Bloodguard by Cecy Robson

Rating: 4.5 ⭐️/5 I loved the premise of this book! I was so excited to have a MMC as the primary POV for the first time in a really long time. Leith was brutal and gentle in a Rowan Whitehorn but gladiator kinda vibe. There was also a lot of complex interworkings of politics and held important lessons about power and government. I thoroughly enjoyed the twists and turns, some of the plot twists were INSANE and unexpected. Robson did a fine job with the character arcs in this story. The only thing that I think could have been improved on was the relationships. I think some of the spicier scenes fell a bit flat for me as there wasn’t a lot of build up or burn. I thought this was a solid and unique fantasy novel!

The copy I received is in 95% perfect condition. The book itself is a lovely plain white with gorgeous red foil detailing on the front exterior cover. The top and bottom right corners are dented however. The bottom right corner also has a small black dot on the edge of the cover that can't be removed). The spine of the book is damage free and also has the red foil for the author name, book logo, title, and publishing house. The rear cover is plain. I will say that the pages are attached weirdly to the spine in that there's a bit of a gap between where they're stitched together and where the stitched bit is attached to the interior of the spine, so it looks like the book is leaning up and away from the spine on one side. The top curve of the spine has some denting. The dust jacket is where the bulk of the issue lies. Obviously white is a difficult colour to keep clean, and while the front of the dust jacket is perfect (love the shiny embossing), the rear is dirty and scuffed in multiple places with black marks running down the back, along the top edge, and near the bottom. I tried cleaning them but it didn't work. The top right front corner of the dust jacket is worn and the paper somewhat eaten away. The sprayed/stenciled edges of the book are simply gorgeous. The red colour is vibrant and the white floral pattern is very beautiful. The front and back endpapers feature the same illustration. A map is also included a few pages in. Very pleased to own such a stunning first edition copy of this incredible book.

Bloodguard, the first installment in the 𝔒𝔩𝔡 𝔈𝔯𝔱𝔥 series, has a striking hardcover with sprayed edges that drew me in instantly. I hoped the story within would match the book's stunning exterior. Unfortunately, it didn’t meet my expectations. While the premise intrigued me, the execution fell flat. The story follows Leith of Grey, a gladiator who volunteers to protect his sister, and Maeve, a determined heroine striving to reclaim her grandmother’s throne while uncovering the truth behind her murder. Both characters face compelling challenges, yet their development feels incomplete. The plot struggles with pacing issues, dragging in parts and rushing through others. I often felt lost, as though I had been dropped in the middle of a story with no solid introduction or backstory. The world-building also left much to be desired. While hints of a rich, layered world are present, the details were sparse. As a reader, I longed for more vivid descriptions and deeper immersion into the setting and characters' motivations. Despite these drawbacks, fans of fast-paced, high-stakes fantasy may still find enjoyment here. While I won’t rush to read the next installment, Bloodguard might be worth a try for readers who enjoy ambitious fantasy series. 2.5 stars

Good read and great price

I need more pages!!!! Not a terrible cliffhanger, but I want More!!! Y'all, listen. This book is the perfect type of story that would be absolutely incredible on the big screen 🤩 Blood, gore, monsters, a dragon (right out the gate) lots of non-humans, royal politics, plots, deception, a touch of spice, dual POV. Just greatness!! I was happy, I was sad, I was angry. Lol banter. This was everything I was hoping it would be 💚

This was absolutely action packed. Set in a magical world with elves, trolls, and all manner of monsters, Leif a mortal man, in close to earning Bloodguard status after years of being a gladiator. Maeve, the princess, needs a husband to assume her throne. There are many twists and turns in the story and lots of intrigue and backstabbing that keep the story moving. There’s violence and gore - think Game of Thrones level. And while not super spice, it is open door and has a few scenes. I couldn’t go hard one the five stars due to the modern language and euphemisms that could get jarring at times. Some more character development could also be used, but overall, this was such a great change from the usual Romantasy genre and is absolutely worth the read.

It was very easy to remember, to investigate and to understand the truth. But no… she decided to take the most dangerous (for everyone) route and married a gladiator. And he was willing to die in the arena at every turn… long and boring. I shouted at the characters all the time.

This book was amazing in a very tense and nerve-wracking way. Cecy Robson created an exreme challenging, emotional and gripping love story, full of sadnesss and cruelty, with a glimmer of hope and kindness always within reach. It's one of the best adult fantasy books I read in 2024.

⚔️📖 Review: Bloodguard by Cecy Robson📖⚔️ ✨“I’m only saying that sometimes you must share wine with those you’d prefer swallow glass.”✨ To start, once I read the description of this book I just HAD to read it! I am absolutely fascinated with gladiators (add in other mythical creatures/ beings and you have a recipe for a beautiful story) and this book did NOT disappoint! You get so much “gladiator action” but also you are completely emerged in a world with copious amounts of other different mythical being! Perfect balance! Leith - human, who is a gladiator who is fighting to make money and become a Bloodguard so he can win his freedom and money to secure a good life for his two sisters and mom! He is totally loyal, determine and will stop at nothing to achieve his goals! Maeve- princess elven (granddaughter of the Queen, healer and just an overall amazing being! She is firm in her beliefs, and leads with her heart! She is always willing to help, especially individuals in the lower class. She loves deeply and cares for everyone! Vitor and Soro are also two characters that can get bent! Soro is just pure evil! Soro is just such a sadistic c u next Tuesday! Can you tell we really really despise him?! There is so much heart break and tragedy in the book, it seriously kept me on the edge of my seat! So many twists and turns! This book also is so binge-able, I completely ate it up and left no crumbs! The chemistry is strong between Maeve and Leith, and you always just want to root for them! Not the spiciest book I’ve read but it worked 🤍 If you love a Romantasy books, go read this baby now! ✨End of chapter 38 be prepared to be so emotionally destroyed😭 😭 😭✨ Also… where is the fan art of for this book?!?! I need to see fan art for this book asap PLEASE!!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 🐦‍🔥/5

This is a gift for my daughter who loves reading and especially reading books that are beautiful as well. The book itself is true to the pictures with a beautiful detailed end pages. I’ll let you know if she likes the story when she finally gets it!

You know how the saying goes: “Never judge a book by its cover”. Well, the publishing industry has done a really good job of creating covers that make you go 😯😍. Despite its title, the cover was so pretty, all I could think was “what a great addition to my bookshelf!” (I am a book dragon after all.) However, despite the white cover with a white crown and sword with a single red flower, this is a book that is literally dripping with violent scenes, especially at the beginning. Forget Hunger Games and think Spartacus (not the original movie but the AMC series in all its bloody glory) and Gladiator with ogres, trolls, elves and mages thrown in for good measure. The first character we are introduced to is the MMC, Leith and it is through his eyes that we are introduced to the city of Arrow and the coliseum that houses the gladiator games in which he is a participant. The other side of the story (and POV) is Maeve, the elven (would be) queen who is struggling through her own political battles but can and does kick ass when she necessary. Enemies to lovers, a quest for revenge - pretty standard stuff but effective if well written. But that is where the story stumbles. I’m sorry to say that the writing here is OK but not outstanding (though it does make for an easy read). I also found that the conversational tone was a bit too much of our world as opposed to that of Arrow and Old Erth. Add to that a lack of originality with names… well, it did not impress me much. There is some effort to make a point with the story - Arrow is the centre, the land of opportunity and equality when seen from outside but inside, forces are attempting to block people entering, etc. while everyone is kept distracted by coliseum events / fights to distract from poverty and a cruel elite class. In other words, the author’s political leanings are very clear and much as I agree with them, unfortunately she doesn’t deliver a story with any deep emotional impact. But let’s talk a little about the spicy content since this is a romantasy novel… The scenes themselves are about 🌶️🌶️ and pretty much what you would expect. The problem is that I didn’t buy the premise of how Leith and Maeve got to be so intimate. It just felt that their togetherness was forced in order to cater to the romantasy readership instead of developing a story where it was a natural outcome. There was an overall marked improvement about 70% through the story, (way beyond where most people would read before deciding to DNF the book) with a twist that was not so unexpected but it helped. And then again about 10% later leading to a pretty satisfying if predictable end. On the plus side, I loved the characters of the estrellas and the scenes with them were truly heartbreaking. All in all, this book was a bit of a disappointing use of a day but at least I can say I gave it every chance and I didn’t rush to judgment. It is my curse that I am unable to DNF a book but although not fantastic, I have read worse. 2.75 stars based on the story’s premise, pretty well done fight scenes, the estrellas and the pacing by the end.