Title: The Last Shield
Author: Cameron Johnston
Publication Date: August 13, 2024 by Angry Robot
Genres: Fantasy
Protagonist Gender: Female
"I'm getting too old for this shit."
"This is my boomstick!"
“Life is pain, Highness. Anyone who says differently is selling something.”
"Yippee-ki-yay, motherfucker!"
If you immediately recognize all four of those catchphrases, (a) you're my kind of people, and (b) you're the perfect audience for The Last Shield.
This is heroic fantasy for readers who aren't afraid to get down and dirty, to be dragged through the mud, and to scrape and curse for every inch of progress. Cameron Johnston has crafted a tale that grabs you by the throat in the opening chapter and never lets go. It's intense and brutal in a way that only grimdark usually is, but there's an inescapable feeling of stubborn hope to it that's gleefully infectious. You just know that, no matter how much it hurts, Briar is going to kill every traitorous son-of-a-bitch, even if it means dragging herself through hell to do it.
I picked this up because of the "gender-flipped Die Hard set in a mysterious castle" tagline, and there's really no better way to put it. Swap out Bruce Willis for Linda Hamilton, change the setting from a downtown skyscraper to a medieval castle, and recast Helena Bonham Carter doing her best Angelina Jolie impression in Alan Rickman's role, and you've got an idea of what to expect. There are tall towers, narrow staircases, secret passages, and an entire wing of the castle ready to fall down at the slightest misstep. Feeling old and tired, hobbled by a badly damaged leg, and left without even a sword, Briar has to outwit, outmaneuver, and outfight a small army of brigands, traitorous Shields from her own ranks, a deadly foe with a taste for poison, and a slightly mad sorceress.
The stakes? Oh, just the life of the Lord Regent, the future of the kingdom, and (should the villains get their hands on the vault of mystical weapons) the fate of the world.
Action-packed and populated by characters you'll love to cheer for (and against), this is cinematic fantasy that demands a comfortable chair, a dark room, and plenty of popcorn. Briar is an amazing character, a woman you can't help but admire, and the villains are well-developed as well, with personalities that make them immediately memorable. Yes, there's violence galore, surprising brutality on both sides, and some shocking bits of magical mayhem, but there's also hope, (dark) humor, humanity, and even a welcome twist on the romance at the heart of Die Hard. It's a story that seems to hit a climax with every chapter, but there are always more villains to kill, more stairs to climb, more skeletons to face, and less time to do it.
I liked, but didn't love, The Maleficent Seven, so I wasn't quite sure what to expect of Cameron Johnston here. I really wanted more of what I've coined maturesmirk fantasy a la Kings of the Wyld or The Blacktongue Thief, and I'm pleased to say The Last Shield delivered. This is the most fun I've had between the pages of a book all year.
Rating: ♀ ♀ ♀ ♀ ♀
My sincere thanks to the publisher for sending me an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
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