A Shield of Blood and Honor

by Alainna MacPherson

I'm just a girl who wants to make something of myself without having to sacrifice my morals or without spilling my deepest secrets. Especially since they aren't just mine to keep. When a mass murder puts a spotlight on me that I'd spent a lifetime trying to avoid, at the same time as other unfortunate events, I'm forced to let a stranger in to help keep my sins hidden. The problem with that is, I don't have a good history with people keeping my secrets and leaving knives lodged in my back. Oh yeah, and my best friend just signed me up on the latest dating app. Between meeting and yeeting a new guy every night, I'm dodging a hothead investigator and trying to find a killer.

298 pages, Paperback

Published October 31, 2025

Reviews

[Shanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Needs a proofreader. The beginning was really rough, which is understandable as the first in the series and it’s a new world being introduced. Those are hard. Angel was mentioned in the first chapter 1st she’s walking across her law office towards the courtroom and then the second chapter. She’s a baker. We’re leaning towards Baker because you’ll see if you read. There was several mistakes sometimes the wrong words being used, no misspellings that I’ve noticed. Author does warn that there is stalking involved, which is the MMC. He falls into Insta love within 5-10 minutes of meeting Ros and he hacks into everything he can to watch and follow her even in her house. I had a hard time liking these characters, especially MMC. I’m glad he stopped with the controlling from when they first met up after the initial introduction. Picking her drink picking her food. I like morally gray men, but he was starting to rub me the wrong way, but this does not continue.
Some things are not worded, right

(( I lived with Manny long enough to know that there was no way in Dubnos that the dragon couldn't smell my arousal. Ignoring it, he turned to take Ros’ shoulders, pressing a kiss to her forehead.))
Seeing how there is two dragons in this room, I felt like names or titles should’ve been used Manny is not the one they’re talking about here. There was a few times my brain glitched, and I was trying to figure out the puzzle instead of going with the flow of the story.
Only scene I really hated and I think it’s cause we’re just trying to hurry up and get to fun times

There is a scene where Ros is drugged and she wakes up in her savior‘s bed and he goes “calm down you were drugged at the pub. I found you before they did anything “ they even described that she’s scared and starting to hyperventilate then he thrust his hardness against her and then she’s immediately hot and bothered. Mind you, they have not hooked up before this. Barely interacted. I just felt this was distasteful and rushed. Maybe if we had dragged out the conversation a little bit waited till she calmed down and then proceeded on.
Another scene that I kind of feel she needs to go back and rewrite or maybe it’ll be in the second book is that they have all of them Mmc, Ros, Angel and Manny coming back from the mission and the roommate is freaked out and goes to her room And the two main characters go off to her room but it was like the author forgot Manny ( who I like and if he is the next book, I would read it ) was there cause nobody said do you wanna stay, make yourself comfortable or showed him out the front door they just act like he was not there
I will watch out for the second book to see who the new characters are and give it one more try because now that we have the world built maybe things will go more smoothly

[Stacey · Rating 2 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️ | 5 stars

I’ve gone back and forth over my rating of this book for a fair amount of time before going ahead and writing a review.

Firstly I want to start off that this book shows great promise and initially the plot had me immediately interested with the murder mystery vibes, we have the fantasy vibes with the characters including dragons, mer and fae (all the good stuff) with the FMC being a “shield” working for the king similar to how police work.

I struggled with getting through the book after the initial excitement which was largely due to errors with plot consistency, the way characters are written about which can be confusing of which character we are supposed to be referring to and in some cases forgetting characters are in the “scene” altogether which led me to have to re-read some sections a few times to understand. There are quite a few spelling mistakes which overall wouldn’t necessarily affect my rating however they would be easily resolved with an editor.

It feels at one point that the murder mystery aspect becomes second to the romantic aspect of the book which felt abnormal as at points this felt forced. The premise of the relationship is confusing for the reader as when we’re introduced to the FMC she is strong, independent, no nonsense and doesn’t need anyone to take care of her. This is completely flipped around with limited interaction with the MMC, there is stalking involved but in my opinion we don’t get to see the relationship build, they have minimal interaction and then suddenly the FMC become very damsel in distress who needs saving and is almost immediately dependant on him.

A lot of the book feels very “wordy” there are some parts which have quite a lot of explanation where it feels unnecessary and doesn’t come into the plot and doesn’t seem to be mentioned again so could probably chop some of this out.

In short, the book has really great promise with the plot and with an editor could easily have some small amendments to make the book more cohesive to really bring it all together.

Finally I’d like to thank the author for the opportunity to receive this as an advance review copy for free - all thoughts are voluntary and my own views

[Jillian Kassela · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book started out a little confusing and took a little time to settle into, but once it did, I really enjoyed it. The world-building is interesting, and the main character, Ros Reign, is compelling in a quiet, guarded way that made me want to keep reading.
I liked the mystery element woven through the story and how Ros slowly allows someone to see past her walls. The dynamic between her and Cuin felt protective, intense, and built on trust rather than instant attraction, which I appreciated.
While the beginning felt a bit slower, everything came together as the story progressed, and by the end I was fully invested. I’m definitely curious to see where the story goes next, if it continues.

[Shayay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Murder mystery and romance; I’m here for it! Plus, a fantasy characters and elements; I’m enjoying the read! Ros is in a law enforcement type of role; murder happens and Ros is on the hunt for the culprit. Enjoy the bits of action and danger! There’s also a romantic element when Cuin; a co-worker of Ros that has some specialities in IT/hacking, becomes involved in Ros’ life. He is a smitten kitten right off the bat; he’s on the domineering side of things and has stalker tendencies, but I do like the chemistry between them. I don’t mind a bit of the stalking scenario. There’s also good side characters; interesting relationship dynamics. Overall, an entertaining story!

[Ben · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall I rate this book about 3.5. Took me awhile to finish it, I didn’t find it engaging in some parts some words/explanations could’ve been cut out,. Also a little confusing in some parts especially as a lot of characters are referred to as ‘the male’

The story is set in a fantasy world with Fae and dragons, our FMC is Rosalyn (Ros) who is a Shield/detective working directly for the King but in a police station alongside the police force. Her character started off well strong and sassy but toned down a bit by the end. The romance part came in a bit later which I was fine with but can’t say I warmed towards the MMC Cuin. There was some chemistry on their first meet, but then he went on to stalk her (as an IT expert) through technology which was a bit creepy and doesn’t warm the reader towards him. There could’ve been more interaction between them to build up their relationship.

I would’ve liked to read more about her flatmate Angel who randomly pops up in a few scenes as well as Manny who is Cuin’s flatmate. Maybe they will feature more in the next book.

I received an advance copy of this book for free and leave this review voluntarily

[Tracy Booktalk · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️ You have to read this book. This is Alainna’s best book by far. I am a big fan of everything she has written but this one had intrigue, suspense, comedy, love and so much more. The genre of this book should be Fantasy Murder Mystery, it is so different from other Fantasy books I have read.
👼 Angel, Ros’ best friend, has to have a book of her very own. Whenever she came up in the story I knew I was going to love it. Their friendship has blossomed into an almost sisterly relationship. They know each others secrets and desires. There is such a deep loyalty and respect between them you can almost feel it through the pages.
🐉 Then there’s Manny, a dragon shifter. His relationship with Cuin is just as deep, maybe more so. He would sacrifice anything to keep his best friend safe. The dialogue between these two is filled with banter and brotherly love when they aren’t even related.
Book Sirens always has the best recommendations for me and they did it again with A Shield of 🩸 and Honour. (Also the perfect title for this work of perfection).

[Dragon Waif · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love how this story jumps straight into the story. The character building and world development happens with the story. I’m also loving the murder investigation with a side of romance. I’m curious to see as to what happens and where it’s going to go! This was an arc for me and I hope there’s more.

[Nikki · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a good book, I finished in one day! Definitely hilarious, I was laughing out loud like a lunatic in a few parts. It’s just enough fantasy to be interesting and make you think without being a completely different universe. Roslyn’s character is so feisty and I could relate to her attitude. While I would consider this mostly a suspense/mystery plot there is a romance element with a couple spicy scenes. This is an excellent recommendation for someone wanting to try out fantasy or romance books. I hope this becomes a series because I need to know more about Manny! I’m so glad I received an advanced copy of this to read.

[Vickie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the police/fantasy crossover. Roz is an agent with higher clearance than the police themselves, but she has a few secrets she needs to keep. When a mass murderer puts the spotlight on her, she has to depend on others to keep her secrets. This is only book 1 in the series, I'm hoping the characters continue to gel.

[Ant · Rating 3 out of 5]

The blurb for A Shield of Blood and Honor solidly gives an early Evanovich number series vibe (when they were still solidly tongue in cheek, and before the quality dive); and as I enjoyed those, this sounded like a good bet.

The setting is a fantasy Earth-like environment, where main character Roz is sort of an investigator / crime-fighter for the kingdom working alongside the local police force, so tending to like these genres I think again that this bodes well.

Roz is full of sass and has plenty of banter to share around, but I felt that much of it seemed to have quite a mean streak. It is toned down quite a bit as we progress through the story, and is sort of explained away with a plot point near the end, so... ok.

But I have many, many issues with primary male character and love interest Cuin. When chapters from his point-of-view started, I honestly thought "this adds nothing to the story"; and while we do get some character growth, it's more about uncovering his history rather than actual growth. Also... dude is portrayed as a good guy, but is an out-and-out full-on, controlling creep.

I could not imagine such a strong character like Roz turning into a bag of goo over such a problematic person. Perhaps some people enjoy reading about a voyeur with female-controlling tendencies winning the girl; but not me. I just cannot get past this concept.

However, the portion of the story dedicated to the investigation were well written, the action sequences especially so. You could feel the urgency of the action coming through in the impetus of the writing. It was also good to see a variety of being-types, and how each of them seemed to have little quirks associated with them.

I think this book would have benefitted by focussing more on being a fantasy police procedural, and relegating the "romance" solely to encounters brought about by the meet or yeet app. It would also benefit from a more thorough copy-edit process, as I felt there were more than an acceptable number of typos.

Many thanks to the author and BookSirens for the complimentary copy on which this review is based.

[Nikki Artigas · Rating 3 out of 5]

review coming soon.

[Lovestay Library · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF because I couldn't get into it and kept finding typos.

[Stacey · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was so fun to read! The MFC is spunky and sassy, and takes no crap from any of the MMC rather she often puts them in their place. I loved reading this story and discovering the clues and conclusions of the mystery case.

The book had a few moments that could have been explained more clearly. Like there is a moment where one of the characters talks about being at home but then in the next paragraph it's wrote like they are not at home.

All the characters have good development and well rounded personalities.

Over all I would definitely read more books by this author!

[Brita Mackay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Roz is just a girl who wants to make something of herself without having to sacrifice her morals or without spilling her deepest secrets. Especially since they aren't just hers to keep.

When a mass murder puts a spotlight on her that she'd spent a lifetime trying to avoid, at the same time as other unfortunate events, she’s forced to let a stranger in to help keep her sins hidden. The problem with that is, she doesn’t have a good history with people keeping her secrets and leaving knives lodged in her back.

Oh yeah, and Roz’s best friend Angel just signed her up on the latest dating app. Between meeting and yeeting a new guy every night, she’s dodging a hothead investigator and trying to find a killer.

YOU'RE MENTAL HEALTH MATTERS!!! Please read and pay close attention to the trigger warnings at the beginning of this book. There is some content and scenes in this book that are not suitable for all readers and could be triggering for others. Always remember that your mental health comes first at all times.

Tropes: Sarcastic FMC, Strong-Willed FMC, Secrets, Mass Murder, Betrayal, Dating Site, Meet and Yeet, Hothead Investigator, Find a Killer,

A Shield of Blood & Honor is the 1st book in the Vlathe City Series by Alainna MacPherson.

I loved the way Alainna created an Earth-like environment for this fantasy book and I found it to be absolutely perfect in every way.

Our main character Roz is kind of this combination investigator/crime-fighter working for the kingdom right alongside the kingdoms local police force. Roz is this character who is full of sass and banter but she also kind of has a mean streak to her at the same time. But I attribute a lot of that to her past and all the pain she’s suffered.

On the flip side we have Roz’s love interest Cuin. I found his POV chapters to be really more about uncovering his history vs any real character growth. And I have a huge issue with the fact that Cuin is portrayed as this nice guy but to me, he’s a jerk who is out to control Roz and really, he’s just a creep.

The idea of Roz going go go ga ga over Cuin and his obvious problematic personality flaws, it’s had to believe. Roz is so strong and intelligent. Sure, I get that some readers enjoy reading about an MMC voyeur who enjoys controlling women while trying to win the girl; and in some cases, especially in my dark romances; sure, that would be me, but in a fantasy like this, I just can’t get into it.

The portion of the story though that Alainna focused on the investigation was really well written along with the action sequences strikingly so. In the course of the action scenes you could feel the urgency coming through. And I will say that it really was nice to see a variety of being-types, and the little quirks that were associated with each of them.

I think that one of the things that this book would have benefitted from would have been if Alainna had chosen between this being a fantasy police procedural with a romance with Cuin in the background or a fantasy police procedural with Roz meeting and yeeting in the background. Both just doesn’t work.

Over all I did enjoy this book and I am looking forward to the next book in the series and finding out what happens next. I do recommend this book to anyone who enjoys fantasy and police procedurals as this puts the two together and it’s an interesting read.

[Jocelyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'd like to first thank the author for the opportunity to read this book as an arc reviewer!

The premise of this book is great. Urban fantasy with a slew of fantasy creatures like dragons, fae, mer, etc. They all have their own dealings and sub-rulers where we get to know the squabbles between species in this somewhat futuristic city. We get a badass FMC who works as a 'Shield' for the king; essentially like their own police force. They work in what we would call police stations independently to ensure things are running smoothly and take any info back to the king. She's set to work out a murder mystery which we're quickly thrown into at the start of the book.

The plot itself is something that caught me right away, but it gets a bit muddy and confusing as the book goes on. There are a great deal of errors throughout the book and not just small spelling mistakes, though there are quite a few. The writing is simple enough to follow, but at times is written in a way where you aren't sure which character the words are being written for and about. Especially at the end of the story where characters are being mixed up or completely forgotten about. It desperately needs an editor.

The FMC is a take-no-ish from anyone personality. Very independent but has one bestie that's also her roomie. Her life is work and she has her guarded secrets.

The MMC. Well, he's an IT geek of the police dept. who also has secrets, a bestie/bodyguard, and is drop dead gorgeous. However, he's actually an enormous red flag. I get the light stalking, but the fact is, this is the definition of insta-love and eyebrow-raising obsession. Once they are introduced, he is CONSTANTLY having to save her. It's a miracle she's lived so long given the attitude she throws around at everyone and her literal occupation. So much for strong FMC. He orders her food. Shuts her down when she gives her opinions. Bites her to use his venom and control her emotions when she tries to put a little distance between them. BUT, the worst is when she's been drugged by 'enemies' at a restaurant and moved to his apartment where he's lying in bed with her. She wakes in a panic to which he gives a quick one liner about being drugged and he is instantly reaching for her to have a sexual encounter. Um, what? I'm sorry, but that is in horrible taste. This just seems so unrealistic and rushed. They don't even really know each other at all and I don't see the FMC ever going for someone behaving like this.

Overall, the book has the workings for something great, but it's just missing a good editor and a little more streamlined story to make it into an engaging read.

[Andra Shaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Shield of Blood and Honor is the first book in the Vlathe City series, and it completely blindsided me, in the best way. It wasn’t what I expected going in, and it absolutely exceeded my expectations because it delivers on multiple levels at once.

This is fantasy with teeth, but it’s also a murder mystery that keeps you guessing, layered with drama, suspense, and just enough well-placed humor to keep things from getting too heavy. The story has that addictive “one more chapter” momentum where you’re following clues, weighing motives, and getting pulled deeper into a world that feels textured rather than window dressing.

What really sold me, though, were the characters. They’re not just names on a page, they’re fully developed people with complicated histories, believable motivations, and relationships that have real depth and push-pull tension. The dynamics feel lived-in, and that emotional realism makes every twist hit harder.

If you like fantasy that blends intrigue and mystery with strong character work, and you want a series opener that actually feels confident and complete, A Shield of Blood and Honor is an easy recommendation. I’m genuinely looking forward to continuing the Vlathe City series.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Mandy Britt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantasy & Firepower: Alainna's Latest is a Must-Read
​A genre-blending triumph. Alainna delivers a fast-paced and highly engaging Fantasy Murder Mystery that is arguably her best work.
​The core narrative is built on high-stakes character conflict: a protagonist desperate to guard her secrets while simultaneously battling a murder investigation and a chaotic personal life.
​The emotional depth is anchored by powerful friendships, particularly the fierce loyalty between Ros and Angel, and the steadfast, brotherly bond between Cuin and the dragon shifter Manny. This novel is thrilling, complex, and highly recommended for readers seeking deep character dynamics within an addictive suspense plot.