Gods of the Wyrdwood


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
 Copyright © 2023 by RJ Barker
 Cover design by Duncan Spilling—LBBG
 Cover images by Shutterstock
 Map by Tom Parker Illustration
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 First Edition: June 2023
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 Library of Congress Control Number: 2022952443
 ISBNs: 9780316401586 (trade paperback), 9780316401784 (ebook)
 E3-20230525-JV-NF-ORI
 
 
 
 Contents
 
 Cover
 Title Page
 Copyright
 Dedication
 Map
 Epigraph
 Beginning
 1
 2
 Deep in the Forest
 3
 Deep in the Forest
 4
 5
 6
 7
 Deep in the Forest
 8
 9
 10
 11
 Deep in the Forest
 12
 Deep in the Forest
 13
 14
 Deep in the Forest
 15
 Deep in the Forest
 16
 17
 Deep in the Forest
 18
 19
 Deep in the Forest
 20
 21
 22
 23
 24
 Deep in the Forest
 25
 Deep in the Forest
 26
 27
 28
 Deep in the Forest
 29
 30
 31
 32
 Deep in the Forest
 33
 34
 35
 36
 37
 38
 39
 40
 Deep in the Forest
 41
 42
 Deep in the Forest
 Deeper in the Forest
 Deeper in the Forest
 Shallow in the Wood
 43
 44
 45
 46
 47
 48
 49
 50
 Deep in the Forest
 51
 52
 Deep in the Forest
 53
 54
 55
 56
 57
 58
 59
 60
 61
 62
 63
 Deep in the Forest
 64
 65
 66
 67
 68
 Epilogue
 Acknowledgements
 Discover More
 Meet the Author
 Also by RJ Barker
 Praise for RJ Barker
 
 
 
 
 Begin Reading
 Table of Contents
 
 
 
 
 Praise for RJ Barker
 
 “A vividly realized high-seas epic that pulls you deep into its world and keeps you tangled there until the very last word.”
 —Evan Winter, author of The Rage of Dragons, on The Bone Ships
 
 “The Bone Ships is excellent. Aside from the standout writing, it’s one of the most interesting and original fantasy worlds I’ve seen in years.”
 —Adrian Tchaikovsky, Arthur C. Clarke Award–winning author of Children of Time
 
 “I absolutely loved it. A whole lot of swashbuckling awesomeness by RJ Barker. He has crafted a fascinating world and a twisty plot, both rooted in characters I came to care about. A definite winner for me.”
 —John Gwynne, author of The Shadow of the Gods, on The Bone Ships
 
 “An epic tale of duty and obligation and honor, and what bravery really means. I can’t recommend it enough.”
 —Peter McLean, author of Priest of Bones, on The Bone Ships
 
 “Simultaneously gritty and full of a sense of wonder, The Bone Ships is the perfect adventure for anyone who’s ever had dreams of the sea—or of dragons.… An excellent book for any reader in search of a fantastical 
 
 By RJ Barker
 THE WOUNDED KINGDOM
 Age of Assassins
 Blood of Assassins
 King of Assassins
 THE TIDE CHILD TRILOGY
 The Bone Ships
 Call of the Bone Ships
 The Bone Ship’s Wake
 THE FORSAKEN TRILOGY
 Gods of the Wyrdwood
 
 
 
 
 For Ed Wilson, an agent and a friend
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 Harm none, and remain unharmed.
 
 
 
 
 Beginning
 The boy liked Ventday best. He had always liked Ventday because on Ventday the processionals happened and there was no work when the processionals passed the farm. The tools and staffs were put away and the mothers made them wear their best clothes and the fathers made sure they were clean. Then they all stood on the grass, cold whistling around them, trying not to shiver as they waited for the monks to make their way through Woodedge from Harn towards Harn-Larger.
 The monks always came in the first part of the day, but they never stopped at the farm.
 Monks had no time for clanless tenant farmers scratching a life from the frozen land. But it was exciting for the boy. Though all followed Chyi,