Guarding the Healer by Gabriel Beyers
4 stars
(Excerpt from Goodreads) When Silas Walker is endowed with the power to heal, he soon discovers that no gift comes without a price.
A man possessed by an ancient evil is taunting the healer with photos of victims brutally murdered and marked with the crude image of an angel, and for Silas the slain are growing more familiar.
After he is given an ominous warning and an unbearable ultimatum, Silas sets out to draw his enemy away from those he loves, and discover the true purpose of his gift, which leads him inexplicably to a troubled young drifter named Tommy.
The Stalker is close on the healer’s trail, bringing with him an army of demons. Silas’s only hope rests in the hands of a guardian angel he doesn’t even know exists.
The Guardian is doing all within his power to save the healer, but he is certain Silas is heading into a trap. Time is running out. War is at hand.
But there is no turning back. For even an angel can’t alter a man’s destiny.
We start the story out with four boys in an abandoned train station. The four of them have been torturing and killing small animals, but the ringleader, Rick, wants to take things further and kill a little girl. What they don’t know if there is a collection of Shadows, Fallen Angels, warrior angels, a grim reaper, and Nassarius, and angel that has been drawn to the area. A Shadow ultimately possesses Rick, the other boys don’t survive the ordeal, and the little girls escapes.
We then meet Silas. His parents are dead and he is living at his Aunt Katherine’s house. Her husband, Uncle Barney, is a drunk and very abusive to both Silas and his aunt. We also learn the house that he lives in is haunted by Shadows. Nassarius becomes Silas’s guardian angel and helps him battle the Shadows. During this time, Silas develops the ability to fight the Shadows and heal people.
We follow Silas as he starts learning about his healing ability and the limitations. With the good there is also bad. Demon Rick is following Silas to get a better body to possess. After not being able to heal his wife, Silas meets Tommy and together they wander the country to heal people. But no matter where he goes, Demon Rick is not far behind. Usually taunting him with photographs the next day. Eventually they are drawn back to Silas’ hometown where he is going to have to face Demon Rick once and for all.
I really enjoyed this story. I felt for Silas with the limitations of his healing abilities. I did get sucked in and couldn’t wait for the finally battle. I will admit that I was a bored with the ramblings around the country. I understood that Silas and Tommy had to go do the Lord’s bidding for who and what should be healed and to link the ending together. But there seemed to be no rhyme of reason for it. For example, the possessed girl, I felt cheated after that encounter. Beyond that, this is a good book. I think if you like thrillers you will find this a good story.
I received this book for free from Book Rooster in exchange for an honest review.
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