96 ratings | 74 reviews | avg rating:4.35

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P.J. Ashton

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Born

in London, The United Kingdom

Genre

Grimdark, Dark Fantasy, Epic Fantasy

Member Since

October 2023

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P. J. Ashton writes grimdark fantasy soaked in blood and the kind of humour that grows from watching empires collapse in slow motion. He has lived in London, Australia, Russia, Germany and now Thailand, which means he has seen enough to know most kingdoms fall for very stupid reasons.

As a writer he serves as a beloved dictator, crafting worlds with care and carrying out frequent executions when the story demands it. His books follow cynical soldiers and unwilling heroes who survive through grit, luck and weaponised sarcasm.

He is the author of Blades Forged and writes The Bloodied Quill, a grimdark newsletter for readers who enjoy a little laughter in the dark.
https://bloodiedquill.substack.com/ ...more

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Not a question but wanted to say I put your novel on the list. Fantasy is one genre I never gave a shot. I've been looking for indie fantasy authors and you came up on the list. Ravenslayer #1 sounds very intriguing? I have to put a question mark, lol.

P.J. Ashton Thanks, if you read it, I hope you enjoy it. I should warn you that it's dark fantasy though, not epic fantasy. I don't shy away from violence. If you…moreThanks, if you read it, I hope you enjoy it. I should warn you that it's dark fantasy though, not epic fantasy. I don't shy away from violence. If you want to know more, I'll be happy to answer your questions. (less)

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What inspired you to write this book? TBH, I really enjoyed The Eternal's Chosen. I found it to be a unique take with the violence and themes.

P.J. Ashton Hi Jana,

Thank you for your question. To be honest with you. I've taken inspiration from numerous sources. I am from the UK and in the past, the UK was…moreHi Jana,

Thank you for your question. To be honest with you. I've taken inspiration from numerous sources. I am from the UK and in the past, the UK was invaded many times, from the Romans, the Saxons, Vikings, Normans etc etc. For the orcs, I took inspiration from the Vikings and their rampages across Northern England. I am a great lover of Tolkien too and one of the many questions I had was the orcs cross Middle Earth, yet one thing we didn't see or hear about in the books was what was happening in their march from Mordor to the battlefields. Did they come across villages and towns? or did they just bypass them? So, I found myself asking the question, what if the orcs raided villages and towns? What if they were the Vikings?

I then looked at the religious aspects of a pagan religion and gave my own slant on it, using current themes surrounding age. There is a whole community on Youtube that hold these views and I thought they would be interesting to explore in fantasy, from an extreme perspective of course.

And that brings me to the elves. What would they be like if they were immortal and living in a pagan society? So I tried to explore that idea too.

Hope this helps, thanks for the question. You were actually my first question, so I appreciate it. I am glad you enjoyed the book.

PJ.(less)

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Combine Editions
P.J. Ashton’s books

Average rating: 4.27 · 124 ratings · 97 reviews · 4 distinct works • Similar authors

	The Eternal's Chosen (Ravenslayer, #1) 4.28 avg rating — 75 ratings — 8 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Eternal's Triumph (Ravenslayer, #2) 4.04 avg rating — 26 ratings — 5 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	The Eternal's Will (Ravenslayer, #3) 4.38 avg rating — 8 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Blades Forged (Empire of Knives #1) 4.43 avg rating — 7 ratings — 2 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

* Note: these are all the books on Goodreads for this author. To add more, click here.

4 posts
P.J. Ashton's Blog

Blades Forged update

“Working on Book 2 and outlining the trilogy arc.

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Published on December 07, 2025 00:27 • Tags: grimdark

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Series by P.J. Ashton

Ravenslayer (3 books)
by

P.J. Ashton (Goodreads Author)

4.23 avg rating — 109 ratings

P.J. is Currently Reading

P.J. Ashton is currently reading

Lord Foul's Bane (The Chronicles of Thomas Covenant the Unbeliever, #1)

by Stephen R. Donaldson

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Nov 26, 2023 05:17AM

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Sword of Destiny (The Witcher, #0.7)

by Andrzej Sapkowski

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Nov 12, 2023 09:50PM

P.J. Ashton is currently reading

Blood of Elves (The Witcher, #1)

by Andrzej Sapkowski

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Nov 12, 2023 09:49PM

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P.J.’s Recent Updates

P.J. Ashton liked Jaidev's review of Blades Forged (Empire of Knives #1): "It’s brilliant in worldbuilding but occasionally overloaded with grit. This is just my opinion, Blades Forged hits like a hammer, it is gritty, violent, and painfully real. The writing drips with mud, blood, and bitter truth. Ashton builds a world th" Read more of this review »
Jan 03, 2026 05:08AM · see review
P.J. Ashton liked Eric Johnson's review of Blades Forged (Empire of Knives #1):
Dec 16, 2025 03:22AM · see review
P.J. Ashton is now following Jasper L. Walker Author of The Shattered Line: The Corrosion of Ages Trilo...
Dec 13, 2025 06:00AM · like
P.J. Ashton and 2 other people liked STRANGE GIRL BOOK REVIEWS 's review of Blades Forged (Empire of Knives #1): "Darrow: Soldier. Leader. Alpha male. Henna: Sex, violence, and humor are her main weapons. Vekk: Man of faith. Praying man yet capable of unspeakable atrocities. These are the main members of the Mudline, special imperial unit forces that would go into " Read more of this review »
Dec 13, 2025 06:00AM · see review
P.J. Ashton rated a book really liked it Godblind (The Godblind Trilogy #1) by Anna Stephens (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Dec 12, 2025 06:20AM · like
P.J. Ashton is now following Luke Scull Author of The Grim Company (The Grim Company, #1)
Dec 07, 2025 12:41AM · like
P.J. Ashton has read Blades Forged (Empire of Knives #1) by P.J. Ashton (Goodreads Author)	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Dec 07, 2025 12:24AM · like
P.J. Ashton is now following The Reading Ruru (Kerry) , Jaidev, and Alex K
Dec 07, 2025 12:00AM

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topics	posts	views	last activity
Review / Write / ...: [archived] Round_22 "Mature" (reviews on GR+ (NOT Amz))-Done!-	46	29	Dec 04, 2023 07:20AM
Review Group: * Group 348. 18+ - Mod. Kat	169	57	Feb 16, 2024 06:57AM
Review / Write / ...: [archived] Round_29 "Speculative" (reviews on GR & Amz)-Done!	29	10	Feb 18, 2024 06:49AM
Review / Write / ...: [archived] Chain_11 “Speculative” -CLOSED- (Jan-Apr)	117	48	May 01, 2024 06:58AM
Review / Write / ...: [archived] Chain_12 “Mature” -CLOSED- (Jan-Apr)	180	48	May 01, 2024 06:59AM
Review / Write / ...: [archived] Round_37 "General" (reviews on GR & Amz)-Done!	17	18	May 06, 2024 06:00AM

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