Blood Guard

I'm a big Megan Erickson fan, so I was pumped to hear that she was writing a series about vampires, especially because I've been craving vampire books lately. Blood Guard did a good job introducing the series, and while it wasn't as fleshed-out as it could have been in the world-building department, it was an entertaining read.

The book is told in the POVs of Tendra, a waitress in a small-town, who turns out is destined to be a blood bank for the future vampire king, and Athan, brother of said vampire king, and Tendra's guard. Both characters were likable and interesting, as I've come to expect from Megan Erickson's characters. Tendra was especially a hoot. She was sassy, bright and no-nonsense. We also get to see her more tender and vulnerable sides as the story progresses, and I liked her even more. Athan was a little stoic at first, but as he became more comfortable around Tendra, he opened up more to readers as well. He was a total gentleman, and I loved how protective he was of Tendra, but without being all up in her space. He was very devoted to his vampire clan, and was willing to go to lengths to protect those he loved and cared for.

The chemistry between Athan and Tendra was sizzling from their first meeting, and that chemistry only heightened throughout the book. I loved their dynamic, and I loved the tension and forbidden-aspects between them. What I didn't particularly love, however, was how quick they were to declare their love for each other. I personally thought they needed to get to know each other a little bit better.

The world in Blood Guard was pretty straight-forward. Humans are oblivious to the different vampire clans that exist and that there are secret underground vampire cities. We learn a little bit about the different clans here. I did feel like most of the world-building here was a lot of telling instead of showing, and I would have liked that aspect to be different. There also wasn't a lot of action here, so don't go in expecting your typical PNR story. At its heart, it's definitely a romance more than anything. That being said, the ending set up things nicely for the sequel, and I'm hopeful that we'll get to see more of the political dynamics that was hinted here. I especially like that it's going to be a companion series, and Athan's brother's book is next.

All in all, I've got to give Megan Erickson props for writing yet another fun book. I'll be eagerly looking forward to the sequel.