War for the Rose Throne - Review
Link to the author's (P. McLean) personal website
Book 1: Priest of Bones
Book 2: Priest of Lies
Book 3: Priest of Gallows
Book 4: Priest of Crowns
Blurb: (From Book 1) The war is over, and army priest Tomas Piety heads home with Sergeant Bloody Anne at his side. But things have changed while he was away: his crime empire has been stolen and the people of Ellinburg--his people--have run out of food and hope and places to hide. Tomas sets out to reclaim what was his with help from Anne, his brother, Jochan, and his new gang: the Pious Men. But when he finds himself dragged into a web of political intrigue once again, everything gets more complicated.
As the Pious Men fight shadowy foreign infiltrators in the back-street taverns, brothels, and gambling dens of Tomas's old life, it becomes clear:
The war is only just beginning.
Review: This series had a rough start for me. It was so clearly inspired from Peaky Blinders, and the names of the characters and the setting just felt like I was being hoodwinked. This was hard to overcome, especially because the writing didn't jump out at me instantly. I'm still not sure what changed, but I continued to give it a shot because I loved Peaky Blinders, and after 50 pages or so I started to just enjoy it.
I'm a sucker for a good gangster story, and that's about what this story is. You follow a group of veterans, led by Thomas Piety, a priest and stand-in captain, as they return to his home city and revive his old gang. The gang is then dragged into larger problems, eventually getting embroiled in a war for the rose throne. I thought Thomas was a good character, and loved Bloody Anne as his second, with the author doing a great job of portraying veteran's problems from the past in my opinion. The writing about Ellinburg was also very strong, and I appreciated how the city got fleshed out and given a distinct character depending on the region.
Enjoyment of the series did slip a bit as time went on. I found that the plot made a single route for itself, and I wasn't getting as surprised with the direction of the story as I was in the beginning. The ending is also simply depressing, albeit fitting. All in all this series is a recommend from me! If you're after a gangster driven story then it's a big recommend.