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The Wallkeeper Trilogy #1
Burden of Power
She’s not ready to rule. But when the king goes mad, she may not have a choice.
As the first female heir to the throne of Rahm, Ria is surrounded by skeptics. Her dazzling wit and easy confidence hide the truth: She really doesn’t know what she’s doing. But she’d better learn fast because her father’s volatile behavior is getting worse.
When the king gets embroiled in a power struggle with Merek, captain of the Wall Guard, Ria sees an opportunity. She proposes a tour of the damaged wall, giving her an excuse to prove herself by acting in her father’s stead.
But Merek doesn’t have time for Ria’s schemes. A criminal network has infiltrated a critical border city, and he resents being pulled from his post. Abandoning his investigation could lead to disaster.
Stubborn wills collide as Ria and Merek wrestle in a shifting balance of power. Only by learning to trust each other can they merge their strong personalities into a dynamic partnership. Will it be enough to save Ria when the threat to Rahm turns dangerously personal?
Burden of Power is the first in the gripping Wallkeeper trilogy by debut author, Caren Hahn. With rich layers of action, combat, political intrigue, and romantic suspense, you’ll be drawn into a medieval fantasy where characters come alive and keep you wondering about them long after you’ve read the last page. Immerse yourself in the world of Wallkeeper today!
As the first female heir to the throne of Rahm, Ria is surrounded by skeptics. Her dazzling wit and easy confidence hide the truth: She really doesn’t know what she’s doing. But she’d better learn fast because her father’s volatile behavior is getting worse.
When the king gets embroiled in a power struggle with Merek, captain of the Wall Guard, Ria sees an opportunity. She proposes a tour of the damaged wall, giving her an excuse to prove herself by acting in her father’s stead.
But Merek doesn’t have time for Ria’s schemes. A criminal network has infiltrated a critical border city, and he resents being pulled from his post. Abandoning his investigation could lead to disaster.
Stubborn wills collide as Ria and Merek wrestle in a shifting balance of power. Only by learning to trust each other can they merge their strong personalities into a dynamic partnership. Will it be enough to save Ria when the threat to Rahm turns dangerously personal?
Burden of Power is the first in the gripping Wallkeeper trilogy by debut author, Caren Hahn. With rich layers of action, combat, political intrigue, and romantic suspense, you’ll be drawn into a medieval fantasy where characters come alive and keep you wondering about them long after you’ve read the last page. Immerse yourself in the world of Wallkeeper today!
400 pages, Paperback
First published May 6, 2020
57 people are currently reading
205 people want to read
About the author
Caren Hahn
18 books230 followersCAREN HAHN is an award-winning fantasy and suspense author best known for the Owl Creek, small town suspense series, and Hatched, a dragon adventure series. She discovered at a young age that the only thing more thrilling than reading fictional adventures was writing them herself, though it took the disruption from a global pandemic before she was driven to share her stories with the world.
Caren has a passion for writing intense stories without explicit content so they can be enjoyed by a wide audience. She lives with her family in the Pacific Northwest.
Caren has a passion for writing intense stories without explicit content so they can be enjoyed by a wide audience. She lives with her family in the Pacific Northwest.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
June 24, 2020
I love how both male and female characters are equally interesting and compelling in this story. The world-building is cool, and the story is fast paced and exciting.
July 18, 2020
Ria has to inherit a powerful kingdom from her father. Because her father is becoming more volatile as the days go by - just as the crumbling walls which had been protecting their kingdom.
Her journey to survey the wall starts on the adventures in the book.
Mixed with politics, drama, some romance and plenty of action, the book was thoroughly enjoyable.
Her journey to survey the wall starts on the adventures in the book.
Mixed with politics, drama, some romance and plenty of action, the book was thoroughly enjoyable.
January 22, 2021
A fun surprise
My sister found Caren Hahn and I am so glad she did. I really loved the writing and characters. A fun clean fantasy type adventure. Looking forward to next in the series. Thank you for a great book. Highly recommended.
My sister found Caren Hahn and I am so glad she did. I really loved the writing and characters. A fun clean fantasy type adventure. Looking forward to next in the series. Thank you for a great book. Highly recommended.
December 30, 2024
I loved the world building, dialogue, and witty banter. Ria is quick-witted and sharp-tongued, and clever. I never wanted to be a princess when I was a little girl, but if this character had existed when I was young she is exactly what I would have wanted to be. Ria is not only strong-willed and independent, she’s also compassionate and cares deeply about the people and problems in her kingdom.
Caren Hahn is a masterful writer- she writes so vividly and relatable…y (is that a word? I think I have made it up) that I can build a clear picture in my mind and feel as though I can step right into the world she’s created. She writes such rich characters and settings - this book has interesting characters, drama, political intrigue, and slow-burn romance - a little bit of everything to delight fans of fantasy!
Caren Hahn is a masterful writer- she writes so vividly and relatable…y (is that a word? I think I have made it up) that I can build a clear picture in my mind and feel as though I can step right into the world she’s created. She writes such rich characters and settings - this book has interesting characters, drama, political intrigue, and slow-burn romance - a little bit of everything to delight fans of fantasy!
February 7, 2021
The Burden of Power is an Austenesque novel that toys with the intricacies of society in a fantasy setting. So, if you love novels of manners with a hint of swashbuckling, this story is definitely for you! (It even uses dancing as a valuable tool for communication and courtship!)
I stumbled across Caren Hahn's trilogy while hunting for indie reads last week and decided to give it a try. While it was a bit gentle for my taste in fiction, it was definitely worth the read. Hahn's use of language is elegant and thoughtful. It's easy to see that she took great care and dedication in writing this novel.
Although the plot was smooth with no glaring holes or consistency gaps, it was very predictable and the denouement was a bit slow. The ending felt a little soft--not exactly a cliffhanger, but not a resolved ending either--but happily, the first chapter of the sequel was included in the back!
For me, the characters felt a bit old fashioned, meaning they weren't the driving force of the story. Additionally, they fit rather snuggly into the cookie cutters of the genre. We have Ria, the dutiful princess who swoons at the sight of blood; Merek, the honorable captain, sworn to protect the princess; Rorden, the pretty boy; Biren, the loyal lady's maid; and Aiya, the parkour thief.
Additionally, I would have loved to see a tad more description in the setting. But wherever the setting fails, the dialogue shines, and Hahn certainly has a knack for believable dialogue!
Overall, I was entertained by Burden of Power, and I would definitely recommend it to readers who are interested in political fantasy with very little bloodshed or violence.
I was torn between a 3 and a 4 for this read, so I've decided to divide it evenly across Amazon and Goodreads. Amazon will get the 4, Goodreads, the 3.
I stumbled across Caren Hahn's trilogy while hunting for indie reads last week and decided to give it a try. While it was a bit gentle for my taste in fiction, it was definitely worth the read. Hahn's use of language is elegant and thoughtful. It's easy to see that she took great care and dedication in writing this novel.
Although the plot was smooth with no glaring holes or consistency gaps, it was very predictable and the denouement was a bit slow. The ending felt a little soft--not exactly a cliffhanger, but not a resolved ending either--but happily, the first chapter of the sequel was included in the back!
For me, the characters felt a bit old fashioned, meaning they weren't the driving force of the story. Additionally, they fit rather snuggly into the cookie cutters of the genre. We have Ria, the dutiful princess who swoons at the sight of blood; Merek, the honorable captain, sworn to protect the princess; Rorden, the pretty boy; Biren, the loyal lady's maid; and Aiya, the parkour thief.
Additionally, I would have loved to see a tad more description in the setting. But wherever the setting fails, the dialogue shines, and Hahn certainly has a knack for believable dialogue!
Overall, I was entertained by Burden of Power, and I would definitely recommend it to readers who are interested in political fantasy with very little bloodshed or violence.
I was torn between a 3 and a 4 for this read, so I've decided to divide it evenly across Amazon and Goodreads. Amazon will get the 4, Goodreads, the 3.
June 25, 2020
Wow! This book was a great read. I am glad the next one is out now. I have to know how it progresses. I hope the last book of the series will be out soon!
June 17, 2020
I enjoyed Caren Hahn's book, Burden of Power. Set in a prosperous kingdom, the great wall that surrounds it is crumbling. The king, like the wall, is crumbling and his only child and heir, Honoria, is aware of it. She needs to gain her own confidence as the future ruler, as well as that of the king's supporters and her people.
Embarking on a journey to survey the wall, Honoria meets with adventure and treachery and clashes with her aloof protector, Captain Merek Strong.
The story really grabbed me around chapter 5. After that, I couldn't put it down and look forward to reading the next book in the series.
Embarking on a journey to survey the wall, Honoria meets with adventure and treachery and clashes with her aloof protector, Captain Merek Strong.
The story really grabbed me around chapter 5. After that, I couldn't put it down and look forward to reading the next book in the series.
May 31, 2020
Great read, engaging on many levels! I can't wait to read the next one!
February 27, 2021
Loved the relationships in this one. Aiya is probably my favorite character. I kind of want to be her when I grow up.
Definitely ready for more.
Definitely ready for more.
Read
December 24, 2020This novel is set in a secondary medieval-ish world with a nice mix of societies and intercultural tensions. I note it's categorised as fantasy, although so far I haven't noticed any overt fantasy elements such as magic or varied intelligent species.
The prose was very tidy, although I sometimes wasn't clear which character's thoughts we were following. Individual characters were distinctive. Aiya, a character with a moderate amount of page time, seemed to be the most active character in making and implementing her own decisions.
There were a couple of things I didn't manage to latch on to which held me back from deeper immersion. Early on, I had somehow got the impression that Merek was the same age as Ria's father (who probably felt older than his real age because of his affliction). That made quite a few of the Merek/Ria interactions feel odd. Additionally, I never got to grips with the different locations and where they were relative to each other. Because of that, I couldn't appreciate whether the journey between X and Y was trivial or a major burden, and whether it ought to be a source of tension.
As for the plot, the novel is labelled as the first in a trilogy. There are signs of a wider situation, which will presumably be addressed in later books. I would have liked to see more of the issues developed and resolved in this book: it felt more of of a set up than a full story in its own right.
In summary, an easy-to-read series introduction, with more focus on political backdrop than direct action.
The prose was very tidy, although I sometimes wasn't clear which character's thoughts we were following. Individual characters were distinctive. Aiya, a character with a moderate amount of page time, seemed to be the most active character in making and implementing her own decisions.
There were a couple of things I didn't manage to latch on to which held me back from deeper immersion. Early on, I had somehow got the impression that Merek was the same age as Ria's father (who probably felt older than his real age because of his affliction). That made quite a few of the Merek/Ria interactions feel odd. Additionally, I never got to grips with the different locations and where they were relative to each other. Because of that, I couldn't appreciate whether the journey between X and Y was trivial or a major burden, and whether it ought to be a source of tension.
As for the plot, the novel is labelled as the first in a trilogy. There are signs of a wider situation, which will presumably be addressed in later books. I would have liked to see more of the issues developed and resolved in this book: it felt more of of a set up than a full story in its own right.
In summary, an easy-to-read series introduction, with more focus on political backdrop than direct action.
September 2, 2023
This book had a slow start but boy did it get my heart racing when I started turning the pages! I couldn’t read fast enough and I found myself looking at my clock and seeing that it was 3:00 am most of the nights and I still didn’t want to put it down! That goes for the whole Wallkeeper Trilogy!! I was immersed in the story as if I was there and while I was reading my mind fantasizing me being there. That’s what a good author does! Great job Caren Hahn!! I’m hoping that you will be writing more about Ria, Merek, Aiya and Dan!! Thank you for letting me escape from reality and into a world where I (for most part) (no spoilers) want to be!!
May 28, 2025
I really enjoyed this. The author has a gift for including small mundane details that make the characters and world feel very real.
The romance is probably slower than I've ever read, but mostly I actually enjoyed that. Overal, its definitely a slower paced book, but not necessarily in a bad way. I kept looking forward to my reading time each day.
I would've liked the pacing in a way that didn't leave me feeling like the end was a sudden, unsatisfying cliffhanger.
Content warnings
Coarse language: none
Violence & gore: mild-moderate violence, no gore
Sexual content: none
looking forward to book 2
The romance is probably slower than I've ever read, but mostly I actually enjoyed that. Overal, its definitely a slower paced book, but not necessarily in a bad way. I kept looking forward to my reading time each day.
I would've liked the pacing in a way that didn't leave me feeling like the end was a sudden, unsatisfying cliffhanger.
Content warnings
Coarse language: none
Violence & gore: mild-moderate violence, no gore
Sexual content: none
looking forward to book 2
September 1, 2025
So few things to write about - it does have a slow start but that’s due to the type of writing style this author has. They seem to like to jump perspectives and have multiple plot points that all tie together in the end. It’s almost like reading a tv show, where you have multiple protagonists with multiple arcs happening and conflicts occurring simultaneously. Towards the end of the book you really can’t put it down, and for the book being about traveling and what should be a boring storyline, it is actually very entertaining, well thought, and well written. I can’t wait to continue reading the rest of the story.
August 1, 2024
This story was amazing! It was low spice, & had some violence, but that was tastefully handled.
It was a medieval fantasy style retelling of King Thrushbeard with hints of King Lear, and had a whole lot of adventure and trials to overcome. The book did end with a cliffhanger, so I’m definitely going to read the rest of the series! Trigger warning: there was war, attempted and realized kidnapping, and mention of abuse.
It was a medieval fantasy style retelling of King Thrushbeard with hints of King Lear, and had a whole lot of adventure and trials to overcome. The book did end with a cliffhanger, so I’m definitely going to read the rest of the series! Trigger warning: there was war, attempted and realized kidnapping, and mention of abuse.
July 4, 2024
I had a hard time getting into this one… it took quite a while before I began to appreciate the creative character development and different settings. Knowing it was already a trilogy helped…. I am looking forward to seeing what happens to these unique characters as they face new challenges in the next book.
January 30, 2024
What a story!
It was intriguing, exciting and well written. I could hardly pu it down. I'm looking forward to the next book.
It was intriguing, exciting and well written. I could hardly pu it down. I'm looking forward to the next book.
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews