The Last Guardian Rises

The Last Keeper's Daughter #2

by Rebecca Trogner

Lily Ayres, Sanguis Ancilla to Krieger Barnes, has retreated into the shadows of the archives, hiding from the king and the intense emotions he arouses in her. How long can she deny him? Will she accept her role in the Other world and the abilities arising within her?

Krieger Barnes, Vampire King of North America, has shared his blood with Lily, his kingdom, and his heart. He summons Lily, needing her nearness, needing her to attend the council meeting with him.

Merlin, the king’s advisor, must fight the darkness that threatens to overtake him. Can he survive the dark magic?

Lucien Black, the wielder of the Dragon Sword, is once again charged with Lily’s protection. How will he explain his avoidance of her?

A being buried deep underground, inside a cage of iron and wrapped in chains, escapes. Is he the dark entity that the Others feel and fear?

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Vampires, Witches, Magic, Paranormal

300 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 15, 2014

Reviews

[Slytherin Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Genre: Paranormal/Vampire
Author: Rebecca Trogner
Book: The Last Guardian Rises
My Star Rating: 5 out of 5
Will I read I read it again? Yes
Intro: The Last Guardian Rises begins just months after The Last Keeper's Daughter.

Lily Ayres, Sanguis Ancilla to Krieger Barnes, has retreated into the shadows of the archives, hiding from the king and the intense emotions he arouses in her. How long can she deny him? Will she accept her role in the Other world and the abilities arising within her?

Krieger Barnes, Vampire King of North America, has shared his blood with Lily, his kingdom, and his heart. He summons Lily, needing her nearness, needing her to attend the council meeting with him.

Merlin, the king’s advisor, must fight the darkness that threatens to overtake him. Can he survive the dark magic?

Lucien Black, the wielder of the Dragon Sword, is once again charged with Lily’s protection. How will he explain his avoidance of her?

A being buried deep underground, inside a cage of iron and wrapped in chains, escapes. Is he the dark entity that the Others feel and fear?


This book was even better than book 1 and I LOVED book 1!! I even caught myself crying close to the end of the book and I was so ready for more and then BAM major cliff hanger! Grrr I really hate cliff hangers!
Otherwise this book was great and a few surprises in this one. I want to say that this is one of my favorite vampire books because they are not just pretty. They show character in this series.
Also in this book we see Lily’s father. And what a piece of work he is! I still have a ton of questions and I am sure will be answered in the next one. Also with the broken blood bond I am worried about how Lily and Krieger will be able to get back together of where they were. I loved that this book had more romance into it. I hope the next will have even more.
I can’t wait to see how it plays out with Anson and Lily, also Lily and Krieger, and Lily and Lucien. What is going to happen in Big Sur?? I am ready for book 3!!!
I was given this book to read and give an honest review. This review is my honest opinion and I have fully read this book.

[Alexandra G.]

No. No. No. No. No!
Why?! Why would you do this?!
There was absolutely NO NEED for a love triangle!

[Just another reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

A digital copy of this book was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.

This is the second book of a series, following The Last Keeper's Daughter. Looking at the reviews of the first one showed me that the series has garnered a fan following of its own. Having not read the first instalment, I was not sure if I would find it easy to relate with the characters in this one. But the author has adopted a crisp and clear narrative style that makes the book a good stand-alone tale. Although there were many references to the first book, they only increased my revolve to read the first one soon, and didn't in anyway put the reader off.

The tale revolves around Kreiger Barnes, the Vampire King, entrusted with the task of taking care of Lily Ayres, an "Other". Lily and Kreiger seem to have felt a lot more than just friendship even in the first book, and the author deals with the different layers of their relationship in this book. When Lucien Black, the dragon sword fielder enters the scene, Lily can't help but get drawn to him. His steely determination to stay out of falling in love, gets more and more dissolved as he finds himself falling for Lily. To add to the challenge, a battle ensues between the right and the wrong. Does Lily choose Lucien or Kreiger, and does goodness emerge victorious over evil, is what the book takes us through.

The author has put in a lot of effort in explaining the characterisation and the philosophies behind the decisions of the characters, and the effort shows through in every word uttered by the characters and in every page of the book. Although the pace drags a bit here and there, a faster pace would have made the book seem rushed. I'm now convinced that I should go back to read book 1 to understand how the author has laid the foundation and premise for the characters.

I definitely recommend this book to lovers of vampire tales.

My rating for this book: 3.5 stars

[Ramona Plant · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great continuation of the first part.

Other than that this book is fantastic !!!! The plot is complicated but well developed. Rebecca tightens her web around you in this second part. The pace is fantastic leaving nothing to be desired. There are a couple of twists in this book that are really well done and were really not predictable. Slowly but surely you get a clue on what is to be unfolded for you.

The main characters are extremely well developed. Especially Lily, Krieger and Lucien are my favorites, but Hunter is also getting to my soft spot. The interactions between them is really well balanced.

The only problem I have with this book, WHERE is part 3 :) I can't wait to get my hands on the last one to see how Rebecca will unravel it all. She is an expert of her skill and I am certain the last one will top the other two. With each book them seem to become better and better, adding plots and characters to view a genre that has been written about many many times, in a fresh new light.

I hope the last one will be available soon.

I have received this book from the author for an honest review, and loved it (LoP, lovers of paranormal).

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

***I received this book in exchange for an honest review, Lovers of Paranormal.***

The second book was SO good, I'll even have to comment that it might have been better than the first. I was so excited that the long awaited romance FINALLY happened for Lilly. I was surprised at all of the plot twists and the intrigue/horror/excitement that occurred all in this one book.

One of my favorite things that could happen in a book was for me to be surprised...and I was definitely surprised this time around, and I loved it.

Some of my other favorite characters were: Lucien (still a good favorite, although Team Krieger all the way), LIAM! and Hunter definitely became pretty fantastic at the end.

I'm very excited to see how this series progresses and am very excited for the next book!

4 stars :)

[Jenn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given this book for free in exchange for an honest review from LoP.

Another 8 star book. This book was just as good as the first and I find myself wanting to go actually see if there is a Vampire King. I've read a lot of vampire books and I like ones with humor and love but I have to say that Krieger fits my opinion of how a vampire should be. I'm hoping that there will be more books in this series as I can't get enough of Krieger.

I thank you so much for letting me read your book and I would gladly read any other books you write in the future:).

[Carol · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not book 2 of 2

I have never been one to leave reviews, however I’m tired of authors not telling a reader upfront that the book is a part of a multiple series, this book states it is 2 of 2 implying that it will be complete, it’s not. I did enjoy the first two book, but felt let down when I was left with another cliff hanger.

[Joy Kamara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well I just finished the book and I am so mad. It feels like a fricken cliff hanger! WTF. It Jan2016 and not another book. You left me hanging wond.er what happened.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

first book was better

[Irene Hollimon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cliffhanger! It was awesome all except the part where it ends on a cliffhanger and no third book seems to exist. Why? Why book gods why?

[Wendy · Rating 4 out of 5]

***I was given a review copy by the author in exchange for my honest opinion.***

In the Last Keeper’s Daughter, Rebecca Trogner introduced Lily Ayers, a strange and fragile you heiress entrusted by her father to the care of ancient vampire, Krieger Barnes, the King of North America. The first human he’s allowed into his court, Lily joins Krieger’s inner circle—composed until then of a witch, a wolf-shifter, and a cursed slayer—as his Sanguis Ancilla. It translates roughly as “blood slave,” a title that is more necessary than accurate for the complicated pair.

In the world of vampires and witches, and as she blossoms from a timid child into a willful woman, Lily’s nature as an “Other” (creatures neither human nor vampire) quickly becomes apparent, as does her role in something grand and sinister bubbling beneath the kingdoms of the supernatural. Krieger, bound by blood and primal instinct to protect Lily, finds himself in a truly frustrating position of being an honorable man. Because he loves her, he sets her free, allowing her to choose who she will give her heart to, and he waits for her to come to him.

Trogner reveals in The Last Guardian Rises that Krieger has the patience of a saint. Fearing the king would not forgive her for killing his brother at the climax of the first book, Lily turned her focus toward the castle’s archives, looking for information that would help the king while she avoided him. Days became weeks and then months, until the Krieger summons her, gives her thirty minutes to show up, and warns he won’t ask twice. She drags her feet only to learn that the king is not mad at her. Quite to the contrary, he’s loving, gentle, and demanding, exactly as she remembers, which means that the battle of wills between our romantic leads has begun anew.

In Guardian, we see more of the politics of the vampire world, more of the mystery’s machine, and more of the implications and consequences of each successive action. At a pivotal point in Detective Hunter’s arc, he tells Krieger, “We’ve been played.” The king then has to deal with a difficult situation forced upon Hunter, so how they’ve been played is not explicitly answered. It becomes apparent through the story arcs of Merlin, Hunter, King Beline (the King of Europe), that the awful transgression committed long ago against Lily’s mother on behalf of a demon was not an isolated incident. Krieger, along with his people and allies, spend months scorching a global conspiracy tied to Catholic orphanages from the Earth, only to have the pieces fall into place when Lily casually recommends a priest for Hunter’s upcoming marriage.

In addition to magic, spies, adventure, and lies, Trogner also gives her heroine two powerful, tortured men to hold her heart. The first, of course, is Krieger. The second is vampire Lucien, Krieger’s brother-by-choice and faithful servant. He was long ago imbued with the blood of a dragon, which allows him to wield a special sword capable of killing anything, but the spell came with a terrible price. Lucien cannot have sex with someone he loves. To do so would release the dragon from its prison within him. He releases his physical needs with meaningless sex, but as one of the men Krieger trusts the most, Lucien becomes one of Lily’s guardians, and every moment with her tests his resolve. Lily could make things easier by fully committing herself to Krieger and not flirting with him, but as she admits to the king, she loves Lucien, too.

A twist toward the end of the Guardian sees Krieger and Lily at once desperately in love with the other, yet separated by growing mountain of circumstances out of their control, anger, loss, and enough good intentions to build a bridge to Hades and put the ferryman out of a job. Playing the role of the Beast once again, Krieger will let his Belle go with hope that she will return to him, a decision that will move the action from Virginia to Big Sur, California, and a confrontation with Strigoi “Anson,” who claims Lily as his mate when he first lays eyes on her.

I found the details of The Last Guardian Rises intriguing, the escalation of Krieger and Lily’s relationship fulfilling, and the sex scenes very well written, yet I found the story a little slow. However, with Lily’s blood bond to Krieger broken by her demon father, and her desire to have children the king cannot give her but Anson can, book three of this story promises to be explosive, and I’m very much looking forward to it.

[Jennifer Hines · Rating 5 out of 5]

**4.5 Fiery Hearts!**

*I received this book free from the author in exchange for an honest review*

I honestly think this book was better than the first. I lost myself in the pages as the story played out in my mind.

“I love you, but I love him too. Not in the same way, but…”

For all those who read the first book you’ll know what I’m talking about with this kind of quickie update. The secrets of the gates are slowly being learned. The Brotherhood is being found out, and oh my goodness their reach is further than anyone could have imagined. Lily is learning more about herself, but still has so many questions…as do many others about her. Krieger’s worse nightmare will come to pass and he doesn’t handle it too well. Lucien will be tempted almost more than he can bear. And Merlin knows the only thing he can do to overcome the madness of his magic and will sadly do it.

“God.” Lily kicked her foot into the dash. “Are all men such cowards?”

Lucien laughed. She was no longer the shy woman he’d helped navigate court life. “You’re just learning that. I’d rather go into battle than argue with a woman.”

In The Last Guardian Rises we also get introduced to the Guardian. He’s lost and looking for his Lynea. I can only imagine what he’ll do when he finds her…come on book three! I’m quite anxious to see how all of these characters are going to interact and for the first time ever I honestly don’t know who will get the girl. There are so many variables and new things that arise to keep me guessing.

“Lucien wanted to kiss her, here, now. Out of the corner of his eye, he caught Krieger turning to watch them.”

Oh, and how could I forget…you’ll get to meet the unknown being who is Lily’s father. Now that’s quite interesting. I cannot wait to see how crazy things get with him.

The only thing that caught me a little off guard was when the points of view would change to someone and somewhere else completely and then would switch back. It would always take me a second for my brain to process it. Other than that it’s a really good story and it’s easy to get wrapped up not only in the storyline but also the characters.

My Favorite Laughable Moment: There is this really intense moment in the story and then Hunter thinks something that just cracked me up.

“I need a moment,” Lucien said.

Brother, you need a whole day. Shit, take the rest of the week off.

[Drea Damara · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The Last Keeper’s Daughter” by Rebecca Trogner is a genre breaker that seeps into fantasy, humor, romance, adventure, and epic thriller. Lily has always been unique and suffered from severe social disorders at best without medical explanation. The frail young woman receives more than a diagnosis upon the mysterious disappearance of her father Walter. Given shelter and protection, from what she knows not, a man named Krieger takes Lily into his elaborate home where she discovers the world is much more complex than she was taught. The biggest mystery, however, is that Lily is not what she or the ‘Others’ thought and everyone becomes entwined in unraveling her history as well as the dark secrets of their own. Characters you could never imagine exist in this suspenseful and eerie world within our own. Throw in a surly and sarcastic detective and you have got a refreshing voice of reason throughout a realm of madness to mere mortals. There is a corn field sprouting in Iowa that will whisper, "If Trogner writes, people will read it."

“The Last Keeper’s Daughter” puts new meaning to the words original and flawless. Rebecca Trogner shows that imagination knows no bounds through the uncanny and eerie beings she creates in “The Last Keeper’s Daughter”. Never before have I seen a book where every single sentence counted for something; Trogner displays writing at its finest without an ounce of fluff or filler. “The Last Keeper’s Daughter” is frighteningly intriguing when even its terrifying characters show unique display of fear. This is not your typical vampire story; Trogner manifests unimaginable creatures and redefines description that makes your mind see a world. That makes “Star Wars” look as basic as “Sesame Street”. After reading “The Last Keeper’s Daughter”, I’m convinced Rebecca Trogner could rewrite the phone book and make it a best-seller. Five stars don’t do “The Last Keeper’s Daughter” justice.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rebecca Trogner continues the incredible world-building she began in The Last Keeper's Daughter with this next installment of the series.


Picking up a few months after the end of TLKD, we find the characters dealing with (or avoiding, as the case may be) the mysteries and revelations uncovered in the first book. This world is even more complicated, and crowded and dangerous, than anyone imagined. Questions and intrigue keep the plot moving at a brisk pace. Trogner reveals enough about the mythology and the lifetimes of backstory of the various Others to keep the story going, but always holds enough back to leave me wanting more.


Written in the same clean, sparse style, TLGR is more mystery/thriller than romance. Lily and Krieger continue to struggle with their relationship and feelings for each other. I intellectualized more than felt Lily's guilt and concern about what she is and her love for Krieger and what her place in the royal house means.


The support roles are populated with interesting and compelling characters I'd really like to know more about, especially Lucien and his curse. Again with more intellectualizing than feeling his relationship with Lily and her conflict between the men in her life.


The ending is far more of a cliffhanger than before, leaving me anxiously awaiting the next book to see what will happen next!

[Geneva Handleman · Rating 4 out of 5]

As an Independent Reviewer for Paranormal Books and Authors that Rock, I must say this is definitely an author who rocks!

This is book 2 in the series, yet I was not lost at all. There were things that were mentioned which let me know I had missed a part of the story, but the information needed was repeated in a way that didn't seem to interfere with the flow of the story at all.

The characters are interesting and relatable, and the switching between modern world and vampire old school works better than I thought it would. The sex scenes are also well written, not too explicit while still being very steamy.

Overall, a four fang book. Definitely made me want to go back and read the first one while I am anxiously awaiting the next!

[Dana · Rating 2 out of 5]

I received this book in exchange for an honest review LoP

The characters are still super intense, but with more substance there it was a little easier to handle or at least understand. I dd find Kreiger to be a bit abusive. grabbing Lily, holding her hands behind her back, even pushing her down. I get that it was because he was just trying to get her to understand the situation, but it didn't come off that way for me. I also found the story choppy, which I believe is because of there being so many POV's. I think the book is worth reading and even though I am having a hard time with this series I will read the next book because I am invested in the story line.

[Ria · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book in exchange for an honest review (LoP or Lovers of Paranormal). This was a good book, I will admit for about 30-40% of this book it was a hard read. I do believe that was just due to the story being further developed and details being put into place. Character development was solid and world building was very well done. The alternating points of view threw me for a bit of a loop, but once you get used to it, it's a well utilized vehicle for point of views. All in all a good book with a very very good ending, I will be looking to read book 3 in the future.

[Michelle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the first book better but the last 3 or so chapters hooked me again so on to book 3

[Trish Hodnett · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book in a Goodreads Giveaway.
Very enjoyable book, just perfect for me, not too heavy, not too light hearted. The Last Guardian Rises definitely left me wanting more, I can't wait to find out what happens to Lily, Krieger, Hunter and all the characters in the book, and I also want to read the first book too.

[LA · Rating 2 out of 5]

Still good but there is soooo much going on. A lot of it is just randomly dropped in, like 'hey btw this thing you were waiting for to happen well it already happened'. No depth. Still has potential though.

[Victoria Cunningham · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Last Guardian Rises

I enjoyed this book more than the first one in the series. There were also less typos! I found myself rooting for two characters. A twist I didn't expect. Good job Rebecca!

[Wayward Cabbage · Rating 4 out of 5]

I normally don't do vampires, but it didn't seem like a typical vampire novel. I enjoyed it immensely.

[Broughps · Rating 3 out of 5]

Only problem was that it ended in the middle of the story.

[Lourelie · Rating 4 out of 5]

interesting book fast paced... but its 2017 already... where's book 3?????

[TP · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review to come