Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City

by K. J. Parker

Overview

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.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780316270793
Publisher:	Orbit
Publication date:	04/09/2019
Pages:	384
Sales rank:	80,345
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.20(h) x 1.25(d)

About the Author

K.J. Parker is a pseudonym for Tom Holt. He was born in London in 1961. At Oxford he studied bar billiards, ancient Greek agriculture and the care and feeding of small, temperamental Japanese motorcycle engines; interests which led him, perhaps inevitably, to qualify as a solicitor and emigrate to Somerset, where he specialized in death and taxes for seven years before going straight in 1995. He lives in Chard, Somerset, with his wife and daughter.

Editorial Reviews

04/29/2019

Parker (Savages), the more sly and bitter pseudonym of comic fantasist Tom Holt, launches a witty adventure series set in a fictional world with features similar to the Roman Empire. The infectiously optimistic Orhan, colonel-in-chief of the Engineers, is away building a bridge when the unnamed capital city comes under siege. After the soldiers are ambushed and killed and the noblemen flee the city, there’s no one left to defend it, so Orhan sneaks his team of carpenters into the city to help. As a former slave and a “milkface,” he is the wrong color for a leader, occupying the lowest level of society among the blue-skinned elite Robur. Nevertheless, the local citizens, Robur and milkface alike, rally around the fast-thinking, faster-talking, and resourceful Orhan. The enemy at the gate is 100,000 strong, armed with trebuchets, and led by a tactical genius who’s been planning the siege for decades. When Orhan realizes he has a connection to the enemy’s leader, he begins to question why he’s defending the empire that enslaved him and killed millions of his people. Orhan is a comical, exceptionally lucky, unreliable narrator. Readers will appreciate the infusion of humor and fun-loving characters into this vivid and sometimes grim fantasy world. (Apr.)

Publishers Weekly

"Full of invention and ingenuity . . . Great fun."—SFX

"Launches a witty adventure series . . . Readers will appreciate the infusion of humor and fun-loving characters into this vivid and sometimes grim fantasy world."—Publishers Weekly

"As with most of Parker's work, there is a mel­ancholy undercurrent that gives the humor weight. As heroes go, Orhan is a reluctant and flawed one . . . . [but] when Orhan works the problem, we can't help but watch."—Locus

"Parker's acerbic wit and knowledge of human nature are a delight to read as he explores the way conflict is guided, in equal measure, by the brilliance and unerring foolishness of humanity . . . . Thoroughly engaging."—RT Books Reviews on The Two of Swords: Volume One

"[Sharps] is a ripping good adventure yarn, laced with frequent barbed witticisms and ace sword fighting... Parker's settings and characterizations never miss a beat, and the intricate political interplay of intrigue is suspenseful almost to the last page."—Publishers Weekly on Sharps

"This is another splendid offering from K.J. Parker, the (pseudonymous) British fantasist who seems incapable of writing in anything but top form."—Locus on Sharps

"Well-crafted, powerful and downright unmissable"—SFX on The Company

"Brilliant."—Locus on The Engineer Trilogy

"Parker carries the reader on a headlong gallop to the powerful conclusion."—Publishers Weekly on The Company (starred review)

"Skillful plotting and rich scene-setting."—Guardian on The Company

"A richly textured and emotionally complex fantasy...Highly recommended."—Library Journal on The Engineer Trilogy (starred review)

"Astonishingly good."—RT Book Reviews on Sharps

"Parker's skillful control of pacing, expert rendering of characters, and subtle sense of humor add depth and believability."—Library Journal on Sharps

"An intriguing tale of magic, manipulation and revenge . . . An action-packed adventure."—Starburst on the Fencer trilogy

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