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Fortified: The Legacy Chapters Book 1
Devora's perfect future shatters. Instead of attending Vlacklear Academy, she is sent to the Fortress-a prison holding murderers and thieves that make up the soldiers in His Majesty's Army. She fears it is the end of her.
Suppressing her forbidden Seeing abilities, Devora is thrust into the role of soldier, and must learn to defend herself while avoiding Warden Hazor and his ruthless right-hand man, Captain Blake.
When Devora's Seeing abilities are exposed, she's thrown into a tournament to win her right to live. She must turn to Captain Blake for help or be slaughtered like all the other Seers before her.
Suppressing her forbidden Seeing abilities, Devora is thrust into the role of soldier, and must learn to defend herself while avoiding Warden Hazor and his ruthless right-hand man, Captain Blake.
When Devora's Seeing abilities are exposed, she's thrown into a tournament to win her right to live. She must turn to Captain Blake for help or be slaughtered like all the other Seers before her.
383 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 31, 2025
14 people are currently reading
26 people want to read
About the author
V. Romas Burton
11 books162 followersV. Romas Burton grew up bouncing up and down the East Coast where she wrote her first story about magical ponies at age seven. Years later, after studying government and earning an M.A. in Theological Studies, V. Romas Burton realized something even bigger was calling out to her--stories that contained great adventures and encouraging messages. When she's not writing, she's taking care of her three rambunctious sons. You can find future updates and news on her website: www.vromasburton.com
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
October 14, 2025
Admittedly, Fortified started off a little slow. Admittedly, it has a few weak points that at first, I wasn't sure how to interpret. But overall, I have to say it is the most engrossing fantasy I have read in a while. It's certainly the most interesting yet still faithful take on a Bible story. I don't say either of those things lightly, so V. Romas Burton should be exceedingly proud.
The Biblical story of Deborah is engaging and fascinating in itself, such that congregations still study it and authors still write about it today. V. Romas took that foundation and, using what Scripture gave her, put the wise judge and prophetess Deborah in a lush, yet harsh, compelling yet sometimes repulsive, fantasy landscape. The spiritual element here is fairly subtle. Yet because of the fantasy environment, the "ancient" feel of the stakes and conflicts, that element permeates everything the characters do and their motives for doing it.
Speaking of those characters, V. Romas created an unforgettable cast. Here, Deborah is Devorah, and she's laudable but flawed. She's mature for her age; I often forgot she was only sixteen, which doesn't often happen for me in books like this. The leadership skills the Biblical Deborah possesses are alive in Devorah. But she's also naive, a little spoiled, and let's face it, a lot self-absorbed at first. What's good about that though, is how those qualities are used to help the reader see Devorah develop real compassion, wisdom, and foresight beyond her gift in real time, without being preachy.
I loved the other main and secondary characters, too. Again, all of them are multifaceted and 100% human. Captain Blake, for instance, hits that "sweet spot" between 100% tough, masculine soldier and romantic sweetheart--and then threw me for the best (and worst) kind of loops with a couple of character arc plot twists. Ida struck me as too sensitive at first, but I grew from worrying for her to understanding how strong she could actually be. I'd have loved to see more of both Hestia and Reese--and admit feeling a bit protective of Reese because like her, I've been mistaken for being rude or cruel when I'm doing my best to help. As for Nadia, I just plain loved her and all her ideas and inventions. She and Devorah had a great friendship throughout; plus, I loved Nadia's cheerfulness and sass. Also: Pixie Cut Girls Unite!
As noted, the setting of Fortified blew me away, too. For Devorah and the other girls' sake, I hated the Fortress as much as they did. However, V. Romas did a great job with bringing that "closed" world to life, letting readers experience how and why it worked as it did. This led to some particularly well-written scenes, such as Devorah and Captain Blake's training sessions, the tournament rounds, and more. Beyond that, I loved how settings like the Edo Desert felt both fantastical and ancient or Biblical at the same time.
The plot of Fortified kept my pages turning at a great clip. Again, I know Deborah's story, so I kind of knew where we were going in the long run. But as with the best familiar stories, the "getting there" kept me guessing. V. Romas' choice to mix fantasy and Biblical fiction gave her some great opportunities as far as how to chart Devorah's growth, map how training and battles would develop, and work in Devorah's spiritual growth and Seer gift. Fortified sparkles with plenty of "popping" scenes that deepen plot and character arcs, such as:
-The symbolism and journey of Devorah's sash
-The developing friendship, humor, and banter between the girls (I got some good giggles out of Blakesalot and Nadia calling Devorah's admirer "Mr. Pants.")
-Devorah's developing compassion for everyone around her, from the wolves to other prisoners
-As mentioned, all Nadia's inventions, and her story in general (great setup for the next book)
-Devorah's up and down relationship with Blake, which has some strong romance but is *not* your typical "love story"
I did wonder at times about some of the plot threads. For instance, I'm unsure what the purpose of the Behemoth was overall, although it did contribute to Devorah's growth. I also didn't really like the interruptions from Erza (or was it Ezra? I think it got spelled two ways). I understand why she was there and who she was supposed to be, but the placement of her arc was jarring. I wish another girl within the Fortress had that role instead. Also, I'm unsure why Tristan was included at all, except to be a throwaway annoyance. I mean, that's fine, but in the grand scheme of the story, I'm not sure he was needed.
Couple that with some grammatical and spelling errors, and I started to knock Fortified down to a 4. But there are too many wonderful elements here to do that, so consider this rating anything from a 4.5-4.8. No matter where it lands on your personal scale, I encourage you to read it, as it will fortify you both spiritually and mentally. I already can't wait to read the next book!
The Biblical story of Deborah is engaging and fascinating in itself, such that congregations still study it and authors still write about it today. V. Romas took that foundation and, using what Scripture gave her, put the wise judge and prophetess Deborah in a lush, yet harsh, compelling yet sometimes repulsive, fantasy landscape. The spiritual element here is fairly subtle. Yet because of the fantasy environment, the "ancient" feel of the stakes and conflicts, that element permeates everything the characters do and their motives for doing it.
Speaking of those characters, V. Romas created an unforgettable cast. Here, Deborah is Devorah, and she's laudable but flawed. She's mature for her age; I often forgot she was only sixteen, which doesn't often happen for me in books like this. The leadership skills the Biblical Deborah possesses are alive in Devorah. But she's also naive, a little spoiled, and let's face it, a lot self-absorbed at first. What's good about that though, is how those qualities are used to help the reader see Devorah develop real compassion, wisdom, and foresight beyond her gift in real time, without being preachy.
I loved the other main and secondary characters, too. Again, all of them are multifaceted and 100% human. Captain Blake, for instance, hits that "sweet spot" between 100% tough, masculine soldier and romantic sweetheart--and then threw me for the best (and worst) kind of loops with a couple of character arc plot twists. Ida struck me as too sensitive at first, but I grew from worrying for her to understanding how strong she could actually be. I'd have loved to see more of both Hestia and Reese--and admit feeling a bit protective of Reese because like her, I've been mistaken for being rude or cruel when I'm doing my best to help. As for Nadia, I just plain loved her and all her ideas and inventions. She and Devorah had a great friendship throughout; plus, I loved Nadia's cheerfulness and sass. Also: Pixie Cut Girls Unite!
As noted, the setting of Fortified blew me away, too. For Devorah and the other girls' sake, I hated the Fortress as much as they did. However, V. Romas did a great job with bringing that "closed" world to life, letting readers experience how and why it worked as it did. This led to some particularly well-written scenes, such as Devorah and Captain Blake's training sessions, the tournament rounds, and more. Beyond that, I loved how settings like the Edo Desert felt both fantastical and ancient or Biblical at the same time.
The plot of Fortified kept my pages turning at a great clip. Again, I know Deborah's story, so I kind of knew where we were going in the long run. But as with the best familiar stories, the "getting there" kept me guessing. V. Romas' choice to mix fantasy and Biblical fiction gave her some great opportunities as far as how to chart Devorah's growth, map how training and battles would develop, and work in Devorah's spiritual growth and Seer gift. Fortified sparkles with plenty of "popping" scenes that deepen plot and character arcs, such as:
-The symbolism and journey of Devorah's sash
-The developing friendship, humor, and banter between the girls (I got some good giggles out of Blakesalot and Nadia calling Devorah's admirer "Mr. Pants.")
-Devorah's developing compassion for everyone around her, from the wolves to other prisoners
-As mentioned, all Nadia's inventions, and her story in general (great setup for the next book)
-Devorah's up and down relationship with Blake, which has some strong romance but is *not* your typical "love story"
I did wonder at times about some of the plot threads. For instance, I'm unsure what the purpose of the Behemoth was overall, although it did contribute to Devorah's growth. I also didn't really like the interruptions from Erza (or was it Ezra? I think it got spelled two ways). I understand why she was there and who she was supposed to be, but the placement of her arc was jarring. I wish another girl within the Fortress had that role instead. Also, I'm unsure why Tristan was included at all, except to be a throwaway annoyance. I mean, that's fine, but in the grand scheme of the story, I'm not sure he was needed.
Couple that with some grammatical and spelling errors, and I started to knock Fortified down to a 4. But there are too many wonderful elements here to do that, so consider this rating anything from a 4.5-4.8. No matter where it lands on your personal scale, I encourage you to read it, as it will fortify you both spiritually and mentally. I already can't wait to read the next book!
December 14, 2025
I had a hard time getting into this book. I wanted to like it, but didn’t connect with the main character and found the plot a little slow.
I only read the first book of these series, and I have heard that many of the plot holes I found frustrating were later wrapped up or explained in later books. So there may be greater payoff for those mysteries later!
If I was able to give the whole series a try it may rate higher!
I only read the first book of these series, and I have heard that many of the plot holes I found frustrating were later wrapped up or explained in later books. So there may be greater payoff for those mysteries later!
If I was able to give the whole series a try it may rate higher!
January 9, 2026
Excellent!
I love this book! The characters were outstanding! I didn’t like FMC at first because she seemed prideful but that was the point. She humbled and became a better person and turned to God for help which I love. The Christian values in this book are delightful. I’m a Christian myself and it’s always fun to read a good story with inspirational values.
I love this book! The characters were outstanding! I didn’t like FMC at first because she seemed prideful but that was the point. She humbled and became a better person and turned to God for help which I love. The Christian values in this book are delightful. I’m a Christian myself and it’s always fun to read a good story with inspirational values.
October 22, 2025
I was hooked from the start! im heading into book 2 of the series and it takes all my might to put it down and go to sleep at night.
I love Devoras character build throughout this book. She adapts with her circumstances and comes out of her shell.
I love Devoras character build throughout this book. She adapts with her circumstances and comes out of her shell.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews