Defender of Walls

Great plot and characters were developed nicely. No cliffhanger! Very well written. Definitely recommend!

This is your pretty typical modern romance dropped in a pre-industrial setting wearing a Party City costume. If you squint, the story seems loosely inspired by the Great Famine of 1315, albeit pushed forward, and England in 1327, in which a lot of creative liberties were taken. Despite this, nothing felt intrinsically medieval about this book. The author went the typical Hollywood route with zero research done on period dress, evidenced by loose hair (usually bound and often covered for modesty but also to keep it clean), waistcoats and combovers (wouldn’t be a thing for several centuries), lack of under layers etc. Nobles marrying farmers during a famine because “farmers had control over the food supply” and merchants as a starving class also trying to woo farmers for the same reason raises a lot of questions about the social, political, and economic systems in place, since that’s not how feudalism worked, that are never answered. Blake is largely your typical sharp-tongued female protagonist somehow taught weapons proficiency by her textile merchant father. The first half of the book is disappointingly just Harlan rescuing Blake in one way or another. The only remarkable thing she does is beat up tweens. It’s somewhat made up for when she does save Harlan in the second half, but then she goes back to more of the same. The drama around Harlan’s “betrayal” in Eda’s punishment felt overdrawn for anyone who’s seen Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man’s Chest or Memoir’s of a Geisha. Similarly, Blake’s “I’m Spartacus” moment was kind of underwhelming because Spartacus already did it and better. Blake’s surprise didn’t make sense when the defenders assaulted Eda despite complying with their commands when they’ve been living under essentially police brutality. It’s also problematic that the solution presented is simply better training when the issue is systemic. The whole seizure of weapons also reeks of typical conservative talking points against gun control, which claim them lefties want to indiscriminately take away all your guns and ultimately rob people of their ability to survive and fight against oppressive government, which isn’t grounded in reality.

Love Tanya Bird!! I always inhale her books way too quickly. This series was fabulous! ❤️

I absolutely love Blake and Harlan’s story. Tanya is an amazing writer that creates beautiful relationships between couples, friends, and family. You will not be able to put this book down once you have started to read it.

You fall in love right away with the characters Tanya created in this story. Each one is so individual and takes hold of a little piece of your heart. Beautifully written and keeps you anticipating each new page. Loved it so much. I can’t wait for the next book to come out in this series.

5/5 stars is not enough to express my total and complete adoration of this book. As a first time reader of Tanya Bird’s, I can assure you, I will be back for more. This story was real and raw. Something I admire. It was harsh, yet so beautifully written. I guarantee you will fall in love with Commander Harlan Wright. He’s strong and fierce, all assets when it comes to guarding the wall and his newfound love. Blake Suttone, the heroine we all NEED. Strong, determined, convicted, skilled, and witty. She constantly sacrifices her needs for those that she loves. Starvation and famine plague the borough, but Tanya’s exceptionally well written story will having you scarfing the pages down and going back for more. Honestly, I didn’t stop reading it until I finished, which happened to be at 2:02 AM. Needless to say, I went to work extremely tired, but with no regret at all. It is definitely worth the read, I guarantee you won’t want to put it down.

Couldn’t put it down!

I have high expectations for the books I read. This book is great. I downloaded it and started reading that evening and couldn’t stop until early the next morning when I was done. Tanya Bird’s books generally do that to me. The love story between Blake and Harlan is one for the ages. I am glad this is the first book in the series so hopefully I’ll get glimpses of how their story progresses in future books. Get this book. You won’t be disappointed. In fact, find all of her books and get your hands on a copy. I will forever be a Tanya Bird fan and you will be as well. Her books make you want to read more. And then reread them. Believe me.

Tanya Bird is a master of words, world building and romance. This book is no exception to her exceptional writing. If you’re looking for your next great romance, pick up Defender of Walls. You will not be disappointed.

Huge thanks to Tanya Bird for this eARC in exchange for an honest review. This is the first book in Ms. Bird's new Kingdom of Walls series. This follows our main characters the fiery, Blake Suttone, and the strict, Commander Harlan Wright, as they try to manage forbidden love between class divides and starvation. As many know, I am a passionate lover of strong female protagonists and this book did not disappoint. Blake and the rest of Suttone sisters are forces to be reckoned with. Blake fights for the rights of her people and doesn't let even the love of her life stand in her way. She is a warrior through and through! This novel was fast paced, angsty, relatable, dark and romantic. Harlan is easily a new book boyfriend even though sometimes he can be infuriating. (In the best way, of course.) I rooted for this couple from the very beginning and the ending left me craving the next book in the series. Overall, 5 stars from me! I can't wait to read the other books to come in this series. If you like romance and period novels, this is for you!