Priest of Bones by Peter McLean

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 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, and 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.

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