The Blood Guard trilogy concludes with THE BLAZING BRIDGE. 
The excitement and adventure follows the first two installments: THE BLOOD GUARD and THE GLASS GAUNTLET. New readers to the series could get by with just reading Book 3, but they’ll miss the fun lead-up to this fitting end.
Young Evelyn Ronan Truelove (he prefers just Ronan for obvious reasons) takes you through many of New York City’s iconic sights like Times Square, Madison Square Garden, and an epic finale on the Brooklyn Bridge that you see on the cover.
Thirteen years old now, Ronan must protect his friend, Greta, from the deadly Bend Sinister. Their youthful exchanges were some of my favorite parts. Dawkins, a much older friend, is also along for the ride. His role is to lead but also push Ronan toward the person he is to become.
Action packed, humorous, and rather scary in parts–these three elements alone make it a perfect choice for middle grade readers. Check out my interview with Carter Roy posted last Friday.
PUBLICATION DATE: 2017 PAGE COUNT: 240
FULL PLOT (From Amazon)
Ronan Truelove’s best friend, scrappy smart aleck Greta Sustermann, has no idea that she is one of the thirty-six Pure souls crucial to the safety of the world. But Ronan’s evil father has figured it out—and he’s leading the Bend Sinister straight to Greta. If they capture her, she’ll suffer a fate far worse than mere death. But to get to Greta, they’re going to have to go through Ronan first.
Standing with Ronan are plucky hacker Sammy; witty, unkillable Jack Dawkins; and a sharp-tongued woman named Diz, who drives a dangerously souped-up taxi. One breathless close call after another leads to an ugly showdown: Ronan alone against his father, with the fate of Greta, his friends, and the entire world hanging in the balance. Will Ronan be able to rise up and prove once and for all that he has what it takes to join the Blood Guard?
By turns heart-stopping and hilarious, The Blazing Bridge brings the Blood Guard trilogy to a surprising, clever, and altogether thrilling conclusion.
FIVE THINGS TO LIKE ABOUT: THE BLAZING BRIDGE by Carter Roy
- The pacing might have you finishing the story before you’re ready. The tense scenes are mixed in well with the calmer parts.
- Ronan’s unfortunate relationship with his dad comes full circle on The Brooklyn Bridge. A sad, but necessary encounter.
- I hope the next time I’m visiting New York City, I can get a ride in Diz’s cab. Here’s one cab driver who you might not want to argue with.
- Jack Dawkins, the young in appearance but way older member of the Blood Guard, makes a great character. Ronan describes him this way: Jack Dawkins is like your best friend’s annoying older brother–a skinny hipster who acts all worldly even though he looks like he’s still in his teens.
- Pulling off a successful single book is hard enough, but here we have a satisfying trilogy that never drags and always has the plot moving forward. Could there be a YA story next featuring this cast? I can only wish.
FAVORITE LINES:
Greta wrapped her fingers around my wrist and twisted her arm to throw me off balance, then yanked me over her foot.
I tripped and sprawled on the ground at Elmo’s feet.
“What was that for?” I asked Greta.
“I’m not some maiden in distress to be carried out of harm’s way, Evelyn Ronan Truelove,” she said.
Elmo gave me a hand up.
“I never said you were!” I said, raising my hands in surrender.
AUTHOR QUOTE:
From a list of promises Carter says will not happen in this third story:
—It will not leave any threads unknotted. That is to say, it will tie up all the story threads from books one and two—including some that you think I forgot about, or which you didn’t even notice because they flew past so quickly.
(For the entire list visit Carter’s Web Site )
GIVEAWAY!
One lucky winner will receive a complete set of all three Blood Guard books (THE BLOOD GUARD, THE GLASS GAUNTLET, and THE BLAZING BRIDGE). (U.S. addresses only.) To enter just leave a comment. Good luck.
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Check the links to other Middle Grade novels over at Shannon Messenger’s Marvelous Middle Grade Monday post.
Always in the Middle... 
Did enjoy this series. Can’t wait to see what Roy comes up with next!
Kudos to the author for producing a satisfying conclusion to the trilogy, and not “leaving any threads unknotted”.
Forgot to say I’ll let someone else win the giveaway!
Glad this was a satisfying end to the series. Love the setting and it sounds like a fast-paced story kids will enjoy.
Great recommendation, as always. I can see my son falling in love with this series. Guess I’ll have to get ahold of it soon (unless he wins a set.) Thanks for your generosity.
I haven’t read this series, but I love that the pacing is so good. The characters sound so likeable that I’d want to spend time with them as I read from one book to the next. Thanks for sharing and giving us a chance to win an entire series!
I’m a big cover freak, and these covers are epic!
I’m always impressed by MG novels that combine action with humor. And I love the lines you quoted — so glad Greta’s a strong character. Please let someone else win your generous giveaway — my TBR pile is taking over my house.
This sounds like a great series! It’s always going in and out at the library where I work; I definitely have to check it out now!
I agree. What great covers. The series also looks like a gem not to be missed. Thanks for the chance to win.
I love the summary. Glad the author will tie up any loose ends. Thanks for the review!
I have not read this series. I haven’t read a lot of fantasy, even though what I’ve read I’ve enjoyed. Have read more magical realism. But, I will admit this sounds like a fun lose-yourself-in-the-story novel. Good summary and excellent quotes. Great teen read!
You always make books sound so tempting with your reviews. Thanks for telling me about this. I’ll try to check it out. Please let someone else win. I haven’t even touched the last book I won from you.
Haven’t read any of the trilogy yet, but I’ve seen some positive reviews floating around, and it looks great! Full of adventure and humor!
I really dont have the money to but these books but can i please be the giveaway winner I’ve wanted to read this series since forever.
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