This gender-swapped Die Hard set in a castle, will have Ripley & Furiosa violently approving

Die Hard is possibly one of my favorite action movies of all time & from all accounts, one of the most influential action movies as well spawning a whole bunch of Die Hard in a “setting” imitators, some of which are legendary as well – Speed for instance was internally marketed as Die Hard on a bus. A book invoking comparisons to Die Hard has quite the unenviable task – it is obviously helpful as a reference point and expectation-setter but on the flipside, it has to really meet those expectations & bring in something new to this genre. The Last Shield by Cameron Johnston doesn’t bother to hide its obvious love, affection, and inspiration for Die Hard and dishes out fabulous amounts of guts, grit, and glory in a terrific, bloody-minded, and entertaining book that exceeds all those expectations.


Briar is the commander of the Shields, an elite group of protectors who guard the matriarchal realm of Sunweald, its Lord Regent (who is a male and hence Regent), and Heir to the throne (also male). Sunweald, a small kingdom that finds itself sandwiched between two larger opposing nations, boasts a vault that guards precious and powerful magical artifacts, long desired by the warring nations and brigands that populate the realm. When a vicious brigand group do a Nakotomi Plaza on Sunweald Palace, an injured, seemingly disabled Briar is the only one standing between the brigands and the safety of the Regent and the Heir.

“Shields endured. Shields never gave up. Shields protected”

The plot in itself is quite simple but it is the execution of it which makes this a fantastic read. The action is spectacularly grimy, gritty, and bloody. Briar’s injury makes for a rather level field as she goes up against 35 of the brigands and the 1 sorcerer within the palace (yes, the number is important since she counts each one off as she fights against them). Briar’s biggest ally in this is the palace itself – Sunweald palace may be home to the precious vault but it also hosts numerous secret tunnels and catacombs, all of which make for a tense, enclosed setting for Briar to even the odds. Staircases in the dimly lit palace play a rather important role in this action ride.

“Man tumbling down the stairs - practically a new sport of her own invention”

Briar has the whole Ripley & Furiosa vibe going all the way through – she is a protector who isn’t afraid to push herself to the limit to protect those who matter to her, no matter how dirty or bloody it gets. And oh boy, she gets both of those in spades. There is a softer side to her as well but the element of sacrifice and duty runs rather strong. The author also writes Briar with a wicked sense of gallows humor that periodically asserts itself given the various situations she finds herself in.

While the setting is limited to the castle, the surrounding world is teased through the various parties in the castle (both invited & uninvited) and their conjurations. Some of these conjurations coupled with the age of the castle and its tunnels and catacombs bring about a sense of claustrophobic dread that obviously runs smack into our titular Last Shield. There are also hints of the magical creatures that inhabited this realm and the possibility of incursions from multiple realms. Given the limited scope of the setting & the cast, the scope for character development is quite limited – but what we do get is a very strong sense of who Briar is – strong, resourceful, stubborn, dutiful, righteous, and a fair bit of an asshole whom you would be happy to have on your side.

“Just a fly in the ointment, Hans. The monkey in the wrench. The pain in the ass” - John McClane, Die Hard

The blurb for the book calls out the Die Hard influence pretty hard and some sequences draw inspiration from some of the Die Hard scenes. The “Ho Ho Ho, Now I have a Machine Gun” moment hits towards the midpoint of the book through a particularly emphatic moment of violence that Briar uses to send a message. Even better is a moment that pays the ultimate tribute to John McClane – it’s a statement that Bonnie Bedelia (who plays Holly Gennero) makes when she says John McClane must be alive as only he can drive somebody that crazy. Also given that the central motive at the heart of this story is a break-in into a vault that has multiple levels to break, the parallel carries over to the sorcerer’s motives and the numerous magical locks needed to be overcome to break into the Sunweald Vault. That is the ticking clock that Briar has to bear in mind as she carves her bloody way through, practically limping all the way.


The book is incredibly snappy and there is no putting the book down, especially after 40%. There are moments of tenderness, redemption, and atonement that characters try to go through initially, which lend a rich flavor to the story and help build some of the characters and Briar’s relationship, motivation, and belonging to these characters. There are also a couple of interesting twists within - one expected & one pretty unexpected that work well in the context of the book. The ending to an extent, teases out a central mystery & gives answers but I felt the book should have possibly ended after the climatic fight without extending it. But then I am sure, people must have told Tolkien that he had too many endings in LOTR & he still retained all of them to make it a fantastic book.

A standalone novel (at least for now), The Last Shield is a book tailor-made for a movie and reads pretty much like a fantastic script. It is fast-paced, thrilling, gritty, and enormously entertaining while wearing its inspirations proudly on its armor. It features a memorable lead and teases an interesting world that I hope the author explores further in other books. “Die Hard in a Castle” sounded cool to me when I read the blurb and it lives up to its inspiration and more

Thanks to the awesome folks at NetGalley for approving this ARC for me

Rating – 4.5 Secret Vaults on 5

I mean, let's face it, if there is a kingdom and a king-ling and a Lord Regent, you can be damn sure there are some funky artifacts hidden somewhere that some grubby hands want to get their mitts on. This is essentially the story - a band of ambitious ingrates ambushing a castle. What could be better than a contained stand-off? Oh, the betrayals and painful lessons and terrible injuries and unbearable losses. Johnston doesn't beat around the bush, he dials the tension up high from page one in this tale that is as fantasy as fantasy gets. A few druids and all. A sect and a vault that have very cool names.

Is it a story that will attempt to bring something unique to the table? Well, no. The focus of the story is on the stand-off, and more so even on Briar, our powerhouse of a female character, the commander of the Shields. Frankly, The Last Shield felt less of an action flick, although, yes, there is a good romp through the tunnels and within the walls. It felt more like a look at Briar's character and what she's like when she has been delivered a blow, and how she behaves and what she feels when faced with adversity. And in that sense, The Last Shield is an ode to her, she's tough as nails and loyal to boot. She's like a rusty railroad nail that you will never be able to pry out.

I absolutely loved her relationship to Lord Regent. It's clear off the page, from the very first interaction in between them, that these two are just head over heels for each other. But these two - they're so bound to their duty that you ain't ever seen two characters more steadfast than Briar and Alaric. Plus, they're older in age than your just out of teenage years characters and thus infinitely a lot more enjoyable to read about.

So, political and religious intrigue it may have, but the whole story stands on its two feet because of the absolute stubbornness of Briar the Shield. Her unshakable resolve and bravery. There is no such thing as unfavorable odds when you know the fighting grounds like the back of your hand.

So, for hard-ass fantasy fans. Will you get fighting action? Yes. Will you receive cunning and grit? Absolutely. Any weird lulls in the story? Nope, none. Mystical and otherworldly stuff? Some, yes. Is there a love story? Also, yes, but not in an annoying, eye-rolling way. I think Johnston does it well in The Last Shield. No sneaky shenanigans, no blabbery pining over raw, open, weeping wound in the heart. Simply the acknowledgement of love, right there, a strong undercurrent. A fresh breath of air in that sense.

Thus, with strong characters and a thrilling, twist-delivering stand-off within castle walls, the action is non-stop. In fact, I will go so far as to say that the storytelling is so strong in this one that I would have loved a tad more dialogue, because the dialogue I did get was full of sass and energy, and I enjoyed it a lot.

Did The Last Shield knock the breath out of me with its absolute awesomeness? Well, no. It was okay, solid. But, I do think Johnston is one I will keep my eye on from now on. As I said, the dialogue in The Last Shield got me most excited, it showed a level of skill that could deliver some greatness. You know, like some people are really good at choosing appropriate gifs for every occasion? Yeah, Johnston did that dialogue really well and I most certainly want me some more of that!

This book was good. It just wasn’t for me though. I didn’t connect with the characters. The magic and fights scenes were done really well.

The Last Shield is advertised as a gender-flipped Die Hard set in a fantasy world, and it has all the elements to deliver. The kingdom of Sunweald is trapped between two larger, rival nations, creating a suitably tense political environment. The leads are easy to like. The villains are easy to hate. The action is impressively visceral.

Unfortunately, the first third of the book delivers little of this. It has sporadic action, primarily devoted to world-building (largely through info-dumping) and the mental struggles of the protagonist Briar. The details of the world are often generic and peripheral to the main plot. Briar’s resiliency and moral strength are admirable, but she is not especially multi-faceted. The side characters are even less so. Without the necessary quick pacing, the story drags.

Once the assault on the castle begins, the story delivers. There is plenty of danger and gory action. Briar is relentless in her efforts to protect the realm and the story matches her intensity. Still, it doesn’t quite make up for the slow beginning. While managing a few nice twists, the plot is largely predictable (using little of the world-building), and the action isn’t quite inventive enough to avoid repetition.

I would recommend The Last Shield for fans of gory, action fantasy. The ending provides nice, satisfying endings for all the (good) characters, and the best twist is saved for last (even if it also highlights how underused the broader world is).

Received as an ARC from Netgalley:

This was absolutely outstanding. A book that really incorporates disability exceptionally well to make a 'fantasy Die Hard' that both supersedes that description and delivers upon it.

A disabled female Kings guard Briar has to fight against the forces hellbent on dismantling the Regent she has protected her entire life.

The first half of the book really focuses on character writing and as a disabled person with leg issues myself it captured the emotions of the newly disabled incredibly well. A book about overcoming your inbuilt ableism from living in a society that isn't built around or for people who are disabled.

Once the action gets going it is a blast, with some truly nail-biting fight scenes. Briar is forced to fight smart and fight dirty to survive, which is just a blast to read.

Plus this book has a charming fat dog who farts a lot....truly a novel with something for everyone.

There is a lot of talk online about how to incorporate disability into a fantasy setting and Cameron Johnston shows how it's not that hard, you just have to care.

The Last Shield gives us the story of Briar, commander of the Shields. The protectors of the realm of Sunweald. She’s not what she used to be and is the only one capable of stopping the forces that stormed the palace.
It’s Die Hard in a castle!!!
I had honestly been looking for a book like this not too long before the book was announced.
I can honestly say that it didn’t disappoint me. The book moved well and had great character interaction.
The characters felt lived in and real. The Bronze Age setting was a nice touch. This is something that I feel Cameron Johnston does well. He creates excellent characters and settings. Most of the time, I’d like to see another book in some of the worlds he creates.
If there was one downside to the book. I feel that it took too long to get to the Die Hard aspect of it.

Cameron Johnston’s latest offering comes to us in the form of the standalone The Last Shield, with the enticing blurb “Fantasy gender-swapped Die Hard!”. It was enough to get me roped in!

The Last Shield is a straightforward no-nonsense action fantasy story focusing on the titular Shield Briar, veteran bodyguard and elite warrior tasked with protecting the Lord Regent Alaric against evil forces both without and within. Following the Die Hard influences closely, The Last Shield is Briar’s harrowing tale as she faces down an entire host of warriors led by an evil sorceress, with nothing but her wit and grit.

The tale leads with Briar getting grievously injured by a poisoned arrow as she foils an assassination attempt upon the Lord Regent whom she is sworn to protect. Much of the first act of the book deals with her physical, mental, and emotional recovery as she comes to terms with her new limitations she deals with the inane hindrances and her internal struggle to accept that she cannot serve as an elite guard to her charge anymore.

Just when she is about to give up the goat and retire to a quiet life away from her duties as Shield, her life is turned upside down as she finds herself amid a plot within her ranks as she and the Lord Regent are betrayed by many of her fellow Shields in a plot to take down the Lord Regent and steal several sacred magical artifacts that the royal line was sworn to protect from falling in the wrong hands.

Briar finds herself down on her luck, with no help from the outside world, with only her bum leg and internal fire of vengeance to drive her to take down all the evil henchmen to get to the big bad sorceress who has kidnapped Alaric as it is his blood that would open the vault that houses the magical treasures.

The Last Shield comes off as a pulpy action blockbuster flick-esque novel with a focus on Briar taking down goon after goon as she ninjas her away around the castle. Much like Die Hard, she spends most of her internal conversation musing on her situation while spewing stereotypical lines of avowed vengeance upon her enemies in a bog-standard narrative. To expect any depth to this standalone will only lead you to a bad time, as it did me. I expected a wee bit more nuance, even in a tale obviously focused on being an action-forward romp. The setting of The Last Shield has Celtic influences with mention of druids and forest-magic, along with various Irish and Celtic folklore elements that added a little flavor to the worldbuilding, but felt like mere wall-hanging that Johnston placed to give the tale some kind of geographic face.

The characters are wooden and one-dimensional. The main protagonists are Briar, your classic Jane McClane, down on her luck hyper-competent warrior, the wooden Lord Alaric, and the heir apparent, the snot-nosed Kester. Kester is the only one with even a smidge of character development, moving from spoiled child-heir to someone who attempts to become a mature leader as he is dragged into the book's plot. Sadly, the constraints of The Last Shield being a standalone doesn’t give nearly enough page space to develop his (or anyone else’s) character or motivations, as we move from one action set-piece to the next.

The motivations of the main antagonist are flimsy at best, and she is nothing more than a “mustache” twirling (what’s the female equivalent here?) villain as she also goes from one trope to another, with tired played-out dialog that adds no weight nor threat to the narrative. Even the “sub bosses” like Hardgrim and Maddox are beige in their mannerisms and characterization, coming off as cardboard placeholders that the author inserted in his list of checkboxes.

At the end of the tale, as well as through most of my time with this book, I got an overwhelming feeling of “sure, fine, why not?!”. The narrative forces you into several instances of suspending your disbelief as Briar goes from one deus-ex-machina-y instance to another. By the fifth instance of her escaping into a hidden tunnel or crawlspace that was conveniently placed to further the plot, I felt myself rolling my eyes and wished Johnston flexed his creativity even a bit more to come up with a less lazy plot driver. Though, this also reeks of his Die Hard brief.

I picked up The Last Shield, purely because I rather enjoyed another one of Johnston’s grimdark standalone The Malevolent Seven which told a much more robust and nuanced tale with plenty of violent action as well. Sadly, The Last Shield is a lackluster followup to that book. Even though the influence is clear, The Last Shield is held back by the author trying too hard to stick to the brief he set out for himself, taking away the potential of telling a different, more rewarding tale.

Action packed and absolutely exhilarating! The suspense was jaw dropping and the ending unexpected. I loved it!

A gory and violent tale following Briar, the commander of the shields and a fearsome woman not to be disregarded!

Briar is such a compelling character, she is an older woman than we typically see in fantasy, and she felt so real - she struggles and is put in tough positions but doesn’t let others (stupid men) undermine her. the main cast of characters were fun to read about, and i loved kester’s development and growth as a person

The little magic that we do see is interesting, and it’s woven in to moments of tension!! by following briar we get to experience the world and see the growing divide between the shields

I adored the tiny romantic subplot that we did get, and i’m so happy that they got their happy ending!!

I went into this unaware it was technically romantasy, which isn't really my cup of tea. I found myself heavily intrigued by the world and the politics, but was distracted from this by having to constantly roll my eyes at the details of the romance subplot. Points given, I suppose, for romantasy featuring a middle-aged couple which isn't something I've seen much of, but tracks with the heavy Millennial Energy of the humor and character dynamics. I also really struggle with books that feature the Hot Stupid Mean Girl Gets What She Deserves trope without any subversion or queerness involved (hey, ACOTAR!) so was instantly put off by the first scene. Still, this had great action scenes and reasonably memorable characters. I'd recommend this to anyone who enjoyed T. Kingfisher's Paladin's Grace series.

I loved the reading of this book. I was first intrigued by this book after reading the blurb, I instantly wanted to find out what was going to happen. Furthermore after I read the prologue of the book I wanted to read more. I loved the authors writing style, as it kept me gripped to the story and it allowed the story to flow nicely. The full plot of the story was very fascinating and became something in which kept me glued to the story. The worldbuilding within the book was amazing a brought a lot to the story. I also loved the face that there were druids within the book as I haven't read many books that have druids within the story. I enjoyed the way that the characters within this book was introduced. And with what the main characters had to develop throughout the challenges of this book was amazing.
Especially with how the story developed along side the plot, when it came to the ending I was greatly surprised. However, I did also loved the ending and have hope that there is going to develop into the series.

On the day of the Summer Soltice, Shield Commander Briar saves Lord Regent Alaric Summerson's life by taking a poisoned arrow for him during an ambush by reiver assassins. After months of lying around in bed she is not only bored out of her ever loving mind she is also sure that whatever threat the Lord Regent and in turn Royal Heir faced during the solstice is long gone. Even though she is certainly not fully healed she is determined to accompany both of them to the Winter Solstice feeling she has neglected her duty for far too long, unfortunately after marching for two days straight Briar comes to the conclusion that she is no longer fit for duty and after an argument with Alaric she is determined to leave, passing the command to her second. Little does she know that while she was in bed recovering the reivers have not only infliterated the palace, the have infliterated her Shields and on the evening she plans on the leaving they hatch a truly horrific attack on the people of the Palace, killing everyone not necessary to their plot. Unfortunately for these thirty-five men, they are about to learn a hard lesson; never send in a man to do a woman's job.

I have been waiting for Johnston to write another book since I finished his first two books I want to say last year (I read the Maleficent Seven before his first series) and trust me I have not been patient, so as soon as I saw this up for review on Netgalley I squealed in absolute delight and requested it and basically if it hadn't been for work I would have finished it yesterday. I hate that work interrupts my reading, and to be fair, I wasn't sure I was going to get to finish it over the weekend, so I took tomorrow *off* to read it. If someone took a day off to read a book, that's saying something. Okay, well, this is Goodreads, so we've probably all taken a day off to read, but you get my point. Anyway, not only am I not disappointed this is easily his best book. In this really amazing way where it's like everything he wrote before this was leading up to this amazing story, and it's clear it's only going to get better from here.

If you've read Johnston, you already know that his books are just bloody good rides, so honestly, I'm not going to go too much into that. If you're looking for a fast-paced, action-packed read, this is going to be your book. The pacing is spot on as usual, and the fight scenes are amazingly brutal.

What I am going to talk about his how fucking amazing Briar is. Omg she is literally my hero. She tears through thirty five men with the fury of the gods and she's freaking hilarious while she's doing it. The amount of times she just gets back up and murders someone is inspiring. And she genuinely gets away with this because she's not just the most badass person in the room she's the *smartest*.
And, honestly, this is where Johnston always excels; his heroes are always the most dangerous things in the room, hell on the planet and they are always smarter than the bad guys.They are OP badasses who will slaughter a god, an entire army, or a force of thirty five men if someone hurts someone they care about. He takes vengeance to a whole new level and I'm here for it.

Overall, of course I recommend this book. It is genuinely unputdownable. Unless you have to work in which case I'm sorry.


As always thanks to Angry Robot and NetGalley for the eArc!

Such a cool read!

Can really feel the die hard chemistry in briar she’s a badass!

Lots of plot twists I didn’t see coming and it keeps you hooked and waiting for more!

So cool. I really hope lots of people gets to read this book because it's so good. The plot twists, the characters are superb. I rated 4 stars for this read.

Imagine Die Hard taking place in a castle with loyal bodyguards, epic battles, and touching moments of honour, duty, and an older done-with-everyone’s-crap female protagonist!

SO MUCH FUN!

Briar, Commander of the Shields, has managed to keep Lord Regent Alaric Summerson and his nephew, the king-in-waiting, alive despite many assassination attempts.
However, the Summer Solstice celebrations turns quickly into bloodshed when a brigand called the Wildwood Reivers attack and secretly infiltrate themselves deep within the Palace’s catacombs.

Briar is not to be underestimated. She is clever, shrewd, extremely witty, and will fight tooth and nail to protect those she loves.

“Despite what the bards and boasters tell you, not every battle sees you covered in glory - mostly, you just end up covered in blood and shit and tears. The best you can hope for is that it all belongs to some other poor bastard."

Early on, Briar suffers an injury which makes her question her entire purpose and ability. Pushing past this, recovering physically and mentally, was written deftly with great care and exceeding insight to Briar’s character.
I cannot comment on the accuracy and research Johnston took in writing a disabled character, however he highlighted the differences of Briar’s mindset and experiences at just living and moving around after this injury. Whilst I am not a sensitivity reader, I felt great consideration was taken in writing about this.

They couldn't see the fiery pain inside her, and that was the way she wanted it. The pain she could deal with, mostly, but the disability gnawed at her entire sense of self as a warrior.

Now you might not expect a love story from this, but Briar and Alaric definitely had be some tension and longing between them, but both put duty above any feelings or action. I wasn’t expecting this book to tug on my heart strings! It is very subtle, but just added more tenderness to two characters who seem stone-cold and married to their responsibilities.

This was just amazing! I flew through it! Briar has a strong and funny voice, and Johnston keeps it interesting despite it being a one-woman job.
Plus, there’s a farting, loyal dog. What more could you ask for?

Thank you to Angry Robot for sending me a physical arc in exchange for a review!!

This book sounded fun. But unfortunately it's landed with me at a time when I'm reading a lot of excellent new fantasy - and this just didn't grab me.

The characters weren't interesting (the protagonist actually seems quite dense in places) and I found the style of writing frustrating, with random humour peppered through long paragraphs of exposition. Compared to the very original and imaginative fantasy I've enjoyed lately, this didn't offer anything new.

Although as a pagan chaplain in my day-job, I found the depictions of Druids pretty hilarious.

A regretful DNF.

Me encontraba yo por el 2022 con ganas de leer algo gamberro, con malos muy malos, bastante mala leche, un toque de humor y que sangrara grimdark por los cuatro costados y cuando descubrí The Maleficent Seven de Cameron Johnston encontré justo lo que estaba buscando. Lo disfruté sin disimulos y, aunque es una novela sin pretensiones y de puro disfrute, cuando sabes a lo que vas y te dan dos tazas sales satisfecho y con la panza llena.



Así que cuando Leticia Lara me recordó que Johnston publicaba una novela de fantasía autoconclusiva titulada The Last Shield y que la propia sinopsis la resume como ‘La Jungla de cristal con el género cambiado y ambientada en un castillo misterioso’ claramente no la podía dejar pasar.


The Last Shield nos sitúa en un mundo de baja fantasía, con poca magia y armas de bronce donde tres naciones humanas mantienen un delicado equilibrio. Sunweald es la más pequeña de las tres y, a su vez, la mediadora entre las otra dos. La sede del gobierno de Sunweald se encuentra en un palacio excavado en la roca, con un gran entramado de galerías subterráneas donde se mezclan catacumbas, pasadizos secretos, cámaras del tesoro y es el hogar de múltiples misterios (por los que valdría la pena matar).


Briar, la capitana de la guardia del palacio de Sunweald es la protagonista única y absoluta. Es una mujer de una cierta edad, que lleva más de una década en su posición de capitana, que se ha ganado a base de habilidad y de una dedicación absoluta. El trabajo diario de Briar es proteger al Lord Regente, con el que tiene una relación con tanta tensión romántica que podría cortarse con un cuchillo.


La novela tiene un planteamiento rápido y no tarda en pasar de la presentación al turrón. La cosa se complica más y más rápidamente. El autor no pierde el tiempo con demasiadas intrigas diplomáticas y la amenaza que se cierne es más física y violenta que política. The Last Shield es una novela de acción y no dedica más de lo estrictamente imprescindible en subtramas o en desarrollar demasiado a los secundarios. Johnston invierte más tiempo en describir las escenas de combate o acción que en cualquier otra cosa. Sin embargo lo hace con soltura y oficio. Uno de los puntos que más me llamó la atención fue que los “Escudos”, que es el nombre que recibe la guardia del castillo, van armados con una espada de bronce y una pequeña rodela reforzada muy maciza. En combate utilizan tanto su hoja como el propio escudo (que va atado a la muñeca) y golpean y embisten a sus enemigos con él. Esto distingue el estilo de acción de la novela y da lugar a enfrentamientos con movimientos inesperados que resultan refrescantes.


En este estilo tan directo de la novela Briar tiene prácticamente el único punto de vista de
toda la narración (con la excepcional escena donde alguno de los secundarios toma la batuta). Los personajes de la novela se pueden clasificar básicamente en dos categorías: gente con la que Briar tiene que acabar y gente que tiene que proteger. La vida y obra (o el desarrollo) de esta gente solo tiene las pinceladas necesarias para que su muerte (o salvación) tenga el impacto justo para que el lector pueda recordar su nombre antes de que Briar les corte el cuello.


No me da la impresión de que Johnston busque dejar una impresión duradera ni plasmar una reflexión para que el lector la recoja cual guante en el campo de duelo. The Last Shield es una novela que te da exactamente lo que te promete: acción, venganza, sangre y dolor, mucho dolor.

A pesar de toda la violencia que rebosa en sus páginas, el autor no es particularmente desagradable. No hay un gore desaforado e incluso el par de escenas con más casquería son descritas con limpieza y sencillez, sin recrearse en las partes que podrían ofender al lector sensible.


El aspecto del libro que menos me entusiasmó es la subtrama romántica (si se le puede llamar siquiera así). Desde la primera escena queda claro que Briar siente algo en su duro corazón por el Lord Regente (el soltero madurito e interesante de turno). Sentimientos que claramente se ven correspondidos por éste. Sin embargo sus respectivas posiciones como Lord Regente y capitana de la guardia les impiden actuar y deben de mantenerse en el plano estrictamente platónico (como si del Japón feudal se tratara). Aunque este tipo de relación es algo que entiendo que podría darse, Johnston no ha conseguido convencerme. A Briar se la percibe como tontorrona y testaruda con respecto al Lord Regente y a éste como sobreprotector y obsesionado con su deber. No hay una discusión honesta, un disimulo forzado o un avinagramiento de los sentimientos (que es lo que yo creo que pasaría si transcurrieran más de diez años en esta situación).


Al contrario que en The Maleficent Seven, donde Johnston establecía diferentes grados de maldad (no todos los Siete maléficos eran igual de malos ni de la misma manera), en The Last Shield los malos son muy malos (y a veces muy tontos) y los buenos son muy buenos. Incluso algún asomo de gris que puede intuirse al principio en algún personaje queda totalmente aclarado (u oscurecido) sin dejar lugar a dudas o interpretaciones.


De nuevo, lo que normalmente se tratarían como defectos: secundarios planos, ausencia de escalas morales, subtramas inexistentes, son en The Last Shield elementos virtuosos. En menos de 400 páginas Johnston te plantea una película novela con mucha acción, directa, sin complicaciones y completamente disfrutable. Y, lo que sí que merece la pena destacar, completamente autoconclusiva. Si estás de humor para este tipo de lectura, esta novela no te va a fallar.

Fantasy with a romantic subplot?? Me... no thanks ❌ Fantasy with a romantic subplot by Cameron Johnston?? 💳💳💳

I went into this slightly blind, I should have known bc Cameron writes lover boys that I approve of. I giggled and blushed until I was tired. If we have to do romance, then he fell 1st, and permanently harder is what I advocate for. And between responsible adults who are friends and equals 🥲

What I enjoyed in The Last Shield more than the lore, the plot, the fighting sequences, the insults Ms. Briar comes up with, the food descriptions bc I would consider myself a chef, whatever the druids were up to, and even the sexual tension, are the characters. Anything I say will be considered a spoiler, so take my word for it: Briar and Kester will be your faves easily. Especially bc Briar reminds me of our Queen and Mother, Orka and Kester reminds me of Jezel 🥰 if that means anything to you, grab it.

Is it a flex that I have read everything Cameron Johnston has published and liked it??

Grateful to Angry Robot and NetGalley for sending me an eARC ✨🫶🏽

The Last Shield is a thrilling standalone fantasy set in an infiltrated castle. Deep within the Sunweald Palace, home to the Lord Regent and Royal Heir, lies a secret chamber of ancient artifacts. When a group of brigands infiltrate the castle and hold its royal members hostage, the lone free agent left to deal with them is Briar, the injured and almost-retired commander of the elite guardian force Shields. With sneaky tactics and through secret tunnels, she must find a way to defeat her enemies and free the royal family before it’s too late.

This book was just a whole lot of fun, scratching an itch in anyone who loves those lone wolf type action flicks. It is literally Die Hard (or more recently Olympus Has Fallen) in fantasy novel form. Full of intense action sequences, the book is brutal in its depiction of violent ambushes, acts of retribution and vengeance, and all kinds of gore and torture. But even with all that, it never feels gratuitous (even though it probably is) and it packs a lot of heart as well.

Channeling Bruce Willis and Gerard Butler, Briar is a gritty and world-weary lead heroine who finds herself forced to uphold her duty alone. She is smart, honorable, and resilient as she tries to protect and rescue the spoiled foppish prince Heir and the Regent she has served (and loved at a distance) all these years. Their sexual tension was palpable even before there were any overt hints at any deeper feelings (I just kept thinking, “Just kiss already!”). Prince Kester was a pleasant surprise actually and gets a few PoV chapters of his own while the Regent is just a constant presence that drives Briar forward.

The story is quite predictable and you know exactly where it is going with just some minor twists. Like its film contemporaries, you just know it will end triumphantly with the bad guys getting their comeuppance and Briar will be the one to give them their just desserts. There’s just something comforting about that. Sometimes you just need a quick straightforward read that is a sure thing in terms of entertainment and “popcorn” fun.

The Last Shield is a thrill ride of action and heart, delivering a cinematic experience in novel form.

*Thank you to Angry Robot Books for the eARC via NetGalley.

I read an eARC of this book so thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley.

This is a survival fantasy. We have a totally awesome guard who is injured badly protecting her regent and his heir. Briar is the captain of the shields and is formidable. She receives a significant leg injury following an attack at a festival and spends a long time recovering though few expect her to survive. Disillusioned by the thought of being a burden to her regent and no longer able to serve as captain. She makes the decision to leave the castle to go live with her brother. However nefarious forces mean she won’t be able to retire just yet…

Briar is a fantastic character. I’m loving this trend we’re seeing in a few sci-fi and fantasy book lately of older, female characters who have the skills and experience to be believable in their prowess, whilst also being really interesting characters with attitude!

Imagine John Wick but in a fantasy castle setting and with an older, female main character and that will give you a sense of this book. It’s wildly entertaining! This book is often gruesome and extremely violent. Briar has to face a formidable enemy whilst navigating a serious injury and she’s often in real danger.

I really enjoyed this book, it was exciting, fast paced and a great read!