Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City

The Siege, Book 1

By: K. J. Parker

Narrated by: Ray Sawyer

'Full of invention and ingenuity . . . Great fun' - SFX

'Parker's settings and characterisations never miss a beat' - Publishers Weekly

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.

***

Other books by K.J. Parker:

Fencer Trilogy
The Colours in the Steel
The Belly of the Bow
The Proof House

Scavenger Trilogy
Shadow
Pattern
Memory

Engineer Trilogy
Devices and Desires
Evil for Evil
The Escapement

Two of Swords
The Two of Swords: Part 1
The Two of Swords: Part 2
The Two of Swords: Part 3

Novels
The Company
The Folding Knife
The Hammer
Sharps©2019 One Reluctant Lemming Co Ltd.

Critic reviews

Full of invention and ingenuity . . . Great fun

There's a mordant wit to the workings of Parker's mind (TIME OUT)

Parker's skilful control of pacing, expert rendering of characters, and subtle sense of humour add depth and believability (LIBRARY JOURNAL)

Parker's acerbic wit and knowledge of human nature are a delight to read (RT BOOK REVIEWS)

excellent book

I had trouble knowing who was who at times but that often happens in audiobooks when you cant read the names and they're made-up and unfamiliar.
This is quite the story.

I don't do five stars but...

I don't have the words to express how amazing this book is for me. I initially read it on a flight, then listened to the audio book, and have since reread the book to take notes. I believe its one of tbe most impressive books I've ever read as it seems constantly effortlessly fresh and clever.

If you like Tom Holt's work you will love this

Why? Because it in fact is Tom Holt who wrote it.
That should be all one needs to know.

Very, very entertaining

A wonderful pseudo historical fantasy work that makes me think of Douglas Adams collaborating with Umberto Eco. “The Name of the Rose”, but cheeky and funny, absolutely entertaining, and narrated to perfection.
If there’s an audiobook term for a “page turner”, this is it. The “unreliable narrator” Orhan is so full of shit but he presents it with humble sincerity: “I just build bridges”

great performance

I really enjoyed the story and the performance. Very well done, the narrator nailed the personna.