Paved with Good Intentions

The Trenches of Abingon, Battlefield Gangs, and the Bloody Birth of the Pious Men

Spanning ten and a half brutal, fast-paced hours, *Paved with Good Intentions* is Peter McLean’s gripping prequel novel to the *War for the Rose Throne* series, answering the burning questions of how Tomas Piety, his brother Jochan, and Bloody Anne were forged into the most lethal criminal syndicate in the kingdom. Set years before Priest of Bones during the grueling foreign war against the kingdom of Abingon, the story drops listeners into the muddy, pestilence-ridden trenches where the Queen’s soldiers are slaughtered for meaningless yards of dirt.

Tomas Piety is a young army priest, but in the meat-grinder of frontline warfare, preaching scripture quickly gives way to violent survival. To keep his men fed and alive amidst criminal neglect from royal generals, Tomas organizes an illicit supply smuggling ring that evolves into a deadly regiment known as the 'Pious Men'. Partnering with the fierce, razor-sharp sniper Bloody Anne and managing his brother Jochan’s burgeoning manic bloodlust, Tomas learns the ruthless tradecraft of battlefield extortion, execution, and loyalty. McLean’s depictions of military logistics, trench warfare trauma, and black-market syndicates are chillingly realistic.

Narrator David Morley Hale returns to voice Tomas with his signature gritty, world-weary gravel. Hale captures Tomas’s younger, slightly more hopeful spirit before it is calcified into the hardened gangster of the main series, giving his comrades-in-arms distinctive, authentic soldier voices. It is a brilliant companion to grimdark military classics like The Black Company and The Heroes. For fans of Peter McLean's underworld saga, this prequel is an essential listen.

War for the Rose Throne Reading Order: • Priest of Bones (Book 1 – 10h 05m) • Priest of Lies (Book 2 – 11h 25m) • Priest of Gallows (Book 3 – 11h 05m) • Priest of Crowns (Book 4 – 11h 50m) • Paved with Good Intentions (Book 5 – 10h 30m)