Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.55 AVERAGE
3.55 AVERAGE
Bloodguard is a gripping blend of gladiatorial combat, political intrigue, and character-driven storytelling. The male protagonist, Leith, is a standout—finally, a male main character who’s a man and not a teenage boy! His perspective really pulled me in, and I appreciated the maturity and depth he brought to the narrative. The book is written in dual POV, which worked well, though I personally found myself drawn more to Leith’s chapters than those of the female protagonist.
Speaking of the female lead, she’s okay, but a bit naive. Her lack of awareness of the complexities in her kingdom—especially with the regent and the political schemes unraveling around her—left me wanting more. The political intrigue in the story had a lot of potential, but I wish it had been explored more deeply. Some of the twists were predictable, but there were definitely a few that caught me off guard, which kept the plot engaging.
The pacing overall was decent, though the book did feel a bit too long. There were moments, especially during one of the trials, where the action got so intricate that I found myself lost in the details of the fight. A little more clarity there would have helped.
What really carried the story for me was Leith. He’s a powerful yet grounded character, someone who holds onto his values even while fighting for his life in a brutal and unforgiving setting. His ability to forge genuine friendships in such a monstrous environment made him incredibly likable and relatable.
Overall, BloodIt’s definitely worth picking up if you enjoy dual POVs, high-stakes trials, and strong, morally driven characters.
Speaking of the female lead, she’s okay, but a bit naive. Her lack of awareness of the complexities in her kingdom—especially with the regent and the political schemes unraveling around her—left me wanting more. The political intrigue in the story had a lot of potential, but I wish it had been explored more deeply. Some of the twists were predictable, but there were definitely a few that caught me off guard, which kept the plot engaging.
The pacing overall was decent, though the book did feel a bit too long. There were moments, especially during one of the trials, where the action got so intricate that I found myself lost in the details of the fight. A little more clarity there would have helped.
What really carried the story for me was Leith. He’s a powerful yet grounded character, someone who holds onto his values even while fighting for his life in a brutal and unforgiving setting. His ability to forge genuine friendships in such a monstrous environment made him incredibly likable and relatable.
Overall, BloodIt’s definitely worth picking up if you enjoy dual POVs, high-stakes trials, and strong, morally driven characters.
adventurous
challenging
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Strong character development:
No
adventurous
Gladiators, magical creatures and roman empire vibes all make for a great book.
I will say that I found myself putting this book down several time but as much as other books would interest me I did find myself always coming back to this one to see what would happen.
This is defiantly a trial type format book, Leith has to go through several trials to get to the title of Bloodguard and to win he has to make alliances he never thought would be possible. This was a good fantasy book that really brought to life gladiators in fantasy. While this book is a bit slow in its pace when you get to the action it is action packed (ex. the fights). The romance felt a bit forced with the writing style but I still liked that the princess knew what she wanted and went after it.
I will say that I found myself putting this book down several time but as much as other books would interest me I did find myself always coming back to this one to see what would happen.
This is defiantly a trial type format book, Leith has to go through several trials to get to the title of Bloodguard and to win he has to make alliances he never thought would be possible. This was a good fantasy book that really brought to life gladiators in fantasy. While this book is a bit slow in its pace when you get to the action it is action packed (ex. the fights). The romance felt a bit forced with the writing style but I still liked that the princess knew what she wanted and went after it.
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
I went into this with low expectations, only to be pleasantly surprised.
Leith is a gladiator risking it all in battles to the death for the chance to rise to the rank of Bloodguard, to look after his destitute family. Maeve is heir to the throne of Arrow, but only if she can secure a high-ranking marriage, or else her (possibly evil) Uncle will remain regent.
This book features insta-love, dual POV, and the occasional goofy line "butt cheeks capable of snapping a wand in half and making a wish"(yes, this is an actual line from page 56), things I usually can't stand, but it worked here.
The insta-love can be forgiven, considering they don't have any other options but each other. The dual POV is used effectively when a devastating truth is learned by one character, and kept from the other which really serves to drive the nail in further during their scenes. I also choose to accept that the cringe prose brings a much-needed lightness to what is otherwise a grim fantasy world that holds back nothing.
Don't read this if you don't want spoilers for the big finaleI would've given this 4 stars on Goodreads if you didn't kill my boy Gunther
Leith is a gladiator risking it all in battles to the death for the chance to rise to the rank of Bloodguard, to look after his destitute family. Maeve is heir to the throne of Arrow, but only if she can secure a high-ranking marriage, or else her (possibly evil) Uncle will remain regent.
This book features insta-love, dual POV, and the occasional goofy line "butt cheeks capable of snapping a wand in half and making a wish"(yes, this is an actual line from page 56), things I usually can't stand, but it worked here.
The insta-love can be forgiven, considering they don't have any other options but each other. The dual POV is used effectively when a devastating truth is learned by one character, and kept from the other which really serves to drive the nail in further during their scenes. I also choose to accept that the cringe prose brings a much-needed lightness to what is otherwise a grim fantasy world that holds back nothing.
Don't read this if you don't want spoilers for the big finale
Lucas Webley is a narrator with a huge ensemble of voices for characters. The book was enjoyable. Wish the trilogy was finished. I would binge it.
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
3⭐️ this should be a standalone, no need to make anymore. Lacked good execution & I’m not sure how we got to certain places. Felt rushed. But I liked the story overall. Made me lol a few times. Won’t read again & wont continue the series unless someone else tells me book two knocked their socks off.
The concept is soooo good and there were elements that were amazing, but there was a lot of stuff in the middle that should've been edited down a bit. There also should've been more arena scenes interspersed to keep the tension. I don't regret it but I don't recommend it either.