Protectors

Beyond These Walls #1

by Michael Robertson

For many, surviving national service is the prize, but for Spike, it’s only the beginning. He needs more freedom than is given to the average citizen in Edin. He needs to win the next protectors' apprenticeship. Without it, he can't be with Matilda. And what is a life, no matter how safe, without love?

Spike Johnson has enjoyed the freedom and safety of a youth living in Edin. The diseased hordes outside the city’s walls might as well be on the other side of the planet. He spends as much time as he can with his best friend, and the girl he loves, Matilda. But all of that’s about to change. Tomorrow, Spike turns eighteen. In two days' time, he has to go on national service and fight in the war against the diseased for six months. Only half the cadets come back alive. But he needs to do more than survive.

Matilda is due to go on national service at the same time. Faced with the prospect of losing her life and her love, she also has to leave behind a little brother who needs her. A lot can go wrong in the six months she’ll be away for.

For the average citizen, national service marks the end of freedom. For those who survive, their life becomes one confined to their home district. They work in their district, live in their district, and fall in love with someone from their district. Matilda is from a different district to Spike. Falling for someone from another district is the pursuit of protectors, politicians, and fools.

Spike isn’t a fool and has no desire of becoming a politician. His only route to freedom is to win the next protectors’ apprenticeship. With just one cadet from every national service cycle being picked for the program, Spike is going to have to be better than all of those around him to stand a chance. Without it, he can't be with Matilda. Without Matilda, he has nothing. And with Matilda needing to get back to her brother as soon as she can, she can't increase their chances of success by fighting for the apprenticeship too.

The battle for Spike's and Matilda's future happiness rests squarely on his shoulders. But before they get to that, they both need to make sure they survive ...

Protectors is the first gripping book in the Beyond These Walls post-apocalyptic series. If you like breath-taking action with high-stakes, and characters who risk everything for freedom, then you’ll love Michael Robertson’s thrilling novel!!!

Genres: Zombies, Horror, Post Apocalyptic, Fiction, Dystopia, Science Fiction, Audiobook

272 pages, Paperback

First published September 11, 2018

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

[Ahw · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm trying to be fair with this book.
I got all 6 books at once and I'm on about the 5th one.
In total. It sucks.
But this is a review of book one. By the end of book one I kind of wanted to see what was in store.
I wanted to know what "National Service" was.
For book one it was just some ominous threat hanging over our characters. It made me curious.
The whole world building made me curious.

I didn't really like the central romance of the book. Spike and Matilda have no real chemistry. Spike seems to be an uncaring jerk. Matildia is superlative, flawless and beautiful. It's like the author didn't want to be accused of sexism so he made her awesome. But he also wanted his male protagonist to be awesome ... but he also wanted to make certain his female lead was even better than the male lead, except the male lead had to be awesome too...

But book one really made me curious about the rest of this zombie apocalypse world...
To sum up ... it isn't worth it. It's pretty stupid. The authors world doesn't make sense and you keep being confronted with that.
The entirety of human civilization is in a town of 10,000 living in grave poverty.
Yet there are hundreds and hundreds of citizens devoted to the task of generic "guard" plus their defense against the zombie hoard.
HALF of their teenage population dies off every year yet most families have one or two children.... That math doesn't work.
Parents (who are noteworthy in their desire to help their children survive into adulthood. NEVER tell their kids anything about National Service that might help them survive the ordeal.)
They lack the technology to build two story buildings. Get that? They are so poor that they can't build a two story building ..... But ... the main character takes a shower every day. Not a public bath (note the Romans built multi story buildings) But a SHOWER .... which requires plumbing and running water.
They also have MULTIPLE structures with LARGE plate glass windows .... and they can't build a two story building.

The world makes no sense.
The villains have two traits: they are omnipotently capable of thwarting our hero's at every turn .... and they are incompetent ignoramuses driven by ill conceived passions of the moment ... but I'm really reviewing book two here.

Ultimately I just wish someone had told me not to read the book.

[D.S. Mac · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another 5* for Michael Robertson 👌

The start of another series and its just as brilliant!

"You might have to watch someone die to save yourself, and the chances are you know that person well because you’ve shared a dorm with them for however long you’ve been there."

A world riddled with zombies and a community hidden behind walls. Every teenager has to do national service which involves training to fight zombies, so that they can venture outside the walls to kill zombies, repair and extend the community.

Spike is enlisted with his best friend and love Matilda and their journey just begins.

Again beautifully written, great cast if characters and every page as gripping as the last.

[Meenaz Lodhi · Rating 5 out of 5]

“So much is forbidden, I wonder if these walls keep them out or us in.”
At first, I thought this was another post apocalyptic zombie, Wow! Was I wonderfully surprised!
The story building hooked me from the beginning, plot unraveling smoothly, with all the emotional byplay known to humans, the arrogance of teens, the life within the walls, the outside wall unknown to the citizens, the strange and harsh laws, the purpose behind the Protectors, the intrigue and mystery the government is hiding... a truly engaging and engrossing book, difficult to put down! Such is the realism with the characters and their lives, this story draws you in and holds your attention as you want to know what the final outcome will be. Not one of your typical post apocalyptic plot. The result is one of the best stories in this genre that I've yet come across. I definitely recommend this starter of a great, original and outstanding series.
I am voluntarily giving a review of an advance copy I received from the author.

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fun YA book. The teenage love is poorly written. The rest is good.

[Lauren · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is very much a YA book which I didn’t know before reading so that might be why I didn’t enjoy it. But the main reason for giving this 1 star is the contrived info dumping, especially about how Edin is run and how the zombies work and how the infection takes hold. I know this information is needed but it just felt very awkward, especially as Spike says this whilst speaking to Matilda, as though Matilda wouldn’t already know this basic information.

The relationship between Spike and Matilda is also poorly written. We are told again and again that they are in love but it’s not shown at all. We are supposed to believe this star crossed lovers trope without actually seeing why they love each.

The only positive thing is when Spike realises he isn’t as good as he thinks he is so his ego gets a good check!

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Title: Protectors
Author: Michael Robertson
Publisher: Michael Robertson
ISBN: B07H97RXT
Buy Link: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07...
Reviewer: Teresa Fallen Angel
Blurb:
Beyond These Walls 1

An impossible challenge, an unbeatable rival, and a horde of diseased killers stand between him and the girl he loves …

In the walled city of Edin, Spike's carefree childhood has always had an end date. His protection from the wasteland of death on the outside is about to change on his 18th birthday. But while only half of the cadets survive their mandatory time on national service, Spike's goal goes far beyond making it out alive. He's betting everything on being chosen as the top candidate, rising to the role of Protector, and securing a spot beside his beautiful best friend …

The only thing Matilda wants more than Spike's success is to keep her family safe. But as she shows support for the boy she loves, she wishes national service didn't force her to leave her vulnerable brother behind. Matilda understands that Edin's rules will only let her and Spike be together if he becomes the next Protector, but when a devious rival decimates his odds, she doubts both their gamble and her feelings…

To become the last cadet standing, Spike must learn to kill the diseased, control his emotions, and become the best in a sea of worthier candidates. Will Matilda and Spike achieve the impossible beyond the city walls, or will they join the growing pile of corpses on the outside?

Total Score: 5/5

Summary:

Spike has one goal in life: to become a protector so he will have the freedom to marry Tilly. You so in the walled city of Edin your occupation and life is predetermined by where you live and what your parents do. The only chance of changing that is to fight for the coveted position of Protector. But before that you have to complete a mandatory period in the national service. No one talks about it and Spike figures it can’t be that bad. That is until he and Tilly are about to leave and the begin to realize that it is much worse than they imagined. The city of Edin is walled in to keep them safe from the infected people that live outside.

This was an incredible ride form the start. This dystopian future where zombie like individuals can infect anyone they bite was frightening. Experiencing the heartache, danger, and overwhelming odds that everyone forced to endure the national service was incredible. Spike and Tiily’s feelings for each other were put to the test as their world changed into one they never imagined possible. Tilly’s love for her little brother was another factor driving her to find a way to survive so she could return home. Spike always imagined his strength would save him only to find out that to survive he would need belief in himself and others to stay alive. Their struggle has only begun and I for one can’t wait to see what happens next.

[Lana · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book in the series, Beyond these Walls by Michael Robertson and it is called Protectors. It is a post-apocalyptic survival thriller set in a city which is enclosed by thick and high walls and massive gates keeping all the citizens enclosed. The city is divided into sectors according to the work the people produced and the people of each sector were not allowed to marry or love outside their own sector. Spike and Matilda are the two main characters in the book and they come from different sectors and are best friends and in love. They are approaching the birthday which forces them to enrol in the national service as cadets and though Spike is very brash about this Tilly is terrified for a number of reasons. Outside the walls of the city are the diseased, these attack anyone who crosses the boundary and infects them with one bite. The protectors are those chosen to defend the city from these diseased and are claimed as heroes of the city and Spike aims to become a protector as this is the only way he sees which allows him to be with Tilly and have freedom of movement. He does not want to live his life as his parents did in the agricultural sector, yet when the day comes to join the national service he starts off on the wrong foot immediately and things look dire from thereon! This book is a thrilling read from start to finish, however there were a few lessons that Spike learnt on the way like trust and hope and faith and standing by one another rather than fighting alone which give us hope for the next book! Can Spike and Matilda fight such an oppressive society and live the life they envision together?
Title: A sit on the edge of the seat thriller from start to finish!

[David · Rating 1 out of 5]

Overall
Do Not Read
The book is too slow and repetitive. I didn’t like Spike and Matilda was alright. The training was good but the character that was introduce are underdeveloped. The plot doesn’t make much sense and the love story doesn’t work.

Review
I felt like this story was taking elements of the Hunger Games and Attack on Titan and trying to bring them together. Spike and Matilda so called love story does work because they’re not really in love. Their relationship is simple she has someone to lean on because she comes from a broken home and he is happy because she listens to him ramble about being a famous protector. Also, Spike not shutting up about being a famous protector was a dead give away that we was going to do horrible during training.
The first 100 pages are a waste of time. Its them repeating the same thing over and over. I want to be with you, I want to be a famous protector, I worry about my brother, tomorrow we go into national service. Honestly this part could have been done in less pages and focus more on developing Spike and Matilda.
The idea of National Service is dumb. There is a 50% death rate at minimal for those 18-year-olds who service. Why, simple because they get one month of training and their thrown into the meat grinder. For a book that keeps going on and on about how the population is grown; how can it if national service takes half? The protectors themselves seemed to be barbarians on steroids who can kill 12 zombies with a single swing of their sword. How about an actual army with swords and shields, that would make so much more sense.
Only having a hand full of teenagers build a way is a slow process. There should only be three jobs. Those who grow food, build the wall, fight zombies.

[Petrina Binney · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Only fools in this city fell in love with people from other districts. Protectors, politicians, and fools."

In a future beyond the use of fossil fuels, Spike, almost eighteen, in love with Matilda who lives in the ceramics district, and both of them bound for their daunting six-month national service, dreams of becoming the protectors’ apprentice.

In the walled city of Edin, a place of predominantly single-storey dwellings, the population has swollen and the town must expand its boundaries if it is to accommodate its citizens. But the bloody-eyed diseased lurk beyond the walls. And though they look frail, they are fast, strong and have a lust for human flesh, as those who’ve been ejected from Edin could attest - had they not been ripped apart in minutes.

To become a protector, with the freedom to date outside his district and to avoid following in his farmer father’s footsteps, Spoke must lose his cockiness, get through his national service (only half of those who enter get out alive), and then go on for further training against the things outside the walls. But can Spike survive when his confidence is shaken? Will Matilda still love him in the face of his panic and the sneering superiority of protector’s son, Ranger?

Although there was some repetition of particular phrases in the narrative, the one at the beginning of this review is a good example of that, I only noticed it because I read this book so fast. So well-written, I couldn’t put it down, the characters and the terror were clearly conveyed. There’s an awful lot to like in this book.

[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.

[Charlotte · Rating 2 out of 5]

A post apocalyptic nightmare Inducing horror ?
Not my usual read, in my ongoing quest to expand my literature genres I picked this up, unfortunately it's written as a serial so if you want to learn how this plays out you're gonna have to buy all ten of the books, I on the other hand will not be.
It's taken a week to read this as I've had to take bite size sections then inhale lightheaded romance in-between to stop the nightmares. Considering the events of the real world in recent years this is a little closer to reality than I like my reading.
A strange virus is turning people into ravous Zombies? Monsters? Mutants? Could humanity have done this to themselves ? Something is going on with the residents of Edin is the wall surrounding them keeping them safe or is the expansion of the wall a way of the government to keep the population levels at bay ?
Nothing is answered in this book just more questions I don't need a HEA ending but this is going to stay with me for a while

[Fleur · Rating 4 out of 5]

Spike and Matilda lie in a walled in city that keeps the monsters out but also segregates everyone to their own areas not wanting anyone to to mix with any other area. Spike lives in a different part of the city to Matilda but that doesn't stop them getting to know one another while they are young and able to move freely however things are changing and we see what can happen when you are restricted for too long, Matilda has had enough and Spike is seeing what she can really be like when pushed into a corner, she doesn't want to do national service and to be fair why would you when only about 50% of the people that do it never come back or come back as a shell of what they once were after seeing and doing things outside of the walls. This is a fantastic read, the characters are great and you really get to know them and the foundation being built through out the book means you are hooked and wanting the next book to see what happens next!

[Cameron Addie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have mixed feelings for this book. I know I probably couldn’t do better, but I felt that the writing was a bit… childish? Could’ve been better? Idk.

Spike was annoying at first, but got better near the end. Probably 70-80% into the book. Once he realized he wasn’t some badass and had to overcome his panic attacks when he saw the zombies.

But, he’s an 18y/o boy so his personality is fair.

The world of the novel is interesting. I am a fan of attack on titan and zombies so I think the reason I am giving it a 3 and not a 2 star review is because I do want to at least read the next book to see if it improves.

I feel like the next in the series will be more action. This first book felt like it was setting the lore of the world and it was a good introduction for what is to come.

3/5.

[Edwin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Om maar gelijk met de deur in huis te vallen; ik ben geen fan van de 'romantiek' in dit boek. Er zat echt geen chemie in de relatie tussen Spike en Matilda. Spike lijkt een onverschillige idioot. Matilda is superlatief, onberispelijk en prachtig. Het is alsof de auteur niet van seksisme beschuldigd wilde worden, dus maakte hij haar geweldig. Maar ook de mannelijke hoofdrolspeler moest geweldig zijn... maar hij wilde er ook zeker van zijn dat zijn vrouwelijke hoofdpersoon nog beter zou zijn dan de mannelijke hoofdpersoon, behalve dat de mannelijke hoofdpersoon ook geweldig moest zijn... Kortom, ze waren beide TE perfect.

Het verhaal speelt zich af in een ommuurde stad ergens in de toekomst. De stad is onderverdeeld in diverse wijken gebaseerd op het type werk dat er gedaan wordt. De volwassen inwoners van de wijken mogen niet buiten hun eigen wijk komen. Spike en Matilda komen uit verschillende sectoren en zijn de beste vrienden van elkaar. En verliefd. Dan komt de dag dat ze beide in de 'Nationale Dienst' moeten. Spike is hier heel erg open in en ziet zich zelf al als een van de nieuwe Beschermers van de stad. Tilly (Matilda) is om verschillende redenen doodsbang.
Buiten de muren die de stad beschermen leven duizenden besmetten. Zij vallen iedereen aan die zich buiten de stadsmuur waagt, en geven met een beet de besmetting door. De Protectors zijn mensen die er voor gekozen hebben om de stad en inwoners te beschermen tegen deze besmetten. Spike en Matilda hopen ooit een van de Protectors te worden. Spike maakt een verkeerde start in de 'Nationale Dienst'

Een aardig verhaal, waarbij me opviel dat de tekst waarschijnlijk door A.I. is vertaald, of anders door iemand die nog niet veel kennis had van vertalen. Vaak werden zinnen een op een vertaald, waardoor er dus kromme zinnen ontstaan. Ook viel mij op dat er ontzettend vaak begonnen werd met 'Tenminste' of 'Ten minste'

Ps. De besmetten werden vaak aangeduid als zieken, iets wat misschien technisch wel klopt, maar nogal cru overkomt als ze 'zieken gaan doden'.

[DaNela · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a nice change of pace from the typical zombie action thriller series that I rotate into my reading list. It starts long after an outbreak occurs and tells the story of a city who has managed to survive the virus by creating a large wall. They have developed an interesting system to keep citizens safe-or subdued...is the government nefarious or do they really have your best interests in mind? This question alone will have me coming back to this series for book #2! I don't want to give away any spoilers, but just want to say that it was a great story that had characters that were believable and likable. I received this book as a free advanced copy from the author with no obligation to leave a review.

[Michael Murphy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was given a free review copy by the author in exchange for an honest review. This is a coming-of-age story in a dystopian setting with a growing city in need of expansion, with good guys and bad guys all presented very believably. As the boys and girls reach their 18th birthday, they’re conscripted for a year to expand the city’s territory by building new outer walls in the outside world, which is inhabited by diseased people (zombies). Life expectancy among the conscripts is below 50% and the diseased population seems to be increasing, but no facts have yet been given as to why. This story has a lot of action and keeps the reader’s attention. It is a very good start to a series, one which I intend to read completely.

[Ami · Rating 4 out of 5]

This dystopian tale is centered on two young people in love but their love is not what the book focuses on. Rather, it looks at the trauma of the required "national service", forced separation of the worker classes and the determination it takes to grow from a self-centered, know-everything teenager into a caring, giving young adult. There are several heart-thumping, nerve-shattering, action-filled first book in this series and I am looking forward to book 2. I enjoyed the book very much and hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book and this is my honest and freely given review.

[Gentry Black · Rating 2 out of 5]

As far as the first book is concerned I would give it four stars. The lead protagonist William is a very likable character he wants to be a protector a hero. William is growing into his own throughout the first few books but as a series progresses William turns into a semp makes choices that are completely against his normal character and new people start taking the lead which makes no sense. All of the new leaders are female. I just don't understand why you would destroy the likable main character throughout the whole series. I have made it to book 16 and I am getting more and more disgusted by The authors obvious phasing out of our main protagonist.

[Carrie · Rating 3 out of 5]

So I’m just not sure about this book. The concept is compelling for sure but the characters are pretty unlikable, I don’t feel attached to any of them. The writing is also really weak, so many times the author repeats themselves which is really jarring and it’s just generally quite flat. Also let’s be honest, basically nothing happens in this book. It doesn’t need to be a 6 book series because this should just be the first half of a book! It doesn’t even end on a cliffhanger to make me want to read book 2. So at this point, I’m not sure if I’m going to give book 2 a try. On the one hand, I am curious to see if it gets better, on the other… I’m kind of bored.

[Julia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a thrilling page turner set in a city clinging to life some untold number of years after a zombie apocalypse. The day after Spike’s 18th birthday he is sent to national service - 6 months outside the walls pf the city, fighting the undead and shoring up its defenses. Only half make it home and Spike is determined to best the odds.

The tension in this book is unbeatable and even training scenes are made entertaining. The diseased are absolutely gruesome.

I’m still left with more questions than answers and hope the following books satisfy them. How was the city made? How long has it been since the initial outbreak?

[Ron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spike and Matilda live in edin a city surrounded by a huge wall to protect them from the diseased human zombie types who roam the outside. They are both approaching there eighteenth birthday when they are due to do national service. Where they will help extend the wall a fight the diseased. Spike and Matilda live in separate zones of the city and only way they can be together is for one of them to be the next apprentice protector. But first they must survive national service this is the first book in what promises to be a great series

[David Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Protectors is a Post-Apocalyptical love story filled with action set in the walled city of Edin. This is one of those books that you need to commit a few hours to – because once the action starts this story is like riding a roller coaster filled with turns and unforeseen drops in the tracks. Protectors sets the stage for what should be a very interesting series by providing more questions than answers to the walled city and Spike and Tilley’s relationship and upcoming national service outside the protection of the walls with the diseased.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

At first I thought that this was a dystopian/post apocalyptic book.....NO! It has zombies/infected too~so Michael Robertson has married two of my favourite genres in one book. If you read the Alpha Plague series by him, then you will love this book.

There are shockers in this book, characters who you will root for and others who you may dislike. I will not go into the storyline and spoil it for you...read this book it’s fantastic and superb. I cannot wait for book two in this new series.....it is going to be awesome. Enjoy.

[Alan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy of the book to review. While Zombie stories are not my preference, this book has me desperately wanting to read the rest of the series. The book follows the story of William “Spike” and Matilda, two 18 year olds in love, but facing a future in the national service fighting the diseased. A story of love, courage, and overcoming personal fears. Michael’s descriptive writing style is always a delight to read. Highly recommended to all readers of dystopian novels and especially to those who want to be introduced to the genre. Also, well suited as a teen read.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

A excellent opening book in the series.filled with well drawn characters.this is the story of William and Matilda or better yet spike and Tilly.life for them inside the walls of a protected walled city is good but they dream of a better life.one filled with freedom and choice.however to achieve this as they come of age this must enter in to national service.which will teach them survival beyond the walls that they live behind.the zombies are out there and like it or not they must be dealt with with the survival and we'll being of all!

[Janis · Rating 4 out of 5]

The world ended and the survivors have forgotten what the past was like, there is only NOW. And now includes National Service - which no one wants to talk about. How are you supposed to survive if no one will talk about it. It is something to be endured. If 50 go out, how many will come back? who knows? There should be a standing army against the diseased not children trying to do their best for their community. It needs to stop, will these be the last children sent for National Service? Will they survive to go back to their families?

[Sara Wilson · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was SO boring. I struggled so hard just to get through it. I kept reading because I feel like the problem is partially me. I'm in a reading slump because of life so that could be why it's not holding my interest- but to be fair, there have been other books that I am not able to put down when I go through this, so I don't think that is the case. The characters are boring. The story is lack luster. Basically, it has felt like little to nothing has happened. I'm going to continue with the series just to give it a full fair shot, but I'm not excited to keep reading.

[Nicci · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really did enjoy this book. Although I found that the world building is not the best I've encountered in a post apocalyptic or zombie novel, it was a quick read and easy to follow. The characters do feel a little one dimensional at times, and the romance between William and Matilda is disappointingly flat.

[Jenny Coyne · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is the first book in the series. For a dystopian book about zombies, it was pretty slow. It's basically an introductory book to help you get to know the characters. I usually finish a book this size in one sitting. This book was very easy to put down and take breaks from. I'm hoping things pick up with the next book and I can give it a more favorable review.

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was an enjoyable experience overall. The world-building was intriguing, and I appreciated the concept behind the story. The characters had potential, and there were moments where the plot really captured my attention.

However, at times, the pacing felt a bit uneven, and some sections seemed a bit slower than others. While the writing style was clear, I found myself starting to mentally wander a bit which usually only happens when a story is a slow burn for me. That said, it was still an interesting read, and I think it could appeal to fans of this style of reading that enjoy a slow burn build-up into a series.

Overall, while it didn’t completely blow me away, Protectors is a solid start to the series, and I’m curious to see where the next book in the series goes.