Divine Blood (Guardians of the Maiden Book 1)

Ok. Wow. I was not expecting this book. Sure, I read the description and decided to give it a go but was so very surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. It has a little bit of everything that I want want from a story and the world was so beautifully written.Dyna is a human who can wield healing essence, a sort of magic passed down through her blood line. Dyna’s parents and younger brother were taken violently from her when she was 8 years old by a shadow demon. A year out from when the demon is set to return Dyna decides to set out on a quest to find a magic item that will help her defeat the demon and save the children of her village, including her little sister. On her way to find her cousin, Zev, and ask him to go with her she has to venture into a forbidden forest where she is almost killed...twice, but saved...twice... by Cassiel. Cassiel is a tall, dark, Celestial with a haunted past and secret to match.This book really a little bit of everything in it, from magic, to different mystical beings, to a slow burn romance which is everything I enjoy from a good fantasy. Now, let’s talk main characters, there is Dyna, Zev, and Cassie. Dyna and Zev are cousins and quite protective of each other, specifically Zev towards Dyna as she is really the only family he has left. Dyna and Cassiel are drawn towards one another and don’t know why. Cassiel is everything, EVERYTHING, this girl right here looks for in a leading male. Tall, dark, haunted, giant black wings.... I mean come on...Beck Michaels had me right there but add in that Dyna, the female lead is a fiery redhead with a penchant for healing and magic... I’m in.

Welcome to the world of Urn, where hidden villages and creatures reside. When Dyna's village council ignores the warning of an impending darkness that robs them of their children, the young mage must make the decision to leave what is left of her family and search for the one thing that will dispel the darkness.On her journey through the world that wishes her dead, Dyna meets Cassiel, who believes her to be a stupid human, until he realizes he also seeks the destination she is headed for. They pick up her cousin Zev along the way (who is also full of surprises) and continue their journey. This is a group that would never come together under normal circumstances.Divine Blood is a must-read for anyone who enjoys fantasy. The world Beck Michaels created is incredible. With every page turn, I felt as though I was standing right there with the characters.Each character, main and even the ones that just came in for a second were so real. Dyna, Cassiel, and Zev each had a heart-wrenching story and at one point, I just wanted to step in and give them all a hug and tell them it was going to be okay, even though I was unsure myself.This book brought out all of my emotions multiple times, and left me in tears, fits of anger, and bouts of laughter.I haven't been so into a book since college, and I finished in two days. I didn't do anything else for those two days, but that isn't the point. Michaels makes you keep turning that page, and when you hit the cliffhanger, you'll want to ask for the second book, even if it isn't ready yet

I had seen Divine Blood around Bookstagram thanks to some wonderful bookish friends, and I am so glad I finally picked up this book. Beck Michaels delivers everything I love in a swoony YA fantasy: fantastic world-building, interesting characters, great dialogue, and a sweet, slow-burn romance.I LOVED THIS BOOK. Divine Blood opens with Dyna, a young healer who has lost everything. She decides to go on a journey to try to save her village from a terrible threat from a shadow demon. Along the way, she meets handsome prince Cassiel, a Celestial. Cassiel is distant and rude until he realizes that Dyna may be the key to reaching a destination he has been searching for his entire life. Their lives may be entwined in ways that neither of them expects.Divine Blood is packed with magical creatures and interesting characters, and each is more compelling than the last. Every character is believable and complex. There are angels, fae, werewolves, vampires, demons, sorcerers, and more. While Divine Blood does end on something of a cliffhanger, I found it to be a very satisfying ending that just made me really excited to read the next book.I can't recommend it highly enough for fans of Jennifer Armentrout, Laura Thalassa, Holly Black, Raven Kennedy, and Sarah J Maas.Book two, Bonded Fate, is out on August 3. I can't wait to see where Michaels takes us next on this journey.

Okay, that ending was just RUDE!However, I will forgive the author for it because I really enjoyed this book.There aren’t a lot of YA fantasy books that contain all magical races... actually... I don’t think I can recall any books that do. That is one of the intriguing things about this book, how the author weaves them all together. It’s really cool. I’m usually not a huge fan of multiple POVs because only really talented authors can pull it off, luckily this author nailed it.This story contains a lot of my favorite tropes which makes me an instant fan.- enemies to lovers- one bed- journey to find magical object- chosen one- mates- prophecy- troubled, mysterious, bad boy 😉🤤All the tropes that make a YA fantasy book epic!😍While reading this book it almost reminded me of The Falling Kingdoms series. Which is one of my favorite series that I think is totally under rated.

I hope we find out more about our individual guardians and that darling Dy grows up and into her own a little more. Good read, with different character chapters making things more interesting. Look forward to the next book.

Adventure, slow burn romance, slow burn BROmance, destiny, prophecy, war, magical beings - Divine Blood is such an AMAZING and enjoyable read that made me feel! This book brought butterflies in my stomach that made me giggle and laugh too! The ending made me scan the next pages hoping that another chapter would magically appear and so I ended up reading the acknowldegements too!Kudos to Beck Michaels for a fantastic debut! To all the fans of Holly Black and Sarah J Maas, this is for you! Now do yourself a favor and read Divine Blood!♥️

Divine Blood is a fantastical treat of a book. Beck's world comes alive within the pages. I love reading novels that have worlds that are big and diverse. Readers can expect werewolves, elves and celestials from the first book. I appreciated the map that is included and it was fun tracking the characters' movements on their journey.I like that this story is told from multiple points of view. Zev and Cassiel were my top two narrators. The characters' motives were clearly defined in this book. I'm curious to see how Cassiel, and Cassiel's relationship with Dyna, will further develop. Dyna was an interesting character. She is a happy-go-lucky character who is prone to danger. There were multiple times throughout Divine Blood where I was having mini heart-attacks over her actions. By the end of the novel, I had a lot of admiration for Dyna's character and some of her choices. I won't go into this further because I don't want to spoil anything. In the sequel, I am looking forward to getting to know the antagonist better. I am also curious to know more about Von and Yavi's backstory.Beck's writing brings this book to life. I could easily visualize the characters and their adventures throughout the novel. My only critique is that I wish there was a little less description. I was yearning for a bit more of a look into the character's thoughts.I'm curious to see how the plot will develop in future books. The first book sets up enough questions that I'm eager to read the second book.Overall, I enjoyed Divine Blood and its characters. I'm excited to see how the storyline will play out in future books.

I absolutely loved this debut fantasy novel! What a start to a series. It was so easy to fall in love with all the characters and their amazing personalities, plus I am 100% on board with this slow burn romance. With a mix of all kinds of mythical beings, it kept the book interesting and the world ever growing. Plus the POV changes was such a refreshing way to break up the plots and watch as they all begin to come together! I loved it so much that I am now making a sign with the fantastic quote "he was starlight, and wonder, and questions without answers." Incredible debut, and can't wait to see whats to come from this series and author.