Priest of Lies
Tomas Piety has been many 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.-Goodreads
Title: Priest of Lies
Series: War of the Rose Throne #2
Author: Peter McLean
Page Count: 368
Genre: Fantasy
Rating: 4.75/5.0
Date Read: August 11th, 2022
Opening
I began this series with book one just last month and enjoyed it enough to continue on here in August. I think the story really just continues well from the first book. These aren't over complex stories or writing style. They are just quick easy reads. There is plenty of action, political intrigue and of course harsh justice!
Pacing
I'm still loving the pace of these books. The writing style fits me very well. They are shorter books so they go by very quickly. But I never find myself in a truly slow slog at any given point. Peter McLean does an excellent job in describing scenes. On that stood out to me early his how well he describes Tomas's rage after the attempted assassination. I just felt like I was in that room and could see his rage with my own eyes.
Worldbuilding
World building is still very good here. I feel this one had a bit more political intrigue than book one did which isn't bad. We expand out of the original city into another this time and get to learn more about the Queen's Men and how the royalty there run the city as Tomas and the group look for find their counterparts within Dannsburg.
Character Development
Character development continues to be excellent. We see some supporting characters fall a bit from grace in book two which simply adds another layer to their characters in my mind. This happens several times throughout book two with different characters. Tomas's wife continues to keep me on my toes. One minute she is the Queen's Man (the Lioness) simply all business, the next she shows more of her humanity and possible wife and motherly aspects, then shortly after we are right back to the Lioness! We learn so much about the characters in this one.
Closing
I'm looking forward to digging into the third book Priest of Gallows no later than next month.
If you like quick easy reads a bit more on the darker side of fantasy, I think this series just might be for you!
Scoring
Pacing 4.5 / 5.0
Worldbuilding 4.5 / 5.0
Character Development 5.0 / 5.0
