Contemporary Authors

• Age of Assassins Orbit (New York, NY), 2017

1. Age of assassins LCCN 2017939645 Type of material Book Personal name Barker, R. J. (Fiction author), author. Main title Age of assassins / RJ Barker. Edition First U.S. edition. Published/Produced New York, NY : Orbit, 2017. Description 425 pages ; 21 cm. ISBN 9780316466493 (pbk.) 0316466492 (pbk.) CALL NUMBER PR6102.A76346 A74 2017 CABIN BRANCH Copy 1 Request in Jefferson or Adams Building Reading Rooms - STORED OFFSITE

• Michael Everest - https://michael-everest.com/2017/03/06/the-production-of-a-fantasy-debut-interview-with-rj-barker/

  The production of a fantasy debut: Interview with RJ Barker
  MARCH 6, 2017 ~ MIKE82EVEREST
  Day 4 of the ‘2017 traditionally-published fantasy debut authors’ interview series, and I almost, ALMOST managed to type that for memory. But the first time I typed it I actually wrote day 3, and had to go get another coffee before I messed up the year (oh yeah, I’d also put 2016).

  So, a quick recap thus far. We’ve had Nicholas Eames, Anna Smith-Spark, and Ed McDonald, share their experiences. Today, last but one, RJ Barker talks about his upcoming novel ‘Age of Assassins’ first in ‘The Uncrowned Heir’ series. RJ is no stranger to the writing scene, having produced short stories featured for the Gollancz website, and a series of illustrated prose poems. Though, on the note of ‘stranger’, RJ keeps a lower profile than the other authors featured so far, (maybe in homage to his titular Age of Assassins…conspiracy theories abound!), but from what I’ve come across, he’s bloody talented, and being compared to the likes of David Dalglish, that small time bloke (you might have heard of him) Brent Weeks, and the relatively unkn0wn ROBIN HOBB, well it’s safe to say he’s certainly in good company.

  So, before I collapse from caffeine withdrawal, over to RJ!

  RJ Barker

  ME: Hi RJ – thanks for being part of the ‘2017 traditionally fantasy published’ (what was the title again?)….err, interview series. Before we begin, let’s start with some introductions – who are you, what do you do, and what’s special about you as a writer – 50 words, go!

  RJ: I’m RJ Barker. I write, be a stay at home Dad and collect strange art. Not sure I can say what, if anything, is special about me, we’re all a mix of our various influences and that’s unique to each person, as such we are all unique; everyone is special and interesting, you just have to find each persons “thing”.

  I’m not good at rules, maybe that’s my thing. It’s definitely why I have already gone over fifty words here. This bit here, that I’m writing now? Totally gratuitous. And this bit? Very, very gratuitous indeed. I should stop really. I will. In a bit.

  Maybe.

  Same sketch as the previous question, this time about your debut novel ‘Age of Assassins’ – what’s it about, who’s it about, what’s special about it – 50 words, go!

  It’s about Girton and his master, assassins who are put into a position where they have to stop an assassination and through that Girton is forced, for the first time, to think about himself, what he does and what he really cares about. Also; killer action sequences and massive antlers.[1]

  (Ooo, we’re using footnotes! That’s a first in this interview series.)

  So, let’s start from the beginning. Cast your mind back to when you finished your first draft of your manuscript. It’s a completed story – what did you do next?

  Read it again. And again. I think I was a bit shellshocked actually because I wrote it (the first draft) in about six weeks and I had a sort of ‘did I just really do that?’ moment.

  What was the biggest change you made to the story before it reached an agent/editor/publisher?

  I didn’t really change it before it went to my agent. But before it went from Ed (my agent) out to publishers we added an action sequence to the end and (I think) another subplot. Though I might have added that at my editor, Jenni’s, instigation. If that was Jenni, sorry Jenni. I’m not very good at looking back in time, I’m a very live-for-the-moment type and once something is done I want to move on and do the next thing, whatever that might be.

  How did you go about approaching an agent? Did you pick them, or did they pick you?

  I already had an agent when I finished Age of Assassins, in Rob Dinsdale (of the Independent Literary agency he is an excellent chap) but we parted ways (for very dull reasons that aren’t even fun and gossipy[2]) and he put me in touch with Ed Wilson of Johnson and Alcock who picked up AoA within a week of getting it on his desk. ‘You’re just the thing I’m bally well looking for, by jove’ is what he said. Well, possibly I am paraphrasing a little there but I do think Ed could play an excellent Major in a black and white WW2 film. He also had a stuffed weasel on his desk (I had/have a stuffed stoat staring at me, both are of the family mustelidae) and he has a picture of Captain Oates (of Scott of the Antarctic fame) staring down at him and we live in the Oates family coach house, so it seemed like it was meant to be.

  There was a really weird few months when I was between agents, before Rob had put me on to Ed and I was waiting to hear back from other agents and I was in a sort of limbo. Usually I’d be fine with that, because I have a playstation, but it was a bit different this time. You know you hear about people writing something and knowing, ‘this is the one?’ I’d always thought that was something said in hindsight but in this case I really did feel I’d brought everything together for this book and it would see the light of day. I didn’t imagine it’d go to Orbit though, that was very much an ‘I need to sit down’ moment.

  Did your agent make you change anything? Why?

  We extended the end sequence because I wrote the book around the idea of a whodunnit and once that’s revealed, in my head, it was finished. But Ed pointed out I’d missed a trick and he was right. And possibly added a sub plot. I’m a bit hazy on that as I said. Someone definitely suggested adding a sub plot. At some point. And it was added. I’m just not sure when.

  Next up, the publishers. What was the processing for applying to a publishing house like? Is it similar to applying for a job? Did you have to jump through circus hoops, recite scripture, any ritualised hazing? Seriously, to an outsider this is one of the areas that is something of an unknown.

  It was pretty painless really, just a lot of waiting. Ed did the work, I just wrote the book. It seems like a bit of a cheat really, I get to do what I enjoy most and Orbit give me money for it. We definitely did not sacrifice any human beings on a secret woodland altar in a deserted church to the Great God Pan as part of my initiation rite to big publishing.[3] That never happens.

  Chronologically speaking, how did the wordcount change from first draft, to following beta/alpha readers, editor/agent (which came first – did you have an editor before your agent?), publisher?

  Erm, I don’t know. It grew a bit when it went to Ed and a bit more when it went to Jenni at Orbit but wordcount is not something I think about a tremendous amount outside of a way of keeping an eye on how much I’m getting done, so it won’t really have been on my mind when making changes. It’s very much a by feel process for me. Jenni is probably thinking about it when suggesting alterations but I’m not. I’m only really thinking about solving puzzles in the way that amuses me most. Because that’s what writing is to me, it’s like a huge cryptic crossword or jigsaw where you move bits around and play with them until it feels the right shape. There’s probably a touch of synaesthesia to how I work.

  Were the changes plot driven, the desire for a particular word count by the agent/publishers/editors or something else?

  Jenni’s guide was not to top out over 140’000 words which I wasn’t that worried about as I tend to write in a reasonably sparse way. The main plot didn’t really change at all, it was more fleshing[4] out the world and certain scenes (and possibly a sub plot). Then, as I was already well into Book 2 when I began editing Book 1, I took the opportunity to do a bit of set up for things I wanted to do later. And I made a very last minute change to the folklore of the world which I think was a bit of a surprise to Jenni, but a good one.

  Or maybe her poker face is just very good.

  Also, how in the world did you tackle cutting/adding word count? Does the editor help with this?

  That makes it sound a lot more technical than it is. As I said, I don’t really think in terms of word count, only in terms of getting whatever it is I want to do done in the least amount of words possible. Because I am lazy.

  For me, in a book you have to do what’s necessary to make it work and I think, even if the book ran over a specified word count, if that was what was needed Orbit wouldn’t risk damaging something good simply to fit an arbitrary number. It’s more about taking away what isn’t needed for the book, rather than aiming at a wordcount. The book will be the size it needs to be in the end. I’ll skip the editor part of this question because…

  Let’s talk book. How much has your agent, editor and publisher shaped book two (and three, and four etc.)?

  …I’m going to answer it here. Ed sold the book as the first in a trilogy so I supplied a (very) rough outline of books 2 & 3 with it. But as to what I’m doing it’s pretty much been left up to me.

  The editorial process is a very collaborative one and Jenni is very good at what she does, which is encouraging and honing what I do[5], rather than pushing me toward something Orbit want which might be a worry for people when you become involved with such a big commercial publisher. It’s felt very hands off, with just the occasional nudge to keep me on track. But it is my track, Orbit have been really good about that which I suppose speaks volumes for their confidence in the book. And me. Shocking really, especially now they’ve met me. I really am quite ridiculous[6].

  Your cover art is has yet to be released . Have you had a hand did in designing it? Can you share and early teaser details with us?

  My tastes in art are quite, well, left of field. So it probably isn’t the best idea to have me involved in the design of cover art. I know Orbit believe the book has a very ‘across the board’ appeal so the cover will reflect that. Mysterious and melancholic. There, that’s the best taster I can give, I think, but I’ve not seen final version yet.

  Is there anything about the traditional publishing experience that you didn’t know before, but have now discovered?

  I knew nothing about publishing, my only interest has been in writing stuff. It’s all been remarkably easy and pleasant to be honest with you. I’ve liked everyone I’ve met and enjoyed the process of going through it. My, that sounds anodyne doesn’t it. Maybe I should make up some scandal.[7]

  One thing that has surprised me is foreign rights sales because they came as a complete surprise. Orbit are publishing the English language version worldwide but Ed keeps selling the foreign language rights to the book as well. Which feels a bit like cheating really as I get paid but I don’t actually have to do anything. More importantly, it’s quite heartening to find that the story I’ve told appears to have quite a cross-cultural appeal. It’s harder to doubt what you’ve done when editors keep saying, yes, this is good. I do still do doubt though. A lot.

  Since you first began writing the book, up until now, what’s the biggest change in ‘Age of Assassins? (Without giving any spoilers away!)

  So dull, but there haven’t really been massive changes. It’s mostly felt like honing what was already there which is probably another way of saying that Jenni (and Lindsey my American editor, though I don’t have as much direct contact with her) is(are) really good at what she(they) does(do).

  And since you first began writing the book, up until now, what’s the biggest change in YOU as a writer?

  Again. I’ve not really changed much apart from the fact my stupid boots are no longer second hand and we’ve doubled the amount of questionable art we own. I’m still sat on the couch writing, eating crisps and wondering if what I am doing is any good.

  Finally, if there’s one thing about the modern-day traditional publishing process for a fantasy novel, that you could share with wannabe writers, what would it be? Or better yet, what’s that one golden nugget that you would share with the yet-to-be-published you?

  “Whatever works for you is what works.” It is the best piece of advice I’ve ever been given and is worth more than a thousand books on writing, to me. Of course, books on writing might be what works for you so…

  Image result for assassin
  

  RJ Barker lives in Leeds with his wife, son and a collection of questionable taxidermy, odd art, scary music and more books than they have room for. He grew up reading whatever he could get his hands on, and has always been ‘that one with the book in his pocket.’ 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 novel, Age 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.

  His debut Age of Assassins is scheduled to be released in the UK on August 3rd 2017 by Orbit, and is now available for pre-order in all major book stores, online and on Amazon.

  Footnotes:

  Exactly fifty words, because I also dislike being predictable.
  Oh, okay then. Rob was breeding dinosaurs (illegal, obviously) and part of my contract with him was that I would let his dinosaurs eat my legs if Rob’s regular delivery of meat was ever delayed. Anyway, it was, I refused. It came close to litigation but in the end the dinosaurs were illegal so I knew he’d never push it that far and he said he was actually getting a bit bored of dinosaurs anyway and was looking at going into breeding Nudibranches (a type of very colourful, but often poisonous, sea slug) as they took up less room. I don’t know how he fed the dinosaurs that week in the end, though I have heard that the SF author Mike Brooks (one of Rob’s clients) has a metal left leg.
  In East Anglia.
  Not real flesh from a sacrifice to the Great God Pan that did not happen.
  And definitely not acting as high priestess in human sacrifices to the Great God Pan in a deserted church in a quiet woodland in East Anglia while the assorted directors of the big publishing houses chant ‘one of us!’ while you are ordained with the sacred ink of the white goat.
  The prosecution rests, M’lud – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MTnw8tR21c&t=200s
  There was a footnote here that I removed because it took the above nonsense way further than I intended and was FAR TOO DARK. Feel free to imagine what it may have been though.

• The Bookseller - https://www.thebookseller.com/news/orbit-acquires-debut-epic-fantasy-trilogy-394466

  Debut fantasy trilogy Age of Assassins to Orbit
  Published September 20, 2016 by Katherine Cowdrey
  Share
  Little, Brown Book Group imprint Orbit has acquired an epic fantasy trilogy about a trained assassin by British debut author RJ Barker.

  Age of Assassins, the first in the series, will be published in late summer 2017. It tells the story of Girton Club-foot, a young man apprenticed to a master assassin, who is thrust into a world of politics and treachery when the queen hires the duo not to cause an assassination, but to prevent one.

  Commissioning editor Jenni Hill acquired World English rights in the trilogy from Ed Wilson of Johnson and Alcock.

  Wilson predicted the book would "make a big splash in the fantasy world", to which Hill added: "We couldn’t be happier to be publishing R J. His debut is confident and stylish, masterful in the execution: it doesn’t let go once it has you in its grasp. In fact it’s just like a master assassin itself."

  Age of Assassins is promised to receive a "major" worldwide launch, with Orbit publishing simultaneously in the UK and US. Heyne pre-empted for German rights.

  Barker said: "It still feels slightly surreal that after so many years of reading and loving books by Orbit authors I'm now set to become one, and having met the team I don't think Girton could be in better hands."

• Civilian Reader - https://civilianreader.com/2017/06/01/interview-with-rj-barker/

  Interview with RJ BARKER
  June 1, 2017 Civilian Reader InterviewAge of Assassins, Assassins, Fantasy, Orbit Books, RJ Barker, Wounded Kingdom
  BarkerRJ-AuthorPicLet’s start with an introduction: Who is RJ Barker?

  Oh gosh, that’s a big question isn’t it? Who am I? People have written whole books on that, well, not on me personally, on that question in general, but I suppose if I did write a book about it that might be a little bit of overkill. I’ll stick with the general perception of people who know me and say RJ (no dots, for dots are the enemy of mankind[1]) is friendly and a bit eccentric. And has big hair.

  Your debut novel, Age of Assassins, will be published by Orbit in August. It looks rather interesting: How would you introduce it to a potential reader? Is it part of a series?

  It is part of a series but it’s written so each book stands alone. You’ll get more out of it if you read all three (Age of Assassins, Blood of Assassins and King of Assassins) but you don’t need to do that to get a complete story. The tagline of book one probably says it best: “To catch an assassin, use an assassin.” Our hero, Girton Club-Foot, is an assassin put into a position where he has to become a detective and stop a killer to save his, and his master’s, skin. It’s exciting and full of action but at heart it’s a murder mystery. It also revolves around the central relationship between Girton and his master who are very much characters (I hope) you will really like. Girton especially is someone driven to do the right thing. And there’s magic, and they ride around on beasts with massive antlers which, to be honest, I would read a book for that alone. I do like antlers.

  BarkerRJ-AgeOfAssassinsUS

  What inspired you to write the novel and series? And where do you draw your inspiration from in general?

  I wrote a science fiction book that didn’t quite sell[2] but came close and as part of that I spoke to an editor called Mathilda Imlah who was at Head of Zeus and we got on to talking about a mutual love of Agatha Christie and mystery stories. I think that sparked something. Then I’d started another SF novel and was about 10,000 words in when I had the idea for Age of Assassins[3] which literally came at me in one piece. I dropped what I was doing and wrote the first version in about six weeks. The other two haven’t been quite as quickly written but have been remarkably easy to do. It almost feels like cheating. I hope that means they are good, not slapdash.

  How were you introduced to genre fiction?

  I’ve always been surrounded by books of all sorts of different types. I read Tolkien at a very young age, I think before I was ten[4]. And I was always surrounded by poetry as well, and a lot of the poetry my mum and dad liked was actually quite fantastical, talking animals, strange beasties[5] and I think it instilled a delight in me in oddness. I like oddness, and to be taken out of myself to somewhere else in the company of people I like.

  How do you like being a writer and working within the publishing industry?

  It’s amazing. I’ve always written stuff. Just me, sat here in my front room typing away because I enjoy doing it and then suddenly you’re being paid for it. I still can’t quite believe that. And I’ve never been part of what I suppose you’d call ‘genre culture,’ going to conventions and the message boards and stuff like that. So it’s all been new and exciting, going to conventions and meeting people has been great; I love people so any excuse to meet more is a good thing. All the people I’ve met in publishing have been great too, editors, authors, publicists. It’s like finding out your job is to mess about with your friends doing stuff you enjoy. Which is good, as I have dedicated my life to messing about with my friends doing stuff I enjoy, but it’s always left me pretty skint before. Now I’m being paid for it.

  Do you have any specific working, writing, researching practices?

  I sit and I write, that’s it. I quite like to be distracted actually, I’ll usually have Twitter on while I write and mess about on that. It might seem like I am spending my day making stupid jokes but it’s an important part of my process.[6]

  When did you realize you wanted to be an author, and what was your first foray into writing? Do you still look back on it fondly?

  The first thing I ever wrote was something about Vampires when I was about fifteen and I sent it to Interzone(I think) and got a very kind letter back with the subtext, ‘maybe try again when you’re a big boy.’ Sadly, for all humanity, this work of genius is lost. Then I discovered music and I played in bands for a very long time, though never particularly successfully. I decided to go back to writing, then had a bit of a break to be chronically ill[7] and once that was under control started writing like I meant it. And here we are. Still a bit surprised by the whole thing, if I’m honest.

  What’s your opinion of the genre today, and where do you see your work fitting into it?

  I’m not sure I really have much of an opinion and I’ve not really thought about how my work would fit in anywhere. I had an idea I really liked and I wrote it, I’m not a very considered person[8], I play my life entirely by whim.

  Genre itself is pretty healthy though, you’re no longer the weird kid for taking comics to school and it pretty much rules the TV and film ratings in a lot of ways. But genre, in the end, is just a way of telling stories about people. Fashions and interests will change and evolve but our interest in people[9] is pretty constant. That’s what interests me really, the people. And the explosions. And the stabbing.

  Do you have any other projects in the pipeline, and what are you working on at the moment?

  I’ve just finished V0.0 of book 3 and am editing Book 2. I have a vague idea of what I would like to do next (Nathan Powerface and the Exploding Stabby People) but I don’t tend to think ahead if I’m honest. My current project is playing with Bertie, our new kitten and making my little boy a Luke Skywalker costume for when we go to Nine Worlds which is he SO excited about.

  What are you reading at the moment (fiction, non-fiction)?

  I started reading the Spenser P.I. series by Robert B Parker on the recommendation of someone and I cannot stop. They are like book crack and I think there’s about a million of them. I’m also looking forward to reading Rotherweird which my agent, Ed, sent to me. And I’ve just got a book about pigs and pork cookery called Hog, which looks fantastic. I’m reading KLF: Chaos, Magic and the Band who Burned a Million Pounds. And I have a book about Lobsters which I may re-read, lobsters are fascinating. But not as fascinating as octopuses which I am planning on getting a book about.

  BarkerRJ-Reading

  If you could recommend only one novel to someone, what would it be?

  ONE? This is positively barbaric. I kind of want to say something from Iain M. Banks’s Culture series as I think they are full of hope and humanity — and wonderful for it. but just one would be cruel as you’d want the rest. So in that case Watership Down by Richard Adams. I’ve been reading this book as long as I can remember and it just keeps unfolding, keeps adding beauty and hope and has the overall philosophy of do right and it will work out. And I believe that, I think it’s important to at least strive for that.

  BarkerRJ-Recommendations

  What’s something readers might be surprised to learn about you?

  I am a fully qualified airline pilot.[10]

  What are you most looking forward to in the next twelve months?

  Meeting people. Laughing a lot. I’ve always done those things but my opportunities have expanded somewhat.

  *

  RJ Barker‘s Age of Assassins is published by Orbit Books at the beginning of August, in the US and UK.

  Follow the Author: Goodreads, Twitter

  Footnotes:

  Possibly a slight overstatement. But RJ is what people call me and because I THUMB MY NOSE at convention I dislike it being made into initials, even though, technically, it is initials it isn’t. Cos it’s my name. This is possibly one of my stupider decisions as it seems to cause nothing but confusion. Maybe I should add “pointlessly stubborn about unimportant things” to “Who is RJ Barker.”
  I still love it though. SPACESHIPS!
  Then called The Uncrowned Heir. It has had SO MANY titles on the way to becoming AoA.
  Didn’t like it. Too much singing.
  THE JUMBLIES.
  Just in case my editor is reading this.
  Very boring, best avoided.
  See – ‘…I have dedicated my life to messing about with my friends doing stuff I enjoy…’
  Well, I say people, dragons are people too, folks. As are elves, orcs… you get the drift.
  Also, like Mathilda who was Burnt to Death, I tell terrible lies. (Although only for amusement, please don’t burn me to death.) I should point out that this Mathilda is from a poem and is NOT the Mathilda who was at Head of Zeus who, as far as I know, did not tell lies and is in very fine health.

Age of Assassins
Publishers Weekly. 264.26 (June 26, 2017): p161.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2017 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
Age of Assassins

R.J. Barker. Orbit, $15.99 trade paper (432p) ISBN 978-0-316-46649-3

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.)

Source Citation (MLA 8th Edition)
"Age of Assassins." Publishers Weekly, 26 June 2017, p. 161. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A497444335/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=6bf586d9. Accessed 14 Mar. 2018.

Gale Document Number: GALE|A497444335

"Age of Assassins." Publishers Weekly, 26 June 2017, p. 161. General OneFile, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A497444335/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=6bf586d9. Accessed 14 Mar. 2018.

• Fantasy Book Critic
  http://fantasybookcritic.blogspot.sg/2017/06/age-of-assassins-by-r-j-barker-reviewed.html
  Word count: 1388

  Monday, June 12, 2017
  Age Of Assassins by R. J. Barker (reviewed by Michael E. Everest)

  Official Author Website

  Order the book HERE (USA) & HERE (UK)

  Read Michael's Interview with R.J. Barker

  AUTHOR INFORMATION: RJ Barker is an author from the British Isles and a quiet one at that. He’s a stay at home dad who wrote the first draft of his debut book in about six weeks. 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. Previously RJ has also written short stories and historical scripts which have been performed across the country. He currently lives in Leeds with his family and Age Of Assassins is his debut novel.

  OFFICIAL BOOK BLURB: TO CATCH AN ASSASSIN, USE AN ASSASSIN . . .

  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.

  OVERVIEW/ANALYSIS: Age Of Assassins is a debut that does things differently and mixes fantasy with mystery tropes wonderfully.

  The Good: Loveable first person POV, worldbuilding that weaves into the plot and the systems within the story, plenty of twists to keep you guessing, a grand reveal in the finale, and an intriguing combat style that in the hands of another would probably have fallen flat but RJ makes it dance like everyone’s watching.

  The Bad: Despite being tagged as 'to catch an assassin, use an assassin' there are no fancies & flips assassin vs assassin face offs. To me, this isn't a bad thing as the book was phenomenal, but if you're expecting Assassin's Creed type of duels, leaping from rooftops and planting double footed kicks and hidden blade strikes, then you won't find that here.

  The Ugly Truth: Age Of Assassins (AoA) is an Assassins' poison-store of fantasy and murder-mystery, with a touch of tainted coming of age. I definitely agree with the 'For fans of Brent Weeks and Robin Hobb', but Girton Clubfoot stands proud on his own two feet, club foot or not.

  I like Assassins. Assassins are badass. Girton is an assassin. But is he badass? No.

  He’s more than that.

  And I love Girton Clubfoot for all that he is.

  Think assassin and fantasy, and you think Brent Weeks' Night Angel series, Robin Hobb's works, Kalam from the Malazan books, and the assassins from the infamous Assassins Creed. Think assassin and history, and you think John Wilkes Booth, (et tu) Brutus, and the eponymous Hashshashins (sometimes written as Hassassins).

  But Girton Clubfoot from Age Of Assassins? He's different. And no, I'm not referring to the fact that he is disabled as being different. In the author's own words: ‘He is not his disability; it is only a part of him. He does not let it stop or define him.' Girton is different because he has a whole lotta heart, hope, and with these goes hurt, hand in hand.

  Girton is the apprentice to Master Merela Khan, an assassin who saves him at a young age and raises him as an assassin. But rather than raise him in hardship and in harm’s way, Merela has raised him with love and care. And this can be felt throughout the story.

  We join Girton and Merela as they sneak into a castle upon invite - yes, sneak in, upon invite. Assassins aren't overly welcome in the Tired Lands, and their host wants their presence to remain unknown. No sooner than they arrive, they find themselves trapped, taken captive, and tested, before their real task begins - to catch an assassin who has been hired to kill the heir.

  And so, the tag line comes into play - to catch an assassin, use an assassin.

  The story plays out as, again, in the author’s own words: ‘a whodunnit with a bit of swordfighting and magic in it.’ But there's a lot more to it than that. I've said it once I'll say it again, there's a whole lot of heart in this book. And whilst by no means is it YA or epic fantasy of the noblebright, it is neither grimdark. It's a coming of age story told from the first person POV, that person being an old head on a young man’s body. It deals with such themes as acceptance, bullying, the ‘isms’ of diversity, love (both romantic and familial), friendship and growing up.

  It’s both this mix of old wisdom/youthful wonder, and the fact that Girton is a professional guised as an amateur that makes this so intriguing. In disguise, Girton has to pretend that he is a clumsy, unskilled cripple, when in fact he is a trained assassin, who can more than handle himself (and others).

  That brings me nicely to the fight scenes, which harks back to the ‘swordfighting’ above. Anyone who has read enough fantasy will recognise the comparative draw between swordfighting and dance in fantasy books, or ‘names’ for certain moves e.g. the Eagle Stance. AoA draws these two together, the dance and the ‘moves’, and combines them to create the Assassin’s ‘iterations’ – a repertoire of drilled-into-you- until-they’re-instinctive dodges, grapples, defences and attacks. Something like this can either work or fail (big time), but I’m glad to report than the author introduces and interweaves then in such a way that reading and recognising them becomes instinctive, and because of that, the combat is more alive for it.

  And to tie-up the other aforementioned loose end – magic! When a sorcerer uses it, she/he/they draw upon the life around them to wield their power. This ties into the world building AND the plot, which brings the whole world to reality, rather than just a ‘oh, I need magic, here have a spell book’.

  I’d like to highlight the tag line again, but this time to dispel any determinations. AoA is not an assassin story of leaping from roof tops, hidden blades in gauntlets, garrotte wires in throats, and cold-blooded murder. And if that’s what you came looking for, you’ll be disappointed. But if you came looking for something more…then welcome to team Girton!

  CONCLUSION: Before I close out, I’d like to say one last thing about Age Of Assassins and its author, the wonderful RJ Barker. When I read a book, I like to look for the little bit of the author left behind. The best books, or so I believe, are the ones that the author puts themselves into. AoA is one of those books. Whilst I won’t labour the point, because RJ said it himself (‘He is not his disability; it is only a part of him. He does not let it stop or define him), I would just like to say that RJ Barker might just be one of my new favourite human beings – he IS different, in that he is eccentric, witty, fun, and full of life. Reading AoA, you can pick up on the hurt, but as I said above, it goes hand in hand with heart and hope.

  I’m delighted to say that each of the 2017 debuts I’ve read this year have been as equally awesome as they are diverse. Looking to the future, and after THAT epilogue, I’m even more delighted to say that the future of fantasy is looking bright – and I for one am excited to see where Girton, and RJ, takes us next.

• Civilian Reader
  https://civilianreader.com/2017/11/30/review-age-of-assassins-by-rj-barker-orbit/
  Word count: 901

  Review: AGE OF ASSASSINS by RJ Barker (Orbit)
  November 30, 2017 Civilian Reader ReviewAge of Assassins, Fantasy, Most Anticipated 2017, Orbit, RJ Barker, Wounded Kingdom
  BarkerRJ-AgeOfAssassinsUSAn interesting new debut fantasy series

  It’s a game of assassin versus 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 — and his own.

  This is the first new fantasy series that I’ve read in quite some time. In fact, it’s only the second this year (the other was Ed McDonald’s Blackwing). Long-time readers of CR may have noticed that I’ve been struggling with the genre for a while, but Age of Assassins really worked for me. This is the start of an interesting, engaging and entertaining new fantasy series. I’m really looking forward to the sequel.

  I enjoyed the small-scale of the novel: most of the action takes place within a single, small-ish city (at least, that’s the impression I got of the place). This meant Barker didn’t spend endless pages on worldbuilding and extraneous details, and could instead focus on the characters and the events taking place before the reader. This does not mean that the world felt underdeveloped or incomplete — quite the opposite. There was some venturing forth, as well as mention of the wider politics of the region. We learn that the world has suffered an environmental decline, with great swathes fallow and uninhabitable. (Magical shenanigans were involved.) I have a feeling the world will open up considerably in the next two novels — at least, that’s the impression I get from the second synopsis, anyway.

  The characters are pretty interesting. Girton, for example, is a former slave with a club-foot, rescued (well, bought) by a master assassin, and trained as an apprentice. We learn about his past through a series of short flashbacks. His relationship with Merela Karn was an interesting and endearing one. She has clearly taken on the role of not only professional mentor, but also a mother-figure of sorts. Girton grows up a fair bit over the course of the novel — not that he was immature or infantile at the beginning, but life comes at him pretty hard, as he learns more about life, politics, himself, and friendship.

  The two assassins are hired by Queen Adran to discover the identity of another assassin, who has been hired to kill her son, the heir to the throne. Karn has a history with Adran, the details of which we learn as the novel progresses. Girton goes undercover as a son of a far-off lord, joining the squires to be close to the other noble sons — a potential pool of suspects. Karn takes on the role of a jester — a perfect role to move about freely in the castle, among the nobles. There are various factions and conflicting agenda in the castle, and our two heroes are kept busy throughout.

  “The whole atmosphere of this castle was like a bowstring held taut, pregnant with violence.”

  The novel is, at heart, a murder mystery, and Barker does a great job of dropping hints and red herrings at the right moments to keep us guessing. The story moves at a good clip, never feeling rushed, but nor do scenes get bogged down with unnecessary or excessive details.

  I was pleased to find the novel quite funny, too — it’s been billed as part of the new wave of grimdark, and sure there are certain elements of that on display. However, it’s also frequently funny. Whether via a well-placed quip, or bizarre situation, Age of Assassin is not as poe-faced as other examples in the genre can be.

  “There is something rewarding in picking a lock. Something very satisfying about the click of the barrels and the pressure vanishing as the lock gives way to skill. It is not quite as rewarding done while a castle’s toilets empty themselves over your body, but a happy life is one where you take your pleasures where you can.”

  Here’s another one that amused me, as a (half-)Scot:

  “She left while I finished hanging my kilt. It took me another half-hour because a kilt is a truly stupid garment and I question the sanity of any man who would wear one voluntarily.”

  Overall, then: Age of Assassins is a very strong fantasy debut, and the start of a very promising series. If you’re a fan of fantasy — especially the novels of Brent Weeks, Robin Hobb, Scott Lynch, and Joe Abercrombie (to name but four) — I think you’ll find a lot to enjoy here, too.

  Definitely recommended.

  *

  Age of Assassins is out now, published by Orbit Books in the US and UK. The sequel, Blood of Assassins (US/UK), is due to be published in February 2018. The final novel in the trilogy, King of Assassins, should follow in August 2018.

• Fantasy Book Review
  http://www.fantasybookreview.co.uk/RJ-Barker/Age-of-Assassins.html
  Word count: 1016

  Age of Assassins by RJ Barker
  Age of Assassins book cover
  Free preview
  Rating
  8.5/10
  A stunning and mysterious debut outing
  Book of the Month

  I received an advanced copy of Age of Assassins in exchange for an honest review. I would like to thank Orbit Books, Nazia, and R.J. Barker for this opportunity.

  Age of Assassins was simply unputdownable. It has been a long time since I have devoured a book so fast. From the quality of this tale, it is almost unbelievable that this is R.J. Barker's debut outing. The main characters that we follow are a 15-year-old disabled assassin called Girton Club-Foot and his Master who is arguably one of the finest and most experienced killers who has ever dwelt within the Tired Lands. After a blistering opening section and certain complications at Castle Maniyadoc they are assigned to take on a deadly business venture which requires them to track down a lurking fellow assassin who is contracted to kill the heir to the throne.

  "To Catch An Assassin... Use An Assassin"

  The majority of the narrative is presented in the first person perspective with Girton re-telling his adventures within Maniyadoc where he was trying to achieve the desired outcome set by his mysterious employers. To fit in within this alien environment he has to take on the guise of a character completely unlike himself that he must play to infiltrate the castle, its most influential individuals and understand the political viewpoints that these people promote whilst always being convincing and not giving away his talents and his assignment. As a new arrival to the Castle he is hated by most but still, he meets unlikely friends, makes formidable enemies and crosses paths with a pretty stable-hand. There are dangers, Royal complications, and twists throughout the whole of this narrative. Unlike many debut novels where a young hero starts as a weakling and then somehow becomes the "Hero of Ages", Girton already knows his craft pretty well therefore it is interesting to see him in his disguise, analysing the situations with deadly poetic but mathematical precision and then how he has to act as a helpless Squire so not to blow his cover. Assassination and combat maneuvers are presented as a sort of science here with numbered balletic movements and it is highly engaging. In addition to the first person perspective mentioned, we also occasionally see past events presented in the third person through memories or dreams. These interludes or interruptions flowed superbly well, channeling the action in a childish, dreamlike fashion and these sequences were often intense and sometimes downright harrowing. Girton's past has not been the most picturesque and enjoyable.

  As well as a highly absorbingly presented yet ravaged fantasy world, the genre familiar notion of assassins and equally familiar plots where a nation brims with unrest and potential civil wars - one of this book's greatest assets I believe is the thrilling mystery elements that are present from the beginning. In addition to the above-discussed more familiar aspects of a fantasy tale, the mystery side of things is truly exquisite which makes Age of Assassins almost reminiscent of an original Joseph Rouletabille or Sherlock Holmes novel but of course not set in a late 19th, early 20th-century setting. One reason for this is we follow one of the main characters whilst the other is running off doing their own thing (Watson and Holmes anyone?) checking in occasionally so we never have a full picture of the happenings which is similar to the old-school detective stories. There is so much going on in this book, so many minuscule motions that characters make, minute slips of their "masks of sanity" with things they may say that have a huge impact on the story. Age of Assassins is a book that needs attention paid to it, little nuggets of information are dropped throughout and if I noticed them then when a revelation was made I felt awesome to have analysed part of the outcome. In my mind, Barker's book definitely has as much in common with a detective and a thriller story as it does fantasy novels and I think it is a stunning mix. There is so much going on and sometimes when a dilemma, question or issue is answered or analysed then consequently double that amount of problems are then created.

  Although in Epic fantasy terms it is quite a short book at 400 pages or so, the religions and the history are expertly created through character discussions, factions and also (this will make sense when you read it) dances. The landscape in this world has previously been dealt a brutal hand in infamous battles which have lead to sorcerers and any magic being criminalised and therefore almost eradicated from this world. The cast of characters are vast, my particular favorites after Girton and his master were obscure bullied squire Rufra and the quartermaster Nywulf.

  The writing style, to begin with, was unusual. I cannot put my finger on why exactly. It took me about a chapter and a half to understand the flow and appreciate what was being written here. I know it is difficult to write a story in the first person that is truly emotionally engaging yet Age of Assassins definitely is. This story is completely self-contained. The culmination is perfectly composed and the majority of the seeds that have been planted come to feature in the finale... but not all. This is a trilogy so of course there are some loose threads but the majority of these are implied throughout the background rather than at the forefront of the narrative. The epilogue sets things up brilliantly for Blood of Assassins. It is the perfect mix of fantasy and mystery. A stunning and mysterious debut outing where we follow deadly assassins that may be tracking an assassin who is even deadlier. Highly recommended.

  This Age of Assassins book review was written by James Tivendale

• SFFWorld
  https://www.sffworld.com/2018/02/age-of-assassins-by-rj-barker/
  Word count: 696

  Age of Assassins by RJ Barker
  Mark Yon February 3, 2018 0 Comment

  This is one that passed me by last year when it was first released. I’m pleased I caught up with it, though.

  It’s set in a world of Kings, Queens and assassins. The story is written from the viewpoint of Girton Club-Foot, a teenage cripple who has been trained from a young age by Merela Barn, one of the best assassins in the land. It is clear that the two together have a complicated history, and many of these complications are told throughout the novel as flashback ‘Interludes’.

  The main plot of the novel concerns Queen Adran, who calls in a favour from Merela – they also appear to have a complex past. Adran is afraid that her son, Aydor, is to be assassinated, and so Merela and Girton are given the job to go undercover, find the assassin and/or stop the assassination.

  You can be forgiven, that if by reading the summary you think – “Well, I’ve read it all before.” (I suspect that this was the reason I didn’t carry on reading it beyond the first couple of pages). Nevertheless, I’m pleased that I’ve since found that Age of Assassins is worth pursuing with. Where the author scores is that his characterisation is great. What is a pretty obvious set of tropes become more interesting when we discover that Adran is deranged and that Aydor is an over-privileged, spoilt bully. By contrast, Garton himself is a likable enough young man, though it is also obvious that for all of his assassin’s skills he is woefully inexperienced in other life-skills, such as dealing with his peers and young love. There’s a sprinkling of respectable supporting characters throughout as well, to elevate this narrative a little.

  What begins as a straight-forward Fantasy novel has a narrative pull that belies these tropes. It’s a sign of a book’s strength when it rises above its traditional tropes and keeps you reading, and once the reader’s settled in, it’s a real page-turner. To be fair, it’s very impressive as a debut, and RJ skilfully manages to steer the reader down a few blind alleys before the book’s denouement. The ending was surprisingly good, although a little bit in the nature of ‘the Grand Reveal’, where, in the traditions of the great crime novel, the main characters explain (nearly) everything.

  My feeling at the end was how old-fashioned it was – and that is refreshing. It’s not a tale that tries to be deliberately clever, it’s not trying to impress the reader with skilful literary techniques or a broad range of vocabulary. Though it has its moments, it’s not Grimdark, nor is it as harsh as the trials Robin Hobb makes her characters go through. It does what it sets out to do and does it well, without some of the rookie errors other debut authors have made that have killed books for me. As a result, I enjoyed it a great deal, even if I didn’t feel that there was anything really new there.

  For that reason, if I was looking at my ‘best of’ list for 2017, it probably wouldn’t quite be in my top five of the year – but very probably in the top ten, which for a debut is impressive. Had I read this ten years ago, when the ideas within could have been fresher, it would have been remarkable.

  I realise that this sounds like I’m damning the book with faint praise, so I’ll finish by saying that by the end I was convinced of the book’s entertainment value. It is a book worth reading, and I’ll look forward to reading the next book sooner rather than later, which can only be the sign of a good thing.

  Age of Assassins by R J Barker

  Published by Orbit, August 2017

  ISBN: 978-0356508542

  432 pages

  Review by Mark Yon

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