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…

Just when you think things couldn’t get any worse and this book couldn’t get any better—they do and it does. Political plays, arena challenges, convenient marriages: Bloodguard has it all.

Leith is a gladiator with all the odds stacked against him—because the odds are decided by the rulers of Arrow, and they want him dead. Maeve is an elven princess without a throne—because her uncle has no intention of letting her have it, and he’ll marry her to death if he has to. The thing about fighters: they don’t go down without one. With Maeve’s help, Leith fights to become Bloodguard. With Leith’s help, Maeve fights to become Queen of Arrow.

I wish I hadn’t read this book—only so I could experience it for the first time all over again. With complex and dangerous political plays; twisted and dysfunctional family dynamics; the most thrilling, nail-biting action scenes; and a romance so adorable (and racy) it had me swinging my feet (and peek-read-ing through my fingers), Bloodguard was an absolute delight. Cecy Robson has written one of the most electrifying stories I’ve had the pleasure of reading this year, and I can’t wait for you to enjoy it too.