Review – Priest of Lies by Peter McLean

Priest of Lies by Peter McLean
Series: War for the Rose Throne #2
Publisher: Berkley Publishing Group – Ace
Publication Date: July 2, 2019
Date Read: April 19, 2019
Length: 368 pages
Source: NetGalley
★★★★★

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.

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This book was amazing.  I loved the first book in this series, Priest of Bones, so I was really looking forward to reading this installment.  I had incredibly high expectations for this book and it not only met but exceeded those expectations.  I actually spent a little more time reading this one than I usually would but I really enjoyed being able to savor this story and make it last just a little bit longer.  I haven’t been this excited about a new series in a long time.

This is a very dark fantasy.  The story is often brutal and some of the situations feel almost hopeless.  I really appreciate the fact that this series has proven to be a little more violent than your average fantasy.  Despite the title, this is not a religious tale.  Not at all.  Yes, the main character, Tomas, is a priest but he is not a particularly religious one. He may listen to your confession but he is also just as likely to use his daggers when an example needs to be made.  I think his role serves to make his character just a bit more interesting.

This book picks up shortly after the events of the first installment.  This is a series that really needs to be read in order.  Tomas and his gang have taken back their part of town.  Not only are they trying to hold their area, but they are also following the orders being handed down by the Queen’s Men.  Things are never easy and there always seems to be a fight to tackle.

This story is told from Tomas’s point of view.  He is a natural leader that isn’t afraid to make the difficult choices.  He doesn’t explain himself and demands complete obedience.  One of Tomas’s biggest strengths is his ability to pick the right people to support him and lead by example.  He knows what to share and what to keep to himself to achieve the results he needs.

This story was really exciting.  I thought that there was a really good balance of action and political maneuvers.  There were times when I had no idea how things would work out and I found myself worrying about Tomas and his crew.  There were some pretty surprising moments and some interesting character developments that kept everything really interesting.

I would highly recommend this series to fans of dark fantasy.  I really would like to see this series in the hands of more readers because it is simply amazing.  I cannot wait to read more of this fantastic series!

I received a digital review copy of this book from Berkley Publishing Group via NetGalley.

About the Author

Peter McLean lives in the UK, where he studies martial arts and magic, and volunteers at a prison, teaching creative writing. He is the author of the Burned Man urban fantasy series.

Author Links: Website | Goodreads | Facebook | Twitter

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