Showing results by narrator "Keval Shah" in All Categories

At the heart of the Middle East, with its regional conflicts and proxy wars, is a 1400-year-old schism between Sunni and Shia. To understand this divide and its modern resonances, we need to revisit its origins—which go back to the death of the Prophet Muhammad in 632; the accidental coup that set aside the claims of his son Ali; and the slaughter of Ali's own son Husayn at Karbala. These events, known to every Muslim, have created a slender fault line in the Middle East.

It wasn’t supposed to be like this. Spence swore he had a plan. He assured us he had everything under control. He promised we could trust him. What he forgot to mention? His so-called plan was actually an emotional bombshell with enough force behind it to destroy us all. Technically, his plan worked—my mother and stepfather have ended their campaign to convince me to be a living organ donor. But the emotional damage and mental load of his big announcement has created a ripple effect throughout our cohort.

Locked in an eternal Autumn, Airlann, the Source Isle of Magic, is dying. Nearly a millennium earlier, the last of the Goblin Kings were assassinated. Now a fanatical army of Goblins known as the Red Caps are determined to bring their bloodline back to the throne via an heir whose identity is a deeply guarded secret. Padric, a human cast aside as cursed by his own people, travels alongside the alluring piskie Rosheen, his lifelong friend.

The crown weighs heavy on my head, and the Castle University’s ivy-clad walls have become a gilded cage. As the dust settles from betrayal and bloodshed, I stand amidst the wreckage, not just as a mafia heiress, but as the Queen in a game where hearts are for the taking and every move could be a deadly trap. The men I've let into my heart are the pillars of my reign. My strength. My weakness. In a world where loyalty is measured in blood, we stand united, because when the swords are drawn and alliances shatter, it's not just my love I'll fight for.