I’m very pleased today to welcome The BBNYA Semi-Finalist Spotlight Tour for Sam Clarke’s The Walls of Shimar! So, this book has made it to the semi-finals, so you know there’s something good going on–but before getting to this Spotlight, let’s start with a word about BBNYA.
BBNYA:
BBNYA is a yearly competition where book bloggers from all over the world read and score books written by indie authors, ending with 15 (17 in 2025) finalists and one overall winner.
If you want some more information about BBNYA, check out the BBNYA Website https://www.bbnya.com/ or take a peek over on Twitter @BBNYA_Official.
Book Details:
Title: The Walls of Shimar by Sam Clarke
Genre: Fantasy, Adventure, Romance
Age Category: Young Adult
Format: Paperback/Ebook
Length: 389 Pages
Publication Date: June 23, 2024
About the Book:
A smuggler with nothing left to lose. A noble girl with everything to hide.
Mylo Durand knows better than to trust anyone—especially not highborns. But when he and his partner Skye land on the wrong side of a ruthless crime boss, they’re given one impossible shot at survival: smuggle two high-ranking fugitives out of Traxia before the kingdom burns.
The catch? Their path is laced with checkpoints, traitors, and a stretch of sea no sane person dares cross—unless they’re desperate enough to make a deal with Phoenix Kijani, a young pirate captain known more for bloodshed than mercy.
Keeping their feelings in check is just as tricky. Especially when one of the highborns turns out to be nothing like Mylo expected: kind, clever, quietly brave… and promised to someone else.
With soldiers at their backs, secrets piling up, and every escape route laced with betrayal, Mylo is about to learn that survival in this high-stakes fantasy comes at a cost. Some debts are paid in coin. Others in loyalty, freedom—even your heart.
First in series
A Page Turner Awards Finalist
Book Links:
Amazon Canada ~ Amazon US ~ Amazon UK ~ Goodreads ~ The Story Graph
About the Author:
Sam Clarke is addicted to rock music, coffee, and Japanese manga. Her gardening skills are abysmal and she is rumoured to have killed a potted cactus. She currently lives in London with two cats, two kids, and one husband. Her first book, The Twelfth Ring (BBNYA semi-finalist) reached #1 in the Amazon Young Adult Thrillers charts. Her second book, The Templar Sword (a Page Turner Awards finalist, Wishing Shelf Awards finalist, BBNYA finalist, and Ink and Insights Judges’ Favourite) was released on 7 June 2022 and hit the #1 New Release spot on Amazon US a week later.
Her first fantasy novel, The Walls of Shimar (a Page Turner Awards finalist and BBNYA semi-finalist), was released in June 2024. The sequel will follow in November 2025.
Website ~ Twitter ~ Instagram ~ BlueSky
My thanks to The Book Bloggers’ Novel of the Year Award for the invitation to participate in this tour and the materials they provided.
