Book links: Amazon, Goodreads

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Peter McLean was born near London in 1972, the son of a bank manager and an English teacher. He went to school in the shadow of Norwich Cathedral where he spent most of his time making up stories.

He has since grown up a bit, if not a lot, and spent 25 years working in corporate IT. He is married to Diane and is still making up stories.

He is the author of the War for the Rose Throne series, beginning with Priest of Bones, the Burned Man series, and numerous short stories for Warhammer.

Agent: Jennie Goloboy at DMLA

Publisher: Arcadia (June 19, 2025) Length: 333 pages Formats: audiobook, ebook, paperback

As a huge fan of the War for the Rose Throne series, I was stoked to revisit McLean’s filthy, scheming world. Paved With Good Intentions isn’t really a sequel, and you can read it as a standalone, but the cameos and all nods makes more sense if you’ve already met Tomas Piety and company. It’s as dark and sharp as the main series, and if you’re okay with antiheroes, you’re going to have a great time wallowing in the moral mud again.

This time we follow Eline, a washerwoman with two kids, an abusive husband, and no plot armor. The book opens with her killing that husband. Somebody sees. Somebody else helps. And suddenly she’s in debt to the Queen’s Men, who are basically Drath’s secret police and have no scruples. She’s expected to infiltrate a high-end brothel and get close to the Madame.

I like McLean’s writing. It’s not subtle, but I vibe with his voice. Eline is clawing her way through trauma, fear, and obligation, trying to stay alive long enough to figure out who she even is when no one is hitting her anymore. She’s observant, stubborn, and furious.

Drath still feels like a cesspit - power plays, everyone watching everyone else, and the Queen’s Men operating as brutal cogs in a machine that cares more about order than justice. The brothel sections are handled with care: bleak, yes, but not exploitative. The violence is less splashy than in Priest of Bones, but the psychological grind is just as sharp.

It’s not perfect and takes some time to get going. The middle sags a bit, and if you showed up hoping for Tomas, Billy, or the rest of the old gang to stroll in, you’ll have to settle for subtle nods and whispered references.

Still, this is a great dark fantasy. It shows the world of the Rose Throne from the gutter again, but through fresh eyes. Good story, good characters, and I’m waiting for more.