Blood Guard: A Mission Novel

I did not know what to expect but I got an interesting ride. This is a world where vampires live among humans while a war brews between vampire clans. Athan is sexy, honest, and driven. Tendra has lived an unstable life built on moving and loss of family. With a cat as her companion, she finds a way to trust Athan and make decisions that affect her life as well as others. The two of them are a strong couple and will do anything for each other. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and look forward to reading the next one. I received a copy of this book through Netgalley, and this is my unsolicited review.

It started as an ordinary night in the bar, when Tendra, who is a server, noticed a huge stranger, dressed in black. After her shift, on her way home, Tendra feels that someone is following her, and unfortunately she is quite right as she is kidnapped. If only it were so simple: Tendra has been kidnapped the same stranger she had noticed before, only Athan he is a vampire and Tendra – a mortal, albeit not a mere mortal – has a large role to play in vampire politics. BLOOD GUARD, a paranormal romance, is a departure for Megan Erickson, and I felt she was successful in her endeavour. The author solidly establishes the worldbuilding, and adds a few innovative twists to the vampire mythology. The atmosphere is rather dark, with a graphic novel vibe and the tone of a 1950s film noir, naturally rather fitting for vampires. Tendra takes it all in stride, and given the context, it made complete sense to me. However, she does get in trouble because – silly human! – she just won’t listen. BLOOD GUARD is far from the only book with what I consider an issue: Tendra is this tiny blond woman and the hero, Athan, is humongous; I couldn’t help but picture a flesh-toned Hulk. I felt there could have been a bit more excitement, although the wow factor picks up as the story unfolds, and I also thought the visuals were lacking a bit, but then again, it’s a rather dreary world. Surprisingly enough, the romance was definitely a highlight in BLOOD GUARD; it was very nice and tender while the sex is wild and lusty. There was one part of the prophecy I could have done without; I thought it was a bit of overkill. Overall, I thought BLOOD GUARD is not great, however it’s good enough that I will be looking forward to the next instalment, as it sounds very promising – and no, this book does not end in a cliffhanger. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book. I give 3 ½ stars