AUTHOR EXCLUSIVE HOLY WARS

Peter McLean combines crime and fantasy in Priest Of Bones

Bringing to mind a fantastical Peaky Blinders, Peter McLean’s new novel Priest Of Bones is informed just as much by his favourite TV shows as by his love of “swords and horses” fantasy fiction.

“I actually pitched it as ‘Godfather with swords’, but there are definitely elements of Peaky Blinders in there as well, along with shades of Gangs Of New York and even Sons Of Anarchy,” he tells Red Alert, admitting that lead character Tomas Piety has much in common with Peaky Blinders’ head honcho Thomas Shelby, although he doubts “that they would get on if they ever were to meet.”

In the first in the War Of The Rose Throne series, McLean says that gangster-turned soldier/priest Tomas Piety doesn’t take naturally to the cloth – although he is a born leader. “By his own admission, he’s a lot less religious than a lot of his crew are,” he explains. “He’s a very shrewd man though, and something of a manipulator, and he uses his status as a priest with those who he knows will be swayed more by holy words than by threats and intimidation.”

Tomas returns from war to take back control of his gang, the ironically named Pious Men. “They originally called themselves that as something of a joke,” says McLean. “That Tomas should then become a rather unwilling priest as well is one of those quirks of fate that makes you think that the gods have a sense of humour after all.” SJ

Priest Of Bones is published on 4 October.