Why read the War for the Rose Throne?
While I drafting this post, I found myself quite unsure as to how to best present this story. It has been one of my favorite stories of last year and I want to make sure you can give it a go in case my words entice you to read it. There are so many interesting angles to highlight the qualities of this series and, at the same time, I am failing at highlighting them.
So let’s go to the basics: the War for the Rose Throne, by Peter McLean, is a character driven story, with one point of view (we experience all the events through the eyes of Tomas), set in fictional Medieval Europe with limited world building but incredibly realistic social structure and fully fleshed out characters. And the king of this series is the plot, in my opinion. Clever, well through-through, making events work for propelling the characters (and justify or, at least, understand their decisions) forward (and backwards) and creating an environment where the decisions feel realistic.
It is still a fantasy story, so political scheming and religious manipulation are at the forefront, sprinkled with some magic (although it is not overpowering).
There are four books in the series: Priest of Bones, Priest of Lies, Priest of Gallows and Priest of Crown. They are a mid-sized fantasy book between 350 and 450 pages each and they are quite dense of events; it is fast paced and it is quite action packed, whether there are physical brawls or there is a conversation with a lot of meaning exchanged between the lines. I gave all of them between 4 and 4.5 stars out of five!
This story truly focuses on the development of the main protagonist but also of all the people surrounding him; all his friends and family, all his foes, allies and anybody in between. It is a fast paced story that tells the story of greed but also of tough choices for the right reasons.
It is a story of soldiers returning from war (in fact, it is exactly how this series starts) without a job and without prospects of finding a job. This series dives into how human these characters are, from who and why they love (and we have beautiful LGBTQ stories that made me fall in love with problematic characters), to tackling mental illness (post-traumatic stress disorder is at the forefront of the story and it is done so well for me; I found myself taken in how brutal is to deal with these situations). I also do not recall fantasy stories addressing the consequences of war so well, both in relation to the characters and, especially, in relation to the social effects of war (and how the wealthier will do all they can to avoid experiencing the distress of the rejected soldiers).
While this is not my favourite element of fantasy, this series also focuses on gangs and how they were instrumental for the survival of the poor and / or the weak (and sometimes both).
What I found exceptional about this story is the fact that I did not need large world building to feel at home; in fact, the story really takes places in two cities at most (with a brief excursion in a third city), Ellenburg and the capital, Dannsburg. The story also makes reference to a larger scale world (for example, by having the Skanians somewhat involved); yet the scope was quite smaller compared to what I usually read. And I loved every minute of it. This is a clever story that builds all around characters and plot; in fact, the plot might be the best thing of this entire series in my opinion. I have finished the books a few months ago and I still find myself thinking about one event or another that genuinely moved the story in the direction Peter Lean had in mind. The villains and their motives are also instrumental for the events and I loved how the mastermind is slowly unfolded and how Vogel ultimately is a man that existed in history (and might still exist today), cunning, clever, ruthless, ignoring the value of lives and able to discard humans if they represent a complication to his plans.
Another reflection I made was that I would have hated living in this world; superstition shapes minds and it is abused (by the church, by the government, by folks). Suspicion is sufficient to get you killed and there is nothing and nobody who will stand up for you and to protect you. It is a ruthless world, and this is why it reminded me of the dark ages.
There are also quite good lines, irony is quite well sprinkled across the pages which help lighten the mood with a heavy story; because let’s be honest, this is not a light novel. This is an intense fantasy series, with brutality and ruthlessness in every page.
In terms of characters, I think I will keep a few in my heart. The first is Bloody Anne, the best sargent one can hope for in the battle field, fierce fighter, loyal (to a fault) friend and partner. I found her back story and the abuse she suffered quite telling and I was rooting all the time for her to have a happy-ever-after ending (as long as possible in this story).
Cutter is the second character I loved with all my heart and he was made to be loved. In fact, there was an ironic line about him and his skills: “If I had to choose a friend for my adopted nephew, a professional murderer more than twice his age wouldn’t have been my choice.“ This is Cutter, down to his essence: he is a good guy, working in a horrible line of business and being great at it, providing others with the tools to survive.
Finally Billy and Mina. They are essential to the story, they are essential to Tomas and his decision making but they are also shaping their lives to become adults in their own rights, experimenting along the way (even if the risks are higher than the rewards).
With regards to the main character, Tomas is interesting and we experience the entire story through his perspective. Yet I don’t find myself so attached to him and it might have to do with the choices he makes over time. I would have probably been on his side all along and, if I had to be in his shoes, I might even have made the same decisions and rose the same way he did but wow, what didn’t he sacrifice along the way.
With that said, I loved the most about him is his philosophy: “I believe in putting the right man in the right job, but if a man chooses that job for himself and is suited for it, then I won’t argue with him.”
Do not get me wrong, interesting and engaging; he is incredibly well fleshed out, he experiences very traumatic events (from his childhood until the last page of the story) and yet I connected with him with caution, unlike other characters in this story.
Have you read this series? What did you think was the highlight of the series? Who is your favourite character?
If you did not read the series, are you ready to start?
