I think Peter McLean might owe the Peaky Blinders creators some money.
To be clear: I don’t mind! I like Peaky Blinders. I found this book on a list of books to read if you like Peaky Blinders. This is absolutely Peaky Blinders set in a fantasy world. Brothers running a gang in a crap part of a crap city. Men returning from war ridden with PTSD. A nosy aunt who tries to keep the business afloat. A rival gang vying for control of the city. A mysterious bartender who may-or-may-not be a spy.
I mean, c’mon.
But it also encompasses more: an interesting take on religion, low-but-effective magic, political intrigue (which I did not expect at all), and even some military fantasy.
This is absolutely a book for me and I hope the rest of the series can live up to it. It’s readable, it balances its various elements well, it doesn’t overstay its welcome.
My two issues…
1. I know this sounds weird for a book I’m praising but I couldn’t connect with the MC at all. Tomas is whatever the writer needs him to be: commanding, cool, charming, quiet, reflective, plotting, etc, etc, etc. I liked everything around Tomas and I assumed he would come out on top anyway (which lessens the drama). He’s fine for what he is but a more developed MC would’ve taken this book to another level.
2. There are LGBTQIA+ characters and non-white characters and the representation is…decent. It’s just that McLean approaches it all with a “Not that there’s anything wrong with that” vibe around two women having sex or a Black person in power in a dominantly white city. It’s good not to intend to offend, it’s perhaps a little patronizing.
All that to say: I loved this book and I can’t wait to read the rest of the series!
