I don't usually seek out fast paced books, as my brain can't process what's going on it them, but this book was a nice exception from the rule.

We follow Briar, an older female the commander of the Shields. Honestly, this book automatically got points for having a badass woman warrior and I wasn't disappointed! We follow her attempts to defend a palace she's in as an enemy attacks. She's extremely loyal and fights fiercely to protect the people she has sworn to care for.

It might be a mild spoiler, but there's a disability rep, with themes of dealing with becoming disabled and it changing the course of character's life. I can't judge it fairly, but in my opinion it was done with sensitivity.

The story is thrilling, at times heartwarming and at times funny. And it has a dog!


4 ✨

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing an e arc to read.

I don't usually seek out fast paced books, as my brain can't process what's going on it them, but this book was a nice exception from the rule.

We follow Briar, an older female the commander of the Shields. Honestly, this book automatically got points for having a badass woman warrior and I wasn't disappointed! We follow her attempts to defend a palace she's in as an enemy attacks. She's extremely loyal and fights fiercely to protect the people she has sworn to care for.

It might be a mild spoiler, but there's a disability rep, with themes of dealing with becoming disabled and it changing the course of character's life. I can't judge it fairly, but in my opinion it was done with sensitivity.

The story is thrilling, at times heartwarming and at times funny. And it has a dog!


4 ✨

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing an e arc to read.

This is a gender-flipped Die Hard set in a mysterious castle. It is an engaging fantasy read, perfect for fans of John Gwynne and Mark Lawrence.

I really enjoyed reading this book. At the beginning I found it a little bit slow but then it picks up and it has intense action. I couldn't put it down until I finished it. It is a standalone with a very satisfying ending.
I also really liked that it has complex female protagonists, strong character development and characters that you care for.

The themes of the book are Loyalty, duty, survival, true grit, vengeance and dark magic.

I would really like to see more stories in this world so we can learn more about its lore.

One of the rising stars of dark fantasy fiction, Cameron Johnston, returns with an intense, gritty and addictive novel of revenge, desperation and brutal murder, with the brilliant novel, The Last Shield.

realm of tradition and druidical magic, the heart of the nation lies in Sunweald Palace, where the Lord Regent, and the young heir to the throne reside, guarded by Sunweald’s elite warriors, the Shields. Rough and old, Sunweald Palace is an impenetrable fortress designed protect the nation’s royal family, as well as safeguarding a massive vault of unspeakably powerful magical artefacts.

Despite its peaceful status, Sunweald finds itself beset by a group of vicious brigands, the Wildwood Reivers, who have made a living stealing away magical artefacts and trading them across the border. Led by a mysterious witch, the Wildwood Reivers have grown bold, even launching an attack on the royal family. When word reaches the palace of the location of the brigand’s base, the Shields depart to destroy them once and for all. However, their mission is a devious decoy, as through treachery, dark magic and deceit, the Wildwood Reivers and their allies manage to take over Sunweald Palace.

With the Shields away and traitors holding the wall, the brigands plan to loot the palace’s ancient vaults and steal every magical artefact hidden within. However, the Wildwood Reivers face one substantial obstacle to their success, Briar, feared, if hobbled, commander of the Shields. Despite being outnumbered, wounded and near retirement, Briar is determined to perform her duty and reclaim the palace. Using her knowledge of the palace’s secret tunnels and ancient corridors, Briar sets about dismantling the invaders in brutal fashion. But battered, alone and loosing strength, can even a legendary Shield like Briar face the overwhelming odds and lethal magic set against her?

Gosh this was a very impressive and exciting read. Cameron Johnston has a real flair for fantastically over-the-top narratives, and The Last Shield is some of his best work yet. A complex and compelling tale of revenge and redemption, The Last Shield was a non-stop thrill ride, and I loved the deeply intense story that emerged. This was a truly outstanding book that gets a full five-star rating from me thanks to how much sheer fun I had reading it.

To see the full review, click on the link below:
https://unseenlibrary.com/2024/10/09/the-last-shield-by-cameron-johnston/

For other exciting reviews and content, check out my blog at:
https://unseenlibrary.com/

Thanks to Angry Robot Books and Netgalley for the ARC.
4.5/5

"She was the sword and shield that protected Sunweald. Her pain mattered not at all. It was far better to be the candle standing against the storm, burning bright for one glorious moment before being snuffed out, than to never try at all."

I think one of the best things you can say about a story is that when you finish, the first thing you think is man, I wish there was more!! That was exactly my reaction after finishing this tale which is just so much fun to read. One of my other favorite things is having older characters who have been through some things. Briar is the commander of the Shields, who provide protection for the realm of Sunweald, and she specifically protects Alaric, the Lord Regent as he shepherds his young nephew towards the day he will take the throne. Unbeknownst to both of them, there is a traitor in their midst working with a powerful sorcerer trying to gain access to some powerful, ancient weapons. Briar is forced to protect the people she loves after the keep is invaded and it's a rollicking ride of secret tunnels, sneak attacks and using all of your wits to defeat a more powerful adversary.
Cameron does a fantastic job of building this world and engaging you in the lives of these characters so quickly, that you easily root for Briar and love it when she begins taking names and kicking ass!! The description of this as a fantasy Die Hard is very apt and there is always a new challenge for Briar as she works to save Alaric and the future king. I would love for Cameron to come back to this world at some point in the future with a new story, it's a terrific fantasy setting!!

Fantasy Die Hard lives up to its tagline. Very fun, exciting book. I will probably never really think about it again but damn did I fist pump a bunch of times. Sometimes that's all you need.

Die Hard in a castle with a female main character???? **grabby hands**

I really loved this book, I love when someone can take a concept and make it feel completely original and unique! I was hooked the whole way through and I'm definitely going to check out the authors other books

The Last Shield was a really fun read that feels like a unique premise.

We mostly follow commander Briar, the titular Last Shield, an older and debilitated warrior lacking none of her younger ferocity.

There is a battle early on in the book in which Briar takes a poisoned arrow and undergoes a gruelling recovery, giving her a disability in that her leg no longer has the strength or movement it used to.

Admittedly, a large portion of the first half of the book feels like quite a slow build and I read the first half sporadically, making slower progress and never quite getting into that must-get-back-to-it feeling. However, after this setup, the second half is a complete tour de force where I couldn’t put the book down. I love revenge stories and there is so much juicy comeuppance to enjoy that it felt incredibly satisfying! The book can be gruesome at times and it really is necessary, both to make you hate the bad guys in the first place and to really appreciate them getting what is coming to them.

Despite being serious at times and quite dark, there is humour to this story and it can be quite light hearted or at least gives off a real entertainment vibe. If I had to describe the book in one word, that’s the one I’d use; entertaining.

If it were a movie it would have potential for a cult status, where it wouldn’t be nominated for all the oscars for the depth of storytelling but would have a following of fans for pure action entertainment and fun.

This isn’t to say it’s lacking in depth though, and towards the latter stages, I realised with pleasant recognition that the parts I saw as slower at the start of the book had still impacted me. I cared about the characters; something I sometimes have a hard time with in many books. Briar’s rare moments of vulnerability felt endearing and only added to her resilience.

The side characters of Alaric and Kester, the royal heir, actually felt developed (especially Kester who started off as annoying and ended as someone deserving of respect).

One of the two main villains, Imperatrix, is very much the moustache-twirling villain type, which you can probably guess by name alone, but she added to the vibe of the book. A more morally grey primary antagonist wouldn’t have actually worked so well. We needed to have no sympathy or empathy for the majority of the bad guys here for it to work.

I love castles and I really enjoyed the setting, seeing Briar become a John McClane, Rambo type figure through the hidden tunnels and corridors.

This is a great standalone fantasy that gives a very satisfactory feel, fantastic action with a brilliant protagonist in Briar who really shines throughout. She’s easily made it into my top 10 of favourite fantasy characters! I’m now looking forward to reading The Maleficent Seven, which promises to be just as unique and entertaining.

Give this book a read if you love strong women, amazingly rewarding revenge, castles and fast paced action. You’ll love it!

| WARNING: This digital A.R.C was kindly sent to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own |

' Glory doesn't keep you warm at night. Glory does not regrow severed limbs and heal broken hones. Seeking glory only gets those around you killed, and even if you survive to bask in it, I promise you would come to regret that sacrifice. My own glory comes from keeping those I care about alive.'

I'm not a fan of fantasy huis-clos but this one was nice and fun!

The pacing was a bit of a two-rhythms kind of pacing but strangely, I appreciated the smudge of romance we got

I don't think Cameron Johnson can write a boring or uninteresting novel. I was hooked since the beginning and had a lot of fun in following the twists, the bad-ass FMC, and how the good guy fight.
Well plotted, excellent world building and storytelling.
Go, read it and have fun.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher for this ARC, all opinions are mine

An excellent, fast paced and exciting adventure

Strong character building and memorable dialogue

An imaginative spin which will be appealing to classical and gimdark fantasy readers

The Last Shield tells the story of Briar who is commander of the shields. She's an aging protagonist, but that doesn't stop her being a complete bad ass! Even with an injury, this female character was explosive. The action scenes were some of the best I've ever read. It's an excellent read! It's die hard with a female protagonist in a castle!

Note: I received a free unpublished proof of this book, for a limited time, in exchange for an honest review. All opinions here are my own.

This book contains a great deal of violence, blood, gore, and death, with a bit of mild sexuality, hence I only recommend it to adults (18+).

You know, I am actually tempted to skip the review on this one and say: Read the book! Don’t read the description first, just read the book!

While I instantly clicked “Request” based on the first line in this book’s blurb, and thoroughly enjoyed it knowing what was going to happen, I kind of think that some of you might enjoy the book more if you don’t know that, and then let the realization dawn on you as the plot unfolds.

So for those of you who like to take this approach to books sometimes: It’s a book about a woman who guards a castle, is about to retire, and encounters an emergency situation.

If you don’t want to take that approach, SPOILERS AHEAD.

Okay, this isn’t the most literary fantasy book ever, and I don’t think it will really be eligible for literary awards for that reason, but for an action/adventure story with a lot of suspense, humor, and fight scenes with medieval-type weaponry, it’s very good.

For a book selling itself as “a gender-flipped ‘Die Hard’ set in a mysterious castle,” which is a tall order to begin with, it actually does a pretty good job of filling those shoes. This is high praise coming from me, who didn’t even like the book that “Die Hard” was based on because the screenwriters and actors were the only people who made that story watchable. (I’ve written another answer about that here: Elizabeth Meade's answer to Is the Die Hard movie better than the book it is based on?)

Half the time when people say a book is “inspired by” some other popular franchise in this way, I expect it to be loosely-inspired by it and quite possibly throw away some of the important aspects of the inspiration to replace them with something else. (See: Norse mythology retellings/books inspired by Norse mythology that didn’t really “land” properly)

The Last Shield doesn’t do that. If you are looking for a genuine retelling of “Die Hard” that is not breaking anybody’s copyright claims, look no further. Johnston manages to hit nearly all of the important notes: a tough protagonist who is fighting to save someone they love, a gang of bad guys with a lot of weapons and no real redeeming values, a heist planned by said bad guys that takes place in the winter and creates a hostage situation, a lot of tunnel-crawling scenes, and a lot of fight scenes. There is even a vault with seven layers of security, though it contains magical objects instead of negotiable bearer bonds.

The political nuances of “Die Hard”, such as the unspoken backdrop of the Cold War and the implications of a multinational corporation having a massive pile of untraceable currency, aren’t present, but I honestly think that is for the best here. Since films that uncritically portray police officers as heroes, wryly dubbed “copaganda” by modern media, have come under rightful criticism for portraying an inaccurate narrative and consciously or unconsciously promoting specific real-world policty points, it is kind of refreshing to see an action/thriller story that doesn’t really revolve around modern institutions at all. I guess the main character is technically defending medieval feudalism, but trying to compare that to modern American state violence isn’t really useful in this context, particularly since that’s not something that any of us might actually vote for based on what we read or watch on TV. While there’s a whole discussion to be had on how media portrays the past, that’s different from how it portrays modern political issues, and is probably a topic for 500 more answers on books that are genuinely trying to portray history, and not clearly set in a fictitious D&D-esque fantasy world that never was.

(Of course, if any of you out there are trying to create a “Medieval Feudalism” political party, which I highly doubt, please, uh, don’t.)

Since the politics of modern action films are mostly absent, that also eliminates the classic plot twist in which the “terrorists” reveal themselves to actually be “really good thieves who don’t actually care about politics”. However, I’d say that’s also for the best, because framing your villains as hardcore Communists in all but actual motive, particularly in this day and age, sends a political message that really doesn’t need to be there for the story to work. Leaving out the twist also sets readers up for an action thriller from the start, which is important in fantasy because a lot of modern fantasy genuinely relies on political intrigue. Setting up one kind of story by playing the political intrigue angle perfectly straight, only to plot-twist the whole thing into a heist movie, might be off-putting to some readers.

While some adaptations that replace male characters with a female cast fall into “silly female stereotypes in which the women can’t do anything as well as the men” or “nothing changes except they are female”, the switch actually works here. The main character, Briar, is tough and good at what she does, but still faces realistic challenges. While she is a very skilled fighter who doesn’t have a problem with killing off bad guys, she still appreciates her friends and cares for the man she loves. On the other side of the coin, the main antagonist, Imperatrix, isn’t let off the hook for her actions or seen as “misunderstood” just because she is female. It’s also clear that she’s not the author’s parody of a feminist or a “girlboss” villain because she really doesn’t care about any other women, kills many of them off, and pretty much hates everybody. Being female also doesn’t make her any less good at what she does.

The other characters don’t “line up” per se, though I see a few cases where inspiration was definitely taken from the original film’s villains. This is where Johnston’s originality really shines, creating a new story based on the general plot beats of “Die Hard” and its many clones but with its own memorable cast of characters. As in, there is a character who is kind of like Harry Ellis but plays a very different role, and a character who is kind of like Karl Vreski but with a bow and arrow, and the analogues for Takagi and Holly are actually the same person. I would also argue that the plot role taken up by Hans Gruber is split between two characters, at least in terms of character personality.

There are some other nice touches that reference the source material, but given that they are key plot points I am not going to list them here because those would be massive spoilers. Suffice to say that while The Last Shield isn’t and doesn’t try to be a blow-by-blow recreation of “Die Hard”, a few more key tropes I haven’t mentioned remain in place.

On the other side of the whole adaptation/retelling angle, I don’t think you need to see, enjoy, or understand “Die Hard” or similar action films in order to enjoy this book. While a few small parallels might be lost on some readers, the book frankly reads enough like a typical D&D campaign or other chiefly action-based fantasy story that it doesn’t hinge on an understanding of modern action movie tropes to be readable. If readers are more into the fantasy than the action, so to speak, the setting and vague magic system are fun and interesting enough to create a plausible fantasy world for a single book. These elements are not as deep as those in longer fantasy books or series with a lot of intricate details, but as a result of this the author doesn’t overwhelm the plotline with info-dumping or overly-confusing explanatory segments. I do not think a sequel is planned for this book so I think there was just the right amount of setting and atmosphere to carry a fun adventure.

I also thought this book had more positive messages than “Die Hard” and similar action films. The love between the protagonist and her love interest feels more mutual and less forced; she isn’t desperately trying to get her divorced partner to return to her. While Briar is happy to use violence to defend the castle from the invaders who are legitimately trying to kill everyone, she doesn’t take pleasure in violence for its own sake. She is loyal to her fellow guards and her kingdom, rather than coming across as the typical “loose-cannon” or “lone wolf” archetype. Some of the side characters get some of their own character development, at least more than is typical of action films, which brings an optimistic and hopeful note to a story with somewhat grim overtones.

Overall, readers who really, really lean into the “fantasy” or “action movie” side of things might find this book leaves something to be desired, but I think most people who enjoy fantasy and action/adventure fiction will enjoy the mix of tropes.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me a free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

...but due to life circumstances, I didn't manage to read it before the book was officially published, so I bought it anyway.

I dislike talking about books or authors in a way that compares them to other books or authors, but sometimes that can not be avoided or even it shouldn't be. One of those instances is The Last Shield.

This novel is essentially a love letter to the usual fantasy fair of the '80s. Vaguely Celtic setting echoes many of then-popular series, such as Deverry Cycle by Katherine Kerr, although presented with a modern take. Character building is by no means complicated or nuanced, which works very well for this novel. We are in no way left in doubt about who are the good guys and who are the villains and their motives are pretty straightforward. In another novel this may have been overly simplistic and a sign of bad writing, but in the case of The Last Shield this simplistic approach is executed perfectly and very similarly to some of the popular movies from the '80s so that the reader can simply lay back and enjoy the action. And action abounds.

While I was reading the second half of the novel, I had a strange feeling that I'm reading a John Gwynne's novel - which was a bit strange, since there are some obvious differences in the prose. At first, I suspected that it's because I'm currently translating Hunger of the Gods, and Johnston's Briar is in a way similar to Gwynne's Orka, although their personalities are wildly different, as well as motivations, but then I realized that similarity is in fact in the description of the fighting scenes. Johnston does this masterfully and with a full knowledge how it feels to strike someone with a sword or to be struck by a shield. I truly have no idea if I'm right or wrong, but I would bet that he fights for real in reenactments, like Gwynne does. If you want to read some truly visceral fighting scenes, The Last Shield is a book for you. Johnston doesn't shy from the gritty bits and injuries and his protagonist isn't empowered in any way beyond raw determination and years of training, so that makes her somehow more worthy of reader's respect.

This was one of the best fantasy reads of this year for me, and this is the year with new books by Bennett and Kristoff, among others. I've read thousands of SF&F titles and translated well north of hundred, so I think that I can say with some assurance that The Last Shield can be placed on the same shelf with John Gwynne, Mark Lawrence, Jay Kristoff and other modern masters of gritty fantasy.

The Last Shield is described as being a “gender flipped Die Hard.” I don’t actually like Die Hard but I did enjoy this book.

The story focuses on Briar who, after receiving a life changing injury defending the future king and his regent from assassins, is forced to take out her enemies Die Hard fashion when they decide to invade the castle to gain access to whatever is in a magical vault.

It was such a fun read. I really liked Briar. She has that tired yet never give up attitude that a lot of older characters in fantasy novels have and I never get tired of that trope. It never fails to entertain me. I very much enjoyed reading her POV. It switched to other characters too over the course of the novel and I liked reading them as well, but Briar is my favourite.

The only negative I can think of is that this novel is a standalone. It’s good because everything gets neatly wrapped up in less than 400 pages but, on the other hand, it really isn’t enough time to spend with these characters.

I found the worldbuilding to be very well done. The story has a lot of danger and darkness but Johnston also manages to inject a good deal of humour into the story. I found The Last Shield to be a very enjoyable read with cool characters and a fun and violent story. I very much recommend.

Pitched as a gender-bent Diehard in a fantasy setting, this sounded like it should be fast-paced and fun. Unfortunately, after several weeks of trying to get into it, I am DNFing at 31%. I may return to it eventually, but the beginning has dragged for me, and I have other ARCs I’m chomping at the bit to get to. This starts out with an action scene that was quite entertaining and that was the only thing that kept me reading, but there are so many multi page passages just describing the castle while the main character lays on her sickbed after an injury that I just cannot continue right now.

It does have very positive reviews so far, so I’m willing to accept that this might just be me.

I had an absolute blast reading The Last Shield! This is an action-packed novel that borrows the premise of Die Hard and places it in a Medieval Castle. It’s a simple premise, but executed to perfection with high stakes and excellent pacing.

The lead character Briar is the only guard left standing when marauders invade the castle, kill the inhabitants and take the regent hostage. She is outgunned and outmatched, and must rely on her wits to try and even the odds, scrabbling for every possible advantage. The comparisons to Die Hard are completely fair in my opinion, as all the best features of the film are present here; the sneaking around secret passages, the ticking off of bad guys as their numbers are whittled down, and the jumps between Briar and the antagonists so we can see both sides plotting against each other. I personally feel the book lacked a truly clever and crafty villain to mirror Hans Gruber, but I’m pleased that we did get a fair number of named villains rather than just one or two.

This is a true action book, and fundamentally gets its basics spot on. The pacing is very well managed to keep stakes high throughout the novel. The fight scenes are also to be commended, since each fight was well choreographed and easy to follow what's happening. The balance achieved in the lead character’s ability is definitely to be commended; she is set up as the best fighter in the Shields, but the plot weaves in circumstances to level the playing field without it feeling artificial.

Despite the book’s action focus, I was pleasantly surprised to find a bit of character development and progression in the novel too. I don’t think this is a book you necessarily pick out for its in-depth character building, so I don’t want to be overly harsh on its relative lack of character work, but the development around the main characters was a nice addition. I have similar thoughts on the world-building; there wasn’t a huge amount of substance to the world, but given the nature of the book I found myself not really minding.

Thanks to NetGalley and Angry Robot for the ARC

The blurb describes the story as a "gender-flipped Die Hard in a mysterious castle," and I think that's an apt summary. The plot is comparable to 80s action flicks, one skilled veteran against many grunts and a big bad, just set in a Celtic-flavored fantasy world. I love that we get an older woman as the main protagonist, Briar is such a badass. It's a nice change when many fantasy heroes run from teens to early twenties.I wasn't certain about the plot at first, but it was fun once you got into the tower defense bit. I knew generally what sort of action I would get, and it delivered the goods. It did feel like the end was resolved rather quickly, but otherwise, it's a good read.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6785694584

https://app.thestorygraph.com/reviews/3b38ae16-143b-4be8-9523-1d4c61aa061f

Check out this review of The Last Shield on Fable. https://fable.co/review/f2e94de8-4f61-4e52-9253-e03c0d4297b3/share

As a fantasy and science fiction book reviewer who takes himself entirely too seriously, I am constantly looking for the latest cerebral and poetic hit to recommend and impress people I know. But, there is a time and a place for almost everything in fiction, and sometimes you just want pulpy fun that has a ridiculous premise and delivers fabulous spectacle. Often these books fall short, but The Last Shield by Cameron Johnston is a rare occurrence of delivering on all its ridiculous promises.

The Last Shield is billed as a standalone fantasy gender-swapped reimagining of the movie Die Hard, and despite a skyscraper’s worth of initial reservations I can safely say that this book absolutely delivers on this in the best way possible. The world-building of this book is succinct, yet engrossing. The ancient forest realm of Sunweald is bordered on two sides by far mightier nations, which is a bad place to start. To make matters worse, the Sunweald Palace is a relatively small estate with a vault of treasures and magical superweapons that are coveted by all. The only thing that stands between these greater powers and a catch of magical nukes is the Lord Regent, the young heir to the throne, and the realm’s elite Shields, dedicated to guarding the royal line and its treasures against all foes.

Unbeknownst to all, a group of vicious brigands called the Wildwood Reivers have been stealing arcane artifacts and smuggling them across the borders, out of Sunweald. 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. When the Reivers decide to make a big play for the grand vault itself, it falls to Briar (commander of the guard one day from retirement), to defend the ancient corridors and secret tunnels of the Palace.

Anyone even vaguely familiar with the movie Die Hard should be able to pick out the skeleton of the movie from the synopsis. My biggest worry going into The Last Shield was that I was just going to be watching a one-to-one reshoot of the movie, but with swords. I am happy to immediately say that Johnston uses the movie more as a thematic guiding light and less as holy source material. There is a ton of imagination and plenty of details in this book that feel fresh and new while also capturing the magic of the original movie. If you like Die Hard, and you like fantasy, here is something you will absolutely love that isn’t just lazy pandering. This is the poster child for how adaptations should work.

Much like John McClane, Briar is the focal point of this story, and the majority of the text (after some setup) is watching her just carve through brigands like a knife through hot butter. Briar’s deal is a “veteran who is so dedicated to her craft that she achieves a brutal murderous efficiency that an automaton would envy.” Briar rocks. She is the rare kind of older fantasy protagonist that we rarely get and I treasured her aches and pains; she is easily one of the most relatable protagonists I have read this year. She is a train just plowing through cars left on the track without ever slowing down.

Likewise, the villains are deliciously stabbable. I am not here for nuanced grey antagonists who actually have a point. I wanted greedy motherfuckers getting thrown in a woodchipper, and Johnston heard my siren call. I found myself saying “Eat it, dirtbag” to several deaths and felt nothing but adrenaline as Briar cleaned house. The spectacle is, on full display as Briar swings from towers, fights her way up spiral staircases, and banters with the villains. The story has a nice slow burn for the first fifth and then builds a terrifying momentum until the last page. There isn’t a ton of depth to the book, but that isn’t a problem. Sometimes you are in the mood for mindless fun made by a deft hand: and The Last Shield kills it in that regard.

I read this entire book in one sitting on a plane and don’t have a single regret. The Last Shield is a clever combination of spectacle and fun draped over a lovable protagonist. It is simply put, a good time, and if you are looking for a short distraction look no further.

Rating: The Last Shield – 8.5/10
-Andrew

Set in an ancient castle with dark, mysterious catacombs hiding dangerous artefacts and even more dangerous conspiracies, Cameron Johnston’s The Last Shield tells a riveting tale of survival, honour, duty, loyalty, and the resilience of the human spirit.

Let me start this off by saying that I had no clue what The Last Shield was about, except for the fact that it featured a strong female protagonist who I was supposedly going to adore. And lo and behold, Briar captured my heart the moment I met her! I mean, an older, prickly, stubborn, done-with-everyone’s-shit commander of the royal guard whose tongue is just as sharp as her weapons… how could I not fall in love?

The story opens with a deceptively comforting and almost cozy vibe in the castle while preparing for the supposedly peaceful Summer Solstice celebration, but the sinister prologue has cued us in about the deadly conspiracies lurking in the shadows. Soon, all hell breaks loose and Briar just manages to save the Lord Regent and King-in-waiting from a devious group of assassins hiding as druids, but she doesn’t get away unscathed; she might now have to live with a permanently injured leg, but you better bet that isn’t going to stop her from doing her duty and wreaking revenge on those who hurt her and her loved ones.

Now, I was expecting The Last Shield to be a fast-paced adventure full of non-stop action, but I think it actually shines brightest in its slower set-up and intimately character-driven storytelling. Briar’s slow recovery from her injury and her messy journey of grief over losing her unbeatable warrior identity and sense of purpose immediately became the highlight of the story for me, and I loved how carefully and authentically her healing process was depicted.

Moreover, the complex interpersonal relationships in The Last Shield really shine, and I was pleasantly surprised by the powerful character arcs of some of the supporting characters. See, I wasn’t expecting to be rooting for the royals here, but both Lord Regent Alaric and his nephew, the prickish prince Kester, proved to be absolute gems. I loved Kester’s journey of growth and independence, and the very subtle romantic tension between Briar and Alaric added an exciting spark to this story that I welcomed with open arms; burning with love and desire, but always held apart by their own duties, this the perfect execution of a strong and mature slow-burn romantic subplot.

Don’t mistake all this for me saying that The Last Shield lacks in action or tension though, because the opposite couldn’t be more true. From the very first page, Johnston sets up the tension and conflict, be that internal, interpersonal, or on a wider political scale, which created a looming sense of dread that kept me on my toes the entire way through. I was especially impressed by the masterful inclusion of some perspectives from the antagonists, which somehow didn’t take away from any of the mystery and intrigue, but only added to the complexity and pulse-pounding suspense.

Not to mention, the isolated setting and uncanny atmosphere of the castle and its catacombs was hauntingly immersive to me, and I loved the unpredictability of the dark sorcery and druidic magic. Some scenes almost leaned into the horror territory, and just the Imperatrix and her diabolical actions alone are pure nightmare material; even though her motivations and logic felt a bit murky to me at times, I also can’t deny that I was just morbidly fascinated and weirdly amused by her level of unhinged villainy.

While the ultimate climax of the story may have felt a bit chaotic and slightly rushed to me, I think The Last Shield is overall one of the stronger fantasy standalones I have read. Though if we ever get a spin-off (about Kester, please and thank you), I would absolutely be first in line. If you have been looking for a character-driven yet action-packed fantasy standalone featuring scarred protagonists, dark sorcery, druidic magic, deadly assassins, exhilarating fights, and a whole lot of heart, then you can’t go wrong with The Last Shield.

Thank you to NetGalley and Angry Robot for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.