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Guardian Defenders Books in Order

Part ofKris Michaels Books in Order

Explore the Guardian Defenders series by Kris Michaels with books in order, character summaries, series background, and advice on where these spin-off stories fit in the Guardian reading order.

Last updated: June 7, 2026

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Guardian Defenders books in publication order

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10 books

1

Gabriel

by Kris Michaels

2019

To the world he’s Gabriel, enigmatic CEO of Guardian; beneath the alias he’s David Xavier, heir to staggering wealth and constant danger. When ER nurse Anna Harriger, the woman he never forgot, reenters his life, protecting her means risking his anonymity—and his heart.

2

Maliki

by Kris Michaels

2020

Once a privileged surgeon, Harrison Boswell reinvented himself as Guardian medic Maliki Blue after scandal destroyed his name. Drawn back to his hometown by a desperate call for help, he and a determined heroine untangle small-town secrets, multiple deaths, and a second chance at life.

3

Jeremiah

by Kris Michaels

2021

Guardian Defenders agent Jeremiah has spent his life cleaning up other people’s disasters. When his latest assignment explodes into personal stakes, he and the woman caught in the middle must trust each other to survive—and to imagine a life beyond the next mission.

4

John

by Kris Michaels

2021

John Smith is on the run from his own country, hunted for the deadly information locked in his head. Partnered with undercover agent Shae Diamant, he must survive a worldwide manhunt, expose a conspiracy, and decide whether he can trust anyone again.

5

Creed

by Kris Michaels

2022

Forced out of the Navy SEALs after a devastating injury, Creed Lachlan rebuilds his life as a Guardian contractor tracking dirty bombs in Cuba. Working alongside sharp-tongued Mariella Diaz, he walks a razor’s edge between duty, deception, and a love that could cost them everything.

6

Frank

by Kris Michaels

2022

Ranch patriarch Frank Marshall has always kept his dangerous past buried. When old enemies target Guardian through him, he’s forced to reveal long-held secrets—even to Amanda King, the woman who gave him a second chance at love and the family he never expected.

7

Bear

by Kris Michaels

2023

Known to his team as Bear, this quiet Guardian Defender is pulled into a mission that hits far too close to home. Guarding a resilient heroine against a ruthless enemy, he discovers that lowering his emotional defenses may be the bravest thing he’s ever done.

8

Sage

by Kris Michaels

2023

Still recovering from life-changing injuries, Guardian operative Sage Browning is sent to coax hacker Honor Buchanan out of hiding. Haunted by the Siege and hunted by her past, Honor forces Sage to face what it means to be broken—and how love can make them both stronger.

9

Billy

by Kris Michaels

2024

Billy’s story in the Guardian Defenders line follows a battle-scarred operative and the one person he never planned to let in. As they uncover a far-reaching conspiracy, they must decide whether trust and love are worth the risks of their dangerous world.

10

Elliot

by Kris Michaels

2024

Elliot Sawyer survives a massacre only because he swapped shifts with a teammate, and the guilt won’t let him rest. Taking a quieter Guardian assignment turns deadly when threats close in on Maya Callahan, forcing him to fight for justice—and for a life with her.

Guardian Defenders books in chronological order

  1. Book cover for "Gabriel"

    Gabriel

    by Kris Michaels

    2019Guardian Defenders, Book 1
  2. Book cover for "Maliki"

    Maliki

    by Kris Michaels

    2020Guardian Defenders, Book 2
  3. Book cover for "John"

    John

    by Kris Michaels

    2021Guardian Defenders, Book 3
  4. Book cover for "Jeremiah"

    Jeremiah

    by Kris Michaels

    2021Guardian Defenders, Book 4
  5. Book cover for "Frank"

    Frank

    by Kris Michaels

    2022Guardian Defenders, Book 5
  6. Book cover for "Creed"

    Creed

    by Kris Michaels

    2022Guardian Defenders, Book 6
  7. Book cover for "Sage"

    Sage

    by Kris Michaels

    2023Guardian Defenders, Book 7
  8. Book cover for "Bear"

    Bear

    by Kris Michaels

    2023Guardian Defenders, Book 8
  9. Book cover for "Billy"

    Billy

    by Kris Michaels

    2024Guardian Defenders, Book 9
  10. Book cover for "Elliot"

    Elliot

    by Kris Michaels

    2024Guardian Defenders, Book 10

Series background & context

Guardian Defenders spins out of the Kings of Guardian books and zooms in on the people who carry the heaviest weight inside the Guardian Security machine. Where Kings of Guardian often centers on the King and Marshall families, Guardian Defenders follows the operatives and leaders who stand between David Xavier’s hidden wealth and the monsters who’d like to tear it apart.

The series opens with Gabriel, the story of David Xavier himself. To the world he’s an anonymous billionaire; inside Guardian he’s Gabriel, the CEO who built an elite paramilitary force to defend the innocent. His reunion with ER nurse Anna Harriger sets the tone for the line: high-risk operations, layered identities, and love stories tangled up in long careers spent in the shadows.

From there, each book focuses on a different Defender. A disgraced blue-blood surgeon remakes himself as Maliki Blue. A hunted analyst known only as John runs from his own government and every intelligence service on the planet. Later books step into the lives of Jeremiah, Frank Marshall, Creed, Sage, Bear, Billy, Elliot, and others—people whose skills keep Guardian alive but whose private lives have rarely taken priority.

Michaels leans into the idea that pasts don’t stay buried. Many Defenders are living under new names with sealed records, yet old betrayals, family expectations, and unfinished missions come roaring back. The series weaves in everything from small-town secrets and dirty bombs to international black markets and intelligence-agency turf wars.

Emotionally, these books sit in the middle of the Guardian universe. They’re not quite as dark as the Shadow World assassin novels, but they’re more mission-focused than some of the small-town stories. Friendships and found family are crucial; Defenders frequently appear in one another’s books, backing each other up on operations or simply sharing whiskey and gallows humor at the end of the day.

For readers who want to understand how Guardian functions beyond the Kings’ ranch or who fell hard for David Xavier in the main series, Guardian Defenders offers that deeper dive. You’ll see the cost of a lifetime spent on the sharp edge of justice and the quiet, stubborn ways these characters carve out space for love anyway.

Edited by

Richard Reis

Software engineer whose passion for tracking book recommendations from podcasts inspired the creation of MRB.

Anurag Ramdasan

Lead investor at 3one4 Capital whose startup expertise and love for books helped shaped MRB and its growth.

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