Bloodguard

by Cecy Robson

Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

There's nothing bloodier than a broken heart — unless you're a gladiator. This enemies-to-lovers romantasy belongs at the top of your TBR. (Have you seen this special package?)

LIMITED FIRST PRINT RUN―featuring spray-painted edges with stenciled ivy, as well as gorgeously detailed endpapers and foiled case stamping. This breathtaking first edition is available for a limited time and while supplies last in the US and Canada only.

A Barnes & Noble Best Science Fiction & Fantasy Book of 2024

An Amazon Editor’s Pick, October 2024

“An expertly crafted page-turner with unpredictable twists, steamy romance, and magical creatures.” —Kirkus

One hundred years. Tens of thousands of gladiators. And today, only one will rise…

Everything in the Kingdom of Arrow is a lie.

Leith of Grey thought coming to this new land and volunteering to fight in the gladiator arena—vicious, bloodthirsty tournaments where only the strongest survive—would earn him enough gold to save his dying sister. He thought there was nothing left to lose.

He was wrong—and they took everything. His hope. His freedom. His very humanity.

All Leith has left is his battle-scarred body, fueled by rage and hardened from years of fighting for the right to live another day.

Then Leith meets Maeve, an elven royal who is everything he despises. Everything he should hate. Until the alluring princess offers him the one thing he needs most: a chance to win the coveted title of Bloodguard—and his freedom.

But in a kingdom built on secrets and lies, hope doesn’t come cheap.

Nor will his ultimate revenge…

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781649374059
Publisher:	Entangled Publishing, LLC
Publication date:	10/22/2024
Pages:	448
Sales rank:	66
Product dimensions:	6.20(w) x 9.10(h) x 1.60(d)

About the Author

Cecy Robson is a New York Times, USA Today, and international bestselling author.

As an immigrant of El Salvador with proud Nahua Pipil indigenous heritage, Cecy worked as a registered nurse for twenty-three years and is honored to have received multiple accolades for her writing. In her free time, Cecy creates magical worlds, heart-stopping romance, and young adult adventure.

You can find Cecy laughing, crying, and cheering on her characters as she pens her next story.

Connect with Cecy at CecyRobson.com.

Editorial Reviews

09/23/2024

Robson (Weird Girls) sets up the power structures and politics of her Old Erth romantasy series with this epically gory and tense love story. In the wealthy kingdom of Arrow, gladiators fight for the entertainment of the populace and the nobility, suffering inhuman conditions and risking their lives for pittances of cash. Elf princess and healer Maeve, whose father rots in prison for allegedly killing her grandmother the Queen, must marry to take the throne when she comes of age. Her hatred of her most likely match, General Soro, leads her to instead champion Leith of Grey, the gladiator with the best chance of winning enough contests to become a Bloodguard, an honorary noble whom it would then be allowable for her to wed. Robson loads the story with deadly monsters, elaborate battles, evil machinations, personal secrets, and unsavory power grabs while keeping hero Leith sympathetic and easy to root for. As his politically motivated relationship with Maeve becomes a real love match, Robson alternates between the leads’ perspectives to showcase the differences in their worlds. The sheer amount of death and dismemberment can be overwhelming, but Robson still manages to make the reader feel the significant losses and provides satisfaction in both the romantic and the battle scenes. This is a promising start. (Oct.)

Publishers Weekly

"Paranormal romance veteran Robson's first foray into romantasy is violent and gory, full of bloody fight scenes both in the gladiator ring and outside of it. It's also a tender love story that will appeal to readers of Milla Vane and Jennifer Armentrout." ―Booklist

"Robson (Weird Girls) sets up the power structures and politics of her Old Erth romantasy series with this epically gory and tense love story. Robson loads the story with deadly monsters, elaborate battles, evil machinations, personal secrets, and unsavory power grabs while keeping hero Leith sympathetic and easy to root for." ―Publisher's Weekly

"An expertly crafted page-turner with unpredictable twists, steamy romance, and magical creatures." ―Kirkus Reviews

"Filled with gladiators, dragons, and political intrigue with generous servings of lust and spice..." ―BuzzFeed

From the Publisher

2024-09-03
A princess and a gladiator join forces amidst political intrigue and bloody carnage in Robson’s fantasy novel.

For the citizens of the wealthy kingdom of Arrow, the most exciting entertainment can be found in the arena—for the gladiators from the surrounding kingdoms, it’s a relentlessly brutal series of fights to the death. The combatants hope to win enough matches to earn the royal title of “Bloodguard,” which will allow their families to immigrate to Arrow. Leith, a gladiator in his mid-20s, is a skilled fighter driven by his desperation to support his mother and two younger sisters (and by the rage built from years of killing his peers for an audience’s delectation). After killing the arrogant Lord Filip (who challenged him to an impromptu duel) and subsequently emerging victorious in a surprise melee with a group of his peers and a dragon, Leith is getting closer to becoming a Bloodguard. He attracts the attention of Princess Maeve, a 20-year-old healer. Now that her fiance, Lord Filip, is dead, she’s in dire need of a noble spouse so that she can claim the throne when she turns 21. Maeve proposes a deal: She’ll help Leith achieve the Bloodguard status in exchange for his hand in marriage. But as their relationship blossoms, problems arise when royal secrets are revealed and government corruption is exposed. Soon, they’re not just vying for a title and a crown—they’re fighting for their lives. Robson’s novel is an exciting blend of action, palace intrigue, and romance in a high fantasy setting. The story unfolds through the perspectives of Maeve and Leith, who are both compelling and well developed, with flaws, foibles, and distinctive voices. The supporting characters are equally intriguing. Readers will love the richly detailed worldbuilding and combat sequences, as well as the use of snarky, modern language (“Of course the only royal offering me help is one who’s clawing her way to the throne, not already sitting pretty on one. That tracks,” Leith gripes). The book’s thoughtful queer representation and exploration of oppression and exploitation are also noteworthy.

An expertly crafted page-turner with unpredictable twists, steamy romance, and magical creatures.

Kirkus Reviews