Showing results by author "RJ Barker" in All Categories

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.

The sea dragons are returning, and Joron Twiner's dreams of freedom lie shattered. His Shipwife is gone, and all he has left is revenge. Leading the black fleet from the deck of Tide Child, Joron takes every opportunity to strike at his enemies, but he knows his time is limited. His fleet is shrinking, and the Keyshan's Rot is running through his body. He runs from a prophecy that says he and the avian sorcerer, the Windseer, will end the entire world.

Cahan du Nahare is known as the forester - a humble man who can nonetheless navigate the dangerous Deepforest like no one else. But once he was more. Once he was a warrior. Udinny serves the goddess of the lost, a goddess of the small and helpless. When she ventures into the Deepforest to find a missing child, Cahan will be her guide. But in a land at war, in a forest full of monsters - Cahan will need to choose between his past life and the one he leads now - and his choice will have consequences for his entire world.

Irody can speak to the dead. But the living want him silenced. ‘An engrossing, ingenious story in a beautifully crafted world’ – Adrian Tchaikovsky A Sunday Times bestselling tale of mystery, murder, magic and mayhem from RJ Barker, award-winning author of The Bone Ships. Mortedants can...

Enter the Hundred Isles, where ships made from the bones of extinct dragons battle for supremacy on the high seas. Our hero Meas Giryn must unite a crew of condemned criminals for a suicide mission when the first live dragon in centuries is spotted in far off waters.... From David Gemmell, Kitschie and British Fantasy Award-nominated RJ Barker, author of Age of Assassins.

Girton Club-Foot, apprentice to the land's best assassin, still has much to learn about the art of taking lives. But their latest mission tasks him and his master with a far more difficult challenge: to save a life. Someone, or many someones, is trying to kill the heir to the throne, and it is up to Girton and his master 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 land.

The Wild Black wants to kill you: That's the reality in this wildly imaginative sci-fi novella from the award-winning author of the Tide Child trilogy. Years ago, Deep Strike cadet Min Law was left behind during what was meant to be a routine operation. Though he survived, the resulting trauma...

Cahan Du Nahare is lost, taken by a dark god whose tendrils reach throughout the world, intent on its destruction. Those who followed Cahan are spread across the land, desperate and lost now fate has turned against them. The Reborn warriors are toys for the enemy, the warrior Dassit, forestal Ania and monk Ont are drawn to the dangerous north but do not know why. Udinny is forced into the company of a woman who desires nothing more than her death and the Rai, Sorha, leads a dwindling band on a mission even she believes is doomed to failure. 

The Deep Strike Initiative exists to explore the places no one else will, but the Wild Black is unforgiving, in the second novella of this sci-fi trilogy. Maj. Gen. Alice Benner built her life around venturing into the most dangerous corners of space. But for many, the Wild Black is where ships...

The When Swords Fall Silent anthology showcases the imaginations and talents of more than a dozen of the best modern science-fiction and fantasy authors, with each tale centered around one or more characters burdened with a bloody task they will see to completion no matter the cost. Every story takes you for a vicious ride through a world of shadow and death, each as unique in perspective and execution as the contracts carried out within.

Many years of peace have passed in Maniyadoc, years of relative calm for the assassin Girton Club-Foot. Even the Forgetting Plague, which ravaged the rest of the kingdoms, seemed to pass them by. But now Rufra ap Vthyr eyes the vacant High-King's throne and will take his court to the capital, a rat's nest of intrigue and murder, where every enemy he has ever made will gather and the endgame of 20 years of politics and murder will be played out in his bid to become the King of all Kings. 

The Forester known as Cahan led the village of Harn in rebellion against the all-powerful, oppressive forces of the Rai. A great victory was won, but to avoid retaliation, he must now lead the people of Harn into the forest. Cahan never wanted this responsibility, but fate and his gods have conspired against him. Without him, the people will be helpless against the great beasts and poisonous traps of the forest - not to mention worse things that dwell there. A corruption grows in the fungi and decay of the Wyrdwood, a magic unlike any Cahan has ever seen.

Explore the Wild Black—where any signal could be a trap, any planet a mystery, and any companion a lifeline—in this trio of high-concept space adventures. Deep Strike crews are accustomed to hostile terrain. But in Beasts of the Wild Black, Capt. Min Law and the crew of the Thunberg get more...

Mortedant's Enigma is set in the same magical city as the Sunday Times bestseller Mortedant's Peril – an epic fantasy of murder, mystery and unlikely alliances. ‘I loved it from the first page and would recommend it highly' – John Gwynne on Mortedant's Peril The dead tell tales. But only...

"...Joe Eyre keeps listeners wide awake with an electric performance... [Irody] Hasp's world is equally odd and engaging, and Eyre explores every inch, providing various voices to round out an eclectic group of characters." — Kirkus (Earphones Award Winner) In a city of ancient automata...

In the thrilling third book of this sci-fi trilogy, one cat must face the depths of the universe alone—but sometimes, in the Wild Black, miracles do happen. Wounded and stranded on a freighter that's crashed on the remote planet of Inimical 38LY, Bruce the superintelligent cat is the only one...

From beloved author RJ Barker, this sequel to Mortedant’s Peril is a genre-blending fantasy murder mystery that breathes fresh life into the business of death and reluctant detectives–perfect for fans of The Tainted Cup and Witness for the Dead. Some mysteries are better left buried. But...

Seit Generationen kämpfen zwei Reiche auf einem Meer, dessen Kriegsschiffe aus den Knochen uralter Drachen gebaut sind. Als erstmals seit Jahrhunderten wieder ein lebender Drache auftaucht, beginnt die Jagd auf die kostbarste Beute der Welt. Denn wer ihn findet, könnte den Krieg für sich entscheiden. Die Mission fällt ausgerechnet der Gezeitenkind zu – einem schwarzen Knochenschiff, das als letzte Station für Verurteilte und Ausgestoßene gilt.

Irody can speak to the dead. But the living want him silenced. Mortedants can speak to the dead –­ and Irody Hasp is the greatest of them. Not that they’ll admit it. And not that anyone actually likes the Mortedants, or Irody in particular. Nonetheless, Elbay is a city of tradition, and...

What is Writeopolis? Writeopolis is a fortnightly (or, for US listeners, twice a month) conversation between writing professionals (and Kit Power). The conversation happens live every other Sunday evening via Discord, with live text chat accompanying the voice discussion (no video; RJ and Kit don't have that kind of time to sort their hair out every weekend). The resultant conversation is later released in podcast form via this feed. Who is Writeopolis? Writeopolis is BFS Award winner RJ Barker, author and playwright Scott K Andrews, and BFA finalist author, blogger, podcaster and ...