P.J.  Ashton

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P.J. Ashton

Goodreads Author


Born
in London, The United Kingdom
Genre

Member Since
October 2023


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/
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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)
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…more
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 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)
Average rating: 4.27 · 128 ratings · 98 reviews · 4 distinct worksSimilar authors
The Eternal's Chosen (Raven...

4.28 avg rating — 75 ratings8 editions
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The Eternal's Triumph (Rave...

4.04 avg rating — 26 ratings5 editions
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Blades Forged (Empire of Kn...

4.27 avg rating — 11 ratings2 editions
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The Eternal's Will (Ravensl...

4.38 avg rating — 8 ratings
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* Note: these are all the books on Goodreads for this author. To add more, click here.

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
The Eternal's Chosen The Eternal's Triumph The Eternal's Will
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4.23 avg rating — 109 ratings

Lord Foul's Bane
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Sword of Destiny
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Blood of Elves
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P.J.’s Recent Updates

Blades Forged by P.J.  Ashton
" Read this review and more on my Medium page: Distorted Visions

Score: 3/5

Since this is an ARC, the review aims to be as Spoiler-free as possible.


Blades Forged kicks off the Empire of Knives series by a new sharpened voice in the space.

This is grimda" Read more of this review »
Blades Forged by P.J.  Ashton
"I was asked to review this novel for IBOR; the views are my own and not those of the Epic Indie Team as a whole.

Blades Forged is labelled as Grimdark. As a reader and writer of YA Fantasy, I approached this novel blissfully unaware of what I was lett" Read more of this review »
P.J. Ashton rated a book really liked it
A Shattered Peace by Gabriel Tesone
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An ambitious, atmospheric fantasy.

One of the novel’s greatest strengths is its worldbuilding. The setting feels lived-in and considered, particularly in how it handles logistics, refugees, supply lines, and the slow grind of war. These details add c
...more
P.J. Ashton is now following Jaidev and Alex K
Blades Forged by P.J.  Ashton
"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 »
Blades Forged by P.J.  Ashton
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Godblind by Anna  Stephens
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