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This 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.

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.

Orhan is an engineer, and it’s his job to defend the walled city against almost insuperable odds. Here is the story of the many strategems and engineering feats this unlikely hero resorts to.

This is amusing in a sarcatic way, instructive if you have a walled city to defend, moving, exciting, and a great read. A bit of a downer of an ending, but I’ll definitely be reading more in this universe.

This is the true history of how the City was saved, by Notker, the professional liar…

The City may be under siege, but everyone must still make a living. Take Notker, the acclaimed playwright, actor and impresario. It seems that the empire needs him – or someone who looks a lot like him – for a role that will call for the performance of a lifetime. At least it will guarantee fame, fortune and immortality. If it doesn’t kill him first.

This is the true story of Aemilius Felix Boioannes the younger, the intended and unintended consequences of his life, the bad stuff he did on purpose and the good staff that happened in spite of him.

It is, in other words, the tale of a war to end all wars and the man responsible.

author : K. J. Parker

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Books : reviews

K. J. Parker.
Sixteen Ways to Defend a Walled City.
Orbit. 2019

K. J. Parker.
How To Rule An Empire and Get Away With It.
Orbit. 2020

K. J. Parker.
A Practical Guide to Conquering the World.
Orbit. 2021