Twisted

Eternal Guardians #7

by Elisabeth Naughton

NICK – Leader of the half-breeds and the last true hero. He’s spent his life fighting a dark pull toward the gods. A pull he now knows is linked to his father Krónos and the Titan’s plan to escape from the Underworld.

But Nick’s hidden powers are coveted by more than just his father. Imprisoned by Hades, Nick battles every form of torture imaginable as the sadistic god schemes to break him. Only one thing is keeping him sane. One woman who gives him the strength to fight the relentless darkness. She has a dangerous plan of her own, though, and as Nick’s powers grow stronger, even she might not be enough to alter his destiny.

As the fate of the world hangs in the balance, Nick’s allegiances are tested. And no one knows whether he will choose to fight for good or succumb to the sinister lure of evil. Not even him.

Book #7 in the Eternal Guardians Series, however can be read as a stand-alone.

Other books in the Eternal Guardians Series:

MARKED - Book 1
ENTWINED - Book 2
TEMPTED - Book 3
ENRAPTURED - Book 4
ENSLAVED - Book 5
BOUND - Book 6

Genres: Paranormal Romance, Paranormal, Romance, Fantasy, Mythology, Urban Fantasy, Greek Mythology

325 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 24, 2014

About the author

Before topping multiple bestseller lists—including those of the New York Times, USA Today, and the Wall Street Journal—award winning author Elisabeth Naughton taught middle school science. A voracious reader, she soon discovered she had a knack for creating stories with a chemistry of their own. The spark turned into a flame, and Elisabeth now writes full-time.

Though primarily known for her romantic suspense work, Elisabeth has penned over thirty books and continues to write in multiple genres, including paranormal romance and contemporary romance. Her books have been translated into numerous languages and have earned several award nominations, including three prestigious RITA® nominations from Romance Writers of America. In 2017, REPRESSED, the first book in her Deadly Secrets series, won the RITA® for best romantic suspense.

Elisabeth's work has been praised by the Chicago Tribune as being filled with "deadly intrigue, high adrenaline action, and scorchingly hot passion.” Kirkus calls her "a writer talented enough at weaving a yarn to get her readers ensnared in it.” When not dreaming up new stories, Elisabeth can be found spending time with her husband and three children in their western Oregon home, wrangling two cats, or chasing after one very rambunctious Dalmatian.

Learn more about Elisabeth and her books at www.ElisabethNaughton.com.

Reviews

[Alex is The Romance Fox · Rating 4 out of 5]

TWISTED is book #7 in the Eternal Guardians series, a paranormal romance series, with a twist of Greek mythology, which features seven warriors, descended from the greatest heroes in all of ancient Greece.
Nick, who we first met in Marked, book #1 in the series, has always been an interesting character and we finally get his story and a chance to find out what he’s all about.

Leader of the half-breeds known as Misos, who live in the human world and outcasts from the Argolean realm, he has always put others before himself, never given recognition for the many sacrifices he has made and he’s paying dearly for the courage and selflessness he showed to save the life of Isadora, his twin brother, Demetrius’s wife, who he has been struggling to get over the fact that she’s also his soul mate.

Held prisoner by Zagreus, son of the lord of the Underworld, Hades, he spends months being tortured until he breaks so that he can come into his true god powers, which Zagreus needs to enable him to free himself from his father.
Zagreus mistress of pain, Cynna is in charge of his torture and abuse.

Cynna sold her soul to the devil, Zagreus in order to avenge the deaths of her family but has come to realize that the price was nothing like she had expected.

Cynna starts to feel something for Nick and tries to help him during his torture. He also sees something different inside her……

She decides to escape from Zagreus and takes Nick with her. When wounded during their escape, she asks him to leave her but Nick feels that there’s something about her that balances him.

I liked seeing these two playing each other off. Though Cynna, whilst I could sympathize with her and what she had been through since the death of her parents and the bad decisions she had made, I became a bit irritated with the way she acted during her escape and when she’s taken by Nick to Argolea. At times I wondered if she was the right person for Nick.

This was a rather dark and a bit twisted romance. It was also had totally unexpected and unpredictable revelations!!!! Talk about surprises!!!!

Do I like this series?????? …

Yes, I love it….. It has everything I like in paranormal romance –an unique take on paranormal romance, a fabulous take on a fantastical world , amazing characters – who doesn’t like and women who don’t take shit from anyone….totally.. Greek Mythology, epic battles, wicked Greek gods……just doesn’t get any better!!!

One of the characters introduced in this story was Ari……now this is someone who I want to know more about and hopefully the series will continue and we will be able to get his story!!!!

[Stacie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was overall annoying to me. I think I just didn't like the overall plot and set up. I don't like the sadistic sexual situations, and I think the ending was very underwhelming. But with all that being said, Nick has been one of my favorite characters in the series, and I'm happy he's happy. I still like this series and all the characters a lot. So I'm still in. Happy reading!

[Viri · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ayyyyyy que bonito 💓😭😭😭

El principio es pesado pero una vez comienza la acción todo va de lujo.

4.5!!!!

[Marta Cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've loved reading the Eternal Guardians series and yes finally we get to read all about the tortured Nick! He's a male who right from the start has not had an easy ride and has been cruelly treated by a twist of fate that sees him unable to claim his own soul mate. Finally in this the seventh full length novel we learn more about his godlike powers and just what their release will mean. Held prisoner by Zagreus he struggles to hold on but his desire for payback sees him clinging on.
But wait as Nick is not the only one haunted by inner demons , Cynna has bound herself to serve Zagreus the son of Hades in return for revenge for her lost family and now is tasked with torturing his prisoner Nick. The battle to steal Nicks powers is on but when it comes to the Gods nothing is ever straightforward . The more Cynna sees Nick the more she finds herself wanting to help him and as for Nick? Well he just hangs on by a thread but his all abiding desire and passion for the luscious Cynna fuels him like nothing before. When the chance to escape comes the pair take it but can Nick really trust the woman who oversaw his abuse and torture?
So we finally come to understand a little bit more about this incredible assortment of characters and it's a non stop fabulous ride that the author takes us on. Poor Nick is the twin brother to one of the guardians and has had such an awful life. He has been banished due to being a half breed, has met and lost his true mate and now it's revealed that his true father is Kronos so the powers that want to awaken in him are pretty much deadly. Add to that the fact that he's obsessed by the woman who orchestrated his pain and misery whilst held captive and yes what you get is pretty messed up or you could say twisted!
Cynna is such a controversial character. She may let Zagreus use her in whatever way he wants but she has dark needs within herself and although her body is his to play with Cynna holds fast to her soul. Determined not to let Zagreus break her mind she plays the part of his mistress but throws in her lot with Nick only to see her world yet again come crashing down . Theirs is an intense passionate relationship that sees a bond developing between them that rivals even the need he feels for his soulmate but it's not going to be easy but let's face it love is always worth fighting for!
So yet another top notch instalment in this wonderful series. I bet I'm not the only reader who has wanted Nicks story and finally the author puts us (and him!) out of our misery. There's a wealth of depth to these characters but as there are quite a few now what with mates and all I would suggest starting at the beginning but that's no hardship as Marked is free on most ebook platforms. If you are looking for a paranormal romance that gets your heart pounding with action and adventure then this is the series for you!

[mer · Rating 4 out of 5]

What I liked.
When two damaged souls met, it created a quiet heart wrenching story. Nick was cursed with soul mate stuff and Cynna was all about vengeance. The romance was sizzling hot, sweet and full of warmth at the same time. Besides that, I loved the puzzle, the mystery and of course, the action. Definitely enjoyed the thrill. Not forget to mention, the heroine is badass! Pergh, talk about awesomeness.

What I hated disliked.
Although previously I anticipated the idea of soul mate stuff with other couples, I totally despised it in this book because well, instead of giving bubbles of love, it gave chaos or in this case the love triangle mess. TBH, it was torturous to get through, almost gave up but instilled strength to go on and luckily I did or I'd miss something important. Glad it's OVER for good ... phew!

The odd thing is
I felt bad for a villain named Zagreus. He's pretty much a victim, a pawn to the gods like others. Dear author, can you give him a happy ending too? In a spin-off perhaps? *fingers' crossed*

Anyways...
I loved this series and I will always love it! And I can't wait for the next installment. I'm relief! I don't want this series to end because it's one of the best Greek mythology romance series' I've ever read (LOTU is always the top though HEE). Recommended.

p/s im loving the oktoberfest, raise the beer mug and cheers!
____________________________________________
UPDATED: May 7, 2014
THAT COVER! Heh. Ngehehehehehehe!

......

Release Date: Summer. (That'll be a long wait. Hm.)

......

Read the news from author's FB page, it's Nick's! YAY. Imma happy girl. Very happy girl.

[Kelly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Love this series, but this one wasn't my favorite. I knew I would have issues with it, but still wanted to see how the author went about it. Love triangles, I cant stand them. I gave it 3 stars because of the ending, but the majority of the book was his draw to Isadora and him fighting it. I was about to DNF if he would of "CURED" her like what everyone wanted him to do. Still love the series and can't wait to see what happens next.

[Jennifer Turner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my I'm so excited about this I loved this series can't wait for more!!

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Twisted
4 Stars

Elisabeth Naughton's Eternal Guardians is an excellent amalgamation of classic Greek myth and contemporary paranormal romance. In this installment, the focus shifts to Nick, son of Kronos and Atalanta, unclaimed bond-mate to Isadora and leader of the Misos. Incarcerated in the dungeons of Hades' son, Zagreus, Nick has finally met the woman who can soothe his internal darkness - Cynna. Unfortunately, she is also his jailer and torturer.

The ongoing arc revolving around the search for the final element to complete the Orb of Kronos is put on hold in this book, which is disappointing as I was looking forward to some closure in this regard. Nevertheless, Cynna and Nick's romance is more than engaging enough to compensate.

Despite the rather inauspicious beginning to their relationship, Nick and Cynna have a strong and appealing bond that weathers all obstacles. There is the potential for an annoying secret keeping trope, but Naughton skilfully avoids the angst inherent in this pitfall by writing mature and sensible characters.

All in all, this is an entertaining addition to the series, and the updates on the other Argonauts and their mates are an added bonus. Finally, it appears that this is the final book in this particular arc, and the next book jumps ahead 25 years to the next generation. I look forward to seeing how Naughton merges past and present.

[Rae · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although I would have rated this book a 2 perhaps a 3, I gave it a 4 because Elisabeth Naughton is one of the few authors in this genre (aside from black authors) who described a main character as "other than white".

Other races (Hispanic, Asian, Black, Middle-eastern, or somewhere in-between) are rarely depicted as persons that are desirable or worthy of being heroes.

More than 90% of main characters within stories in the romance/paranormal romance/urban fantasy genres are Caucasian.

THANK YOU

With that said: One significant disappointment is that Cynna's character played the stereotypical "black whore". It's amazing that when one describe a persona of an angry, streetwise, illegitimate child, who was raised on the undesirable side of town, with a troubled past...it's almost automatic to believe that the person being described is "other than white".

...Yes, I'm disappointed that Cynna's character fed a stereotype, who has extremely low self-esteem but I'm grateful that a black heroine was described as a desirable and smart fighter.

For those of you who wonder why I did not comment about Nick's horrible behavior...it's because we've known since the first book of this series (Theron and Casey's story) that Nick's taste (and Demetrious's taste) in women tended to be on the "very experienced" side.

We also knew that his dark side was causing him to say and do horrendous/offense things. So there was no surprise that he behaved in mean ways/said some mean things in his own book.

[Leigh · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a big fan of this series, I was very happy that Nick was finally getting a book. Unfortunately I was a little disappointed in the story we finally got. While I overall enjoyed the book, I felt the story kept repeating itself and I was bored at times. I am glad his connection to Isa is finally over and he can start his life with Cynna. I am looking forward to more in this series.

[Shauni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally reviewed for Tea and Book.


FINALLY!! It's Nick's turn. Admit it, you fell in love with Nick way back in Book One, Marked. It's been a long time coming but we get to read his story and it is epic!

Twisted is Book 7 in Elisabeth Naughton's Eternal Guardians Series. It's an exciting series about the decedents of the Argonauts and how the gods have used them and abused them. And yet they remain true to their mission, well some of them do..

As you may have gathered, Twisted finally tells Nick's story. Nick is a special case because while his brother is a essential part of the guardians and has the queen for a soul mate, Nick has had a less than stellar life. He was banished young (really young, like as a child young) as a misos (half human half Argonaut) and spent his entire life protecting the misos on earth. Protecting them from the gods, their demons and their toys but even worse, he has to protect them from the Argonauts. He has weathered those years well but when his brother found his soul mate, Nick was horrified to learn that they shared the same one. After all they were born of the same womb, twins with different fathers. Devastated by the fact that he will never have a soul mate to call his own. Nick still chose to sacrifice himself in order that she might life. Now he is trapped by the son of Hades, not in literal hell but in his own personal one. Tortured daily, the gods want him broken and his powers absorbed. It seems Nick's daddy wasn't quite the human everyone thought it was. Nope he gets the oh so wonderful Kronos as dear old dad. Yep, father of Zeus, Poseidon and Hades (among others), that Kronos. And Hades wants those powers.. stupid head, you can't steal a god's powers.. But never the less, Nick has been tortured and his torturer is a woman who haunts his dreams.. kinda, what would you call it.. oh yeah, Twisted, don't you think?

Cynna made a deal with the devil, or rather the devil's son and she has regretted it since day one. She wanted revenge upon those who killed her family but it seems the joke's on her. Cast as the devil's mistress she is referred to as The Mistress, amongst the denizens of hell. Her job, to do what ever she's told and look pretty while doing it. When she is cast as the villain for Nick, something inside Cynna snaps. Finally realizing she has choices in life and chooses Nick.

Their adventure has only just begun! Together they must escape from hell, face their paths and fight for each other.

What makes this one of Ms. Naughton's better books is that she steps outside the norm. She understands the importance of a soul mate, both the positive and the negative BUT she knows Nick needs his own love. Not his brother's! Instead of having a soul mate, Nick finds true love. The kind you choose for yourself not the kind that is destined to be. The kind that says, you can walk away but do you want to? Wonderful twist on a series that revolves around finding a soul mate!

Elisabeth remains faithful to her guardians, we see many of them and get glimpses of the struggles they have. Their battles and their victories.. which is one of the many reasons why I love this series.tv

I hope there will be many more because this series is just heating up.

Shauni

This review is based on the ARC of Twisted provided by netgalley and is scheduled for release on September 29, 2014

[FV Angela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review originally posted at http://fictionvixen.com/review-twiste...

Nick –Leader of the half-breeds and the last true hero. He’s spent his life fighting a dark pull toward the gods. A pull he now knows is linked to his father Krónos and the Titan’s plan to escape from the Underworld.

“Finally! Nick’s book!” were my exact thoughts when I found out the seventh book in the Eternal Guardians series would feature the mysterious leader of the Misos colony. I wasn’t quite sure how Ms. Naughton would work his HEA or who could possibly be his love interest, because as anyone who has followed this series knows, Nick’s soul mate has already fallen in love and married his brother Demetrius. I know! What a seriously twisted love triangle. No need to worry guys, Nick does finally get his happily ever after and it’s not what you’d expect.

Nick has been dealt one crap hand after another in life. Born as half of a set of twins, his Argonaut father always knew he wasn’t quite right. There was a darkness in him that didn’t gel with the Argonaut markings on his arm and he is punished for it in some truly horrible ways. It wasn’t until years later that he learned while he and Demetrius share Atalanta as a mother, they have different fathers and his happens to be the god Kronos. At a very young age he is banished to earth and forced to figure out how to survive on his own. He learned to fight and track and hunt and eventually became leader of the half-breed colony. But then fate intervenes again and as an adult Nick is devastated to find out he shares a soul mate with his brother. Isadora is the Queen of Argolea and she is deeply in love with Demetrius. She will never be Nick’s, which means he will always be left wanting and won’t ever experience the closeness that soul mates share. Despite that, he still makes the choice to sacrifice himself in order to save her from Hades.

This brings us to where Nick finds himself at the very beginning of Twisted, deep in the heart of Hades’s son, Zagreus’s torture chambers. Both Hades and Zagreus want to absorb the power Nick is to inherit from his father and they will do anything to bring it out of him, including physical, mental and sexual torture. The person in charge of his torture is a woman named Cynna. She has made a deal with Zagreus in order to avenge her parent’s deaths and part of that deal is to do every single thing the crazy god wants, which includes doing whatever it takes to make Nick finally break. But Cynna isn’t the exactly who she appears to be and even as she oversees his torture she slowly starts to develop feelings for the prisoner.

It’s Cynna who ultimately helps Nick escape and Cynna who keeps Nick grounded when the darkness inside threatens to overwhelm him. Cynna and Nick, regardless of their twisted (heh) beginnings feel a connection to each other that only continues to grow as they are forced to confront what’s been going on in Argolea and with the Misos colony. Cynna isn’t the most sympathetic character, but then I don’t think this author wanted her be. I do think she is meant to be portrayed as the exact opposite of Isadora and she truly is. There isn’t a whole lot of softness or kindness to her, but then again that turns out to be just the kind of woman Nick needs in his life. Nick is himself troubled and the power inside of him comes out in some very dark ways. This author pulls no punches with the type of desire Nick and Cynna have for each other. The sex scenes are just more… more dirty talk, more pain, more forceful. There’s an edge to them that I don’t remember being in the other couple’s stories.

I think the best part of this couple’s romance is the fact they truly develop a deep bond and fall in love, despite the soul mate premise that has been so prevalent in this series. Readers always knew that Isadora, Nick’s soul mate, was already taken and madly in love with his brother. She was never going to be who Nick settled down with, unless Ms. Naughton decided to create some kind of ménage or something. So it was kind of a mystery about how she would go about giving Nick his own mate and even how would that work with the Argonaut’s soul mate curse. In the end these two fall in love and choose each other, soul mate be damned. I love that. I love that fate ultimately takes a backseat to choice.

If you haven’t read this series before, I wouldn’t start here. I really don’t think any of the books in the Eternal Guardians series can be read as stand-a-lones. There is quite a bit of backstory and world-building to wade through to really understand what’s going on in Twisted. I’m so thankful this author decided to continue on with this series and self-publish. I’m very much looking forward to see where she takes the Argonauts next. Final Grade- B

Favorite Quote:

He did need her. Not because she was special, not because she was his soul mate. But because they were alike. They understood each other. They’d both danced with the devil, and she was determined to make sure they both survived.

[Lover of Romance · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a ARC in return for a honest review.

Nick sacrificed himself so that, Isadora, both his and his brothers mate, could have a chance for freedom with the man she loved and their daughter. Even though he feels a pull for her, he knows he can never have a mate. Now he is kept prisoner by Hades, he is tortured and abused but there is one woman who keeps him anchored, the one who is in charge of his torture...Cynna. Cynna, lost her family, and has wanted justice for their deaths. So she made a deal, and has done some of the most terrible things, and has been in charge of Nicks torture sessions, and has despised every moment and is started to believe she is irredeemable. When a chance comes to escape, she takes it, and takes Nick with her, knowing that she can't leave him there in that hellhole. From the moment of their escape, Nick, takes control of the situation, and passion ignites, and Nick is battling within himself, to stay in control, and only Cynna can center him. But soon he will have to choose to fight or give into temptation and the darkness that is spreading throughout him...



Twisted is the seventh installment in this amazing series by Elisabeth Naughton. The Eternal Guardians is a series based on a mythology theme. Nick is a special guardian, and very unique. He has spent his life protecting those from the wrath of the gods, and has been their leader. I have been watching Nick since the first few books in the series, and I have been waiting quite some time for his story. I will say that you can read it as a stand alone if you need to, but I would recommend you read the books in order if you can. I have yet to read books 4 and 5, so there was some things that kinda got me a bit lost, but I was able to catch on quickly to the story, and there is definitely history with Nick and some of the other characters that play a active role.

Twisted is pretty much what the title implies, there is so many "twisted" circumstances involved in play of the plot, but it works so well, and Naughton has really stunned me with her detail and being able to completely draw me into the story, that I had stayed up all night reading it, because I was so hooked. There is quite a bit of depth intertwined with the plot that really captivates you. In the beginning of the story you see both sides of Nick and Cynna. As they begin to delve deeper into their relationship, and certain aspects start to come to light, you gain a deeper respect for both of them as characters. They were such a solid pair, and even though I had a little issue with Cynna, for the most part I adored her. She became a endearing character for me, and I really started to like her even when I didn't think I could or even wanted to. At times she seems to always be running away (which was very annoying and I wanted to scream at her and yell "what the heck are you doing girl running from that gorgeous man who adores you??) Crazy woman!! Anyway, you start to understand her character more and the reasons behind her running, and Nick, well he is great. He just keeps chasing her. Which was awesome seeing the way he never gives up on her, after all he has gone through, he isn't willing to just let her go.

This story is pretty complex and has quite a few aspects that really put me through the emotional ringer, that resulted in a fully satisfying read that is fast paced and intricately written to endear the reader to this amazing talent of Elisabeth Naughton. This author will magically draw you into this world of mythology, suspense, passion, and loaded with plenty to satisfy your hunger!! RICHLY CRAFTED!!

[Ezi Chinny · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nick is the leader of the MISOS (mixed breed, half human, half argolean) and he traded his soul to Hades in order to save his soulmate Isadora. To complicate matters, Isadora is mated to Nick's brother Demetrius as the curse by Hera gave Isadora two soul mates.

We know know his father is Krónos and Nick has his power deep within himself. Hades wants Nick's power so Hades son Zagreus is trying to break Nick through torture. After 6 months of unsuccessful physical torture, Zagreus decided to use sexual torture and thus brought in his own sexual pet, Mistress of torture Cynna.

We soon learn that Cynna is tied to Zagreus because she struck a bargain in exchange for revenge. But now she has developed an attraction to Nick and the feeling is mutual. When they escape Zagreus and the underworld, Nick and Cynna must now battle the curse of Hera that threatens to keep them apart.

I am disappointed that the author has never tightened up the same issues from way back in book 1. There is no real movement by either the gods nor the council. There are no real love in the groups save Nikomedes and his Misos. Isadora seems to love her kingdom but she can't do much because of the council, a bunch of power hungry hypocrites and bigots.

None of the Argonauts have tried to have the other's back except Gryphon and his brother. In fact, they don't seem to really know much about each other and certainly don't care for each other. I don't think I can point to anything I really enjoyed though I did like Cynna and Nick in this book.

I don't know if I continue this series.

[Sunny · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC Review:

If you have had the pleasure of reading this series from the beginning, you will understand why this book is so satisfying. The author continues to enhance the complex world of the Argonauts. Through each successive book, Elisabeth Naughton has added complicated and satisfying layers. This is one of her best.

Nick is the quintessential anti-hero with a heart of gold. His presence in book one, Marked, is both menacing and protective. As an other, (as in non-human), he extends himself to the Misos, the half breeds of humans and Argonauts. Nick has had a presence in each book and FINALLY we get his story.

Cynna is his perfect counterpart. Of course, she is strong, but she is also courageous and she is a little dark. He finds the woman who can understand his dark, twisted side. With that connection, they help keep their darkness in check. It is a pleasure to watch them interact. This couple is not Superman and Wonderwoman. They are Batman and Catwoman.

In A Nutshell: This is a great addition to the series. I've always loved Nick and I'm thrilled at where Elisabeth Naughton took this story. Yeah for the anti-hero!

This review is posted on Love Affair with an E-Reader.

Thank you to the author, publisher and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Carla Simoes · Rating 4 out of 5]

já há algum tempo que não lia nada sobre os argonautas e estava bocadinho esquecida, mas foi ótimo ver o Nick a ter o seu hea ao final de tudo.
gostei na cynna e dele juntos, odeio aquela situação toda com a isa e a cena da soul mate, mas nos final gostei de como as coisas se resolveram. e quem será o próximo?

[Victoria · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

This can also be found on BBF-Bookboyfriends

I got that book as an ARC from net galley (man, I love that page!!) and I was super excited to start it. To be honest, I didn't read the books in-between this one and the first because... Oh well, there are so many series out there and I simply lost track of them. I was all the more happy finding the book where I did and even getting it. Seriously, I dove right in and maaaaan, this book didn't disappoint AT ALL. Even with not having read the books in-between I knew what was going on and the way it was written just made it easy to follow along.

I am usually the person that is into the males. I like the female leads, but I prefer the males. Always, because mostly the females are a little whiny, or bitchy or what do I know. In this book though that was absolutely different. Cynna is a kick-ass heroine and I loved her from beginning to end. There is no doubt that this story is dark, but that only makes the moment when it all turns to light so much sweeter and better.
Having suffered for years because of things she couldn't change made Cynna hard. But whenever Nick's around, that shell breaks slowly, but thoroughly. There is nothing better than seeing that, almost feeling the sweetness seep into her heart.

And Nick... Boy, what can be said about Nick? A lot, certainly, because he's strong-willed, handsome and a true hear at heart. There is nothing better than this combination because you don't need a bad boy to win over a girl, but sometimes you just need soft amber eyes and a little pleasure-pain to make things all right in the world.

And seriously, that was what the book was to me: A little pain and a lot pleasure. And if I say pain I mean heartbreak over and over again. I'm a sucker for heartbreak and heart-healing and Naughton delivers in the finest form. I'm in love with this book and I'd recommend it to everyone. You love paranormal stuff? Ancient Gods and the trials they put upon humanity? The world that Naughton creates is round and perfect, well thought through and whenever I close my eyes, it is easy to take a trip there and get lost. This was a truly amazing read. Thank you, Elisabeth Naughton.

[Carolyn Reilly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Twisted is Book 7 in the Eternal Guardians Series and can be read as a stand-alone.

Oh my gods, this story blew me away!

Nick’s been imprisoned by Zagreus, the prince of darkness and has been suffering at Cynna’s hands. Her job is to torture him and break his will. But she is not the cold-hearted bitch she seems to be. When she disobeys Zagreus and helps Nick to escape, they have to rely on each other to survive. He has every reason to hate her and knows he can’t trust her, but he needs her to ground him. Her presence seems to keep him from succumbing to his dark side.

Cynna is not evil, but she made a mistake earlier in life and she’s been paying for it. She made a deal with the devil or – to be exact - the prince of darkness. Since that time, she has been a prisoner in her own right.

Despite the fact that they should be enemies, Nick and Cynna can't fight their mutual attraction. The tension between them is explosive and as their journey progresses they develop a deep emotional bond.

Elisabeth Naughton’s writing is excellent, she knows how to suck you right into the story and keep you captivated till you turn the last page. The storyline is incredibly imaginative and the characters she created are very complex and believable. The rich mythological background and the detailed worldbuilding are awesome!

TWISTED is a fast-paced read with lots of action, adventure and red-hot passion! I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and will have a lot of catching up to do, reading all the other installments of this amazing series.


* I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Theresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nick gave himself up to Hades in exchange for Isadora’s soul. Now he’s in the hands of Hades’s sadistic son Zagreus’s. But Zagreus uses another lost soul Cynna for his dirty work. Then suddenly they’re both free, but are they really?

I gave this story a 5 because it made cry, even though it had some problems. Like, who leaves a baby unattended lying next to a fire?

Footnote: 1) There’s a hypocritical concept running through a lot books I read. All these guys talk about how the girls light pushes away, balances the dark within them, but then they drag her into doing the dark, twisted sexual things they liked doing before. Obviously it’s just an author’s trick to add in popular story elements for selling the book.

2) And another thing. The guys have no problem with using the abilities and strength to boss around and control the physically weaker female, but if she does anything to try and balance the situation, they get all mad and threatening.

Fave scenes: Cynna tending Nick’s wounds in the cell, exploring the trashed & ruined Miso colony, Cynna meeting Elysia and the revelation at the remembrance stone.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been following the Eternal Guardians series and couldn't wait to read Twisted which is Nick's story and wasn't disappointed at all.
This tale really explains Nick's half breed heritage and family and as his powers grow stronger his true destiny is revealed.
Zagreus has Nick in his dungeon and has Cynna, (a beauty, held on a bad deal she should never of made with Zagreus) torture him in an attempt to break his will so his god powers will come in.
Cynna is a strong, feisty, determined woman, who has to make the decision to disobey Zagreus who'd promised to break her mind, body and soul. But he'll never have her will. Can she save herself and help Nick escape? I liked her very much.
Nick has always been a loner so it was nice to see his character getting closer to the someone and seem to be a part of the Guardians more and trusting them.
The book is full of our favourite Guardian characters with action and hot steamy romance scenes galore. I love this series and Twisted is a great addition to the Eternal Guardians series. I Highly Recommend this book. 5/5

[♡ Sassy ~ Amy ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cynna sold her soul to Zagreus the son of Hades. Hades wants Nick's unleashed power & Zagreus can get it through torturing Nick. Hades & Zagreus are debating who owns Nick. Nick won't cave. The Argonauts now have to find & rescue Nick. And the debates of the previous book work through this one as well.

What makes this book called Twisted is that Cynna is Nick's torturer and mate...

This is one of those must read series after you get sick of the onslaught of incest in a Sherrilyn Kenyon book. It's a great transition into something slightly lighter, yet still intense. Every minute, something was happening!

I love these books & I am still going to read them ASA I can get my hands on the NEXT book! I hate waiting between books! This is one of the series that makes me go through withdrawls.

[Traceys · Rating 5 out of 5]

Feels like forever since I picked up a book in this series, I've had so many review books to read I kept putting this back, why???? It was fabulous.

I've loved Nick for ages and he doesn't disappoint you in this book, he's even better, sexy, strong, darker and loving.

Cynna, she's a strong woman, putting up with a lot to get revenge, that is until she needs to help Nick, which catapults them into an exciting romantic adventure.

The character development is deep and its not just the main characters, as all the previous couple are involved in this book.

I loved this book and can't wait for next book in series, I wont be leaving it on my kindle idle so long!

5 vampyandracey stars

[Sara Sánchez · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a big fan of this serie, I was so happy that Nick was finally getting a book. Unfortunately I was a little disappointed with the story and Cynna as match for him, I really dislike her and I don't think that they are similar, he has done everything in his power to protect the Misos and she has ended with Hades' son only for a selfish reason and revenge, it was her choice, not like Nick that he gave himself to protect other people. That's the reason why I give it 4 stars, but after all I'm looking forwar the next book in the serie.

[Dolores Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The titles for book 6 and 7 should be switched--to me, this didn't read as twisted as Bound, Niko is probably my favorite at this point and is actually rather sweet...“Don’t fight me right now.” He sat on the couch and leaned back into the cushions so she was draped over him. Then he reached up, pressed her face into the hollow between his shoulder and throat, and tightened his other arm around her back. “Just let me hold you for a few minutes.”

[Dee · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

[Emily Maynard · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the last book in the Eternal Guardians Series, for the moment. It is one I have been looking forward to because it is Nick’s story. We first met Nick in the very first book, and although my first impression of him was that of a creepy stalker, I was soon proven wrong. Nick is the leader and protector of the Misos colony here on Earth. The Misos are half human, half Argolean, and until Isadora came to power, were completely ignored and unprotected by all of Argolea. Nick has built himself and his people quite a sanctuary here on earth, offering any and all Misos a place where they can live without fear that any powers they may develop from their other halves would expose them.


Living together also offered them protection against daemons, Atalanta’s former minions, who for years hunted any Misos they could get their hands on. Since Atalanta’s demise the daemons have just run wild, with no one to restrain them. This wonderful safe place that Nick built has all gone to ruins in the last book - Hades knows where the colony is now, and the secret that kept them invisible. Daemons and satyrs attacked the colony, and all of the Misos made a mad dash for the portal for Argolea, and safety. Right now they are all in Argolea, and the Argolean Council is NOT happy about that.


Nick himself is a mystery. His mother, Atalanta, was the Argonauts greatest enemy for millennia. She tried to manipulate a prophecy by having Nick and his brother Demetrius. Demetrius is the son of Atalanta and a notoriously ruthless Argonaut warrior. Until recently Nick thought he was the son of Atalanta and a human, a serial killer. They are twins, so Atalanta was pregnant at the same time with two children with two different fathers. Superfecundation, kids, that’s the fifty cent word for today. Due to the soulmate curse put on the Argonauts by the goddess Hera, Nick and Demetrius have only one soulmate between them, Isadora. Isadora and Demetrius have married at this point, and in the last update have just had a baby girl. Nick sacrificed his soul to save the soul of Isadora, when she was dying in childbirth. He made a deal with Hades to take him instead of her, because she had sold off her soul way back in the first book to save her sister, Casey’s, life. Hades takes that deal, because he knows something that we don’t know. Nick is not just the son of Atalanta and some random human, he is the son of Kronos, Titan and former king of the gods.


All of his life he felt this dangerous darkness within him, and thought that it was from his mother. Turns out that he got a double dose of the pure evil genes. Kronos is imprisoned in Tartarus, and unable to escape. Atalanta came up with this plan while also imprisoned in the Underworld. Using his powers Kronos made Atalanta mortal long enough to get her pregnant, which makes our friend Nick a true demigod, the like of which has not been seen since the original heros that all of the Argonauts are descended from. What does Hades hope to accomplish by taking Nick’s soul? He gives him to his son, Zagreus, and tells him to torture him, and break his spirit. Why? For some reason, Hades thinks that if Zagreus can break Nick’s spirit then whatever power he has (they are as of yet, dormant) will be his to command. Zagreus gives Nick over to Cynna, whose story is a mystery. She is his plaything, and is shocked that Zagreus is giving Nick to her to torture. We are told that she is there for revenge, but at this point the rest of her story hadn’t been revealed.


Hades is furious that Nick hasn’t been broken yet, and threatens to come back in a month and take Nick back with him to the Underworld. He also threatens to destroy Zagreus’ little hellhole and all of his pet nymphs and such. And Cynna, as well. Hades knows that she is Zagreus’ weak spot. Cynna is fonder than she should be of Nick, and gives him a sympathy handjob after zagreus orders him sexually tortured by nymphs into a state of blue balledness. Zagreus knows she’s fond of him and catches her back in her room right after she does this. He drugs her and injects her with a tracking device, but when she comes to she does not remember this. She helps Nick escape. Nick insists they get out as many of the other prisoners as they can when they go. Cynna is injured fighting with the satyrs, but they get away into the jungle. Turns out they are in Belize. Cynna tells Nick to leave her because she is slowing him down, but he’s already half in love with her and tells her that she will be his prisoner for now. He tells himself that she’s insurance, but he’s fooling himself. They get to a village where he finds meds for her and a phone, and he calls someone to come get them.



Nick’s gifts are starting to come online - he was already an excellent tracker, but now he can sense how many humans are around him (asleep, in the houses in the village) and he’s developed telekinesis - he opens a door with his mind. They are getting stronger as time passes. While they are waiting for rescue we find out a little more about Cynna. She is Argolean, her parents were murdered, and they are who she is seeking revenge for. She went to Zagreus to be trained to fight, but didn’t figure that he would fall for her and refuse to let her go. I noticed before they made their escape that it was kind of sweet how much Zagreus cares for her, and fights against his darker nature not to hurt her, even though he eventually winds up doing just that. I wondered if that might come into play later, because Zagreus, despite being the Prince of Darkness, just doesn’t come off as purely cruel and deliberately evil as Hades does.


Back in Argolea Isadora is not feeling well and is being stubborn about it. Callia worries because she cannot feel anything wrong with Isadora (all the Horae share each others ailments) but she is obviously sick. Turns out Callia is pregnant which is why she can’t feel what Isadora’s problem is. Isadora insists that she’s just tired and stressed out because she is a new mother, a fairly new leader, and her husband is blaming himself for his brother’s disappearance. They are having no luck finding Nick, who at this point has been missing for the past six months. Callia and Casey point out that if Isadora dies, then they all do, along with Zander and Casey’s and Callia’s unborn children. They are all three connected, and Callia is Zander’s only weakness. (That’s messed up, can you imagine one of them getting the flu and it taking out all four of them at the same time? The PMS around there must be killer.)


Back in the jungle Nick and Cynna are rescued by a very interesting dude named Ari. I’m gonna go on about him for a minute because I’ve got a hunch that he will be important later, maybe in a later book. I sure hope so, cause I liked his character a lot just from the short scene we had with him. (Yes, I couldn’t help it, I pictured Ari from Pentatonix. Don’t judge me, I love that guy’s voice.) Ari is Argolean, an ex-Argonaut named Aristokles. Cerek, one of the current Argonauts is his son. Ari has one blue eye and one green, and can heal with his hands. Nick tells Cynna that Ari’s people think that he’s dead, that he faked his own death. He’s the one who suspects, finds and removes Cynna’s tracker. Turns out that his soulmate was a nymph who was killed by the Sirens on Zeus’ orders. An Argonaut without his soulmate is a dangerous, dangerous creature. He went on a killing spree and was banned to the human realm - Cerek brought him back- Ari faked his death to get them all to leave him be. He has dedicated the rest of his long lonely life to hunting and killing the Sirens that killed his soulmate. Him and Skyla are gonna get along grreeeeaaat. (rolls eyes)


Nick and Cynna go back to the colony, and find all the destruction from the attack. Nick has a guilt trip meltdown because he feels responsible for letting his people get killed. He doesn’t know that so many of them escaped, all he is seeing is the burnt out castle and hearing the screams of the dying. (Visions suck, ya’ll.) He lashes out at Cynna. He winds up shackling her to a wall and what started out as him wanting to torture her the way she directed his torture for the last six months quickly turns into something else. Now a side note: I know the author was trying to make Titus come off as kinky in his book, what with him tying his lovers up and all, but she accomplishes kink at a much better level with these two. They actually enjoy pain, and are a much better fit for each other in that respect. In my humble opinion, of course. I kept picturing Cynna as either Vanessa Williams or Halle Berry from the way she is described. Either way, they have one hell of a time together in the caves, and when he almost has another meltdown (the darkness within him is fighting to get out and destroy something, he is fighting to control it) she distracts him, gives him something else to think about. She balancing his urge to kill and destroy out, and he is falling harder and harder for her every moment. She is getting leery of how strongly he feels for her, and she for him, and while he’s in the shower attempts to leave, to run away. She is caught by the rest of the Argonauts, who detected movement in the burnt out colony and figure that it might be Nick. They insist that he come back with them to Argolea, that his soulmate bond to Isadora might be the key to why she is weakening so rapidly. He agrees to go, but insists that Cynna comes with them. Cynna’s not thrilled at all with this, but she’s half in love with Nick as well at this point, and doesn’t kick up too big of a fuss about it. You can tell she is dreading going back there, though, which only made me more curious as to what her real story was.

Back in Argolea they think that the reason Isadora is weakening is that Nick’s demigod powers are growing. They find an account of three mortals that were given the choice between death and becoming judges in the Underworld. The mortals agreed to become the judges, but the consequence was that their soulmates on earth wasted away and died, just as Isadora appears to be doing. Her pulse evens out as soon as she touches Nick, which only seems to support this theory. Here is where we find out a major part of Cynna’s story - Isadora is the person that she was training to kill to avenge the deaths of her family. Needless to say, the awkward level in the room goes up a hundredfold when they meet, and when she finds out that Isadora, of all people is Nick’s soulmate………

Cynna runs out of the castle and flashes to her former home, trying to get the heck away from everybody. She is shocked to discover that Kyrenia, her former home, is where the escaped Misos are all living. The coven leader of the witches, Delia, who is also there, recognizes her. Apparently the council and the king at one time approved an attack on that colony, and they killed everybody there - mass genocide. it wasn’t just witches living there, there were lots of people hiding from the council. Cynna blames Isadora for not stopping the attack. For anyone who has been reading this series from the beginning, it’s laughable to think that Isadora could have done anything about it, as much of a wimp as she was at the beginning of this series. Nick chases Cynna down at the colony, and they reunite.


Now for some backstory on Nick, and let me warn you, it’s a doozy. Nick was raised with his twin Demetrius until he was 10. Dem’s dad always acted like he was leery of Nick, and we find out now that it was because he could sense that he had the potential to be VERY powerful. When he was 10 Nick was made to go through the cleansing ritual. We first heard of this when we found out that Callia had it done to her in the second book. It’s a ritual whipping to purge the victim of “sin”. Nick’s scars on his back and the one on his face have been mentioned at least once every time we ran across him in this series, and now we find out that this is where he got them. The one on his face was when he “moved when he wasn’t supposed to”. Ugh that’s just…..no wonder he hates all of Argolea. After they beat an innocent 10 year old to bloody ribbons they opened a portal and dumped him in the human realm to fend for himself. He showed them however, by surviving himself and helping other Misos (which at the time was what he thought he was) to survive as well when all of Argolea would just as soon as ignored them at best and exterminated them at worst.


The rest of the Misos in the colony are thrilled to see Nick, and he is likewise glad to see them, for he thought them all killed in the attack on earth. He also feels guilty, for while his people were fighting to escape and being killed by daemons and satyrs, he was trading his soul for Isadora’s . Since he and Cynna have gotten together the pull he feels towards Isadora feels nothing like love. It feels more like obligation, or duty. Cynna is the only one he wants. He craves her, and the balance that she gives him from his darkness, and her acceptance of all of the dark twisted pieces of him. Callia and the others think that the only way to stop Isadora’s wasting away is for her and Nick to cement their soulmate bond by sleeping together. Nobody is happy with this solution, but it’s the only way that they can see. Nick promises his brother that he will go see Isadora, out of pity of him. Dem is falling the heck apart at this point. Nick and Isadora meet, and it was worth a laugh to see just how uncomfortable they both were with each other, and the idea of doing anything like that together now.

They both decide that they are just not going to do this. If he has to spend hours just sitting with her and holding her hand to make her feel better then he will, but they won’t be going any further than that.


Nick returns to Cynna, who thinks that the deed was done, and is happy to find out that it wasn’t. We find out more about her, and why her eyes looked so familiar to Nick all of this time. Turns out that Cynna is Isadora’s sister. Isadora’s mom, Andromeda, was previously thought to have been killed in a daemon attack on earth. Leonidas, Isadora’s dad and the former king, was even more of an asshole than we previously thought. Andromeda left Leonidas for Cynna’s dad, who was the token “dark-skinned” (don’t yell at me, that’s how it was written in the book) guy on the council. They wound up living in Kyrenia, with the witches and other refugees and people trying to stay out of the way of the council. The council’s attack on the colony was not an attack on the witches, although I’m sure that was just a fringe benefit to them. The focus of the attack was to wipe out the former queen.

Isadora is shocked and happy to find out that she has another sister. She asks Cynna if their mom was happy, if she remembered her being happy, because for her entire life she never saw her mom happy. Cynna finally realizes that Isadora couldn’t have done anything about the attack, and lets her grudge go.


Hades and Zagreus haven’t been just sitting on their hands this entire time. Even though Cynna’s tracker was taken out, what she doesn’t remember (until now) is that Zagreus fed her his blood as well. Zagreus plans to show up and make Nick think that Cynna was betraying him the entire time, which would break him emotionally. Nick’s no dummy though, and has figured this out already. Hades and Zagreus attack the city with daemons and satyrs. The Argonauts and castle guards are hopelessly outnumbered. Nick has an aha moment, and figures that Zeus can help him unlock his powers. Skyla takes him to Zeus, then she heads over to find Athena and the other sirens, to get them to come help fight the satyrs. Nick talks to Zeus and Poseidon, and finds out that while Hades and Zagreus were trying to break his spirit so that they could control his powers, all he really had to do was accept them willingly, embrace the darkness within him, in effect, and the rest of his powers would come online, complete with the ability to control them, because he chose it.


As soon as he takes possession of his powers the soulmate bond between him and Isadora disappears, as does the Argonaut markings on his arms. Nick’s a real demigod now, with all of the perks attached to that status. He comes back to Argolea and flash fries the remaining bad guys, only to find that cynna went to Zagreus and told him she would go with him if he would pull his satyrs off of the attack. They were badly outnumbered and there was no way they were going to be able to hold the city. Nick realizes what she did, sacrificed herself to save the city. Next thing we see is Nick appearing in Zagreus’ lair and rescuing Cynna, surprisingly without a fight. I think Zagreus really did love her in a way. She tells him (not exactly these words) that he has a choice too, that even though he’s Hades’ son he can still make his own choice to be evil or not. Zagreus realizes that his dad is about to come down on him like a ton of bricks, he can feel him coming. He tells them to get out while they can. They flash out, and emerge on the edge of a gigantic sinkhole, all that’s left of Zagreus’ place, hades has destroyed it all and swept Zagreus to the underworld, to be punished for double crossing him.

I thought that I would be burned out on this series by the time I reached this point, but I find that I am curious for more. The characters introduced in this book makes me wonder just what will happen next. Hopefully we will see more of both Zagreus and Ari in coming books. I think that the author really did Nick a good turn for his story. I love how he was sort of the bastard son, the Misos leader, the guy that the rest of the Argonauts trusted, yes, but didn’t really accept. And to have him come out to be the most powerful of all?? **FIST PUMP** Most awesome! Nick went from a character that I really didn’t think too much about (remember my first impression was that of a creepy stalker) to what he is now, one of my favorites. I don’t know when the next book is coming out, but I will be looking forward to spending some more time with this author and the world she has created.

[Angelique Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy Cow this was so good. I have liked Nick from the beginning of this series and was waiting for him to get his own book. Well worth the wait. Giving up his freedom and his colony for the Queen, just made me love him more but then he meets Cynna. What what a love story! And holy cow did it have some twist... the Cynna/Isadora twists, I just about fell off the couch a couple times. Nick and Cynna have such a steamy romance, and the flashing off the cloths, nice new power and so many more changes that he took on while figuring things out. The ending, once again, had so many twists and turns I couldnt put the book down and it leads you right into Zagreus, which I have a feeling his book is coming too. Again, this was an amazing story, well written, kept you on the edge of your seat, with up/downs, mystery, and steamy, hot love scenes. This author, truly sits right up there with Ward, Showalter, Kennyon to name a few. Every book in this series so far, has dept, mystery, flow in the storylines and lots of sexy hot Guardians to make you wish you were the one in their arms. The sex scenes dont leave you feeling flat, but excited and the love, passion is felt in every book.

Again, another amazing read, looking forward to the next Guardian in this series.

[Kirstin Rocker · Rating 4 out of 5]

🗡️ Review 🗡️
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📚 Twisted by Elizabeth Naughton
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4 1/2⭐
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📖 Summary
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Nike is being held captive by Hades son and assisting in his torture is Cynna. A woman that he can't help but feel strong feeling towards. So when they escape and start a relationship she doesn't expect to fall back into their home realm or meet the queen.. his soul mate. But turns out there's a big secret she's keeping that connects her, the queen, and the reason she made a deal with Hades son. Nike has to find a way to keep the darkness in him at bay, find how to unlock his powers, and how to break the bond with Isa before she dies and so that he can be with Cynna.
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🔥 This book was so much spicier than any others of the series but it does have SA/gRape scenes so be careful when getting into this book. I love both characters and it would have made more sense if Nike and Cynna would have been soul mates. My only complaint is that (spoiler) they didn't find a way to make these two soulmates only severing the bond between him and Isa.

[Josephine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best one YET!!!

I finished this book without having slept …thanks to a little caffeine, less then half way in I couldn’t stop. I was vested. The Fates were driving me MAD XD And I couldn’t help explaining to my boyfriend it was one of the reasons I didn’t get any sleep smh Talk about wanting to rip your hair out!!!! Elizabeth!Girl you had me on the edge of my seat! Having to cover up all but the lines I was on so I wouldn’t see what was coming next, cause there were definitely times I really didn’t wanna know .
And I was absolutely pulling my hair right along with Nick But WOW every time he went looking for her…the heat ;P