***Look out for The Bone Ships, the start of a new series by RJ Barker!***

'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 Wyld

TO SAVE A KING, KILL A KING . . .
The assassin Girton Club-foot and his master have returned to Maniyadoc in hope of finding sanctuary, but death, as always, dogs Girton's heels. The place he knew no longer exists.
War rages across Maniyadoc, with three kings claiming the same crown - and one of them is Girton's old friend Rufra. Girton finds himself hurrying to uncover a plot to murder Rufra on what should be the day of the king's greatest victory. But while Girton deals with threats inside and outside Rufra's war encampment, he can't help wondering if his greatest enemy hides beneath his own skin.

Praise for this trilogy

'Outstanding . . . Kept me reading well into the early hours of the morning'
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

'Readers will appreciate Barker's complex mythology and smoothly flowing plot'
Publishers Weekly

'Riddled with intrigue and dangerous magic, this is a hugely enjoyable debut'
Jennifer Williams, author of The Copper Promise

'A dark-humoured game of cat and mouse between assassins, with traitors on all sides'
David Dalglish, author of the Shadowdance series

The Wounded Kingdom trilogy begins with AGE OF ASSASSINS, continues with BLOOD OF ASSASSINS and will continue with KING OF ASSASSINS.

About the Author
RJ Barker lives in Leeds with his wife, son and 'a collection of questionable taxidermy'. He grew up reading whatever he could get his hands on, and having played in a rock band before deciding he was a rubbish musician, RJ returned to his first love, fiction, to find he is rather better at that. As well as his debut epic fantasy series, the Wounded Kingdom trilogy (Age of Assassins, Blood of Assassins and King of Assassins) RJ has written short stories and historical scripts which have been performed across the country. He has the sort of flowing locks any cavalier would be proud of. RJ's novel The Bone Ships is the winner of the British Fantasy Society's Best Novel, aka the Robert Holdstock Award.

Reviews
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 WYLD
Dead gods, dread magic, and a lead that feels like a breath of fresh air. Great fun -- Peter Newman, author of THE VAGRANT
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
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
A dark-humoured 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



Book Information
ISBN 9780356508573
Author RJ Barker
Format Paperback
Page Count 464
Imprint Orbit
Publisher Little, Brown Book Group
Weight(grams) 320g
Dimensions(mm) 196mm * 126mm * 32mm