King of Assassins by R.J. Barker – Review

Published: August 7, 2018

Publisher: Orbit Books

Series The Wounded Kingdom #3

Genre: Fantasy

Pages: 508 (Paperback)

My Rating: 4.5/5.0

A copy of this book was provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Synopsis:

THE KING IS DEAD, LONG LIVE THE KING . . .

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.

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It’s always bittersweet when a series comes to a close. It’s exciting to reach the end and find out how things turn out in the end, but sad because it’s unlikely (usually) that you’ll get to continue on with the characters on further adventures. King of Assassins was a satisfying ending, which pleased me to no end as it seems I’m disappointed in finales more often than not lately. RJ Barker closed this out solidly and wrapped up all of his loose ends.

King of Assassins is set fifteen years after the conclusion of Blood of Assassins and our characters have changed a great deal. Rufra has been secure in his position as king, has remarried, and has gained two children. Girton has remained on as his heartblade and Death’s Jester, though he and Rufra aren’t nearly as close as they used to be and tend to butt heads. Most surprisingly of all is that Aydor actually becomes a likable character and is fast friends with Girton. I wouldn’t have expected that, though I’m pleased that their old hatred and mistrust has disappeared. All our character are in their mid- to late-thirties (correct me if my math is wrong) and aren’t the young bucks they once were. Life is hard in the Tired Lands, you know. Girton’s master, Merela has aged as well and her old wounds have slowed her considerably, though she should not be underestimated. I like that this series is spaced over so many years, as we get to see how drastically characters have changed (or not) and it prevents things from becoming stale. I mean seriously, so many things can happen over the course of 15 years!

Rufra ap Vythr has set his sights on becoming High King after the the old one passed from a rampant illness called the Forgetting Plague. He was a monstrous man and his passing was mourned by few in the Tired Lands, especially since this brings opportunity for a new high king to be chosen. Rufra and his opponents all move to Ceadoc for the decision that is to be made. Ceadoc is a cesspool and danger is lurking in every shadow – assassins, old enemies, and so, so many secrets. This book is fraught with intrigue and mystery and I liked this more subtle turn to the action after the last book, which was a bloody war. Don’t get me wrong, there were some bloody fight scenes and rather traumatized events that will satisfy the most bloodthirsty reader, but the focus on assassinations and court politicking was more pronounced.

RJ Barker wrote a really fantastic ending to his Wounded Kingdom trilogy and I enjoyed the whole series immensely. I listened to the whole series in audio format and I’d highly recommend it if that’s your cup of tea. This book in particular had several moments that evoked very strong emotion and I’ll be honest it was mostly sadness or vague horror. It’s not a particularly happy book, but happiness isn’t what I wanted out of it. There were some minor frustrations with the characters – ie. Girton is still an idiot 65% of the time and Rufra is soooo stubborn- but these consistent character flaws make them seem more “real”. Overall, I would definitely recommend the entire series especially for fans of grimdark fantasy!