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3.55 AVERAGE
3.55 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Child death, Death, Genocide, Gore, Physical abuse, Torture, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Classism
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Body horror, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Confinement, Cursing, Sexual content, Slavery, Police brutality, Gaslighting, War, Classism
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
One thing I hate to do is DNFing a book but I had too for my own sake. This book put me into such a reading slump with its lack coherent story telling, political intrigue, description, and chemistry. It had such potential but sadly was not for me.
challenging
dark
sad
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:
Complicated
I wanted to like Bloodguard. I was incredibly excited when it was announced because I love both Gladiators and marriage of convenience. So, needless to say, my expectations were high. However I DNF because I wish there had been a little more development in the relationship between Maeve and Leith because it felt like it was supposed to be a slow-burn romance that turned into an Insta-love romance, their relationship taking a sharp turn to sex without fully developing their respect and friendship for one another after making it adamantly clear they had neither of those things for one another at the start of our story.
This is one of the best books I’ve read this year, a top 5. The story is so well built with the lore of gladiators and the idea that nothing can change. Having a male main chapter was different for me but I loved
read the blurb in line at target and -due to the paul mescal gladiator effect- was absolutely sucked in for the first half of the book and then it kind of lost me… Blurb is a bit misleading on how story actually unfolds, the characters are in love nearly instantly, and I’m still confused on somethings but overall still liked it