Peter McLean

Priest of Crowns is the fourth and final game in the War for the Rose Throne series, and picks up right where the third books leaves off. It is, for the most part, just as excellent as the previous books, and it wraps the story up nicely while leaving the world open for further stories in the future.

The writing is as utilitarian as ever; written from Tomas Piety's perspective as a memoir, it fits his character perfectly. That isn't to say the writing is simple or inelegant, not at all, but show more you won't find much flowery prose here and it works for the story being told. The story moves at a breakneck pace, with plotlines that were set in place in the first and second novels finally coming together.

Tomas Piety is not a good man, not at all, and it's a credit to the author that at points in this story I felt sympathy for him. He does despicable things, he reeks of hypocrisy, he betrays people and manipulates and uses and abuses them, and doesn't apologize for any of it. He becomes what he hates the most, does things he said he wouldn't do just a couple novels ago, and isn't nearly as clever as he says he is.

But on the other side of the same coin, he feels like a real human. He's one of the most fully-realized characters in fantasy, and while his actions may be larger in scale and more brutal than what normal people do, his feelings and trauma are intensely relatable. He's a veteran with terrible PTSD, he had an abusive childhood, he's falling into alcoholism, and all the while his brother's a madman, his best friend doubts him, and his country's falling apart.

I do have a few minor issues with the book. I feel like Tomas should've seen the big twist in the last few pages coming from a mile away - a twist that was made expressly clear to the reader. That said, it was a clean way to wrap up remaining side plots and a fitting end to this chapter of the memoir. The same phrases I nitpicked in the previous novels are still used extensively here, but I found in this entry I didn't really mind it.

Great end to the series and I'm excited for what the author does next. show less

Wow! Talk about a dark and satisfying read!

McLean has pressed all the right buttons. A cynic, a soldier, a gang leader, a spy for the Queen's Men and a priest. That's Tomas Piety, returned from the body and mind breaking horrors of the recent war to reclaim his territory in the city of Ellinburg.
Along with those who fought by his side and survived, like Bloody Anne his sergeant, and now his "second in the Pious Men and his most loyal friend", and Billy the Boy, a young child survivor found show more amongst the horrors of Messia. Billy though has 'cunning' (something akin to a hedge witch skills) but becoming more powerful.
Of course the Pious Men survivors are a tight knit, experienced group who know how to fight, and have every reason to.
The Queen's Men have not finished however with Tomas. It seems his homecoming has strings, or maybe that's fishhooks attached and securely embedded. Tomas discovers that once a Queen's Man, it's a life sentence.
Tomas knew taking back and extending his holdings was always going to be bloody but it seems that there will be more than even he bargained for. I am reminded of Steven Erikson's Malazan works and some of David Gemmell's Drenai tales, not in storyline but with the oppressive atmosphere lightened by moments of understanding and benevolence, even as violence becomes the byword.
I must admit I'm asking myself how did this first in the series slip through my net? However I was able to read this and the next in the series, Priest of Lies, back to back. That's a win!
I loved every word! Thank you Peter McLean!

A Berkley Group ARC via NetGalley show less

Priest of Lies is the excellent sequel to the excellent Priest of Bones. We continue the story of Tomas Piety, priest, soldier, and gangster, and though Lies is the second of four novels in the series it doesn't fall victim to middle book syndrome at all. This book is full of action and plot development and is just as dark and gritty as the first.

Priest of Lies is just as well-written as the first novel, told in a blunt, no-nonsense tone that matches the character of Piety perfectly. My one show more complaint with the novel is the overuse of certain phrases - Every other page is littered with "I had to allow that" and "to my mind". These are deliberate stylistic choices by the author, and fit the frame of these being Piety's journals, but even so seeing the phrases repeated so often became a bit grating partway through.

This novel expects the setting out of Ellinburg, and we spend a good chunk of time in a different city, Dannsburg. This was a good move, as the city began to feel a little cramped and claustrophobic. Expanding the world was a natural evolution and I'm interested to see how the future novels move forward.

This is an excellent entry in the series, and Peter McLean has proven to be one of the top active grimdark authors. I'm definitely going to finish the series and will be on the lookout for future novels. show less

It’s a good sign when the introduction of the dramatis personae has you chuckling before you even get to the story. Priest of Bones is just a little bit different from your typical fantasy, and that’s a good thing. Thomas Piety is an army priest on his way home from the war along with his brother Jochan and some of his soldiers. He’s returning to the Ellingburg streets he used to run as a thug/crime boss/businessman. Things have gone to hell in his absence, but the Pious Men are home show more now, and they mean to take back what’s theirs.

McLean keeps the plot continually moving forward even as he fleshes out his many characters. Descriptive nicknames are helpful placeholders for some of the characters until you get to know them better. The Piety brothers, Bloody Anne, Ailsa, Billy the Boy, Fat Luka are all characters that have both depth and mystery. The action is bloody, but it is never mindless. Politics are at play behind the scenes and Thomas Piety is caught up in the middle of it. There is a thoughtfulness to when violence is called for as well as consideration of its consequences. The marriage of this violence to politics is what draws comparisons to The Godfather.

Peter McLean has created a story with criminal complexity, layered politics, bloody violence, intrigue, and a surprising amount of heart. He has created a place in Ellinburg that feels real. From its gambling dens to its mansions to its taverns and the muddy, cold streets. He conveys the devastation that sickness and war have wrought on the city and the country. The action moves quickly from the beginning but hits another gear for a high-octane ending.

This first book in the War for the Rose Throne series is a great story, but it’s the characters who will hook you and have you coming back for more. This is a really good book. Highly recommended.

I was provided a copy of this book by the publisher. show less