‘Peaky Blinders with swords’ (Barnes & Noble), perfect for fans of Mark Lawrence and Joe Abercrombie.
‘The poorer and more oppressed people are, the weaker they become – until they just refuse to take it any more. Then they will rise up, and the gods help their oppressors.’
When Tomas Piety and his Pious Men returned from the war, he just wanted to rebuild his crime empire and look after his people. But the sinister Queen’s Men had different ideas and whether he likes it or not, he’s now a spy as well.
Now, half the city of Ellinburg lies in ashes and the webs of political intrigue are stretching out from the Queen’s 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.
And as Tomas’ power grows, the nobility had better watch their backs . . .
‘The poorer and more oppressed people are, the weaker they become – until they just refuse to take it any more. Then they will rise up, and the gods help their oppressors.’
When Tomas Piety and his Pious Men returned from the war, he just wanted to rebuild his crime empire and look after his people. But the sinister Queen’s Men had different ideas and whether he likes it or not, he’s now a spy as well.
Now, half the city of Ellinburg lies in ashes and the webs of political intrigue are stretching out from the Queen’s 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.
And as Tomas’ power grows, the nobility had better watch their backs . . .
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Reviews
A charismatic and very more-ish book with solid prose and a strong voice. Priest of Bones is a story of organised crime with shades of the Godfather. It sounds grim and dark . . . and it is . . . but our priest of bones is quite the humanitarian for a ruthless crime lord. With high-tempo action it's just very fun to read
Priest of Bones can be effectively summarised as "gangsters in fantasyville". McLean manages to combine two of my most liked elements in fantasy - a quick-moving plot and characters with realistic relationships. Fans of Daniel Polansky, Mark Lawrence or, dare I say, Blackwing will most appreciate this book
Fresh and compelling . . . Mashing together soldiers, gangsters, magic and war into a heady mix that is a hulking big brother to The Lies of Locke Lamora, this is the first in an unmissable series
Peaky Blinders with swords
Bringing to mind a fantastical Peaky Blinders
A rattling good time for anyone who wishes there was more mob in their genre lit
A bombastic and exuberant read which bodes well for the subsequent volumes and ill for those who cross the Pious Men of Ellinburg
Priest of Lies once again feels like reading the lost otherworldly diary of one of the most fascinating criminals in contemporary fantasy . . . 10/10
Exhilarating, continuously riveting, and magnificent . . . one of the most engrossing grimdark books I've read up to date
As compelling and gripping as the first book, this is a powerful continuation of what's turning into a brilliant series with its own unique voice
Whatever the best of low fantasy is, this is it . . . Priest of Bones was one of the best of 2018, Priest of Lies will be one of the best of 2019
Peter McLean has done it again . . . A gripping, exciting, brilliant book
A great series . . . Gangster, soldier, priest, you have never met someone quite like him. Read and find out.
An enigma. It manages to be light and dark, clean but dirty, harsh but fair, full of love and equally full of death. It's an awesome story, one that grabs you from the first line and doesn't let go until the finale when it slams you to the ground
Priest of Bones was fantastic, Priest of Lies is better. It is utterly brilliant, over far too soon, another dose of top-quality gangtasy (gangsters and fantasy) and features an ending that left me longing for, yearning for the next book
4.5 grim hearts!
It's got such a crazy distinctive voice, a kind of through a glass darkly feel that is intriguing and unsettling in equal measure. More than that, it's proper fun. Priest of Bones was one of the best of 2018, Priest of Lies will be one of the best of 2019. No doubt
Priest of Lies is pretty damn exceptional . . . the ending is stunning . . . an author who is on top of his game
An action- and intrigue-packed read that I was unable to put down
Clever storytelling and beautifully immersive prose. Priest of Lies digs deeper and hits harder, getting darker by the chapter, with astonishing surprises around each and every corner. And what an ending! I'm really looking forward to seeing what blood-soaked mischief Tomas gets into next. If you haven't yet picked up this riveting and unique series, I highly recommend you do
Thomas Piety is back, with machinations, mayhem and blood aplenty. If you like your fantasy with a side of dark and gritty you won't want to miss this
A stunning piece of dark fantasy well worth your time
The best books are those which feel alive. Those with a vivid voice, an engrossing story, and characters who feel so real that they jump off the page. "Does it live up to the first book?" For Priest of Lies, the answer is yes. Emphatically, yes.
The War for the Rose Throne series really deserves to be mentioned amongst grimdark's finest. Priest of Lies has an awesome cast of characters, political intrigues, gore and twists that'll make you blink in surprise. If you love the genre, then you absolutely must read it!
This is some top notch grimdark man. Just top tier storytelling
