
Priest of Crowns
War for the Rose Throne, Book 4
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed

Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Buy for $25.00
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
David Morley Hale
-
By:
-
Peter McLean
About this listen
Praise be to Our Lady of Eternal Sorrows, and blessed be the Ascended Martyr.' Those were the words on lips of the faithful: Blessed be the Ascended Martyr, and woe betide you if you thought otherwise. The word Unbeliever had become a death sentence on the streets in those days.
Gangster, soldier, priest. Governor, knight, and above all, Queen's Man.
Once, Tomas Piety looked after his men, body and soul, as best he could. Then those who ran his country decided his dark talents would better serve in the corridors of power.
Crushed by the power of the Queen's Men and with the Skanian menace rising once more on the streets of Ellinburg, Tomas Piety is forced to turn to old friends, old debts and untrustworthy alliances.
Meanwhile in the capital city of Dannsburg, Dieter Vogel is beginning to wonder if the horror he has unleashed in the Martyr's Disciples might be getting out of control.
With revolution brewing and tragedy and terrorism running rife in the cities, Piety and Vogel must each weigh the cost of a crown.
©2022 Peter McLean (P)2022 Quercus Editions LimitedListeners also enjoyed...
-
Beyond Redemption
- Manifest Delusions, Book 1
- By: Michael R. Fletcher
- Narrated by: Paul Woodson
- Length: 15 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Common knowledge isn't an axiom, it's a force of nature. What the masses believe is. But insanity is a weapon; conviction a shield. Delusions give birth to foul new gods. Violent and dark, the world is filled with the Geisteskranken - men and women whose delusions manifest, twisting reality. High Priest Konig seeks to create order from chaos. He defines the beliefs of his followers, leading their faith to one end: a young boy, Morgen, must Ascend to become a god. A god they can control. But there are many who would see this would-be-god in their thrall....
-
-
Extraordinarily dark and disturbing
- By Amazon Customer on 04-28-21
-
We Are the Dead
- The Last War Trilogy
- By: Mike Shackle
- Narrated by: Nicola Bryant
- Length: 18 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Jia's people learned the hard way that there are no second chances. The Egril, their ancient enemy, struck with magic so devastating that Jia's armies were wiped out. Now terror reigns in the streets, and friend turns on friend just to live another day. Somehow Tinnstra - a deserter, a failure, nothing but a coward - survived. She wants no more than to hide from the chaos. But dragged into a desperate plot to retake Jia, surrounded by people willing to do anything to win the fight, this time Tinnstra will need to do more than hide.
-
-
Criminally Underrated Gem in a world of Dark Fantasy
- By Nic on 04-24-23
By: Mike Shackle
-
Drake
- The Burned Man, Book 1
- By: Peter McLean
- Narrated by: Mark Meadows
- Length: 8 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Hitman Don Drake owes a gambling debt to a demon. Forced to carry out one more assassination to clear his debt, Don unwittingly kills an innocent child and brings the Furies of Greek myth down upon himself. Rescued by an almost fallen angel called Trixie, Don and his magical accomplice - the Burned Man, an imprisoned archdemon - are forced to deal with Lucifer himself whilst battling a powerful evil magician.
-
-
Excellent story with character development!
- By Ketil on 11-21-16
By: Peter McLean
-
The Malevolent Seven
- By: Sebastien de Castell
- Narrated by: Joe Jameson
- Length: 11 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
My name is Cade Ombra, and though I currently make my living as a mercenary wonderist, I used to have a far more noble-sounding job title—until I discovered the people I worked for weren't quite as noble as I'd believed. Now I'm on the run and my only friend, a homicidal thunder mage, has invited me to join him on a suicide mission against the seven deadliest mages on the continent. Time to recruit some very bad people to help us on this job.
-
-
Wandered off the promised path
- By 🔥 Phx17 🔥 on 09-30-23
-
Montego
- A Glass Immortals Novella
- By: Brian McClellan
- Narrated by: Damian Lynch
- Length: 3 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Twelve-year-old Montego al'Bou is an orphan, a provincial peasant boy left alone by the recent death of his grandmother. Possessing nothing more than his grandmother's cudgel, he strikes out to the capital where the influential Grappo have offered to bring him up in the luxury of an Ossan guild-family. He finds his welcome frosty, his new home full of confusing responsibilities.
-
-
Enjoyable Backstory, Poor Audio
- By Samuel Hudnet on 05-30-23
By: Brian McClellan
-
Against All Gods
- The Age of Bronze, Book 1
- By: Miles Cameron
- Narrated by: Peter Noble
- Length: 17 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A vibrant and powerful epic set against an alternate Bronze Age, this tale of gods, men and monsters, conspiracy and war, is a rich, compelling and original tale from a master of the historical and fantasy genres. The people caught up in toils of the gods are merely trying to survive. Victims of vicious whims, trapped by their circumstances or pushed beyond what the mortal frame can bear, a handful of god-touched mortals—a scribe, a warlord, a dancer and a child - are about to be brought together in a conspiracy of their own.
-
-
Great idea for a story, well executed
- By Daniel P. Fradl on 10-31-22
By: Miles Cameron
-
Beyond Redemption
- Manifest Delusions, Book 1
- By: Michael R. Fletcher
- Narrated by: Paul Woodson
- Length: 15 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Common knowledge isn't an axiom, it's a force of nature. What the masses believe is. But insanity is a weapon; conviction a shield. Delusions give birth to foul new gods. Violent and dark, the world is filled with the Geisteskranken - men and women whose delusions manifest, twisting reality. High Priest Konig seeks to create order from chaos. He defines the beliefs of his followers, leading their faith to one end: a young boy, Morgen, must Ascend to become a god. A god they can control. But there are many who would see this would-be-god in their thrall....
-
-
Extraordinarily dark and disturbing
- By Amazon Customer on 04-28-21
-
We Are the Dead
- The Last War Trilogy
- By: Mike Shackle
- Narrated by: Nicola Bryant
- Length: 18 hrs and 6 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Jia's people learned the hard way that there are no second chances. The Egril, their ancient enemy, struck with magic so devastating that Jia's armies were wiped out. Now terror reigns in the streets, and friend turns on friend just to live another day. Somehow Tinnstra - a deserter, a failure, nothing but a coward - survived. She wants no more than to hide from the chaos. But dragged into a desperate plot to retake Jia, surrounded by people willing to do anything to win the fight, this time Tinnstra will need to do more than hide.
-
-
Criminally Underrated Gem in a world of Dark Fantasy
- By Nic on 04-24-23
By: Mike Shackle
-
Drake
- The Burned Man, Book 1
- By: Peter McLean
- Narrated by: Mark Meadows
- Length: 8 hrs and 40 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Hitman Don Drake owes a gambling debt to a demon. Forced to carry out one more assassination to clear his debt, Don unwittingly kills an innocent child and brings the Furies of Greek myth down upon himself. Rescued by an almost fallen angel called Trixie, Don and his magical accomplice - the Burned Man, an imprisoned archdemon - are forced to deal with Lucifer himself whilst battling a powerful evil magician.
-
-
Excellent story with character development!
- By Ketil on 11-21-16
By: Peter McLean
-
The Malevolent Seven
- By: Sebastien de Castell
- Narrated by: Joe Jameson
- Length: 11 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
My name is Cade Ombra, and though I currently make my living as a mercenary wonderist, I used to have a far more noble-sounding job title—until I discovered the people I worked for weren't quite as noble as I'd believed. Now I'm on the run and my only friend, a homicidal thunder mage, has invited me to join him on a suicide mission against the seven deadliest mages on the continent. Time to recruit some very bad people to help us on this job.
-
-
Wandered off the promised path
- By 🔥 Phx17 🔥 on 09-30-23
-
Montego
- A Glass Immortals Novella
- By: Brian McClellan
- Narrated by: Damian Lynch
- Length: 3 hrs and 10 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Twelve-year-old Montego al'Bou is an orphan, a provincial peasant boy left alone by the recent death of his grandmother. Possessing nothing more than his grandmother's cudgel, he strikes out to the capital where the influential Grappo have offered to bring him up in the luxury of an Ossan guild-family. He finds his welcome frosty, his new home full of confusing responsibilities.
-
-
Enjoyable Backstory, Poor Audio
- By Samuel Hudnet on 05-30-23
By: Brian McClellan
-
Against All Gods
- The Age of Bronze, Book 1
- By: Miles Cameron
- Narrated by: Peter Noble
- Length: 17 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A vibrant and powerful epic set against an alternate Bronze Age, this tale of gods, men and monsters, conspiracy and war, is a rich, compelling and original tale from a master of the historical and fantasy genres. The people caught up in toils of the gods are merely trying to survive. Victims of vicious whims, trapped by their circumstances or pushed beyond what the mortal frame can bear, a handful of god-touched mortals—a scribe, a warlord, a dancer and a child - are about to be brought together in a conspiracy of their own.
-
-
Great idea for a story, well executed
- By Daniel P. Fradl on 10-31-22
By: Miles Cameron
-
The Will of the Many
- Hierarchy, Book 1
- By: James Islington
- Narrated by: Euan Morton
- Length: 28 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Catenan Republic—the Hierarchy—may rule the world now, but they do not know everything. I tell them my name is Vis Telimus. I tell them I was orphaned after a tragic accident three years ago, and that good fortune alone has led to my acceptance into their most prestigious school. I tell them that once I graduate, I will gladly join the rest of civilized society in allowing my strength, my drive, and my focus—what they call Will—to be leeched away and added to the power of those above me, as millions already do. As all must eventually do.
-
-
I don’t know what the other reviews are on about
- By Chase on 06-24-23
By: James Islington
-
The Court of Broken Knives
- By: Anna Smith Spark
- Narrated by: Colin Mace, Meriel Rosenkranz
- Length: 16 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
It is the richest empire the world has ever known, and it is also doomed - but only one man can see it. Haunted by prophetic dreams, Orhan has hired a company of soldiers to cross the desert to reach the capital city. Once they enter the palace, they have one mission: Kill the emperor, then all those who remain. Only from the ashes can a new empire be built. The company is a group of good, ordinary soldiers for whom this is a mission like any other. But the strange boy Marith who walks among them is no ordinary soldier.
-
-
Beautiful prose, beautifully narrated.
- By superstardrifter on 09-28-17
By: Anna Smith Spark
-
Of Blood and Fire
- The Bound and the Broken, Book 1
- By: Ryan Cahill
- Narrated by: Derek Perkins
- Length: 16 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Epheria is a land divided by war and mistrust. The High Lords of the South squabble and fight, only kept in check by the Dragonguard, traitors of a time long past, who serve the empire of the North. In the remote villages of Southern Epheria, still reeling from the tragic loss of his brother, Calen Bryer prepares for The Proving - a test of courage and skill that not all survive. But when three strangers arrive in the village of Milltown, with a secret they are willing to die for, Calen’s world is ripped from under him and he is thrust headfirst into a war.
-
-
Didn’t expect a “grow up power fantasy”
- By Mike Thomas on 07-23-22
By: Ryan Cahill
-
The Blacktongue Thief
- By: Christopher Buehlman
- Narrated by: Christopher Buehlman
- Length: 12 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Kinch Na Shannack owes the Takers Guild a small fortune for his education as a thief, which includes (but is not limited to) lock-picking, knife-fighting, wall-scaling, fall-breaking, lie-weaving, trap-making, plus a few small magics. His debt has driven him to lie in wait by the old forest road, planning to rob the next traveler that crosses his path. But today, Kinch Na Shannack has picked the wrong mark.
-
-
Outstanding
- By Anne Vaughan on 05-28-21
-
Gunmetal Gods
- Gunmetal Gods, Book 1
- By: Zamil Akhtar
- Narrated by: Peter Noble
- Length: 17 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Fifty thousand gun-toting paladins march behind him, all baptized in angel blood, thirsty to burn unbelievers. Only the janissaries can stand against them. Their living legend, Kevah, once beheaded a magus amid a hail of ice daggers. But ever since his wife disappeared, he spends his days in a haze of hashish and poetry. To save the kingdom, Kevah must conquer his grief and become the legend he once was. But Micah writes his own legend in blood, and his righteous conquest will stop at nothing. When the gods choose sides, a legend will be etched upon the stars.
-
-
Great Narrator, Great Book
- By KYLE LOCKHAVEN on 10-28-21
By: Zamil Akhtar
-
Kings of Paradise
- Ash and Sand, Book 1
- By: Richard Nell
- Narrated by: Ralph Lister
- Length: 25 hrs and 31 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Ruka, called a demon at birth, is a genius. Born malformed and ugly into the snow-covered wasteland of the Ascom, he was spared from death by his mother's love. Now he is an outcast, consumed with hate for those who've wronged him. But to take his vengeance, he must first survive. Across a vast sea in the white-sand island paradise of Sri Kon, Kale is fourth and youngest son of the Sorcerer King. As the first prince ever forced to serve with low-born marines, Kale must prove himself and become a man, or else lose all chance of a worthy future, and any hope to win the love of his life.
-
-
Grimdark at its finest
- By C.T. on 10-09-18
By: Richard Nell
-
The Book That Wouldn't Burn
- By: Mark Lawrence
- Narrated by: Jessica Whittaker
- Length: 22 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The boy has lived his whole life trapped within a book-choked chamber older than empires and larger than cities. The girl has been plucked from the outskirts of civilization to be trained as a librarian, studying the mysteries of the great library at the heart of her kingdom. They were never supposed to meet. But in the library, they did. Their stories spiral around each other, across worlds and time. This is a tale of truth and lies and hearts, and the blurring of one into another.
-
-
Keeps the reader guessing
- By Gr on 08-17-23
By: Mark Lawrence
-
The Squire
- Blood of Kings, Book 1
- By: Duncan M. Hamilton
- Narrated by: John Lee
- Length: 13 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Conrad lives a quiet rural life with his parents in the Northlands. During one fated night, his world is turned on its head, as nightmares become reality. While his Northlands blood cries out for revenge, Conrad’s head tells him surviving is the best he can do. Rescued by a motley band of mercenaries, Conrad embarks on a life he could barely have imagined. As new challenges, friends, and enemies present themselves, Conrad knows that one day he will have to face the evil that so altered his life, and when that day comes, he must be ready.
-
-
Similar Feel to Wolf of North + Society of Sword
- By Samuel Hudnet on 05-01-21
-
The Maleficent Seven
- By: Cameron Johnston
- Narrated by: George Weightman
- Length: 14 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Black Herran was a dread demonologist, and the most ruthless general in all Essoran. She assembled the six most fearsome warriors to captain her armies: a necromancer, a vampire lord, a demigod, an orcish warleader, a pirate queen, and a twisted alchemist. Together, they brought the whole continent to its knees.... Until the day she abandoned her army, on the eve of total victory.
-
-
Suicide Squad meets Joe Ambercrombie
- By @abagoflit on 08-18-21
By: Cameron Johnston
-
Heroes Die
- The First of the Acts of Caine
- By: Matthew Stover
- Narrated by: Stefan Rudnicki
- Length: 22 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Renowned throughout the land of Ankhana as the Blade of Tyshalle, Caine has killed his share of monarchs and commoners, villains and heroes. He is relentless, unstoppable, simply the best there is at what he does. At home on Earth, Caine is Hari Michaelson, a superstar whose adventures in Ankhana command an audience of billions.
-
-
Don't Let the Cover Turn You Off
- By Paul on 08-13-12
By: Matthew Stover
-
Scythe
- By: Neal Shusterman
- Narrated by: Greg Tremblay
- Length: 10 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
A world with no hunger, no disease, no war, no misery: Humanity has conquered all those things and has even conquered death. Now Scythes are the only ones who can end life - and they are commanded to do so in order to keep the size of the population under control. Citra and Rowan are chosen to apprentice to a scythe - a role that neither wants. These teens must master the "art" of taking life, knowing that the consequence of failure could mean losing their own.
-
-
Teenage Thumbs up
- By Lila R on 04-01-17
By: Neal Shusterman
-
The Forgetting Moon
- By: Brian Lee Durfee
- Narrated by: Tim Gerard Reynolds
- Length: 30 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Welcome to the Five Isles, where war has come in the name of the invading army of Sor Sevier, a merciless host driven by the prophetic fervor of the Angel Prince, Aeros, toward the last unconquered kingdom of Gul Kana. Yet Gault, one of the elite Knights Archaic of Sor Sevier, is growing disillusioned by the crusade he is at the vanguard of just as it embarks on his Lord Aeros' greatest triumph. While the eldest son of the fallen king of Gul Kana now reigns in ever increasing paranoid isolationism, his two sisters seek their own paths.
-
-
alright-ish
- By Matthew on 05-10-19
By: Brian Lee Durfee
What listeners say about Priest of Crowns
Highly rated for:
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Zr
- 08-13-22
absolutely fantastic
really great addition to the series. kinda sad if this will be the last book in the series
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Dillon R.
- 04-05-24
fantastic storytelling both written and spoken words
I am curious as to what could potentially happen next compelling story truly loved it. I miss the OG narrator though. new guy did a fantastic job but there's just something Thomas piety about the first narrator
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Wes
- 08-08-22
Amazing!
This is probably my favorite fantasy/grimdark series I’ve ever read. I absolutely can not wait for the next one. Highly recommend this series to anyone into darker low fantasy.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Ed Cortis
- 08-30-22
What a ‘trilogy’ 10/10 - great
Loved this 4-book trilogy, and will miss it now it’s finished, author does a great job of booking things to a brutal end, as expect
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- TRT
- 08-30-22
Bravo… Absolutely fantastic!
Fantastic ending to a fantastic series. This series goes on the “must” list. Narrator was perfect.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- GJS
- 05-29-23
Simple one of the best 5 every
The ending was amazing, the realism of what a true friend would say was spot on. I had a problem with the changing voice actor but I got used to it. As a matter of fact it worked well in the end.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Anonymous User
- 10-26-23
Brilliant trilogy
Absolutely fantastic. Raw and engaging characters that you grow to love. Listened at X1.2 and loved the narration.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Allen
- 01-25-23
Improved from the third brandy
Make no mistake, the brandy I drank to get me through this stunning book was all I need, in our lady’s name.
Book 3 Tomas was treading deep brandy and I felt that his intelligence ran away due to his fear of the Queen’s men and Vogel. This book it comes back into full force with tons of brandy, violence and brandy, and make no mistake more brandy. I enjoyed this book far more than book 3 and the ending left me satisfied. I wish an epilogue was made to cover other characters just to see where they end up but most questions were answered.
My only gripe was how much brandy Tomas drank and referenced. I know he’s an alcoholic but brandy this brandy that brandy here brandy there brandy everywhere.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- richard
- 08-08-22
Utterly Amazing!!!
This was a story with many twists that you will do a marathon session to finish
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- spike99
- 08-09-22
An absolutely stunning finale
When you get to the end of a series, picking up the final book can be a somewhat daunting prospect. Before you start, you have to wonder: will the author stick the landing, or will they stumble & fall? Will I love this book, or will I be bitterly disappointed? I was not disappointed by Priest of Crowns. I loved it.
Peter McLean stuck that landing.
The War for the Rose Throne series is told in first person from the point of view of Tomas Piety, a gangster, and a killer, who's not only ruthless but very ambitious. I love first person stories. You literally get into the head of the narrator. So, you see everything through their eyes. You know what they know when they know it and you're privy to their decision-making process. The narrator might make some horrible choices, but you see *why* they made those choices. So, those decisions make sense, and you support those choices.
Peter McLean's War for the Rose Throne series has been that way for me. Tomas Piety is a great character. He's a killer and a badly damaged individual who'd slit your throat as soon as look at you, but he has a strong moral code of his own, a gangster's code. Pay your "taxes" to his organization and he'll protect you. Prove yourself to be a loyal and reliable member of his crew and you'll be well rewarded. If you're cut down by a rival gang, he'll avenge you. But, if you cross the line by abusing women and children or if, gods forbid, you dare betray him, you'll be lucky if the worst thing you get is a knife in the heart. And he won't lose a moment of sleep over it because he has no conscience. But somehow, I loved Tomas Piety despite all that.
I understood and supported Tomas's decisions all the way because he did everything for the right reasons, or so it seemed. Doing such horrible things wasn't right, of course, but it felt like justice. He did what he had to do to protect his home, his family, and his people. Tomas Piety isn't a hero, of course, but it felt like he was.
But Tomas is the one telling the story, and everyone's the hero of their own story, aren't they? Even villains. As I got deeper and deeper into Priest of Crowns, I felt less and less comfortable with the decisions that Tomas was making. As his choices became more & more unsettling, they became harder & harder to justify, even in the heart & mind of this very enthusiastic fan.
Peter McLean didn't shy away from showing us that unsettling underbelly of his protagonist. The end of Tomas's story rocked my understanding, and acceptance, of Tomas's actions up to now. If I ever listen to the series again (and I probably will!), I'll approach it with an entirely new understanding of the characters and events in Tomas's life and the choices he made.
Peter McLean took a big risk to end the series that way, but it paid off big time. Rarely does the end of a series force you to re-evaluate the entire journey the way this one has done for me. As a result, it was one of the most satisfying, and mind-blowing, endings of a series I've ever read.
Priest of Crowns was an absolutely stunning finale. It was bloody, heart-breaking and brilliant.
Thank you, Peter.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!