Book Review: Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City

Amazon Cover

Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City by K.J. Parker (a pseudonym for Tom Holt)

BOOK BLURB ON AMAZON

K. J. Parker’s new novel is the remarkable tale of the siege of a walled city, and the even more remarkable man who had to defend it.

A siege is approaching, and the city has little time to prepare. The people have no food and no weapons, and the enemy has sworn to slaughter them all.

To save the city will take a miracle, but what it has is Orhan. A colonel of engineers, Orhan has far more experience with bridge-building than battles, is a cheat and a liar, and has a serious problem with authority. He is, in other words, perfect for the job.

Sixteen Ways To Defend a Walled City is the story of Orhan, son of Siyyah Doctus Felix Praeclarissimus, and his history of the Great Siege, written down so that the deeds and sufferings of great men may never be forgotten.

MY REVIEW

I love military sci-fi and/or fantasy, especially when it isn’t traditional forces. In Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City, the protagonist isn’t a solider per se, but an engineer. The book also isn’t exactly a fantasy sci-fi, as no magic or wizards appear in the first book of the series, other than tech wizards/engineers – but the whole world has a fantasy feel with non-human mixed with human races in a medieval-like setting rife with emperors and gladiators.

That said (1) the SNARK – pitch perfect for engineers dealing with normal soldiers and civilians; (2) the SEIGE of a capital city and the resources available within; (3) the FRIENDSHIPS between slaves and non-slaves, between enemies and allies, between haves and have nots; (4) the TOOLS of walls and sapping and siege engines and ships – so many lovely tools; (5) the HORROR of tools of war used on humans.

This book, though first of a series, completely works as a stand-alone. I have looked at the blurbs of the other two books of the trilogy but have no urgency to read them. But Sixteen Ways also is a gateway hook into everything and anything by K.J. Parker – as soon as I have time and money I want to read everything by them! The author is amazing. The story is amazing. The concept is amazing. Be amazed. It’s like being pummeled by stone balls; the story will break you with loving engineering.