A young man guards a concrete wall around Britain—and knows what waits if he fails.
Who drives the story
A young man serving his mandatory two years as a Defender on the Wall around Britain. He wants to survive his service; a breach puts him in a small boat on the sea he was guarding against.
A fellow Defender who becomes Kavanagh's partner on watch, and his closest bond on the Wall. When the Wall is breached, she is put to sea with him.
The officer who lays down the Wall's law: fail to stop an Other and you go to the boats. He is the voice of the system Kavanagh serves.
Fellow Defenders who make up the small society of Kavanagh's post. Their shared service shows what the Wall costs a whole generation.
How they are connected
A fellow Defender who becomes Kavanagh's partner on watch, and his closest bond on the Wall.
He is the voice of the system Kavanagh serves.
Hughes, Dao and PhelpsJoseph Kavanagh
Fellow Defenders who make up the small society of Kavanagh's post.
Go deeper
Borders and who they keep out · Climate inheritance · The arithmetic of survival · Us and the Others
Themes explainedThe full story act by act, the ending explained and a quick quiz.
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