My view on adventure reads.

So this week I felt like writing an extra post to tell you a little bit about how I got into Tween reads to begin with. It all started while I was waiting for a bus one winter evening, reading the first few chapters of ‘Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s stone. I had started Chapter 4 when my bus came. I decided to stop and start when I got home. I read the rest of it through the night. Fell asleep around midnight!! The book had literally grabbed me by my collar and dragged me into its depths. I was hooked. Needless to say, I devoured the whole series in due course. And the rest, well, my appetite for adventure reads had taken root and every single adventure-themed tween book that came my way made it’s journey towards this day. Harry Potter was the first of many. Discovering Rick Riordan’s series of books recently has been a blast. 

Today, I will be reviewing a delightful trilogy of adventure reads I found by accident; it had been shelved upside down! It features a seemingly ordinary thirteen-year-old called Ronan Truelove and follows some bizarre turn of events in his somewhat ‘normal’ life. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!!

The Blood Guard trilogy by Carter Roy

Titles: The Blood Guard, The Glass Gauntlet, The Blazing Bridge

Author: Carter Roy

Genre: Fiction – contemporary/adventure

Publication details: Two Lions; NY, 2014, 2015, 2017

What the books are about: When 13-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 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 and using his ingenuity to escape the Bend Sinister, a posse of evil doers with strange powers. The Blood Guard tells Ronan’s adventures with two unlikely companions: Greta, a strong-willed girl he’s never much liked, and Jack, a devil-may-care teenager 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. In The Glass Gauntlet, Ronan and his friends are sent on their first mission to visit a weird-sounding school to take a series of tests called the Glass Gauntlet. They think it will be a nerdy scholarship, but very soon they are proven wrong. Nothing and no one are what they seem to be. The ugly showdown between the Blood Guards and their foes, the Bend Sinister, brings this thrilling trilogy to a close in The Blazing Bridge.

My review: An awesome adventure trilogy!! It had everything: non-stop action, swashbuckling-sword fights, hilarious dialogue and memorable characters!! Not one page made me want to slow down!! With each book, you gain a little bit more insight into Ronan’s character and can’t help but admire him and his strength. The supporting cast also add vibrant hues of humor and mystery. All three books read in one go would be an advantage but it’s up to you, dear reader. It’s your call. I can tell you this, if you enjoyed the Percy Jackson series and Harry Potter, then the Blood Guard trilogy should be your next must-read books!!

My rating: 5 ⭐

There were so many cool books that came across my path after these. Of course, I read all of the popular ones as soon as they hit the shelves, and being a good librarian, waited my turn for them. Most were series or trilogies. I have included a few of those that I have read and enjoyed as alternate titles. I’m not including the popular ones like Percy Jackson and co. because I think they speak for themselves. The ones listed below are quite popular in their own way. If you’re an adventure-junkie like me, then give some these a go.

The Accelerati trilogy by Neal Shusterman – A brilliant trilogy that combines science, magic, intrigue and the adventures of four kids as they are caught up in a dangerous plan concocted by the eccentric inventor Nikolai Tesla.

The Copernicus Legacy by Tony Abbott – A series with everything – international adventure, friendship, and a mission that draws on history and astronomy.

The Shapeshifter series by Ali Sparkes – An engaging series about a group of children with special abilities and the adventures they land in.

Ash Mistry trilogy by Sarwat Chadda – An incredible action-adventure trilogy about Ash Mistry, reluctant hero and living weapon of the Hindu death goddess Kali.