Warrior’s Secret (An Elite Warrior Novel)

McKayla
Jade
Genre: 
Paranormal

Cassidy is rescued by a stranger when her castle is attacked. When she emerges from a  secret passage, everything is deathly quiet, bodies strewn everywhere. Lord Hawk discovers Cassidy and takes her to her Uncle Henry. From the beginning, Henry is abusive and plots to kill her. Deliberately abandoned by her guards while on an outing, Cassidy is attacked and nearly ravished. Henry’s plot appears to succeed until a winged Hawk saves her. He explains the wings are a result of a curse by a witch. He returns her to Henry, who promptly beats her and breaks several ribs. To hide the abuse, Henry tells Hawk she does not feel well enough to have dinner with them. Hawk loves Cassidy, vowing to marry her, taking her away from the evil Henry. 

“Warriors Secret” has excellent characters, most of whom are very likeable and have depth. Cassidy, Hawk and Gareth are strong and endearing people. Their descriptions leap off the pages and into one’s heart. The world building is quite remarkable. Cassidy’s town and its people are a lively microcosm of her life. Yet, the knight saving the damsel in distress is a clichéd plot. Days are lost in the timeline from the extremely violent abuse, leading to some confusion. Draken is brought in merely to inflict torture on Cassidy, but had no other purpose.  The story is a dark one, with light moments sprinkled in to break up the bleakness. “Warriors Secret” is not for the fainthearted. There are many graphic scenes of domestic violence, torture, and attempted rape. Despite everything, love conquers all!

Belinda Wilson