ALA Booklist (Sat Mar 01 00:00:00 CST 2014)

When Ronan Truelove's mother reveals that she is a member of the Blood Guard, a secret society of warriors charged with protecting 36 pure souls who prevent the apocalypse, he is thrust into a world of danger and intrigue. Assisted by opinionated but competent Greta and young guard member Jack, Ronan must try to get to safety as the forces of evil close in. Roy's first book hits the ground running and doesn't let up until the end, and his writing is up to the job. His cinematic fight scenes are clearly written, which is deeply important for a book filled with action. While balancing that, he also pays ample attention to his characters, giving each one time to tell his or her history without slowing down the overall pace. One major revelation at the end is telegraphed a bit too early, but by that point, readers won't care. They'll just be eager to know how Ronan's exciting journey will end and be left longing for the next installment.

Horn Book

Ronan thought he was just a regular kid leading a mostly normal life until his parents disappeared. He teams up with a former classmate and a two-hundred-year-old pickpocket for a life or death struggle against evil. As Ronan embarks on a hero's journey, familiar tropes of righting wrongs and self-discovery persist but nevertheless remain entertaining as mystery, mysticism, and action abound.

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Debut novelist Roy (a pseudonym for agent Michael Stearns) launches a sharp and energetic trilogy with a breakneck opening and an everyboy narrator who becomes enmeshed in extraordinary circumstances. The improbably named (outside of fantasy novels) Evelyn Ronan Truelove's mother picks him up from school and takes him on a madcap car chase. Once they escape their pursuers, she explains that Ronan's many extracurricular activities-gymnastics, judo, etc.-were to help train him to join the Blood Guard, the secret organization she belongs to whose job it is to protect The Pure, the handful of humans so impossibly good, they balance out the sins of the rest of the world. Along the way, Ronan fights an evil organization called the Bend Sinister and teams up with a girl named Greta and a boy named Jack. The use of familiar fantasy devices is balanced by Roy's narrative verve and multilayered characters, who display genuine emotion and self-awareness. Breathless action, witty dialogue, and unabashed fun should keep most readers from noticing that the plot sometimes stretches itself thin. Ages 10-up. Agent: the Inkhouse. (Mar.)

School Library Journal (Tue Jul 01 00:00:00 CDT 2014)

Gr 4-8 When Ronan ("Don't call me Evelyn") Truelove's mother arrives unexpectedly to pick him up from school, Ronan assumes she's just there to give him a ride to gymnastics class. Instead, Ronan and his mom are suddenly involved in a terrifying high-speed car chase by suited robot assassins. Between driving down stairways in a VW Bug, stealing a police cruiser, and wielding swords to deflect bullets, Ronan's mom explains that not only is Ronan's father missing but that she is a member of a secret society, the Blood Guard, dedicated to protecting the 36 Pure Souls, whose goodness must be preserved to stop the world plunging into darkness and evil. When his mother drops him off at the train station with only the cryptic advice "Trust no one," Ronan starts to understand why up to now his life has been a progression from one martial arts class to anotherhe was unknowingly in training for the Blood Guard all along. Conveniently meeting up with Greta, a sarcastic friend from a past school who happens also to be an expert in the use of firearms, and his assigned Blood Guard protector Jack Dawkins, Ronan sets off on a whirlwind adventure, to prevent the agents of evil from stealing the souls of the pure. Although Ronan's exploits are reminiscent of Alex Rider and Percy Jackson, the background mythology comes from the Christian Old Testament with a touch of Men in Black . Comparisons could also be made to Anthony Horowitz's "Gatekeepers" series (Scholastic), but Roy writes so well that the story is completely fresh and manages to be funny while dealing with superhuman enemies and apocalyptic terror. Ronan is an appealing hero, and readers will want to see what happens next. A great new series for middle school students who love fantasy and adventure. Jane Barrer, United Nations International School, New York City

Voice of Youth Advocates

Thirteen-year-old Evelyn "Ronan" Truelove is about to find out that his ordinary mom, who wears paint-stained jeans and men's button-down shirts, is not so ordinary after all. When she unexpectedly picks him up from school, it is to tell Ronan that his father has been kidnapped and she is part of the Blood Guard, an ancient secret group of knights sworn to protect the thirty-six Pure souls, whose safety has to be ensured for the good of the world. All of a sudden, Ronan's extra-curricular activities, including gymnastics and fencing, make sense as he realizes his mother was training him for survival. And, he needs his training as he separates from his mom to be chased by members of the Bend Sinister, a group intent on stealing the Pure souls. Ronan joins together with Dawkins, another member of the Blood Guard, and Greta, a know-it-all ex-classmate, on a wild adventure to escape the Bend Sinister and reunite with his mother and kidnapped father.This is a superbly written adventure book perfect for middle school readers. Roy's book has just the right amount of sarcastic humor and genuine heart to keep the reader engaged with the characters all the way through the story. The story is filled with highly descriptive action, and the rare breaks in action are filled with witty dialogue sure to keep the readers on their toes. It is a great start to what is sure to be a wildly popular series, especially among boys, and a must-have for any library serving tweens and younger teens.Blake Norby.