Review: Sword of The Guardian, by Merry Shannon

Sword of the Guardian

By Merry Shannon

Bold Strokes Books

978-1-93311-036-3

Reviewed by Athena Sampaio

Sword of the Guardian is a gripping fantasy novel that is sure to keep you hooked from beginning to end. Talon is a young woman who watched her family being torn by a terrible tragedy when she was a little girl. In order to save herself and her two sisters, she pretends to be a boy when they are found and sold to a band of acrobats. Years later, they are presenting in the royal court of Ithyria, where Talon still maintains her true gender hidden. However, things go terribly wrong when an assassin tries to destroy the royal family. Talon witnesses the Prince being murdered, and is severely wounded while saving the Princess’ life. As a result, the King blackmails the reluctant heroine into becoming the Princess’ royal guardian. Talon has no choice but to agree to protect the pampered and spoiled Princess, for her sister’s lives are in the balance.

Shasta Talia Soltranis of Rane is the Princess of Ithyria. After her twin brother is murdered, she becomes the heir to the throne. Suddenly her carefree life is taken from her, and she finds herself stuck with new and daunting responsibilities. Not only that but she now has to endure being shadowed every moment of every day, and night, by a young bodyguard. Can Shasta own up to her responsibilities and grow up to be the leader her people desperately needs? What about her new mysterious guardian? Can she truly trust he is who he says he is? She’ll have to, if she wishes to become Queen of Ithyria one day, for danger lurks closer than anyone suspects.

I am very surprised at how emotionally challenging this book turned out to be. I was thoroughly intrigued by the vividness of the plot and completely into these amazingly realistic characters. The story certainly starts off with a bag with conspiracies and murder being thrown smack in the reader’s face. From page one I was hooked into this story, breathlessly following the plot and the characters as they unraveled before my eyes. While this powerful beginning was certainly effective in engaging me into the novel, the slow pace of the next few chapters caught me off guard. Princess Shasta’s antics and the evolution of her relationship with Talon kept me involved and interested, but there were times when I found myself getting restless to see some action again.

While true action does not happen for a while, I was pleased at the turn the plot takes about a third into the story. Suddenly there’s a definite foreboding tone to the story, a new tension and mystery in the air which brilliantly coincides with Shasta’s increasing awareness of herself and her new role. Add to that, Talon and Shasta gradually start growing closer and developing a surprisingly loving relationship as Talon struggles with her increasing awareness of Shasta and her sexuality. Ms. Shannon does an excellent job in keeping the suspense alive during the slower phase of the story by making the threat of Shasta’s life, and the conspiracy brewing within the court, very real and very present in the plot. All that without mentioning the white elephant in the room: Talon is not a man, but a woman pretending to be a man. That knowledge added a new layer to the tension already present as I eagerly waited for the moment when the cat would finally come out of the bag.

Romantically speaking, Sword of the Guardian is one of the most alluring love stories I’ve ever read. The characters of Shasta and Talon are so lively, and their romance is so captivating, it truly broke my heart to see their story end. The fact that we have access to them as individuals from a young age (especially in Shasta’s case) allowed for a deeper connection to their characters that is hard to find nowadays. Seeing them grow as individuals alongside their growth as a couple was truly a treat. Historically speaking, this book is more a fantasy tale than a historical one. The world and the people depicted are fictional, and the secondary characters of the Priestesses add a mystical feel to the story. However, the dynamics of the royal court are very real and recognizable to any historical fiction fan. In addition, little details like the presence of chambermaids and servants, the primitive bathing habits, the lack of technology and slang writing, all make this book as historically accurate as it is possible within this fantastical realm.