Blood Guard
A Mission Novel
by Megan Erickson

NetGalley provided me with an ARC for a professional review
A sweet and sexy yet typical vampire romance with small twist and a great gotcha”.
Told in two very clear POV's – Tendra's and Athan's – the story of Tendra, a normal girl living in the abnormal city of Mission. Mission is crawling with beasties, particularly those with fangs. And she is marked as the savior of one of the fanged (vampire clans) or so she is told by Athan, he blood guard. He is the second son of the king, and his job, his only job, is to get Tendra's to to his brother the king.
The ever changing POV is nicely done with clearly defined personalities and word choices. In fact that is perhaps the best part of the book, as you can fall in love with the characters, both of them, through their own thoughts and words.
The romance is as important as the steamy love scenes. The few action scenes are well written.
4 out of 5 – this book is Book Nerd Approved

This was a pretty good book not my favorite by the author but still pretty good.

Blood Guard was an exciting spin on vampire romance and sucked me deep into this new paranormal world. As the first book of the Mission series, it really sets up the stage of the way things work within this world and gives us that first glimpse into it all leaving me craving more!

Athan grabbed my attention from the moment he grabbed Tendra and I couldn't wait to watch how it would play out. I loved that he battled himself - how before he had actually started guarding Tendra - he imagined it would be one way and yet the reality was so vastly different. He's not at all prepared for the feisty woman he's found, nor the feelings she stirs in him; feelings that could get him into serious trouble.

Tendra was a fascinating character - she's got an internal stregnth but also has a touch of vulnerability. She's not one for having a lot of bonds or friendships, she's moved around often, and now her mother is gone. She's sassy and smart and even when she finds herself in an unusual position - I mean come on it's not every day you are told you are the blood source for a Vampire to strengthen his clan. I loved her interactions with Athan - loved how she tried to work through it all in her mind while still trying to stay true to herself.

The plot of this book really grabbed me in and not only held my attention rapt - but made me want to know more. More about Tendra and Athan, more about the Gregorie vampire clan. With each part of the story woven together with the pieces I picked up before, I was anxious to see how things would play out. Though there was a lot of world set up within the pages - the main focus was on Athan and Tendra and the blooming romance between them.

I look forward to reading more books in this series and seeing where Erickson takes us in them.

I read the prequel, Bite the Hand that Bleeds, which provided an introduction to the world of Mission City. The prequel provided some background information on vampires and the purpose of and activities at the club, Bite. Blood Guard expands more on the background of the different vampire families and the family hierarchies. I enjoyed the author’s spin on vampire lore; it was different from the other vampire stories that I’ve read or seen on tv. I really liked Tendra (and her cat, Brex); I look forward to reading more about her (hopefully!) in the future books of this series. The story was a little predictable in some places, but there were other parts that were surprising. I would have liked to read more about the details of the prophecy in this book, but I wonder if that wasn’t covered because it would be spoilery to the other books in the series. Overall, I enjoyed Tendra’s and Athan’s story and thought it was a good start for the series.

This book was filled with sarcasm, an amazingly strong female lead, and sizzling smutty goodness. Overall, it was an awesome introduction to this world and left me dying for the next installment!

Tendra has been living her life through a haze of grief lately. Her mother recently passed away, leaving her adrift and unsure of herself. All her life, they’ve moved from place to place, on the run from some unseen force. Now that she’s on her own, she finds herself wondering when she needs to leave. Turns out, she hung around a little too long. Now she’s thrown into the world of vampires and other paranormals, most of them trying to hunt her down for her blood lineage.

Athan, the blood guard tasked with guarding and bringing her to his brother, has been training all his life for this job. Nobody could have predicted that it would be filled with so much confusion and temptation. Fighting is easy, but working on his interactions with Tendra is turning his world on its head. There’s a prophecy and his race’s survival in the balance, too. No pressure, right? These two somehow find their way to a really great solution, but it’s not without a lot of drama and surprises. I really enjoyed watching these two hit things head-on and become a phenomenal team.

This book has a lot of information for a reader to process. I had to reread a few sections to make sure I was getting everything right in my head. The plot was quite intriguing and I definitely wanted to know where it was going to go. And I wanted to learn about this world that the author was introducing me to. The writing was descriptive enough to show me this world of vampires but it wasn't a complex world building. I look forward to more in this series and hope for even more descriptive writing. I enjoyed the book even though it took me longer than normal to read it. And I look forward to reading more. I think others will enjoy this paranormal romance as well.

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Rachael – ☆☆☆☆☆
This was such a good read. I really enjoyed the surprising turns the story took that kept me on the edge of my seat until the very end.

Tendra has a lot that she has to deal with and a whole lot she has to come to terms with over a short span of time. She is an amazing woman who isn't afraid to step up and do what she needs to in each and every situation she finds herself in, even if it's not always what she wanted or planned for.

Athan finds that the task he has been training for his entire life isn't at all what he expected it to be. His interactions with Tendra and the few other people we meet are so fun. I loved getting to see all the different sides to such a complex man and the hard decisions he finds himself having to make.

Then there was Brex. I loved that stinking cat. You'll have to read to find out why he is so cool.

Can't wait to read the next installment in this series and where all these interesting characters are going to end up.


Avid Reader – ☆☆☆☆
M/F Paranormal Romance

This is a story about honor, duty, and love. Erickson was able to weave the characters so seamlessly that you can't help but root for the couple, despite the danger and potential wars to come.

Tendra has always moved around and when she loses her mother, she just kind of becomes a little stagnant. She has one friend and her job, but that's all she has. When she meets Athan and he tells her that she is meant for something more, something greater, she is skeptical at first, but then she just comes to accept her future. What she endures is a trip of a lifetime and a love that will span eternity.

Athan is hot – he has the ability to suck the air right out of the room with his presence. He is kind, gentle, and bound by duty. Despite not always agreeing with his duty, he does try his best to figure out how to complete what was asked of him. He has trained for securing Tendra for his entire life, but when he actually is tasked with bringing her back, his training isn't much help. The feelings he knows he shouldn't have develop regardless and he is hard pressed to fight them back.

Tendra and Athan make a great couple. They complement each other and I love how Tendra is snarky but kind and how endearing that snarkiness is to Athan. These two must figure out whether or not they can be there for each other without breaking the rules.

I can't wait to see where this series goes and I really hope to get the next book soon!


Sarah – ☆☆☆☆
This was such a wonderful surprise! This is my first m/f and my first fantasy by Megan Erickson and I was completely won over by the brilliant world building and the intriguing characters.

I’m suffering from a touch of vampire fatigue but this is actually an original and engaging premise (though there are a couple of nods to JR Ward’s first Black Dagger Brotherhood book). The idea of a full-on parallel fantasy realm is thought provoking and I love that Athan’s vampire world feels more high fantasy than urban fantasy. With clashing vampire races, treacherous internal politics and some Game of Thrones worthy powerplays, I thoroughly enjoyed my first visit to Athan’s Gregorie Vampire kingdom.

I have to admit that I found Tendra a little bit annoying at the start. All the usual UF tropes are used to establish her as a strong and independent woman – but this is overegged a little and she becomes more likeable as we settle into the story. Similarly, Athan’s revelation as a sexy, dangerous, and non-human love interest is a little bit cliched and he too becomes more enjoyable as the story takes over. I loved the forbidden attraction between Athan and Tendra. She is his brother’s promised wife and Athan is determined to honour his family. The result is fantastic sexual tension.

The world building slows down the story at the beginning but I loved the action and intrigue once I understood Athan’s world and the power struggle within. I definitely engaged more with the action than the romance but all the elements of the story work well together.

I’m already looking forward to the next book in this series and I’m excited to see these characters and relationships develop further.

It has been a while since I have read a vampire story so I was excited to hear about this new one from Megan Erickson. I really loved the world she created with this book. Tendra is alone in this world except for a few close friends. She isn’t afraid of what goes bump in the night and she has the fighting skills to back that up. But she has met her match when she meets Athan and learns a long guarded secret about her family past. She also learns vampires are real. Tendra and Athan have a long way to get from Mission City to the Gregorie home past the Misson Woods and there are a few people or should I say creatures trying to make sure they don’t get there.

I think Tendra and Athan were a little instalovy but that is expected in the circumstances they were in. I really felt the connection between the two and was wondering how all of it would work out due to Tendra’s “duty” to the Gregoire Clan. Even though Athan was tasked to protect Tendra she really fought for him too. I loved the interaction between those two. I figured some things out in this book but it wasn’t because it was predictable. It just had my mind going at 100 trying to figure out what was what. My favorite scene….Wings. That was so great and I can’t wait to see what is next for this couple.

If you’ve been itching for a good ol’ fashioned paranormal romance, then you may want to check this series out. It has a lot of the elements that I used to love about the genre years ago and I’ve been searching for that lately without much success.

This is basically a tale of fate and forbidden love. Athan, the hero, is tasked with bringing Tendra to his clan of vampires. She’s fated to be the lifeblood of their clan and destined to service his brother and firstborn, the future king. I can’t say the main storyline of this wasn’t predictable, because it was. And I also can’t say that the romance itself was stellar, because it’s a little insta-lovey for my taste and could’ve been better developed in that the characters should’ve connected more in things other than survival and sex.

But the glimpse we get about this underground society that Ms. Erickson has created was interesting and the story kept me entertained. It’s a fast read and it does pack a sexy punch so if you’re in the mood for that, then check this out.

Why I think this didn’t get a higher rating for me is that it lacked depth. In both world building and character development. We get some but not enough for me and I think it would be interesting to dive in deeper and understand the world a little better. BLOOD GUARD came across a bit one dimensional but it also presented an interesting world that I would like to know more about. Starved as I am for paranormal romance, I think this series has promise and I’ll definitely be checking out the next one.

This was a great story with a unique plotline and a great start to a new series.

Tendra grew up as a human, hidden from her destiny. But when she is no longer safe Athan is sent to be her guard and bring her safely to his brother, the future king. What I loved most about Athan was his extreme loyalty. Even though he was attracted to Tendra himself, he wouldn't allow himself to have her.
It is prophesied that Tendra's blood will give new power to the heir. It's supposed to be an honored position but it takes some convincing. Tendra must quickly accept this position, and the author does a great job of not dancing around the subject, while making Tendra a fun heroine.

I really enjoyed it and was glad it was a Standalone as opposed to being a cliffy. The conclusion was very satisfying and i am highly anticipating the next in the series

I REALLY liked this book! I was on the edge of my seat through the entire thing and really didn't want it to end because I was so wrapped up in the characters. The writing is so good that you feel like you are there and experiencing everything right along with them. I loved the honor and core values of both of the characters, they were so deep and strong. These are the kind of characters that stick with you after you've finished a book, that you want to keep following and getting to know even more. I can't wait to see where the series goes but I can't imagine liking any two characters more than I do these.

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.

This book is all about vampires, sex and plot. I highly suggest reading it if you are into those three things.

Action-packed, sexy and an overall great read. Definitely something you can sink you're teeth into. Great storyline and characters. Would recommend. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced copy of this book.

3.5 stars

I’m really only familiar with Megan Erickson’s co written cyber love series, this was my first book by her as a solo writer. I enjoyed it, but I am not eager to read the rest of the series.

Blood Guard is about a young woman named Tendra who discovers she’s meant to be a king vampire’s bride because of her bloodline. Her blood guard Athan, brother of the king, retrieves her from her normal life and tries to whisk her off to safety, but a rival vampire clan seeks to kill Tendra.

We got ourselves a breakdown review folks! What I liked and didn’t like about this book:


Liked:
-Tendra as a heroine, she was kick ass and was able to handle almost everything thrown her way. She processed things in her own way and was able to survive when most women in her situation wouldn’t be able to handle much of what was going on.

-Worldbuilding: Megan Erickson accomplished the difficult task of creating a believable urban fantasy setting with a hidden world of vampires and other creatures. She stuck to the basics but also made it distinctly her own.

-Brex: I am allergic to cats and I still wanted Brex by my side. Honestly after being tossed around in a duffel bag in this book, he reminded me of the Hurricane Harvey angry cat.



Didn’t like:

-The big one people. I didn’t care for the romance. I wasn’t sold on Tendra and Athan’s love. I don’t feel it was developed well and that it was rushed. It felt like the majority of the book they were just surviving and then BOOM sexy times. And that’s where the book kind of lost me because I wasn’t really rooting for the main couple (at least not at appropriate fangirl levels) so I began to not really care about the story. So the last 25-30% of the book was meh for me.

Anyways, this is a sexy and steamy vampire romance readers will love! While it wasn’t my favorite, I can appreciate that this book is better than a lot of PNR romance out there.

ARC provided by the publisher via netgalley. All/any quotes in this review came from an advance unedited copy and may be subject to change in the final product.

I'm incredibly sorry to say this one was just not my cup of tea. I liked the story of rather the concept but otherwise I felt no connection at all to the characters. I kept putting the book down to start household chores and would forget to get back to it. So, to be fair I restarted the book and I'm sorry to say after finishing it my opinion did not change.

I went in to this with really high hopes. I enjoy this author's shifter series. It's a really unique world and contains plot elements I haven't seen before. I chose this expecting to see more of the same but with vampires.

What I got was a mediocre plot that was no different than a million other vampire paranormal romances I've read before. Heroine was moved around a lot by her secretive mother. She learns to fight because secretive mother says she should. Vampires show up and uproot her life as there is a prophecy about her (because of course there is). Heroine isn't really freaked out and goes with the flow. Heroine then doesn't listen to good vampire and does something that endangers her life and she has to be saved (because what would a pnr be without a too stupid to live heroine?)

The first half of this was painfully slow. I almost dnf'd it. It picked up around 50% and I was able to finish it but I never enjoyed it. As I said, I've read this same basic plotline a million times before. And the bad news for this book is I've read it done MUCH better at least half of those times.

Huge disappointment for me and not a book I'd recommend unfortunately.

**ARC received through Netgalley in exchange for an honest opinion.**

I am absolutely ecstatic to have found a new paranormal series! A series that, judging by this first book, promises to be not only exciting but also very sensual and hot. We not only have sexy alpha vampires but also a vampire clan who is being ruled by a king and two very sexy princes. In this first book we meet the younger of the brothers who is on a mission to protect the Sanguivita. Of course, the Sanguivita has no idea what she is or the prophecy that ties her to the Gregorie clan. All she knows is that one day she was a bartender and the next she finds out that she comes from a long line of women and she is destined to be the one whose blood will turn the future king into a vampire the likes of which has never been seen.

Tendra "Ten" Parrish has lost her mother and now has no one else except her cat Brex and her best friend Rosie. She is a bartender in Mission. Her whole life has been about going from one place to another, always on the move and never trusting anyone. So after her mother dies, she decides to stay in Mission. And then one night she meets a man, unlike any man she has ever seen. He is huge and breathtakingly handsome. And when he tells her that evil vampires are out to get her and that she needs to leave everything behind and follow him she finds it a little difficult to believe. He also tells her that his clan has been watching over her and waiting for her to come and make their future king invincible. Ten finds herself in the middle of a chase where she is the target, but running away from her fate will only get her killed and thus also bring down humanity. So with her cat in tow she follows the Blood Guard in order to meet her future husband.

Athan Gregorie has been raised to be the Blood Guard. As the second son his duty is to protect the Sanguivita with his life and make sure that she is delivered safe and soundly to his older brother. She may be sassy and the most opinionated female he has ever laid eyes on, but she is also brave, determined and stunning. And even though he knows that it is the absolute wrong thing to do, he can't help but be drawn to her and for once in his life, wish that he was the heir to the throne. With assassins hot on their trail, they need to quickly make their way to the clan. But with an attraction this big, will they be able to ignore it and soldier on?

Athan and Tendra will leave you breathless! But this story isn't just about the attraction and lust that they feel for one another. There is also constant excitement and tension as they fight the deadly assassins that are out to get Tendra and make sure that she doesn't make it to the Gregorie clan alive. Kept me on the edge of my seat, loved every second of it! Can't wait for Celia and Idris' story!!!

Very run-of-the-mill paranormal romance.

While I haven't read much by Megan Erickson, most of my friends adore her and I'm a HUGE paranormal romance fan, so picking up this book was a no-brainer for me. Alas, it wasn't quite what I was hoping it would be.

I really, really wanted this to be amazing. I'm always looking for a new PNR series as urban fantasy and PNR have been my obsession for many years. However, the fact that paranormal romance is a genre with tons of stand-out series makes it tough to stand up to scrutiny. And I scrutinize the heeeeellll out of every book that I read.

Almost from the start, this book didn't grab me. In fact, I didn't like it until the last 40% or so, where I became more invested in the plot.

I really, REALLY hated the female MC's too stupid to live (TSTL) moment at ~40%, and I almost threw the book down then. One of my biggest, absolute biggest pet peeves is a female MC who is made out to be smart and strong but then acts like a brainless idiot the first chance she gets. Ugh.

The ending was predictable, but I was a little more into it by then. I still didn't feel the love between the two MCs (it was very insta, for my tastes), and I thought the plot was full of holes, but I finished the story and I didn't hate it.

I guess that's something.

*Copy provided in exchange for an honest review*

Vampires are a hot topic in stories, but on the other hand the market is full of stories with them, so you have to be in the mood of them. Of course I wanted to read this book by Megan Erickson after I heard what she had planned. I had my experiences with paranormal stories written by Megan Erickson, I already read Daring Fate and Chasing Destiny, two books in her wolf-shifter M/M series.
Seeing Megan writing a M/F story, coming back to her "roots" was pretty intriguing. I am not a reader who neglect or avoid M/F stories by M/M authors, so I was as excited as always when I got more information about the book.

And with Blood Guard Megan Erickson created a really great story.
Tendra, her heroine, is fierce, witty, and isn't a damsel in distress. Refreshing energetic but also vulnerable. I love also how Athan treated her. Never was he condescending but he protects her right from the start and shows off his power.

The fact that Athan is a vampire isn't a secret for a long time and the way how Megan present the reader her idea of how her vampires are is also a refreshing change from other books in this (sub)genre. She mixes a few well-known facts with her own, creates a solid story around her character, with twist and turns, pretty surprising. I admit my jaw dropped when I read the last third of the book, the revealings were really surprising and unexpected. But the way how Megan created the tension, the suspense was awesome as always.

You can really see Megan is an advanced writer, she has a solid way of displaying her characters, make them interesting but keep a few secrets. Also all of the minor character, like Athan's brother Idris or Zeb, a really good friend of him, were so interesting you wish they get their stories too. (small hint: the next pairing is already set, so, yay. :3 But look it up by yourself on Goodreads :3)

When you are in search of hot sex scenes, you also see how well Megan Erickson is delivering them. Without being crass or crude, but with great explicity, the scenes are displayed. And they are super hot and smoking sexy. :3 <3

Without having the over-used tales of vampires and their strengh included, Megan Erickson takes a well-known topic, creates her own universe and fade it into a thrilling story, full of hot sex, deep emotions and so many unexpected turns at the end. 5 out of 5 stars for this. :3

Review originally posted on my blog with added content on Mikku-chan / A world full of words