TMST and King of Assassins

Tell Me Something Tuesday is a weekly discussion post on Rainy Day Ramblings where Rainy discuss a wide range of topics from books to blogging. Weigh in and join the conversation by adding your thoughts in the comments. If you want to do your own post, grab the question and answer it on your blog.

April 23: Do you like getting unsolicited books in the mail?

I would LOVE it! Ok so I guess that if you get many then sure it would feel like you had to read them all. But still, I get so few, and that is still books that the pubs would have sent me anyway. I would love getting a surprise book that would make me go all whaat? :D

Let's do a review today too!

Paperback, 508 pages

Published August 7th 2018 by Orbit

Series: The Wounded Kingdom #3

Fantasy

Own

My Thoughts

It took me 12 days to finish this one...12 days!!!! I confess to doing a lot of skimming the last 150 pages cos else I would still be here after 2 weeks.

Something was just not there. I enjoyed the two previous ones, but this one, nah, it felt slow, it dragged, it was a chore and I no longer felt the world.

I must say, it made me feel that I am done with this author if hershe makes me feel like this for this last book.

It had good parts, but most were ok, or just boring. Soulless.

And srsly, EVERYONE else loved it, EVERYONE

Arghhh what is wrong with me?! 

Blurb

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 twenty years of politics and murder will be played out in his bid to become the King of all Kings.

Friends become enemies, enemies become friends and the god of death, Xus the Unseen, stands closer than ever - casting his shadow over everything most dear to Girton. 

Blood of Assassins - RJ Barker

Paperback, 434 pages

Published February 15th 2018 by Orbit

Series: The Wounded Kingdom #2

Fantasy

Own

My thoughts:

Make it short, make it short..ok I will try. I am pressed for time

SO 5 years have passed. Girton and his master comes back to these crappy hellforsaken lands (srsly why do anyone still live here! This place is hell). His old friend Rufra has been fighting with Thomas (FU Thomas), and Aydor all this time and they all claim the kingdom. Like this place could go to hell any more. Yes it can. Now there are maneating pigs too.

He meets Rufra again and is given a task.

That camp is another snake nest. Sometime is a spy, but who? Those dang witchhunters are there and ugh! But ok so I get why they need to find sorcerers, but they mostly kill innocents.

Girton has his job cut out for him.

I said short! I mean to finish this sentences ago!

Right, so this is a detective story in a way then. And war is looming, and there will be fighting. And Girton is trying to keep his magic under control. I fear for him, I really fear for him now. Either he will burn a hole in the country, be killed or no, I can not see a happy ending for him.

I really want book 3 now so that I can find out what happens next. All is good for now, but who knows what the years will bring

Synopsis:

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.

Age of Assassins - RJ Barker

Paperback, 408 pages

Published August 1st 2017 by Orbit

The Wounded Kingdom #1

Fantasy

Own

My thoughts:

This book has me wondering, the state of the land! I so need more info, I honesty think that was my fav part. Yes that is me, getting stuck in the worldbuilding. But it was just so interesting! The land is gone to hell, magic seem to cause it. And then they bleed people into the land too! Messed up, please tell me more.

Girton is an assassin. He has a clubfoot. He is so easily overlooked. Poor guy, he really wanted some friends. Anyway, yes we follow him as he tries to find out who wants this piece of shit of a prince dead. All I am saying let someone kill that prince. He deserves it. 

His master, Merela, works in the shadows, and all I am saying here is that a book about her earlier days would be so interesting!

Right, he pretends to be someone else, meets people, looks for baddies and learns a lesson or two.

The end seemed to come to quickly. This book was short! I can't believe I am saying that, but yes it was short.

Conclusion:

It was an interesting start and I do want to read more about Girton, maybe he will even do some assassin stuff then ;)

Cover

dull

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 his 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 kingdom.