Twisted Truths

Helena Hawthorn #7

by May Freighter

2023 Readers' Favorite Bronze Medal Winner in the Young Adult - Fantasy - Urban genre.

To save her love, she must kill it first.

After being thrown out of the time spell, Helena finds herself in the future. Things are definitely not how she remembered. The Vampire Council is missing, the hunters are wanted by the humans, werewolves are patrolling the streets of London, and newly created vampires are running amok. She has more questions than ever, and no one seems to be willing to provide her with the answers. That is until she is told that Lucious may be responsible for everything bad that’s happened.

Lucious is losing hope and his mind the longer he works for The Order. Their leader is a tyrant and claims it’s for the benefit of their kind, but Lucious knows better than to trust those sugar-coated words. When he shuts his eyes to rest, his mind is riddled with realistic visions of killing Helena. Every waking moment, he spends fearing that, one day, those nightmares may come true. And, deep down, he knows they will.

Love, tragedy, pain, and loss are around every corner. Can Helena and Lucious make the ultimate sacrifice to undo the dreadful future?

250 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 30, 2019

About the author

May Freighter is an award-winning, internationally bestselling author from Ireland. She writes Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Paranormal Romance, and Sci-Fi Mysteries that will keep you entertained, mystified, and hopefully craving more. Currently, she's attempting to parent two little monsters and hasn't slept in over 4 years.

Who needs sleep these days, anyway?

On days when May can join her fictional characters on an adventure, stars must align in the sky and meteors will probably rain down. So keep an eye out.

Her hobbies are photography, drawing, plotting different ways of characters' demise, and picking up toys after her kids. Not exactly in that order, either.

Sign up to May's Urban Fantasy Newsletter and get DESIRED for free here!

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Website: https://mayfreighter.carrd.co/
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/May-Freighter/...
FB page: https://www.facebook.com/authormayfre...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mayfreighter/

*****
HELENA HAWTHORN SERIES:
- Alexander: Memoirs (Prequel)
- Russian Roulette
- Demon Gates
- Crumbling Control
- Desired (Spin-off Novella)
- Alexander: Monochrome Interview
- Fated Origins
- Cherished (Spin-off Novella)
- Dark Affiliations
- Blood Witch
- Twisted Truths
- TBA

*****
ANNALISE STORM CHRONICLES:
- Case: 0
- Case: 1
- Case: 2

*****
EMPIRE OF SHATTERED CROWNS
- Queen of Deception
- Queen of Ashes
- Queen of Hope
- Queen of Hearts
- Queen of Dante
- Queen of Vows
- Queen of Revelations (TBA)
- Queen of Sacrifice (TBA - Final)

Reviews

[Maja · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Just wow! What a ride!

"Twisted Truthts" is my favorite book from Helena Hawthorn series! I really loved all of it and I really hope there will be a sequel soon...

I'm totally new here and this is my first review. So, it will be very short. :)

- What would you do and what would you sacrifice for the love of your life?
To came back to you and be safe...?
- Everything... Just everything!!!
Just like Lucious... That's him. Even if that means to lose himself, go dark and die for her... He would do anything for her!

- What would you do to find love of your life in some crazy and painful future?
To save him, to be with him, to save all her friends and go back where she belongs and prevent that kind of terrible future in witch she lives now?
- The answer is the same... Everything!!!
Just like Helena! She is his light, his world and she knows that.

Yeah... Exactly! That's the story of Helena and Lucious! Their love is so strong and real, so true and sometimes so, so painful... But they never give up!!! There is always hope, for them, for their friends... And there are always other chances, choices and possibilities.

That should be everyone's motto!
NEVER GIVE UP!

[Cath · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is book seven of the Helena Hawthorn series and it starts off with Helena being spat out of the time spell set by Erzsebet, a blood witch and vampire, who lured Lucious into pledging his allegiance to her in the hope of keeping Helena alive. Unfortunately, that allegiance will turn him back into the monster he was once when he thought his sire, Eliza, had been killed. Helena’s last minute action in changing Erzsebet’s time and erasure spell, meant Helena is still here, but she has ended up a year in the future and everything has fallen into chaos. She is still in the Vampire Council building, and is greeted by a stray vampire she doesn’t know, aiming to attack her, until it is hit by a silver dagger wielded by her old friend Malachi. Malachi is her baby sister’s fated mate, awaiting her growing up and choosing him again, as in the past. He is a demon who fell in love with a fate and has been separated from her for millennia. He is the one who asked Nubo to be her blood magic mentor. He is wary of her and her current actions, having thought she was with Lucious for the past year, but she knows nothing of what had happened and is shocked by what she hears. She can’t believe Lucious has done what he has, without a very good reason! Nubo and Lucious are about to get her to somewhere safe, when Byron and Lucas, the wolf pack alpha, and some of their pack come across them. Instead of treating her like a friend, Byron is looking at her with hate in his eyes. She has to work hard to explain what she last knew had happened, having been at the Christmas party, before facing Erzsebet and getting caught up in her spell circle.

The rest of the Vampire Council are dead or gone, hunters are being treated as terrorists, werewolves are left patrolling the streets of London instead of the vampires, as more feral young vampires are being created, as the Order of Eight seems to be running the show in Europe now! Nothing is as Helena had hoped or thought and even Nubo and Malachi are keeping things from her. She needs answers if she is ever to have a chance to find Lucious and be together once again. But Lucious is behind a lot of the recent deaths of those formerly his best friends and allies, such as Hans and Alexander! He is losing his mind, slowly but surely, as Erzsebet has tricked his mind into believing that Helena’s soul needs to be restored and the body he is protecting is Helena, and that only by doing as Erzsebet orders, can Helena be restored. He will do anything to have Helena back and so carries on with her orders, but he knows what she is telling the rest of the Order is not the whole truth. She is creating a massive blood magic spell, but it is not to share the power with the other members of the Order, to enhance their vampiric powers, but for her own ends. Lucious is being bombarded with visions of him killing Helena and can’t trust himself around even her body anymore. He has no idea he is being tricked and he fears that one day his vision will become a reality. Erzsebet is hiding something huge about herself, which he finally manages to figure out, but it still doesn’t get him out of her clutches nor her orders which have gotten even more degrading. His blood sister Laclia, is one of only a couple of the Royals still alive, but she is not free and Erzsebet is using her magic to see the future.

Helena must get used to the reality of what has happened in the last year and how much Lucious is to blame for a lot of the deaths, while Lucious has to try and escape the fate he is trapped in under Erzsebet’s thumb. Both will have to lose a lot, suffering from immense pain, tragedy and heartbreak with the loss of all those they love and know. Only when they sacrifice everything, can there be any possibility of Helena being returned to the moment she left in the past, with any chance of the future being changed. If they do not make the ultimate sacrifice, there will be no future for any of them in Erzsebet’s vision, and thousands more will have to die. Helena must do the unthinkable to get back to her own timeline, but whether she will be up to being responsible for killing all those she knows, to do so, is hard for her to fathom. Unexpected acceptance from those around her, is their only chance to reset their former timeline, no matter what might happen to the current one. Is this the end of the series? It could be open for more, will have to wait and see. The main characters are definitely put through the mill in this final part of the series, as they have to dig deep and go through unknown challenges to persevere. Death and sacrifice go hand in hand. I received an ARC copy of this book from BookSprout and I have freely given my own opinion of the book above.

[Emily Pennington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Helena Hawthorn was thrown out of the portal into her bedroom, but no one was around. Where did they all go? She heard fighting and started toward it. She tried to locate Lucious through the soul-string, but there was no sense that he was anywhere around. The castle was cold. A man cloaked in darkness came toward her but, as she threatened to curse him which she couldn’t do since Nobu hadn’t taught her that yet, she recognized the chuckle as Malachi. After a hug, he hurried her away to find Nobu, not answering her question of where Lucious was. They found Nobu in the weed-filled garden with a pile of dead vampires around him. He told Malachi to get rid of them while he took Helena to the safehouse, but Malachi spun around and said 10 shifters were coming toward them. The werewolf leader demanded to know what a warlock and a demon were doing on vampire territory. Nobu said it was no longer vampire territory since the Vampire Council moved on, but that made no sense to Helena. Thrown out of a time spell by a witch, it was obvious she was remembering things from a year in the past and was not aware of the present situation. So Lucas Ford, Alpha of the South London werewolf pack, with Byron’s encouragement, allowed them all to come with them to get things sorted out.

Nobu told Helena the European Council was as good as dead. After Hans Schultz was killed, Lucious Ellwood and Cilia Genovese began serving elder vampires who call themselves The Order of the Eight. Before she had been thrown into the future, Helena had been chatting with Hans at the Christmas party! But for now, she needs her rest before they go to look for Lucious. Malachi had just implied that Lucious had done terrible things out of his love for her. Resting in bed, Helena called to the fate Lilia for help to find Lucious or get back to her own time. Lilia told her she estimates Helena has less than a week to live! Her only chance would be to merge souls permanently with Lilia, her soul’s energy would unite with Helena’s, and one of them would disappear for good, depending on who had the strongest will to live. So much could go wrong, and she wasn’t sure whether Lilia would trick her.

In the meantime, Lucious is losing hope working for The Order of the Eight. Their leader claims what they are doing is for the good of their kind, but Lucious knows better. Whenever he tries to rest, he sees realistic visions of killing Helena and fears constantly that those nightmares will probably come true. Can Helena and Lucious somehow fix the dreadful future? Will Helena be the same person she used to be?

This is an intriguing, exciting read with many twists and turns to keep the reader in a constant state of tension as the story races along at its usual fast pace. The writing is so well done that the reader will feel the surroundings as if actually there, and emotions generated become real. The plot is amazing, the characters engaging, with the reader drawn to the intensely powerful relationships. Get your copy and thrill to the suspenseful adventure! Is there any hope left?

[The Mysterious Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Time bending, magic, the paranormal, unexpected consequences, deceit, love, action galore, it’s so much that even thinking about it all nearly causes an overload, but somehow May Freighter puts it all together perfectly in Twisted Truths, yet another pretty darn perfect urban fantasy in herHelena Hawthorn Series, and somehow imaginatively fresh even though it’s Book 7 in the series. Fans will welcome back characters that are wonderfully developed at this point, Helena, Lucious. Nobu, Malachi, et. al., but see them in a very fresh context. This is really neat stuff. Newcomers can actually read this one standalone - but really this series is so superb that you’re best starting at book 1 for a boost in enjoyment payoff. I am happy to strongly recommend this book as a standalone, but as part of the series that recommendation goes on steroids. It’s just that great.

[Mi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can say that Helena has great talents in her sleeve. She escapes the certain death but it leads her to more troubles ahead on her path. Development of her character doesn't stop me to amaze her intelligence. Story details and deep understandinf of connections in the relationships between lovers, friends and foes merge into complex story which keeps one hooked from page one to the last page. A sense of sadness comes to me when I closed the last page because I want another book. The scenery of countries and architecture is one painted image in reader's mind. Job well done! I enjoyed every second of time I read Helena's struggling with her life and love.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sigh. I started reading this book and after 1 or 2 chapters had to put it down. I was too upset to read further. I actually read two other books before picking it back up again. I am glad I did, but I will tell you to buckle up your seat belt and hold on tight. Oh, and have a box of tissues nearby. You will need them. I don't want to spoil anything, but any book that can take your emotions on a roller coaster ride like this one did mine is a definite 5-star rating. I am still upset with Mrs. Freighter, but understand that sometimes the characters write their own story so I will just have to forgive her.

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another gripping story to keep you reading until the end. There’s no way you can stop. The plot keeps you guessing. Don’t miss out.

[Lene Blackthorn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Twisted truths is the darkest book in the whole series. Erzsebeth's plans are revealed in all their bloody glory, the Order comes to the light, and the insane power hunger turns the world almost to ruins. The cost of salvation is way too high, but desperate times call for desperate measures... this book has it all, time-travel, magic, all possible types of supernaturals, desperate emotions, and mythology/legends (the villain belongs to the most well-known legends from the country I was born in, although in times of its origin it did not exist yet - the castle where lady Bathory was residing and the legends are tied to is 1hr drive from me.). And I absolutely LOVE how Alzbeta Bathory (yeah, the author uses the Hungarian spelling Erzsebeth, at that time more common among the nobility) is portrayed in the story. Thank the goodness there is some space left for redemption and love that can break all curses. Helena and Lucious manage to reunite at a great cost, but there is hope for a better future, and now that Helena has grown much stronger and inherited vast knowledge from Lilia, she does not have to feel like the weakest link anymore.

[Nina Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Twisted Truths by May Freighter is the seventh book in the adventure filled Helena Hawthorne series. This book begins with Helena returning from another dimension to a world that has changed drastically from what it was one year earlier. This book starts off with an exciting bang and is an action packed thrill ride that kept me entranced throughout the entire story. The characters and ongoing storyline has lots of mysterious twists, turns, and surprises that left me dry mouthed, breathless and reading as fast as I could. I couldn't put this book down until the very last page was read. Note that this book can be read as a stand alone novel if you are a first time reader of the Helena Hawthorne series or after enjoying the other six books that came before it. However, new readers beware that once you read this book you will be hooked into the world of Helena Hawthorne and want to read every single book in this series because they are all such a great read. Twisted Truths is a phenomenal adventure filled paranormal tale.

[Kristen Lewendon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was not at all how I expected this story to go. Mind you, I’m not really sure I had an idea of where I thought this book would take me. There are twists and surprises around every corner, which makes me nervous about accidentally getting spoiler-y with a review. Suffice it to say, that once I started reading this book, I couldn’t put it down. I NEEDED to know how it was going to turn out. I NEEDED to know if Helena and Lucious would be able to overcome this latest obstacle standing in their way. I realize I’ve only just finished reading the book, but now I NEED to know what comes next.
I received a complimentary advanced copy of this book though Booksprout.

[Derek Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gripping and unexpected. Those are the two words I would use to describe this book. Gripping because it grasps you when you start reading and you can't put it down until you finish it and find out the fate of the main characters. It is unexpected because when you think you have everything figured out, another twist exposes itself and totally messes up your notions. This is a truly great story that I will not recite for you as other already have. I prefer you read it and enjoy it for yourself.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Nilda Cruz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing series! I was so anxious to know what happens to Helena after she enter the time spell. Not at all what I was expecting. She was thrown into the future. Surprises, twists and turns you will find out. Helena can not sense Lucious anywhere. What happened to Lucious? The Vampire Council is missing and new turned vampires are on the loose. This book will have you glued from start to end. Great storyline with amazing charaters. So, hold on tight it will be a bumpy ride.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Di · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a dark PNR with some absolutely FANTASTIC world building and DEEP WELL CRAFTED characters. I was surprised time and again and worried for Helena on multiple occasions. Her bond with Lucious was both interesting and unique, the imagery used held me spellbound for most of the book, especially the last few chapters. There's so many layers and twists and turns it's just deliciously captivating.

An amazing dark PNR that you must read. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Alina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Seventh installment in the Helena Hawthorn series. Fronted by a strong , resourceful heroine, this series continues to entertain and amaze.
The plots get better and deeper, more entertaining and nail bitingly suspenseful. I'm in love with the twists and turns. If you have sunk your teeth into any of the previous installments thus far, then I highly recommend sinking them in deeper.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jeanne Richardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've read several books written by May Freighter; she has done a great job at writing a good book; she is becoming one of my favorite authors. I can’t wait to read more of books her books.

The story line caught my attention at the very beginning and kept me interested throughout the entire book.

I loved the chemistry between the characters.

I received a free copy of this book via booksprout and I’m voluntarily leaving a review.

[Debbie Eyre · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book seven and I could not put it down! Helena finds herself in the future and it is not all that it cracks up to be and whose fault is it? That’s right, Lucious is getting the blame! Our characters really have their work cut out for them this time in the fast paced, action paced read that’s brimming with surprises and twists and turns to keep you hooked and on the edge of your seat. It’s one hell of a ride, thrilling, entertaining and totally addictive and I loved every minute of it.

[TheBookishK9RN · Rating 5 out of 5]

Helena continues to fight for her friends. This book had so much going on as it continues Helena and Lucious story. This peak into a dark and sad future was so intense. I cant wait to see how Helena handles her future.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Aizlynne · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much heartache in the future that Helena finds herself in. I normally feel like time travel is a copout, but in this instance I feel like it may be what finally settles Helena and Lucious'relationship into an equal partnership. I just need them to each get over themselves and love each other warts and all, already! When's book 8?

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This well-written storyline is a continuation of the series, with suspense, twists, an ongoing struggle, and additional character development. The obstacles continue to hamper our heroine's progress. I liked it.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Scarolet Ellis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Twisted Truths: An Urban Fantasy Novel (Helena Hawthorn Series Book 7) by May Freighter is an amazing story that I have read. This is book number seven in this amazing series that I have loved reading. I highly recommend this story to everyone who loves reading about fantasy and paranormal romances.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Linda Levine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is really going to take you on a ride. Just when you think you know what to expect, everything changes.

It is an emotional journey with lots of twists and surprises. You really get invested in the story and the characters.

You won't want to put it down until you finish to see how it all ends.

I am voluntarily reviewing a copy I received.

[Lucinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great book with interesting characters and a great plot. I loved how it played out and I would recommend it to others

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Dawn M. Curtis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great series, great characters, interesting villain, descriptive backgrounds, I am really enjoying reading May Freighter's works
worth the reading!.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Hanna Belle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bow down to May Freighter's writing as this series has been delightful to read! Vampires, romance, action, and paranormal elements are perfectly balanced to keep me hooked. An author worth watching out for.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Cátia · Rating 5 out of 5]

As always, May Freighter doesn't disappoint! The Helena series continue to amaze me. The twists, the love between the main characters, the darkness and tragedies that surround them, the evolution of Helena... All this keep making my heart pump!

[Pat · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a read, it all happens in this book. Will they make sacrifices, have to find out. Characters are great and the storyline superb. Fantastic book

[Melissa (missy) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great story line and Characters
I do wish I read the other books first though

[Silver Surfer · Rating 5 out of 5]

So book seven in the series and there are twists and turns all the way to an ending you don’t see coming. How many other things can Helena and Lucious go through together. Highly recommended.