The Blood Guard by Carter Roy

This book is a 2014 release, and I gave it a rating of five out of five. Ronan is rushed away from school by his mother, who races through the streets like a crazy woman. He realizes he doesn't know her very well when she pulls out a glowing sword and deflects bullets from their attackers' guns. She is a member of the Blood Guard, and their mission is to protect the thirty-six Pure people in world. Ronan hops aboard a train and meets the daughter of an FBI agent and another member of the Blood Guard. The kids end up alone, in the middle of nowhere, running from their attackers. When one of the attackers uses his powers to stop river water from flowing, Ronan again realizes things are really messed up. It looks like the attackers really want to get their hands on Ronan, but why? The kids can't trust anyone, and they don't know where to turn for help.

The action starts on the first page of this book and never stops. The bad guys continually pop up and barely give the kids any time to rest. The plot mostly reads like an adventure story, but the weapons and characters' powers push it into fantasy. There are characters doing impossible things, and there's even a character who's lost his head, literally. It was a very entertaining book, and I can't wait for the second book in the series.