Gods of the Wyrdwood: The Forsaken Trilogy, Book 1: 'Avatar meets Dune - on shrooms. Five stars.' -SFX (Paperback) - RJ Barker

Book one in a new fantasy trilogy set within the bounds of a forest straight out of darkest folklore - with outlaws fighting an evil empire and warring deities. RJ Barker is the British Fantasy Society Award-winning author of The Bone Ships and Age of Assassins.

OUR LANDS ARE WILD WITH GODS, OUR WOODS ARE WILD WITH MONSTERS . . .

Cahan du Nahare is known as the forester - a humble man who can nonetheless navigate the dangerous Wyrdwood 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 Wyrdwood 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.

From one of the most original voices in fantasy comes the start of an epic trilogy of vicious outlaws, warring deities and an evil empire, set within the bounds of a forest out of darkest folklore. The Gods of the Wyrdwood have awoken, and their time is come.

*****

'An experienced novelist at the top of his game - this is Avatar meets Dune, on shrooms'
SFX (rated five stars)

'A splendid fantasy work, full of RJ's trademark invention. Highly recommended'
Adrian Tchaikovsky

'Utterly immersive . . . there's is still so much more left to explore in this world, and I cannot wait to return'
Fantasy Hive

'Barker has created a beautiful world that balances the dark and deadly with just the right amount of hope'
Grimdark Magazine

'A fascinating, compelling novel... with epic themes, epically strange worldbuilding, and excellent action scenes. I'm very much looking forward to the next instalment'
Locus

'A sweeping story of destiny and redemption. Weighty, deliberate, tender and brutal, this is a big, wonderful book and an utterly involving read'
Daily Mail

'A five star reading experience . . . the next book in this series cannot come soon enough'
The Fantasy Review

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.