Monday, June 24, 2019

#Review - Priest of Lies by Peter McLean #Fantasy

Series: War For The Rose Throne (#2)
Format: Paperback, 368 pages
Release Date: July 2, 2019
Publisher: ACE
Source: Publisher
Genre: Fantasy / Dark Fantasy

Tomas Piety has been many things: soldier, priest, gangster…and spy. As Tomas’s power grows, the nobility better watch their backs, in this dark and gritty epic fantasy series.

People are weak, and the poorer and more oppressed they are, the weaker they become—until they can’t take it anymore. And when they rise up…may the gods help their oppressors.

When Tomas Piety returned from the war, he just wanted to rebuild his empire of crime with his gang of Pious Men. But his past as a spy for the Queen’s Men drew him back in and brought him more power than he ever imagined.

Now, with half of his city in ashes and the Queen’s Men at his back, the webs of political intrigue stretch out from the capital to pull Tomas in. Dannsburg is calling.

In Dannsburg the nobility fight with words, not blades, but the results are every bit as bloody. In this pit of beasts, Tomas must decide once and for all whether he is truly the people’s champion…or just a priest of lies.


Story Locale: Pseudo-Tudor British industrial town




Priest of Lies, by author Peter McLean, is the second installment in the authors War for the Rose Throne series. The story in Priest of Lies continues 6 months from where Priest of Bones left off. When Tomas and his Pious Men took a stand against the Wheel, little did he know that hundreds of people would be caught in the crossfire. All of Eastern Ellinburg now belongs to the Tomas and his men because of the choice made by Ailsa. 

Tomas is still "married" to Ailsa, an aristocrat from Dannsburg who has used her powers as a Queen's Man to push Tomas into doing some brutal things in order to send a loud and clear message to the Skanians who are looking for a way to overthrow the Rose Throne. Tomas and his people have new adversaries to deal with as well. They are the Northern Sons and they not only have the Governor at their beck and call, but Klaus Vhent, who may be as ruthless and cunning as Tomas.

Tomas has tried to stay above the fray, and let others handle what needs to be done. Including his brother Jochan, his second-in-command Bloody Anne, Fat Luka, Billy the Boy, and Sir Eiland. Tomas is often thought of a sort of anti-hero, and that's perfectly fine. He knows that he is an intruder among the rich men of Ellinburg, but when he is told that he has to travel to Dannesburg, things are even more eye opening once he meets the people who are supposed to be his betters.

One of the best parts of this series for me is the incredible world building. You, as the reader, can actually put yourself in the characters shoes and feel what they do. The secondary characters are more pronounced in this book as well. From Jochan, to Cutter who has always been an enigma, and an unknown, to Billy the Boy who is more powerful than you would think from someone 12-14 years old. Bloody Anne often times is put in the spotlight and has to do things that are bloody and hard. But, that's because she is Tomas's most dependable friend and colleague.

I must say that I am finished with Ailsa. I think her actions throughout this book, especially towards the ending, has left Tomas struggling to find out who he can really trust, and who will betray him for the enemies that would do anything to completely destroy Ellinburg. Being politically ensnared by the Queen's Men and Ailsa has come at a great cost for Tomas and his men.  I do think that readers miss a lot when the story moves to Dannesburg and the story is still told in the first POV. I would love it had Bloody Anne had a chance to narrate what was going on back home as Tomas and Ailsa were playing politics.

Overall: Pretty good second installment. Just the right amount of blood, political intrigue, and betrayal. Can't wait to see what happens next.  


https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42359140-priest-of-lies#other_reviews



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