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lia_kim's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
It’s a brilliant story that covers a lot of dark topics and themes. The plot itself flows as naturally as wine there isn’t ever a dull moment even when it isn’t all action. I was experiencing quite the reading slump when this book came to save me from that horrid state. I’d heavily recommend this for those that enjoy severely dark fantasy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Gore, and Pedophilia
Moderate: Rape, Trafficking, Child abuse, and Violence
ferouzreadsbooks's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
This was an enjoyable read. I liked the Peaky Blinders vibe but it lacked substance for me. The characters didn't have much depth, the plot felt a bit too simple for my taste and there wasn't enough fantasy element to satisfy my fantasy craving.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Pedophilia, War, and Violence
magretfume's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
A very straightforward and compelling read.
The combination of grimdark fantasy and organized crime works really well, the pacing is great and the characters are high in colour and memorable.
I will probably pick up book two soon, as the story ends on a cliffhanger.
The combination of grimdark fantasy and organized crime works really well, the pacing is great and the characters are high in colour and memorable.
I will probably pick up book two soon, as the story ends on a cliffhanger.
timinbc's review against another edition
5.0
Not perfect, but I'm giving it the five for finding a bit of a new direction.
Take some "What happened after the war?" and put it in a world where, as the book notes, the best you can hope for from your god is to make today not be the day you die.
This is a world where most of the people are decent, but they're also counting the days till the next shitty thing happens. A world that was bad enough even before soldiers came back from war with PTSD. Like ours, but a bit worse. OK, maybe a lot worse.
I applaud McLean's decision to have Jochan be very, very close to completely broken. Has to be a hard character to write. Then we learn about their early life, with some unpleasantness that also occurs in our world but is no longer so totally hidden.
Tomas wants to be a decent guy, but it's a game where you have to kill sometimes just to stay in the game. And I admired the way it all led to an ending of
I want the next one. I want to see what happens to Cutter and Billy the Boy. I want to see how Tomas handles a journey already travelled by Sam Vimes with Sybil, except for the marriages being almost opposite in nature. I am not looking forward to more Jochan, because I'm sure it won't be nice.
Speaking of Pratchett, I like Bloody Anne as Sergeant Jackrum if things had gone badly for the Monstrous Regiment.
Also I wonder if the Pious Men aren't evolving a traditional feudal society. I dunno, maybe I just never noticed before how the Godfather model resembles that. And heck, I've never seen Peaky Blinders.
Take some "What happened after the war?" and put it in a world where, as the book notes, the best you can hope for from your god is to make today not be the day you die.
This is a world where most of the people are decent, but they're also counting the days till the next shitty thing happens. A world that was bad enough even before soldiers came back from war with PTSD. Like ours, but a bit worse. OK, maybe a lot worse.
I applaud McLean's decision to have Jochan be very, very close to completely broken. Has to be a hard character to write. Then we learn about their early life, with some unpleasantness that also occurs in our world but is no longer so totally hidden.
Tomas wants to be a decent guy, but it's a game where you have to kill sometimes just to stay in the game. And I admired the way it all led to an ending of
Spoiler
Are we the baddies? Are we pawns in someone else's game?I want the next one. I want to see what happens to Cutter and Billy the Boy. I want to see how Tomas handles a journey already travelled by Sam Vimes with Sybil, except for the marriages being almost opposite in nature. I am not looking forward to more Jochan, because I'm sure it won't be nice.
Speaking of Pratchett, I like Bloody Anne as Sergeant Jackrum if things had gone badly for the Monstrous Regiment.
Also I wonder if the Pious Men aren't evolving a traditional feudal society. I dunno, maybe I just never noticed before how the Godfather model resembles that. And heck, I've never seen Peaky Blinders.
wouterk's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
A solid book with lots of awesome crime, fighting, politics and magic. I know people say it's like peaky blinders but I have not seen it. To me it is reminiscent of movies like the Godfather, but also the Boondock Saints.
As we follow the memoirs as written by Tomas Piety, we learn about his return from a war. He had quite the empire in his district called 'The Stink' with bars, brothels and gambling houses. Returning from the war he finds someone has taken it all. And not just anyone. To see how this unfolds and the situations that Tomas stumbles into you'll have to read the book.
Now I loved the world building, the gang dynamics and the characters. Although we hardly do any deep dives into the characters we learn some very emotionally taxing facts about many of the key characters in this book. It is a dark world and different people have been damaged way before the war already. And of course many of the characters have been damaged by the war as well. A trauma heavy book. Still, while the characters are fine and written well, I did not feel very connected to most characters. I hope this will change as the books continue.
The book is fast-paced but I felt that the first part had quite a bit of downtime. Still I never felt bored reading the book. The chapters are short and succinct. And the contents is quite hype, even though we take some time to set the stage in this book. Starting book 2 soon!
As we follow the memoirs as written by Tomas Piety, we learn about his return from a war. He had quite the empire in his district called 'The Stink' with bars, brothels and gambling houses. Returning from the war he finds someone has taken it all. And not just anyone. To see how this unfolds and the situations that Tomas stumbles into you'll have to read the book.
Now I loved the world building, the gang dynamics and the characters. Although we hardly do any deep dives into the characters we learn some very emotionally taxing facts about many of the key characters in this book. It is a dark world and different people have been damaged way before the war already. And of course many of the characters have been damaged by the war as well. A trauma heavy book. Still, while the characters are fine and written well, I did not feel very connected to most characters. I hope this will change as the books continue.
The book is fast-paced but I felt that the first part had quite a bit of downtime. Still I never felt bored reading the book. The chapters are short and succinct. And the contents is quite hype, even though we take some time to set the stage in this book. Starting book 2 soon!
turgon2007's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
malignantcactus's review against another edition
3.0
I enjoyed it quite a bit. I listened to it in nearly one sitting during my shift yesterday, certainly helped pass the time quicker.
josiah17's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
"When people have run out of food and hope and places to hide, do not be surprised if they have also run out of mercy."
Gang wars in a fantasy setting from the perspective of the boss, Tomas Piety. This is a solid book one to a series. It's certainly a setup book, and there's some monotony in the reconstruction of Piety's gang. But I enjoyed this enough and I will definitely continue the series.
The actual prose is decent overall, but the writing and structure as a whole makes this book so incredibly readable. I read it at such a quick pace while still digesting and retaining everything that was occurring. McLean also gives Tomas Piety such a distinctive narrative voice which I quite enjoyed. He's seen some stuff, and that's reflected through his view of the world and how he controls his gang. However, one downside to McLean's writing in first person, at least so far, is most of the side characters don't feel as fleshed out as they could be. Bloody Anne, Luka, and Ailsa were definitely the best written, and Jochan receives a bit of a backstory that makes you feel for him. I'm interested in Billy too, and his ability with the cunning (which is an intriguing and mysterious soft magic system). Otherwise there's not much to any of the other characters. It doesn't feel like it's awful writing, but just not as good as it could be. Although I do like the way Tomas interacts with his gang from his POV regardless of the their lack of development.
As for the world, it's grimdark alright. There's some nasty stuff Tomas encounters and discusses. There's the recent war of Abingon which Tomas and his gang are returning from, and it eternally resides in the back of Tomas's mind. It's clear how utterly horrifying the war was based on Tomas's own recounts of his friends actions and the PTSD (battle shock as its referred to) becoming visible in some of those who he served with. The gang violence itself is brutal too. Tomas doesn't hold back when taking back what's his, and he especially doesn't hold back if you cross him.
Overall, a good read. It's a very bleak and gritty book, but also extremely readable. I'm excited to check out the rest of the series because I believe it only gets better from here.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Gore, Injury/Injury detail, Violence, and Rape
ludvigmarklund's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
cutthroat_badger's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75