Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Unwilling | 2020 | Kelly Braffet | Buy |
| 2 | The Broken Tower | 2022 | Kelly Braffet | Buy |
The Barrier Lands opens with The Unwilling (2020), which introduces a city cut off from the outside world by a magical wall. The ruling family keeps the population contained and controlled, and the story follows several characters whose lives are shaped by that control. Kelly Braffet builds a world that feels both medieval and claustrophobic, with magic that costs as much as it gives.
The Broken Tower (2022) continues and expands the story, moving beyond the city walls and raising the stakes for all the major characters. The duology has been praised for its character work and for treating fantasy conventions with a literary sensibility that Braffet developed in her earlier fiction.