Dive into the mythological world of the Warriors and Watchers saga, in the first installment titled Evil Speaks. This captivating tale focuses on a group of teens, who come from very different backgrounds, who all have a disability or little quirk of some kind.

I jumped at the opportunity to review this book because of my own son, Noah, who has high functioning autism. I’m so glad I did, this book not only showed me that no matter the obstacle in front of you, you can do anything. As a mother, a caregiver, it also showed me, I am and my son is tougher than anyone will ever know. And it’s up to us, all of us, to show that to the world.

And to think, all it took was this wonderful book, meant for middle schoolers/high schoolers, to show me the world in a new light.

Our journey begins with Benny, a unique eyed teen, who sticks to himself, having moved around several times with his mother after his father was killed(?) when he was 3. Benny is haunted by dreams of a red-eyed dragon and fire in something like castle. (Could it be an inside look at what actually happened….hmmm…I don’t know…but I can’t wait for more…). With his mother keeping secrets, Benny doesn’t realize there’s a very dangerous man out there looking for him…..his grandfather Domenico H. Adez…After an argument with his mom, Benny tries to run away. As he climbs out of his window, his house explodes….yep explodes, kaboom.

He awakes in the hospital, not knowing where his mother is nor who the man Mike, sitting beside him, is. Mike, a friend of his mother’s who entrusted Benny’s care to him, set off to unlock a mystery…of well him..his mother…and what the heck is going on. This leads them to this building in the middle of the woods. A place much familiar to him but long ago forgotten by him. There he learns he and his mother once lived there, long ago after fleeing from his grandfather.

Suddenly his world is turned upside down. Benny is reintroduced to 6 teens who he apparently knew when he was a toddler. Kami, who is deaf; Amir, who is blind (and quite full of himself); Zuma, who’s overweight; Chaz, who’s in a wheelchair; Layla, who is beautiful but extremely lazy; and Raj, an angry teen with a purple dagger shaped birthmark on the side of her face. As these 7 get to know one another once again, they learn Benny’s father and all of their mothers all vanished on the exact same day…..

And so their journey begins…as a group…..

This group learns that what they thought were myths and legends, are in fact not myths and legends, but truths that will help them find their parents and save the world from 7 gates opening, unleashing hell on Earth.
What they learn about themselves along the way is much more valuable.

The battles between themselves and the mythological creatures are intense, they draw you in. The story keeps you turning the page. I found myself reading extremely slow just to take every bit in. The lands these teens visited were described in such detail, I felt as if I were in the story with them, fighting along beside them.

These teens with so-called disabilities show us, just because you’re a little different doesn’t mean you can’t save the world. This book speaks on so many different levels, I would recommend it to everyone. And I mean EVERYONE. This is not just a middle school/high school type book. In the world we live in, both children and adults, can exclude people for all types of things, looks, abilities/disabilities, money, power, etc, this….THIS book shows you that people are worth more than that, they are all human beings just like everyone else, and can do any and every thing. They want what we all want…to be accepted and included. I believe this book can help show us how!

I hope to get to review the other books in this series as they come out, as this story truly touched my heart and brought me into a world of unbelievable magic.

The author of this splendiferous book is Sandra Woffington, a middle school teacher who has MFA in creative writing and a Masters in English. She grew up in Bakersfield California and has lived in Saudi Arabia, London, and Italy. (Wow!) This mother of three daughters, lives in southern California, writing brilliant tales, while teaching her middle school class.

If you’d like more information on the her or the saga:
http://www.warriorsandwatcherssaga.com
You can also find her on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter (@swoffington)

For a copy of Evil Speaks:

Drop me some comments below or find me on Twitter @erinwise82
I’d love to discuss the book!