The ancient forest realm of Sunweald is bordered on two sides by far mightier nations – a precarious situation. At its centre, the Sunweald Palace is home to the Lord Regent and the heir to the throne, together with numerous precious and powerful artefacts. The Palace is protected by the realm’s elite Shields, dedicated to guarding the royal line against all foes.
A group of vicious brigands called the Wildwood Reivers have been stealing arcane artefacts and smuggling them across the borders, out of Sunweald. And the objects they most desire are stored in the mystical Wyrm Vault, hidden away deep in the bones of the earth, within the walls of the Palace itself.
As political and religious tensions mount, Sunweald’s druids prepare to enact rituals for the Summer Solstice – but the Wildwood Reivers and their treacherous allies have other plans. It falls to Briar, the commander of the Shields, to defend the ancient corridors and secret tunnels of the Palace. The odds may be against her, but she’ll see every enemy head adorning a spike or she’ll die trying…
The Last Shield by Cameron Johnston was exactly my cup of tea!
We have a female, older main character, who is used to being an exceptional fighter, but then has to struggle with injury.
Her coming to grips with how her whole life and profession changes was a major draw for me. Her character felt like she was written just for me, going on a bout of vengeance, while also trying to rescue her chief and his heir. Never giving up, but being very open to using any trick or cheat available to get her goal, it felt a lot more realistic than so many overly perfect and heroic characters.
There’s plenty of banter and fun along the guts and gore, which makes it a very entertaining and satisfying read, from start to finish!
