Inside These Walls

Beyond These Walls #20

by Michael Robertson

*** This book will be available before its current release date. ***

Inside These Walls is the twentieth book in the thrilling post-apocalyptic Beyond These Walls saga.

194 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 5, 2025

About the author

Michael Robertson is an author and blogger. He has had several short stories published, including one with HarperCollins. He is the author of Crash - http://michaelrobertson.co.uk/crash--...

You can connect with Michael on Twitter at @MicRobertson, Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/MichaelRober... and you can also contact him through his website at www.michaelrobertson.co.uk

Reviews

[Edwin · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ik wijk af van mijn gebruikelijke gewoonte om elk boek apart te recenseren. De serie 'Beyond These Walls' van Michael Robertson bestaat uit twintig delen. Echter, deze boeken voelen meer aan als lange hoofdstukken van één gigantisch post-apocalyptisch verhaal. Daarom zou het schrijven van een aparte review voor elk deel veel te veel werk zijn.

Voordat ik in de details duik, eerst dit: hoewel het verhaal sterk is, ben ik geen fan van het 'romantiek' element dat door de serie loopt.

De Kern van het Verhaal: Een Driedelige Evolutie
Het verhaal volgt een duidelijke, driedelige lijn: van lokaal overleven naar een grote revolutie.

1. De Start: Dienstplicht in Edin (Boek 1-3)
Het verhaal begint in de ommuurde stad Edin. Hier moeten de hoofdpersonages, waaronder Spike (later William) en Matilda, op hun achttiende verjaardag verplichte dienst vervullen. Namelijk, zes maanden buiten de muren vechten tegen de geïnfecteerde hordes. Slechts de helft van de rekruten overleeft dit. Spike wil 'Protector' worden om bij Matilda te blijven. Kortom, hun tijd buiten de muren confronteert hen met de brute realiteit en de wreedheid van het Edin-systeem.

2. De Reis Naar Vrijheid (Boek 4-12)
Na hun dienst laten Spike/William, Matilda en hun vrienden het corrupte Edin achter zich. Vervolgens trekken ze de vijandige wildernis in op zoek naar een veilige plek. De groep moet constant vechten tegen de geïnfecteerden en vijandige menselijke gemeenschappen. Denk aan gevaarlijke sekten ('Grandfather Jacks') en militaire nederzettingen. Hun reis is een zware strijd om te overleven en de waarheid over hun post-apocalyptische wereld te ontdekken. Uiteindelijk steken ze de riskante Muur over, in de hoop op een beter leven.

3. De Oorlog tegen het Regime (Boek 13-20)
Vanaf dit punt verschuift de focus van pure overleving naar een georganiseerde strijd tegen de onderdrukkende elite. De groep ontdekt dat de ware vijand niet de geïnfecteerden zijn, maar de bevoorrechte klasse in de laatste bastions van de oude wereld. Ze sluiten slimme bondgenootschappen. Bijvoorbeeld, met 'vampiers' en figuren zoals Eleanor, die van binnenuit wil toeslaan. De reis leidt naar De Shining City (De Glanzende Stad), het symbool van alle wreedheid.

Ten slotte, het twintigste deel (Inside These Walls) vormt de climax. Eleanor leidt een aanval van binnenuit terwijl het leger van William de stad omsingelt. Kortom, de hele serie draait om hun vastberadenheid om de wrede oude wereld te vernietigen.

Oordeel over Vertaling en Kwaliteit
Hoewel het verhaal leuk is, valt er veel op over de leesbaarheid. Ik vermoed sterk dat de tekst door AI is vertaald. Dit leidde vaak tot kromme en houterige zinnen door te letterlijke vertalingen.

Een ander storend element was het veelvuldig gebruik van 'Tenminste' aan het begin van zinnen. Dit verstoorde de leesflow ernstig.

Daarnaast een opmerking over de terminologie: de 'besmetten' worden steevast 'zieken' genoemd. Hoewel dit technisch klopt, komt het nogal cru over als de personages het hebben over het 'doden van zieken'.
Met het einde van dit boek blijven er nog veel vragen open. Zou de auteur van plan zijn om nog meer delen te schrijven?

[Ron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow what an incredible read. Full of tension and suspense from start to finish. Once again this series have come up trumps. Brilliant scene sets and wonderful action sequences. Definitely recommend this series

[Julie Powell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was certainly a brutal instalment in the series. There were two groups, one outside the walls, preparing for the onslaught, the other inside the walls, in disguise...

The descriptions brought forth the horror of the city commanded by the Steel Lady. I liked the way Eleanor's philosophy was tackled and the inner battles she fought. I also liked the interactions between the characters, each well-developed.

Well-written and fast-paced with plenty of action, yes, disturbing, but very well done and suitable for the story and genre.

Engaging from beginning to end.

Recommended.

[Lana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow the excitement levels run very high in this the 20th book of Beyond These Walls, as we now find our group split between those working with the vampires, and those inside the Shining City working with the rebels, to bring down the regime. A regime run by the Steel Lady whose avatars continuously bombard the citizens to brainwash them into supporting the regime, with her blue lights and crosses, and her masked face all over the place. Her drones and guards are her eyes and they watch everyone. Eleanor's and Ralph's group are discovering the many armaments and drones in their enemies possession, whilst William's and Matilda's group are saving as many people as they can from the tank. They are not trusted at all by the vampires, who blame them for bringing in the diseased, but Star convinces the others of his group to work with them. Whilst Isaac and his rebels finally confront Eleanor, and take her and the group to their hideout down in the catacombs. The clock is ticking to the countdown when the burning down of the city was to commence, but so many other factors have to be seen to prior to this. Can our groups manage to defeat the Steel Lady, can they cut off the head of the snake, who had so tyrannised them all including the slaves and the children she has been keeping prisoner all the while? I love that Eleanor who had such massive trust issues is finally realising that not all the people within the city are part of the regime, and that in the end they are all the same just stuggling to survive. However this book once again leaves us with a cliffhanger just when the end seems finally to be within reach, so I am eagerly waiting for book 21!

[John Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you’re like me and many thousands of other readers who are in to Zombies you’re going to love the Beyond These Walls series.

It’s not often that a Post apocalyptic Survival series comes out of the world of Indie writers that can grip a reader with full intensity but Micheal Robertson has put BTW up there with the best of them.

From the first moment you are introduced to the main teenage characters trapped in their walled city undergoing a hazardous national service to enable their city to survive……to their struggles to escape once the city is overrun and then strive to bring an end to an unjust regime in a diseased world that has turnt the majority of the population into mindless killing zombies, you are sent on an emotional whirlwind journey of action, suspense and unexpected twists that constantly leaves you exhausted and awaiting the next instalment.
It is a series that leaves you with the feeling that you are experiencing every moment as if you too are a part of the story…..having you laughing, crying, fighting and escaping those situations the group find themselves in.
Having had the benefit of binge reading all of the series to date, (having only discovered Michael’s work in the past few years), I have felt the full rollercoaster of emotions this series gives out and the adrenaline is still flowing as I await the release of Beyond These Walls, book 21……
So if you love Post Apocalyptic series, then BTW is for you. Join me and thousand of others in the fight to tear down the walls of the other walled cities and see what exactly is to offer Beyond These Walls.

[Dawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Brutal, vicious and engaging.

I got the first box set for 99p, then was shocked when I saw how many books there are in the series. But by that time I'd read the first few and wanted more. Sometimes the characters can be very annoying and as I read fast I kept finding a new character had been introduced. The bunch who went into national service in the first book still have some survivors all the way through right up to the end of book 20. There were a couple of times when a bit of swearing was quite jarring, in dialogue by the characters it's perfectly fine but I don't expect to find it in the narration of the story. I've read the books all the way from book 1 to book 20, but now find I need to wait around 8 months for book 21. By then I will have forgotten much of the story. Anyway, I've enjoyed it, reading until 4am some nights.

[Ami · Rating 5 out of 5]

As always, the very talented Michael Robertson has created a tense, action packed atmosphere for volume 20 of one of my favorite series, Beyond These Walls. The characters are pushed through some terrible trials and they are still, very much in a dangerous situation. I am anxiously waiting for the next book, enjoy!

Disclaimer: I received this ARC from the author and this is my honest and freely given opinion.

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, book twenty. Quite a journey to get here. Remember, this is a series, not a serial. I recommend you read the books in order as you rarely get told about what happened earlier in the storyline which makes it difficult to understand characters' motivations and such. Very few infected in this latest chapter, all the terror inflicted by humans. Warning, this book ends on a big cliffhanger. I received an advance review copy for free and am leaving this honest review voluntarily.

[Janice Duffy · Rating 5 out of 5]

brilliant

I want more…….these books are totally amazing and I cannot put them down, better second time around. Hurry with book 21 please

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic read. This series is definitely a labour of love for Michael Robertson. The detail he has put into this universe is incredible. One of my favourite series.

[Rachael Garth · Rating 5 out of 5]

omg

OMG I can’t wait for book 21 I can’t believe the story was left there can’t wait too see if they win or not let’s burn the city down lol