What do you think?
Rate this book
Guards: The Archers of Saint Sebastian IV
“A happy ending? Why, my boy, I positively guarantee it!”
— Gilles, in The Archers of Saint Sebastian III16-year-old Marieke is hoping against hope that these words can somehow prove prophetic. But things are looking grim for her and her beloved Tristan, the boy for whom she’s been serving as a squire while in disguise as a boy at the elite Archers’ Guild of St. Sebastian. She’s sworn a sacred vow to help Tristan win the guild competitions to become the prince’s newest Guardsman, without ever letting him discover that she’s really a girl — a girl who loves him.
With the final Journeyman competitions fast approaching, time is running out for Marieke to find a way to keep her oath, and to accomplish the goal for which she went to St. Sebastian’s in the first to learn the truth about what really happened there long ago to her father. But the hardest thing of all will surely be figuring out an answer to the question she’s been avoiding ever since she stepped foot inside the what in the world can come ‘after,’ once she has to leave St. Sebastian’s?
It's time for answers, revelations, and confessions —
it’s time for confrontations, catastrophes, and triumphs —
And most of all, it’s time for there to be a winner, and to find out once and for all who is really the best shot who’s ever been at St. Sebastian’s.
The Archers of Saint Sebastian IV is the stunning conclusion of the Archers of Saint Sebastian tetralogy. This series is a continuous story, so you’ll want to have read Journeys, Squires, and Masters, before reading Guards!
Praise for Journeys and the Archers of Saint Sebastian
“This storytelling has you like a fly on the wall!” – Amazon reviewer
“An absolute favorite. I just finished the three first books and I haven’t had so much delight in reading I think EVER! Funny, exhilarating, suspenseful, roooommmaaanntic. (Not in a smutty way… a melt your heart, will they or won’t they kind of way.) I am dying for book 4! … I’ve fallen in love with each of these characters and feel like I’ve been on this “journey” with them.” – Amazon reviewer
“One of the best books I’ve read in a long time. The novel is so finely crafted I savored every page … the plot holds mystery, intrigue, romance, and plenty of action. I really didn’t know what was coming next most of the time and appreciated that.” — Claudia Oltean, the Jacksonville Florida Times-Union
“...[an] impressive knowledge of longbow shooting, displayed at its best in the three competitions that structure the plot. The prose is excellent.” — Historical Novel Society
“I couldn't stop reading. The characters are so fun to read.” — Goodreads reviewer
“This book might just become my new comfort book.” — Goodreads reviewer
“The tension is breathtaking at every turn.” – Goodreads reviewer
“I would give it a solid 6 stars, it was breathtaking … it is by far the best book I’ve read in years!” – Goodreads reviewer
“Thi
— Gilles, in The Archers of Saint Sebastian III16-year-old Marieke is hoping against hope that these words can somehow prove prophetic. But things are looking grim for her and her beloved Tristan, the boy for whom she’s been serving as a squire while in disguise as a boy at the elite Archers’ Guild of St. Sebastian. She’s sworn a sacred vow to help Tristan win the guild competitions to become the prince’s newest Guardsman, without ever letting him discover that she’s really a girl — a girl who loves him.
With the final Journeyman competitions fast approaching, time is running out for Marieke to find a way to keep her oath, and to accomplish the goal for which she went to St. Sebastian’s in the first to learn the truth about what really happened there long ago to her father. But the hardest thing of all will surely be figuring out an answer to the question she’s been avoiding ever since she stepped foot inside the what in the world can come ‘after,’ once she has to leave St. Sebastian’s?
It's time for answers, revelations, and confessions —
it’s time for confrontations, catastrophes, and triumphs —
And most of all, it’s time for there to be a winner, and to find out once and for all who is really the best shot who’s ever been at St. Sebastian’s.
The Archers of Saint Sebastian IV is the stunning conclusion of the Archers of Saint Sebastian tetralogy. This series is a continuous story, so you’ll want to have read Journeys, Squires, and Masters, before reading Guards!
Praise for Journeys and the Archers of Saint Sebastian
“This storytelling has you like a fly on the wall!” – Amazon reviewer
“An absolute favorite. I just finished the three first books and I haven’t had so much delight in reading I think EVER! Funny, exhilarating, suspenseful, roooommmaaanntic. (Not in a smutty way… a melt your heart, will they or won’t they kind of way.) I am dying for book 4! … I’ve fallen in love with each of these characters and feel like I’ve been on this “journey” with them.” – Amazon reviewer
“One of the best books I’ve read in a long time. The novel is so finely crafted I savored every page … the plot holds mystery, intrigue, romance, and plenty of action. I really didn’t know what was coming next most of the time and appreciated that.” — Claudia Oltean, the Jacksonville Florida Times-Union
“...[an] impressive knowledge of longbow shooting, displayed at its best in the three competitions that structure the plot. The prose is excellent.” — Historical Novel Society
“I couldn't stop reading. The characters are so fun to read.” — Goodreads reviewer
“This book might just become my new comfort book.” — Goodreads reviewer
“The tension is breathtaking at every turn.” – Goodreads reviewer
“I would give it a solid 6 stars, it was breathtaking … it is by far the best book I’ve read in years!” – Goodreads reviewer
“Thi
526 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 15, 2025
28 people are currently reading
10 people want to read
About the author
Jeanne Roland
6 books94 followersRoland hails from Davis, California, where she spent most of her youth lounging at the pool, soaking up the sun, and daydreaming. She had a key ring that read 'I’m running away to join the circus,' and her favorite moment of the day was when the local movie theater went dark, and the slogan 'escape to the movies' appeared on the screen. As an adult, her passions include all things melodramatic and beautiful — everything from classic movies, British romantic poetry, ancient tragedy and epic, to Italian opera. She is now a professor of Classics in a small midwestern town, where she lives with her Greek husband, her fraternal twins, and a Bernese mountain dog named Franco Corelli.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
February 27, 2025
This is the 4th and final book in Roland's highly entertaining Archers of St. Sebastian's series, so I assume at that point everyone is familiar with Marieke and how she became a girl in disguise at an all-boys archery guild. As the final book in the series, this book had pretty much everything I could hope for. Lots of plot threads have been woven throughout the series, and all are brought to a close (or at least, a resolution) by the end of the book. Plenty of laughter and tears as we have come to expect, and also amazing archery.
If I were to have any complaint, it is that the beginning of the book is a bit slow. There still are plenty of events that happen, but there's also a lot of waiting. For obvious reasons (only 4 Journeys left!) there's a lot of tension among the boys, and that doesn't make for quite as much fun and games as in the earlier books. However, the boys still manage a couple escapades, and Roland continues to find excuses to bring back familiar faces, so there's still plenty of fun to be had.
And don't be too misled by the slow(er) first third or so of the book. After a certain point, the snowball of events takes off, leaving the reader to keep up as best he/she can.
And that ending!! No spoilers, just that it had everything in I hoped for (and a whole bunch that I never even knew I needed), and I loved it.
Original review:
So very, very good, but!!! So much happened in this book and I read it too fast to appreciate and process everything.
So. Immediate re-read is necessary. Hopefully will update with a better review later.
Beginning: 4.5 stars
Ending: 6 stars!!!!!
If I were to have any complaint, it is that the beginning of the book is a bit slow. There still are plenty of events that happen, but there's also a lot of waiting. For obvious reasons (only 4 Journeys left!) there's a lot of tension among the boys, and that doesn't make for quite as much fun and games as in the earlier books. However, the boys still manage a couple escapades, and Roland continues to find excuses to bring back familiar faces, so there's still plenty of fun to be had.
And don't be too misled by the slow(er) first third or so of the book. After a certain point, the snowball of events takes off, leaving the reader to keep up as best he/she can.
And that ending!! No spoilers, just that it had everything in I hoped for (and a whole bunch that I never even knew I needed), and I loved it.
Original review:
So very, very good, but!!! So much happened in this book and I read it too fast to appreciate and process everything.
So. Immediate re-read is necessary. Hopefully will update with a better review later.
Beginning: 4.5 stars
Ending: 6 stars!!!!!
February 18, 2025
A compelling finish to a fantastic series.
Guards gave this series just the ending it needed. Major plot lines were resolved, favorite characters continued to act in ways that made them favorites, and many hijinks continued. When I try to describe this series people ask me what genre it is. Technically it’s historical fiction, heavy on the fiction. But at the end of the day, it’s a whirlwind of laughs, involuntary grins, and screaming at the sky. One of my favorite series I have read these past couple years - and I have read a lot.
Guards gave this series just the ending it needed. Major plot lines were resolved, favorite characters continued to act in ways that made them favorites, and many hijinks continued. When I try to describe this series people ask me what genre it is. Technically it’s historical fiction, heavy on the fiction. But at the end of the day, it’s a whirlwind of laughs, involuntary grins, and screaming at the sky. One of my favorite series I have read these past couple years - and I have read a lot.
February 18, 2025
What a beautiful ending!!
There are some books/series you will always re-read, and this is one of them!
Jeanne Roland has created some wonderful and complex characters. To see Marieke's growth through the whole series is quite wonderful. I have shed tears and laughed aplenty while reading her books. I honestly feel the ending was perfect and will leave it at that. Please keep writing and sharing your beautiful mind with us, Jeanne!! Thank you!!
There are some books/series you will always re-read, and this is one of them!
Jeanne Roland has created some wonderful and complex characters. To see Marieke's growth through the whole series is quite wonderful. I have shed tears and laughed aplenty while reading her books. I honestly feel the ending was perfect and will leave it at that. Please keep writing and sharing your beautiful mind with us, Jeanne!! Thank you!!
March 13, 2025
I have devoured every book in this series and Guards is no exception. I plowed through it in 3 days. It's been a while since I finished the others, but Roland does a great job of reminding the reader what's already happened at just the right time for it to come up again. So many plot lines had to come together to wrap everything up and Roland did it amazingly. The tension is unbeatable, and my favorite part of this whole series is the intense love all of these boys have for each other. Unabashed, physical, abiding brotherly love. Guards brought all of Marieke's dreams and lies and life lessons to the forefront for everyone to see, and the ending of her story is beautiful. Not to mention the untangling of a series of Shakespearean love triangles, and somehow every boy got exactly the ending they needed. A masterpiece of a series finale.
March 13, 2025
I have read all the way through Marieke's adventures from the beginning. I have to say that this final installment is a virtuosic finale! I rate this ten stars! Such passion in the writing and that the author feels for the characters. It's almost as if she is going to have as much trouble saying goodbye to these amazing, vibrant, eccentric characters as much as I am. I also have to give an extra shout-out to my personal favorite Journey—Gilles! Without spoiling anything, his story finished in such a big, beautiful way, and it was perfect for him. By the end, I was smiling like a fool and tearing up. If you've the first three, you absolutely need to finish with this one. You won't be sorry!
February 25, 2025
Prepare yourself for a Delightful Read!!!
What a fantastic ending for a great series!
It's not easy to discover a book saga in which you find beautiful writing and well rounded characters from beginning to end, this Archers of Saint Sebastian series is one of them. A true hidden gem.
If you didn't read this series yet, you're missing out on an awesome reading experience, so do yourself a favor and start now!
What a fantastic ending for a great series!
It's not easy to discover a book saga in which you find beautiful writing and well rounded characters from beginning to end, this Archers of Saint Sebastian series is one of them. A true hidden gem.
If you didn't read this series yet, you're missing out on an awesome reading experience, so do yourself a favor and start now!
February 17, 2025
I don’t write book reviews. This is the only series I’ve written them for because they’ve been such a joy to experience. Such a bittersweet feeling finishing a series that has served as the ultimate escape since discovering it last year. It had many surprises that I didn’t always see coming but were hinted at all along. I’ll miss the characters and relationships that developed over the series. It was a perfect and satisfying end that all the characters you cared about got their happy endings. I hope the author does a short story or bonus epilogue in the future so I can see the characters a few years later settled in their very different lives.
February 20, 2025
A satisfying conclusion
I honestly wasn't sure how the author would wrap up all the loose ends, but she did! Endings are hard, but all the characters ended up exactly where they needed to be in a way that made sense. I would love a short story a few years after the series to see how all the characters are doing. And maybe how the unveiling of one last secret would go... 😉
I honestly wasn't sure how the author would wrap up all the loose ends, but she did! Endings are hard, but all the characters ended up exactly where they needed to be in a way that made sense. I would love a short story a few years after the series to see how all the characters are doing. And maybe how the unveiling of one last secret would go... 😉
February 16, 2025
A Perfect Ending
I was admittedly nervous heading into this book, unsure where it would go, but it delivered on all counts—subplots, answered questions, declarations. The tone of this book is different from the others, and everything clipped along somewhat quickly but I feel at this point in the series that’s exactly what we needed. Such a very satisfying end to this enchanting series.
I was admittedly nervous heading into this book, unsure where it would go, but it delivered on all counts—subplots, answered questions, declarations. The tone of this book is different from the others, and everything clipped along somewhat quickly but I feel at this point in the series that’s exactly what we needed. Such a very satisfying end to this enchanting series.
March 14, 2025
What can I say about "Guards", the final installment of the "Archers of Saint Sebastian" series?
First of all, I dreaded it simply because I'd loved the first three books in the series and I knew, I knew, I KNEW this installment...this FINAL installment...was going to be wonderful, but I also knew it was just that...the FINAL installment. And I have grown to adore everything about the series---the endearing, fascinating, colorful, very true-to-life, funny, poignant, sexy, feels-like-your-best-friends characters.
I'd fallen for the fabulously fabulous plot and I wanted, with all my heart, for it go on forever and ever.
So it was a divine mix of happy and sad that this series WAS coming to an end.
But...
In every way possible, the novel was above and beyond even the beauty that I had expected it to be.
"Guards", like the previous three novels in the series, was a rousing mix of high octane action, stunning pageantry, wonderfully crafted characters who are so true-to-life, romance, delicious romance, angst, suspense.
This finale, though, revealed so much that I'd waited to know. So many mysteries answered. And on these revelations I congratulate Roland for beautifully bringing this series to such a perfect...PERFECT conclusion. So many complexities this series has had and it was so satisfying to this reader to see how every theme was complete. And how, BEAUTIFULLY, everything made sense, thanks to the author's gift for hints throughout the series that all culminated in the perfect conclusion.
There were some moments in the book in which my pulse raced...from things I did not see coming. As clever as I thought I was, when I thought I'd figured it all out, the author outsmarted me! And I ADORE being outsmarted by such fabulous plot twists and revelations!
The romance. No, I never give away plot and never spoilers. But...but...the romance! I will be honest to say I really, really wondered how the author could produce an ending for this ongoing scenario...the scenario of Marieke posing as a boy all through this fabulous series. But, by Jove, Roalnd DID it. And, boy, oh, boy, was it worth the wait! So perfect.
When all is said and done, I have come away from this glorious novel loving the characters I loved even more. Which made it so poignant to say 'good bye' to them. But I know they're still there, in those pages, and will be there to enjoy again.
"Guards." High Octane entertainment. Packed with action. Brimming with romance. A delicious, satisfying, glorious feast for the senses! And, most of all, a PERFECT finale for a PERFECT series. UNFORGETTABLE.
Highly, highly recommended.
First of all, I dreaded it simply because I'd loved the first three books in the series and I knew, I knew, I KNEW this installment...this FINAL installment...was going to be wonderful, but I also knew it was just that...the FINAL installment. And I have grown to adore everything about the series---the endearing, fascinating, colorful, very true-to-life, funny, poignant, sexy, feels-like-your-best-friends characters.
I'd fallen for the fabulously fabulous plot and I wanted, with all my heart, for it go on forever and ever.
So it was a divine mix of happy and sad that this series WAS coming to an end.
But...
In every way possible, the novel was above and beyond even the beauty that I had expected it to be.
"Guards", like the previous three novels in the series, was a rousing mix of high octane action, stunning pageantry, wonderfully crafted characters who are so true-to-life, romance, delicious romance, angst, suspense.
This finale, though, revealed so much that I'd waited to know. So many mysteries answered. And on these revelations I congratulate Roland for beautifully bringing this series to such a perfect...PERFECT conclusion. So many complexities this series has had and it was so satisfying to this reader to see how every theme was complete. And how, BEAUTIFULLY, everything made sense, thanks to the author's gift for hints throughout the series that all culminated in the perfect conclusion.
There were some moments in the book in which my pulse raced...from things I did not see coming. As clever as I thought I was, when I thought I'd figured it all out, the author outsmarted me! And I ADORE being outsmarted by such fabulous plot twists and revelations!
The romance. No, I never give away plot and never spoilers. But...but...the romance! I will be honest to say I really, really wondered how the author could produce an ending for this ongoing scenario...the scenario of Marieke posing as a boy all through this fabulous series. But, by Jove, Roalnd DID it. And, boy, oh, boy, was it worth the wait! So perfect.
When all is said and done, I have come away from this glorious novel loving the characters I loved even more. Which made it so poignant to say 'good bye' to them. But I know they're still there, in those pages, and will be there to enjoy again.
"Guards." High Octane entertainment. Packed with action. Brimming with romance. A delicious, satisfying, glorious feast for the senses! And, most of all, a PERFECT finale for a PERFECT series. UNFORGETTABLE.
Highly, highly recommended.
September 20, 2025
OMG, I have never been so utterly engrossed in a book in my life! From the very first page of the very first book in this series, I was completely swept away. Somehow, Jeanne Roland has delivered masterpiece after masterpiece, each one impossibly surpassing the last. Guards is the fourth and final installment, and Marieke, now sixteen, is still disguised as a boy within the Archer’s Guild of St. Sebastian, determined to give everything she has to help her beloved master and friend, Tristan, triumph in the guild competitions. She adores him, yet her heart aches with a secret, undeniable love for his rival, Taran - a boy she still believes despises her. Torn between loyalty and forbidden desire, she wrestles with these heartbreaking emotions as the final trial looms ever closer. At the same time, she continues her desperate search for the truth about her father’s life and death. Time is running out, and she must face the devastating reality that she will soon leave St. Sebastian’s forever, with no certainty of what lies ahead.
I could not put this book down. It is a breathtaking rollercoaster of emotions - drama, revelations, heartache, loss, tragedy, and unbearable tension. Marieke is one of the most complex, unforgettable heroines I have ever read about: fiercely loyal, courageous yet vulnerable, a girl who feels everything with searing depth yet must hide those feelings behind her disguise. She is a woman living in a man’s world, perceived as ugly - especially by herself - yet to me she is radiant: a beautiful woman, and a beautiful boy. She will stay in my heart forever, as will every character in this brilliant saga. These characters feel alive to me, as though they’ve become part of my own life. It is hard to imagine life without them, which makes me feel even closer to Marieke, as it mirrors her own feelings about leaving St. Sebastian’s and all her friends and loves behind.
And, oh, the writing! Jeanne Roland’s prose is nothing short of breathtaking. She doesn’t just tell a story - she casts a spell. She writes with that indefinable quality, that rare magic, that not only pulls you in but holds you captive. It is truly an extraordinary conclusion to an extraordinary series. I am devastated that this journey has ended for me, and I cannot recommend it enough. I implore everyone: step into this world, let yourself be swept away, and fall in love just as I did. This is storytelling at its very finest.
I could not put this book down. It is a breathtaking rollercoaster of emotions - drama, revelations, heartache, loss, tragedy, and unbearable tension. Marieke is one of the most complex, unforgettable heroines I have ever read about: fiercely loyal, courageous yet vulnerable, a girl who feels everything with searing depth yet must hide those feelings behind her disguise. She is a woman living in a man’s world, perceived as ugly - especially by herself - yet to me she is radiant: a beautiful woman, and a beautiful boy. She will stay in my heart forever, as will every character in this brilliant saga. These characters feel alive to me, as though they’ve become part of my own life. It is hard to imagine life without them, which makes me feel even closer to Marieke, as it mirrors her own feelings about leaving St. Sebastian’s and all her friends and loves behind.
And, oh, the writing! Jeanne Roland’s prose is nothing short of breathtaking. She doesn’t just tell a story - she casts a spell. She writes with that indefinable quality, that rare magic, that not only pulls you in but holds you captive. It is truly an extraordinary conclusion to an extraordinary series. I am devastated that this journey has ended for me, and I cannot recommend it enough. I implore everyone: step into this world, let yourself be swept away, and fall in love just as I did. This is storytelling at its very finest.
June 9, 2025
We reached the end!
These books were a solid read overall. KindleUnlimited having them is a blessing. I do hope the author writes another historical series, or gives us a look into the future of these couples.
These books were a solid read overall. KindleUnlimited having them is a blessing. I do hope the author writes another historical series, or gives us a look into the future of these couples.
November 6, 2025
I always find that the last book in a series I adore fills me with increasing dread as I approach the ending— partly from anticipating the bittersweet sadness of a conclusion, and largely because I am terrified that it will not measure up to its setup. I never should have doubted Jeanne Roland. What a gorgeous, satisfactory ending for all! It's nothing I would have imagined from the first scenes of Journeys, and yet it could not be more worthy of the preceding journey.
Guards is an instant favorite and an unquestionable classic. I can't wait to see what Roland comes up with in her next series, as I'm sure it will be equally stunning.
Guards is an instant favorite and an unquestionable classic. I can't wait to see what Roland comes up with in her next series, as I'm sure it will be equally stunning.
September 4, 2025
As I currently sit here weeping
No joke, I write this review with tears and snot streaming down my face. I read this series in a span of a week and half, and I was dreading finishing it, knowing I would have to exit this wonderful world full of wonderful and flawed characters. The ending was perfect - who says happy endings are cliche?? I will be recommending this series to all of my book friends and will carry a torch for it always. Please continue writing Ms. Roland - I am now and forever a fan and admirer!
No joke, I write this review with tears and snot streaming down my face. I read this series in a span of a week and half, and I was dreading finishing it, knowing I would have to exit this wonderful world full of wonderful and flawed characters. The ending was perfect - who says happy endings are cliche?? I will be recommending this series to all of my book friends and will carry a torch for it always. Please continue writing Ms. Roland - I am now and forever a fan and admirer!
November 13, 2025
great conclusion to the series.
The mystery of Jan's betrayal and death finally brought to light. The brotherhood of the archers (journeymen and squires alike) was put to the test in many ways and they proved their worth. Giles, with his over-the-top attitude ,and devotion to his friends, clearly came through when it really mattered and he became a reincarnation of the Saint himself when he took Marek's trial. So glad the romantic entanglements were worked out
The mystery of Jan's betrayal and death finally brought to light. The brotherhood of the archers (journeymen and squires alike) was put to the test in many ways and they proved their worth. Giles, with his over-the-top attitude ,and devotion to his friends, clearly came through when it really mattered and he became a reincarnation of the Saint himself when he took Marek's trial. So glad the romantic entanglements were worked out
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 20, 2025
I loved everyone of the books in The Archers of St. Sebastian. The final book, Guards, was a wonderful conclusion to the series. I’m so glad that everyone got the happily ever after that the deserved.
February 20, 2025
"What were you going to do with it, if I went to Meuse?"
"I was going to live here myself, of course, and dream of you, and be miserable."
ARE YOU KIDDING.
The reveals. The twists. The declarations. 10/10
"I was going to live here myself, of course, and dream of you, and be miserable."
ARE YOU KIDDING.
The reveals. The twists. The declarations. 10/10
March 17, 2025
I couldn’t be happier with how this incredible series wrapped up! Seeing these characters—who I’ve completely fallen in love with—find their way to happiness was everything I could have hoped for. Bravo!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 21, 2025
Fantastic Finish
Jeanne is such a creative writer, I thoroughly enjoyed this series! The ending was all I could have hoped for!
Jeanne is such a creative writer, I thoroughly enjoyed this series! The ending was all I could have hoped for!
March 13, 2025
This is everything I've wanted in a long awaited series finale!
March 21, 2025
Very satisfying ending to a series. Loved the series of books. Book 1 & 4 were my favorites. Happy to read the conclusion but sad that the books have come to an end
April 28, 2025
Such a satisfying series!
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews