Age of Assassins

by RJ Barker

Overview

A young apprentice to an assassin becomes embroiled in a conspiracy that could destroy a kingdom in a brilliant epic fantasy debut by David Gemmell Award-nominated author RJ Barker

To catch an assassin, use an assassin...

Girton Club-foot has no family, a crippled leg, and is apprenticed to the best assassin in the land. He's learning the art of taking lives, but his latest mission tasks him with a far more difficult challenge: to save a life.

Someone is trying to kill the heir to the throne, and it is up to Girton to uncover the traitor and prevent the prince's murder.

In a kingdom on the brink of civil war and a castle thick with lies, Girton finds friends he never expected, responsibilities he never wanted, and a conspiracy that could destroy an entire kingdom.

Praise for The Wounded Kingdom: 

"Dead gods, dread magic, and a lead that feels like a breath of fresh air. Great fun."―Peter Newman, author of The Vagrant

"Often poignant and always intriguing, Age of Assassins reveals its mysteries with the style of a magic show and the artful grace of a gifted storyteller."―Nicholas Eames, author of Kings of the Wild

"The most interesting treatment of the fantasy assassin trope in a while, and an involving narrative in its own right."―RT Book Reviews

The Wounded Kingdom
Age of Assassins
Blood of Assassins
King of Assassins

For more from RJ Barker, check out:

The Tide Child Trilogy
The Bone Ships
Call of the Bone Ships

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780316466493
Publisher:	Orbit
Publication date:	08/01/2017
Series:	The Wounded Kingdom , #1
Pages:	432
Sales rank:	171,288
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 7.60(h) x 1.20(d)

About the Author

RJ Barker is a softly-spoken Yorkshireman with flowing locks. He lives in the frozen north with his wife and son, and divides his time between writing and looking after his son.

Editorial Reviews

06/26/2017
In Barker’s uneven epic fantasy debut, a disabled teen hero faces down mighty adversaries. Girton the Club-Foot was enslaved as a child; since being rescued, he’s become an apprentice assassin roaming the cursed land to distribute deadly justice. To sniff out a killer targeting the heir to the throne, Girton disguises himself as a son of a lesser noble family come to court to train as a squire. As he and his master, Merela Karn, carry on their investigations, they peel back the layers of court intrigue and hidden alliances to find that nearly every person from the priests to the lower classes seems to have reason to kill the cruel, spoiled prince. Girton tries to sort out who is actually behind the plot while also contending with more typical teenage concerns (including first crushes, a sexual relationship, and cliquey friendships) and learning to behave as a noble in a highly stratified society. Girton’s maturity and skill seem occasionally inconsistent: with his peers he acts in accordance with his 15 years, but he can also stare down the powerful and speak his mind with adults. Impressionistic flashbacks offer moving reflections on his prior life, and readers will appreciate Barker’s complex mythology and smoothly flowing plot. (Aug.)

Publishers Weekly

"Outstanding. Beautifully written, perfectly paced and assured. Kept me reading well into the early hours of the morning. A wonderful first book — a wonderful book, period — that should be at the very top of your to-read list."—James Islington, author of The Shadow of What Was Lost

"Dead gods, dread magic, and a lead that feels like a breath of fresh air. Great fun."—Peter Newman, author of The Vagrant

"Often poignant and always intriguing, Age of Assassins reveals its mysteries with the style of a magic show and the artful grace of a gifted storyteller."—Nicholas Eames, author of Kings of the Wild

"Simply unputdownable ... the perfect mix of fantasy and mystery."—Fantasy Book Review

"With an original, immersive world that wouldn't let me go and a pair of assassins worth rooting for, Age of Assassins is a pleasure to read. I can't wait for more!"—Melissa Caruso, author of The Tethered Mage

"A dark-humored game of cat and mouse between assassins with traitors on all sides."—David Dalglish, author of the Shadowdance series

"Age of Assassins builds a compelling fantasy world and peoples it with characters you can care about. Riddled with intrigue and dangerous magic, this is a hugely enjoyable debut."—Jen Williams, author of The Copper Promise

"Age of Assassins is a beguiling story of action and intrigue combined with a poignancy and humor that are as sharp as any blade."—Jon Skovron, author of Hope and Red

"Barker undercuts the standard fantasy cliche of the badass lone assassin ... The most interesting treatment of the fantasy assassin trope in a while, and an involving narrative in its own right."—RT Book Reviews

"This is one readers will find hard to put down."—Booklist

"Age of Assassins is one of the greatest debuts of the year, and RJ Barker is an author to look out for."—Book Nest

"The best damn political fantasy to hit shelves since Robin Hobb's Assassin's Apprentice. Clear your schedule, as you will not be able to put Age of Assassins down."—Pop Verse

From the Publisher