troy has found his destination and Andrea is no longer running from what is inevitable.

C.D. Gorri is not a new author to me. I already love her work and I think her stories are always very interesting but when she writes about witches she always makes it epic. Or perhaps it is I who enjoy a good witchy story more than any other. In any case, it is a great book, I liked it a lot, and would recommend it to all paranormal fiction fans who enjoys a good steamy romance story. It is a standalone read and also book one in what seems like a very promising story.

P.S. I received a complimentary copy of thsi book for which I'd like to thank the author.