A Quest to Save the World

The Blood Guard

By Carter Roy

Age Range: 10 - 14 years

Grade Level: 4th - 8th

Series: The Blood Guard Series (Book 1)

Paperback: 279 pages

Publisher: Two Lions (June 9, 2015)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 1477816208

ISBN-13: 978-1477816202

Approximate Lexile: 880

Publisher’s Blurb:
When thirteen-year-old Ronan Truelove’s seemingly ordinary mom snatches him from school, then sets off on a high speed car chase, Ronan is shocked. His quiet, nerdy dad has been kidnapped? And the kidnappers are after him, too?
His mom, he quickly learns, is anything but ordinary. In fact, she’s a member of an ancient order of knights, the Blood Guard, a sword-wielding secret society sworn to protect the Pure—thirty-six noble souls whose safety is crucial if the world as we know it is to survive. 

Now all those after-school activities—gymnastics, judo, survival training—she made him take, make sense. For suddenly Ronan is swept up in a sometimes funny, sometimes scary, but always thrilling adventure—dashing from one danger to the next, using his wits to escape the Bend Sinister, a posse of evil doers with strange powers. Falling in with two unlikely companions, Greta, a scrappy, strong-willed girl he’s never much liked and Jack, a devil-may-care teenage pickpocket, Ronan is left with only his wits and his mom’s last words of advice: Trust no one. 

That’s a lot for an ordinary kid to deal with. But then again, maybe Ronan’s not ordinary at all.

My take:
This was a lot of fun. It had me immersed almost immediately. Ronan, the first-person narrator, is believable as a kid who doesn’t fit in, and Greta is a strong female secondary character. They meet more characters along the way, mostly male, who add variety and fun to the cast. I like that the author isn’t afraid to have women be bad guys as well!

This falls into the fantasy/adventure genre, with its immortal characters, zombie-like bad guys, and more. Not to mention a plot to end the world!

I would definitely consider this as a read-aloud the next time I teach freshmen.

Possible objectionable material: Disobeying adults. Perilous situations. Violence, some gory but none graphic. An immortal character is decapitated (offscreen) and walks around holding his head. Extremely mild swearing (mom is referred to as a “badass.”)

Who would like this book: I think this would be a great book for reluctant readers, because the plot keeps you wanting more. Late elementary through early high school. (Let's face it, I'm 51 and I liked it.) While it’s a book that girls can definitely get into, it’s a great choice for boys who don’t like female protagonists. (Greta is such a strong character, they’ll get a lot of girl anyway.)

Thanks to NetGalley for the advance reader ebook.